IP Library Granted Patent US 12,204,253
Granted Patent B2
US 12,204,253 · App. 18/593,330 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

In-situ lithography pattern enhancement with localized stress treatment tuning using heat zones

Inventors: Andrew Weloth (Albany, NY); Michael Murphy (Latham, NY); Daniel J. Fulford (Ballston Lake, NY); Steven Gueci (Gansevoort, NY); David C. Conklin (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
G03F7/70625G03F7/70875
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,204,253
App. No.
18/593,330
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure provide a wafer processing device for optimizing wafer shape. For example, the wafer processing device can include a first hot plate, a second hot plate and a controller. The first hot plate can be configured to heat a wafer. For example, the first hot plate can provide uniform heating across a surface of the first hot plate. The second hot plate has multiple heating zones with each heating zone independently controllable such that each heating zone can be set to a temperature value independent of other heating zones. The controller is configured to control the first hot plate to provide the uniform heating, receive a bow measurement from wafer curvature measurement of a wafer, and set the multiple heating zones of the second hot plate to their respective temperature values that correspond to the bow measurement.

Claims (14)

1. A wafer processing device, comprising:

a first hot plate configured to heat a wafer, the first hot plate generating uniform heating across a surface of the first hot plate;

a second hot plate configured to heat the wafer, the second hot plate having multiple heating zones with each heating zone independently controllable such that each heating zone can be set to a temperature value independent of other heating zones; and

a controller configured to control the first hot plate to generate the uniform heating, receive a bow measurement from wafer curvature measurement of the wafer, and set the multiple heating zones of the second hot plate to their respective temperature values that correspond to the bow measurement.

2. The wafer processing device of claim 1 , wherein the second hot plate is positioned adjacent to the first hot plate such that the first hot plate and the second hot plate are in contact with each other.

3. The wafer processing device of claim 2 , further comprising a wafer support for wafer to be placed thereon, wherein the controller is further configured to control the wafer support to be closer to the second hot plate than to the first hot plate.

4. The wafer processing device of claim 2 , further comprising a wafer support for wafer to be placed thereon, wherein the controller is further configured to control the wafer support to be closer to the first hot plate than to the second hot plate.

5. The wafer processing device of claim 1 , wherein the second hot plate is positioned opposite to the first hot plate such that the wafer is positioned between the first hot plate and the second hot plate.

6. The wafer processing device of claim 1 , wherein the second hot plate includes:

multiple channels corresponding to the multiple heating zones; and

a heat exchanging fluid flowing through the channels, temperature of the heat exchanging fluid being controlled by the controller based on the bow measurement of the wafer.

7. The wafer processing device of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the heat exchanging fluid to undergo a phase transition from a liquid state to a gas state.

8. The wafer processing device of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the temperature of the heat exchanging fluid by changing a pressure thereof.

9. The wafer processing device of claim 6 , wherein the heating zones of the second hot plate is provided in a vertical projection area of the wafer and fixed with respect to each other.

Continuity (3)
Division 18171989 · Feb 21, 2023
Provisional Application 63337708 · May 3, 2022
Related Publication 20240201601A1 · Jun 20, 2024
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