but that rectangle shape of this scanner doesn't match with the OVC 2024 presentation in which 28nm scanner have different size/shape or is it the different machine.
Chinese semiconductor thread II
- Thread starter vincent
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Good question, I had never seen that one, it could be another type and the guy use it as reference because he didn't had the real shape. But I had seen the Havok one for while in this forum.
first level using mechanical lorentz motor to adjust len, if that doesn't work, second level spot heating a spot on len using infrared to rid of distortion and if that doesn't work, adjust dosage of ArF laser which going through len to rid of distortion. Zernike polynomials.
Isn't China still using interferometer for measurement? it's prone to air fluctuation. Now all using planar encoder with Grid plate which is more stable than interferometer.
Their core control still based on Proportional-Integral-Derivative, state-space algorithm krF, DUV or EUV.
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Exactly.
The changed to grating interferometry years ago
When the development of the immersion lithography machine in China started in 2011 CAS developed the first immersion projection lens in 2014 and was granted a patent in 2016.
The design has been optimized even further using more advanced optical design tools.
Automated photoresist production machines, that is likely to make nervous resist companies.
Chinese researchers achieve breakthroughs in photoresist development for semiconductors
Chinese researchers have developed a new platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that enables the stable production of high-purity, highly consistent and efficient krypton fluoride (KrF) photoresist resin, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (Shanghai AI Lab) said on Tuesday.
Industry analysts said that as China's chip manufacturing technology continues to achieve breakthroughs, the country's progress toward greater self-reliance in the semiconductor industry is steadily advancing.
Built on the laboratory's Intern AI model, the system integrates "AI decision-making + automated synthesis" into a closed-loop research and development framework. Researchers said that the platform enables the production of KrF photoresist resin with high purity, high consistency and improved efficiency, according to the Shanghai AI Lab.
The achievement was made by a team led by the Shanghai AI Laboratory in collaboration with Xiamen University, Suzhou National Laboratory and other partners.
SIOM is developing an alignment system similar to ASML's ORION system.
A Multi-Wavelength Vortex Beam Projection Lithography Alignment Sensor System
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lithography machines, and in particular to a multi-wavelength vortex beam projection lithography alignment sensor system.
Background Art
[0002] In advanced-node semiconductor manufacturing, overlay accuracy is a core performance metric of a lithography machine. This metric quantifies the positional deviation between the newly exposed circuit pattern and the pattern of the previous layer during the lithography process. In immersion, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and high-numerical aperture (High-NA) EUV lithography, in order to achieve precise fabrication of complex three-dimensional structures in integrated circuits, the overlay accuracy must be controlled within 2 nm. Among the contributors, wafer alignment measurement error accounts for approximately one-third of the total overlay error budget. Therefore, to achieve the target of sub-2 nm overlay accuracy, the wafer alignment measurement precision must reach the sub-nanometer level, making wafer alignment measurement an extremely challenging key technology in lithography.
[0003] Wafer alignment measurement is realized by detecting the positions of phase wafer alignment marks on a wafer through an alignment sensor system. The alignment marks diffract under illumination from a light source, and the position of the alignment mark is calculated from the interference signal between the positive and negative diffraction orders, offering very high alignment accuracy (see prior art US6961116B2, US10508906B2, and CN202510594890.1). During integrated circuit manufacturing, process factors (such as chemical mechanical polishing, etching, deposition, etc.) cause changes in the topography of the alignment marks. When the optical depth of the alignment mark approaches an integer multiple of half the wavelength of the incident light, destructive interference of the illumination light occurs, causing a significant decrease in the intensity of the diffraction signal to be detected, thereby affecting the wafer position measurement accuracy. When the optical depth equals an integer multiple of half the wavelength of the incident light, the intensity of the diffraction signal to be detected becomes zero. Meanwhile, the photoresist on the wafer surface absorbs visible light, further weakening the illumination light. These process factors will render wafer alignment measurement impossible.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of the above, the present invention proposes a multi-wavelength vortex beam projection lithography alignment sensor system to solve the problems of destructive interference and absorption of the illumination light during the alignment process. The system features a simple structure and can realize high-precision detection of the position of wafer alignment marks
A Multi-Wavelength Vortex Beam Projection Lithography Alignment Sensor System
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of lithography machines, and in particular to a multi-wavelength vortex beam projection lithography alignment sensor system.
Background Art
[0002] In advanced-node semiconductor manufacturing, overlay accuracy is a core performance metric of a lithography machine. This metric quantifies the positional deviation between the newly exposed circuit pattern and the pattern of the previous layer during the lithography process. In immersion, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and high-numerical aperture (High-NA) EUV lithography, in order to achieve precise fabrication of complex three-dimensional structures in integrated circuits, the overlay accuracy must be controlled within 2 nm. Among the contributors, wafer alignment measurement error accounts for approximately one-third of the total overlay error budget. Therefore, to achieve the target of sub-2 nm overlay accuracy, the wafer alignment measurement precision must reach the sub-nanometer level, making wafer alignment measurement an extremely challenging key technology in lithography.
[0003] Wafer alignment measurement is realized by detecting the positions of phase wafer alignment marks on a wafer through an alignment sensor system. The alignment marks diffract under illumination from a light source, and the position of the alignment mark is calculated from the interference signal between the positive and negative diffraction orders, offering very high alignment accuracy (see prior art US6961116B2, US10508906B2, and CN202510594890.1). During integrated circuit manufacturing, process factors (such as chemical mechanical polishing, etching, deposition, etc.) cause changes in the topography of the alignment marks. When the optical depth of the alignment mark approaches an integer multiple of half the wavelength of the incident light, destructive interference of the illumination light occurs, causing a significant decrease in the intensity of the diffraction signal to be detected, thereby affecting the wafer position measurement accuracy. When the optical depth equals an integer multiple of half the wavelength of the incident light, the intensity of the diffraction signal to be detected becomes zero. Meanwhile, the photoresist on the wafer surface absorbs visible light, further weakening the illumination light. These process factors will render wafer alignment measurement impossible.
Summary of the Invention
[0004] In view of the above, the present invention proposes a multi-wavelength vortex beam projection lithography alignment sensor system to solve the problems of destructive interference and absorption of the illumination light during the alignment process. The system features a simple structure and can realize high-precision detection of the position of wafer alignment marks
MBE is one of those technology in the Wassenaar Agreement banned because allows to make thin films for really advanced semiconductors, looks like is becoming less of an issue in China.
Cluster Molecular Beam Epitaxy.
Feimian Technology, a high-end instrument and equipment manufacturer, has completed a Series C financing round of hundreds of millions of yuan.
Feimian Technology, a Shanghai-based high-end instrument and equipment manufacturer founded in 2012, has successfully completed a Series C financing round amounting to hundreds of millions of yuan. The investment was jointly led by over ten national-level industrial capital firms and renowned institutions, including Furong Investment, Fudan Science and Technology Innovation, Industrial Mother Machine Fund, Yuanhe Puhua, and Shenzhen Capital Group. According to the company, the newly raised funds will be strategically allocated to strengthen R&D efforts, expand patent portfolios, enhance production capacity, accelerate market expansion, and reinforce organizational development.
Over the past decade, Feimian Technology has established itself as a leading domestic supplier of high-end scientific instruments, earning recognitions such as Shanghai High-Tech Enterprise, Shanghai Specialized and Innovative Enterprise, and Shanghai Science and Technology Little Giant Cultivation Enterprise. The company has built fully independent and controllable technical capabilities in four core areas: ultra-high vacuum, precision temperature control, thin film preparation, and plasma technology. With more than 200 patents accumulated, Feimian stands among the few Chinese companies in its sector to achieve full-chain independent control of critical instrument technologies.
These four foundational technologies address pivotal bottlenecks across the advanced electronic materials value chain—from fundamental research to industrial manufacturing. Ultra-high vacuum systems ensure material preparation purity; precision temperature control enables accurate property testing and crystal growth; thin film preparation supports core semiconductor and optoelectronic fabrication processes; and plasma technology facilitates surface treatment, etching, and material modification. Leveraging this technical foundation, Feimian has developed four mature product lines: scientific instruments, plasma technology solutions, semiconductor thin-film systems, and industrial measurement equipment, creating a comprehensive product matrix that scales from laboratory research to full production lines.
The company's offerings have gained strong traction among top-tier clients. Its ultra-high vacuum interconnect systems and quantum material preparation platforms serve prestigious institutions including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In plasma technology, Feimian's independently developed high-brightness ultraviolet light sources and testing systems are widely adopted in semiconductor metrology and R&D, with one UV light source product successfully replacing previously dominant imported alternatives. Meanwhile, its semiconductor thin-film products—such as wafer-level MBE systems and ultra-high vacuum cleavage coating systems—are benchmarked against international leaders and have been batch-delivered to leading domestic semiconductor firms, supporting cutting-edge applications in 5G communications, infrared detection, LiDAR, and quantum computing.
Over the past decade, Feimian Technology has established itself as a leading domestic supplier of high-end scientific instruments, earning recognitions such as Shanghai High-Tech Enterprise, Shanghai Specialized and Innovative Enterprise, and Shanghai Science and Technology Little Giant Cultivation Enterprise. The company has built fully independent and controllable technical capabilities in four core areas: ultra-high vacuum, precision temperature control, thin film preparation, and plasma technology. With more than 200 patents accumulated, Feimian stands among the few Chinese companies in its sector to achieve full-chain independent control of critical instrument technologies.
These four foundational technologies address pivotal bottlenecks across the advanced electronic materials value chain—from fundamental research to industrial manufacturing. Ultra-high vacuum systems ensure material preparation purity; precision temperature control enables accurate property testing and crystal growth; thin film preparation supports core semiconductor and optoelectronic fabrication processes; and plasma technology facilitates surface treatment, etching, and material modification. Leveraging this technical foundation, Feimian has developed four mature product lines: scientific instruments, plasma technology solutions, semiconductor thin-film systems, and industrial measurement equipment, creating a comprehensive product matrix that scales from laboratory research to full production lines.
The company's offerings have gained strong traction among top-tier clients. Its ultra-high vacuum interconnect systems and quantum material preparation platforms serve prestigious institutions including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In plasma technology, Feimian's independently developed high-brightness ultraviolet light sources and testing systems are widely adopted in semiconductor metrology and R&D, with one UV light source product successfully replacing previously dominant imported alternatives. Meanwhile, its semiconductor thin-film products—such as wafer-level MBE systems and ultra-high vacuum cleavage coating systems—are benchmarked against international leaders and have been batch-delivered to leading domestic semiconductor firms, supporting cutting-edge applications in 5G communications, infrared detection, LiDAR, and quantum computing.
Cluster Molecular Beam Epitaxy.