JPS6380531A - X-ray lithography apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an X-ray lithography apparatus applicable to a wide range of wave lengths and having an increased lifetime, by connecting a station for mounting a radiation sensitive material and a station for removing it to the upstream and downstream sides of an X-ray exposure station, respectively, the X-ray exposure station being mounted to a beam duct for conducting SOR (synchrotron radiation). CONSTITUTION:When a pattern is transferred onto Si wafers by means of SOR, the Si wafers are mounted in alignment with an X-ray mask within a wafer mounting station 7. After this process is completed, a load lock 6a is opened so that the wafers are transported automatically from the station 7 to an X-ray exposure station 3. The load lock 6a is thereby closed and the station 7 starts the next cycle in which a new lot of wafers are mounted and aligned with masks. When exposure of the wafers is completed in the station 3, a load lock 6b is opened so that the wafers are transported automatically to a wafer removing station 8. The load lock 6b is then closed and, subsequently, the station 8 starts operations of removing the wafers and sending them to the next process. Thus, the operations required before and after the exposure can be carried out while the exposure is proceeded and the utilization efficiency of SOR can be improved substantially.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an X-ray lithography apparatus, and more specifically, the present invention relates to an X-ray lithography apparatus, and more specifically, a method for forming fine patterns on an X-ray mask by soft X-ray irradiation using synchrotron radiation. , relates to an X-ray lithography apparatus for imprinting onto radiation-sensitive materials such as semiconductor circuit boards.

[Conventional technology]

In an X-ray exposure apparatus that transfers patterns using synchrotron radiation (hereinafter abbreviated as SOR), when the SOR generated from the synchrotron ring is introduced into the X-ray exposure apparatus through beam ducts, seven beam ducts are required. There is a configuration in which seven X-ray exposure devices are arranged, but this has extremely low SOR utilization efficiency. To improve this, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1.0-13232
As disclosed in Publication No. 4, it has been proposed to make the radiation direction of the SOR variable and introduce it into a plurality of X-ray exposure apparatuses. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, seven beam ducts (2) that introduce the SOR generated from the synchrotron ring (1) into the X-ray exposure apparatus are branched into multiple beam ducts (2 ), (2b), and (C) are equipped with X-ray exposure devices (7a) and (7b), respectively.
), C3c), and has the function of selectively and time-divisionally supplying SOR to the beam, duct branching section (RIK), and the X-ray exposure apparatus that is ready for exposure.

(5) is an electromagnet. Specifically, the beam duct branch part (4t) changes the course of the SOR. Alternatively, by arranging a plurality of reflection mirrors each having a reflection surface angle that limits the reflection direction and selectively inserting and removing each reflection mirror into the SOR optical path, SOR can be supplied to any X-ray exposure device. do.

In this way, the attempt was made to improve the SOR utilization efficiency.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Conventional X-ray lithography equipment as described above uses a reflecting mirror to change the SOR path.
The accuracy of the reflecting mirror decreases with long-term use. In other words, there was a problem that a long-life product could not be obtained.

In addition, in SOR, the wavelength range changes when the energy changes, and it is extremely important to obtain a reflecting mirror that is compatible with a wide range of wavelength ranges.
There was a problem.

This invention was made to solve the above problems, and can cover a wide range of wavelengths, and
[Means for solving the problem] An X-ray lithography apparatus according to the present invention aims to obtain long-life X'1JIJ photography support. A radiation-sensitive material loading station and a radiation-sensitive material loading/unloading station are connected to each other before and after the radiation sensitive material.

[For production]

In the present invention, the work of attaching and detaching the radiation-sensitive material can be carried out in parallel while the button is being transferred to the radiation-sensitive material.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which an X-ray exposure station (3) is installed in a beam duct (2) in a horizontal plane that includes the SOR. On both sides of the X-ray g-light station (3) there are load locks (6a), (
Ab) respectively to the wafer mounting station (7).
), wafer desorption station (rl) are connected as the same vacuum chamber.These stations (7),
(71, (ff+ is each independently a vacuum pump (qa
), (9b), and (?C), and the vacuum pump is operated in conjunction with load locks (6a) and (ab) so as not to affect the performance between stations when each station works individually. It has become. The load locks (6a) and (6b) function as vacuum walls between the stations.

Also, although not shown, each station (wa).

(71, (rl) is equipped with a mechanism for automatically transporting the S1 wafer, which is a radiation-sensitive material, and the Si wafer is transported in the order of station (wa) → (3) → (rl).

z With the above configuration, when performing s1 wafer tan transfer using 80R, s1 is transferred in the wafer mounting station (wa).
Mount the wafer and align it with the X-ray mask. After this is completed, open the load lock (6a) and move from the wafer loading station (wa) to the X-ray exposure station (3).
The Si wafer is automatically transported.

Then, the load lock (6a) is closed, and the wafer mounting station (71) starts mounting the next lot of S1 wafers and aligning the X-ray mask.Meanwhile,
When the X-ray exposure of 81 wafers is completed at the X-ray exposure station (3), the code lock (6b) is opened and the Uni-No desorption station (f) is removed from the X-ray exposure station (3).
In f), Si Ueno 1 is automatically transported and placed in a load lock (6
b) will be closed, and the ueno/desorption station (
, f), the work of attaching and demounting the S1 wafer and the work of transporting the S i wafer to the next process are started. On the other hand, the next lot of S-ν Red 1 is automatically transferred from the wafer mounting station to the X-ray exposure station +71.
Line exposure is started.

As mentioned above, before and after the X-ray exposure station (3), there is a wafer mounting station (7) and a wafer demounting station (
,? ), and preparatory work and post-work can be performed during X-ray exposure, thereby greatly improving the efficiency of SOR utilization.

Figures 1 and 3 show another embodiment in which the X-ray exposure station <y), the wafer mounting station <7)) and the wafer demounting station (rl) are arranged in a plane perpendicular to the SOR. Otherwise, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same parts.

With the above configuration, each station (3) S (7
1. The only difference from the case shown in FIG. 1 is that (ffl) is arranged on a plane perpendicular to the SOR, and the operation and effect are all the same, so the explanation will be omitted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, this invention provides a radiation-sensitive material loading station and a loading/unloading station before and after an X-ray exposure station installed in a beam duct, and prepares and exposes the radiation-sensitive material during X-ray exposure. Since post-processing after completion can be carried out independently, the use efficiency of SOR continuous light can be significantly improved in a wide range of wavelength ranges, and a product with a long life can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the main part of one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the main part of another embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the main part of the embodiment of the invention as seen from arrow A. The side view and FIG. 4 are schematic plan views of main parts of a conventional X-ray lithography apparatus. (K)...Beam duct, (3)...X-ray exposure station, (6a), (6b)@e load lock, (71-
- wafer (radiation sensitive material) mounting station, (5)
...Wafer (radiation sensitive material) desorption device. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Figure 1 1 2: Beam duct 3° Station figure 3

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) In an X-ray lithography apparatus that uses synchrotron radiation to transfer a pattern on an X-ray mask onto a radiation-sensitive material placed behind the X-ray mask, an X-ray beam attached to a beam duct for the synchrotron radiation is used. An X-ray lithography apparatus comprising an exposure station, and a radiation-sensitive material mounting station and a radiation-sensitive material demounting station connected before and after the X-ray exposure station, respectively. (2) The X-ray lithography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray exposure station, the radiation-sensitive material mounting station, and the radiation-sensitive material removing station are separated by a load lock. (3) The X-ray lithography apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for automatically transporting the radiation-sensitive material between the X-ray exposure station, the radiation-sensitive material mounting station, and the radiation-sensitive material demounting station. (4) A combination of an X-ray exposure station, a radiation-sensitive material mounting station, and a radiation-sensitive material demounting station is arranged either in a horizontal plane containing synchrotron radiation light or in a plane perpendicular to the synchrotron radiation light. An X-ray lithography apparatus according to claim 1.