Shared compliance in a rapid exchange device for reticles, and reticle stage

摘要

Provided is a method to load a patterning device (1010) onto a reticle stage (RS) of a lithography system, a Rapid Exchange Device (RED) configured to load a patterning device (1010) onto a reticle stage (RS) of a lithography system, and a system for manufacturing a semiconductor device lithographically. The method involves sharing compliance among six degree of freedom between the reticle stage (RS) and the RED. The RED complies in only a first three degrees of freedom and the reticle stage (RS) in only a second three degrees of freedom until the reticle stage (RS) and patterning device (1010) are substantially in contact and coplanar.

主权项

1. A method to load a patterning device onto a reticle stage of a lithography system, the method comprising:
aligning a Rapid Exchange Device (RED) with the reticle stage, the RED having the patterning device positioned thereon and allowing compliant movement of the patterning device in a first three degrees of freedom; moving the reticle stage to initiate contact with the patterning device; monitoring a contact force between the reticle stage and patterning device; controlling the reticle stage to allow compliant movement in a second three degrees of freedom until the reticle stage and patterning device are substantially in contact and coplanar based on the monitoring; wherein the first three degrees of freedom and the second three degrees of freedom are selected from the group consisting of translations along an x-axis; translations along a y-axis, which is perpendicular to the x-axis; translations along a z-axis, is perpendicular to the both the x-axis and the y-axis: rotations about the x-axis; rotations about the y-axis; and rotations about the z-axis; and wherein the first and second three degrees of freedom are all different.