US 12,235,593 B2
System and method for dynamically controlling temperature of thermostatic reticles
Tzu-Jung Pan, New Taipei (TW); Sheng-Kang Yu, Hsinchu (TW); Shang-Chieh Chien, New Taipei (TW); Li-Jui Chen, Hsinchu (TW); and Heng-Hsin Liu, New Taipei (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 15, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/197,393.
Application 18/197,393 is a continuation of application No. 17/692,356, filed on Mar. 11, 2022, granted, now 11,693,326.
Prior Publication US 2023/0288819 A1, Sep. 14, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC G03F 7/70875 (2013.01) [G03F 7/705 (2013.01); G03F 7/70525 (2013.01); G03F 7/707 (2013.01); G03F 7/70891 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
7. A system for dynamically controlling a temperature of a thermostatic reticle, comprising:
a thermostatic reticle assembly positioned within an extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) process chamber, comprising:
a clamp;
a reticle removably coupled to the clamp;
at least one temperature sensor in proximity to the reticle; and
at least one heating element positioned between the clamp and the reticle, and the at least one heating element affixed to a top of the reticle;
a thermostat component in communication with the at least one temperature sensor and the at least one heating element; and
a controller comprising a processor in communication with memory storing instructions which are executed by the processor to:
identify, via a machine learning component, the reticle of the thermostatic reticle assembly and a recipe using the reticle in EUV lithography;
retrieve, from an associated database, a steady-state temperature corresponding to the reticle and recipe;
receive, from the at least one temperature sensor by the thermostat component, a current temperature of the reticle,
activate, via the thermostat component, the at least one heating element to preheat the reticle to the retrieved steady-state temperature in accordance with the current temperature of the reticle;
receive, from the at least one sensor, a temperature of the reticle subsequent to activating the at least one heating element;
deactivate the at least one heating element responsive to the temperature of the reticle reaching the steady state temperature;
receive, from the at least one sensor, a temperature of the reticle after deactivating the at least one heating element;
compare the temperature of the reticle after deactivating the at least one heating element to the steady-state temperature; and
activate a chiller component in response to a result of the comparison.