US 12,393,124 B2
High throughput and high position accurate method for particle inspection of mask pods
Shih-Jui Huang, Hsinchu (TW); ShinAn Ku, Hsinchu (TW); Ting-Hao Hsu, Hsinchu (TW); and Hsin-Chang Lee, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 14, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/664,027.
Application 18/664,027 is a continuation of application No. 18/126,880, filed on Mar. 27, 2023, granted, now 12,013,646.
Application 18/126,880 is a continuation of application No. 17/402,043, filed on Aug. 13, 2021, granted, now 11,614,691, issued on Mar. 28, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0295826 A1, Sep. 5, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G03F 7/00 (2006.01); G03F 1/66 (2012.01); G03F 1/82 (2012.01)
CPC G03F 7/70608 (2013.01) [G03F 1/66 (2013.01); G03F 1/82 (2013.01); G03F 7/70491 (2013.01); G03F 7/70741 (2013.01); G03F 7/7085 (2013.01); G03F 7/70925 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
16. A system, comprising:
a gas source;
a moving stage configured to hold a mask pod;
a gas nozzle coupled to the gas source;
an imager; and
one or more controllers, wherein:
the one or more controllers are configured to perform:
moving the moving stage holding the mask pod such that the moving stage stops at each location of a plurality of locations under an outer surface of the mask pod for a predefined amount of time;
at each location of the plurality of locations,
directing a stream of gas from the gas nozzle to the outer surface of a mask pod;
capturing an image of scattered air from each location of the plurality of locations of the outer surface of the mask pod using the imager; and
determining a number of particles in the scattered air as a sampled number of particles based on the captured image; and
generating a map of particles on the outer surface of the mask pod based on the sampled number of particles at each of the plurality of locations.