US 12,437,975 B2
Apparatus and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device
Tsung-Cheng Wu, Hsinchu (TW); Ming-Hsien Lin, Taichung (TW); Chun-Fu Chen, Hsinchu (TW); and Sheng-Ying Wu, Hsinchu (TW)
Assigned to TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Jan. 23, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/420,184.
Application 18/420,184 is a division of application No. 17/141,751, filed on Jan. 5, 2021, granted, now 11,935,728.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/968,613, filed on Jan. 31, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0242942 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. H01J 37/32 (2006.01); H01L 21/3205 (2006.01); H01L 21/3213 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01)
CPC H01J 37/32651 (2013.01) [H01L 21/32051 (2013.01); H01L 21/32131 (2013.01); H01L 21/67259 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a chamber;
a wafer support stage inside the chamber for supporting a wafer;
a shield disposed over the wafer support stage, the shield having a first opening exposing at least a portion of the wafer support stage;
a cover ring disposed over the shield, the cover ring having a second opening exposing the portion of the wafer support stage;
a position sensor for determining whether the shield and the cover ring are aligned such that a radial offset of the cover ring with respect to the shield is less than an established value, wherein the established value is between 0 millimeters (mm) and 0.3 mm, and a signal from the position sensor triggers an alarm when the radial offset is greater than the established value;
a position adjustment mechanism; and
a controller programmed to:
determine the radial offset using the position sensor;
compare the radial offset to the established value stored in an electronic memory; and
instruct the position adjustment mechanism to adjust a position of at least one of the shield and the cover ring when the radial offset is greater than the established value.