Patent ID: 9360778
Filing Date: 2016-06-07
CPC Classification: G03F

Claim Text:
1. A lithography system, comprising: a lithography exposure tool designed for performing an exposure process to a radiation-sensitive material layer coated on an integrated circuit substrate, wherein the lithography exposure tool includes an exposure substrate stage such that the integrated circuit substrate is disposed on the exposure substrate stage during performing of the exposure process to the radiation-sensitive material layer coated on the integrated circuit substrate, wherein the lithography exposure tool further includes an embedded alignment unit having a first alignment substrate stage and configured for performing a first alignment process on the integrated circuit substrate such that the integrated circuit substrate is disposed on the first alignment substrate stage during performing of the first alignment process on the integrated circuit substrate, wherein the embedded alignment unit is configured to provide the integrated circuit substrate to the exposure substrate stage after performing the first alignment process on the integrated circuit substrate; an alignment module coupled with the lithography exposure tool, designed for alignment measurement, and configured for transferring the integrated circuit substrate to the lithography exposure tool, wherein the alignment module is separate from and disposed outside of the lithography exposure tool, wherein the alignment module includes a clamping mechanism and a second alignment substrate stage such that the integrated circuit substrate is disposed on the second alignment substrate stage during a second alignment process performed by the alignment module, wherein the alignment module is configured to provide the integrated circuit substrate to the first alignment substrate stage after performing the second alignment process on the integrated circuit substrate; and an alignment calibration module designed to calibrate the alignment module relative to the lithography exposure tool, wherein calibrating the measured alignment includes performing a tuning process that uses a tuning amount to tune the clamping mechanism to eliminate or reduce a clamping difference induced by the clamping mechanism during the second alignment process.