Motion Orchestration in Dual-Stage Wafer Scanners

In semiconductor manufacturing, lithography machines are becoming more and more sophisticated system of systems. As an example, a TWINSCAN wafer scanner machine is composed of a wafer, and reticle handlers, reticle, optics, and two wafer chains or systems. In previous studies, we covered the interactions between the reticle, optics, and wafer chains during the step-and-scan cycle. In this study, we focus on the interaction between the additional wafer chain responsible for aligning the wafer substrate and taking its height map during the measurement cycle, and the other chains that are active during the step-and-scan cycle. Working in parallel to increase machine throughput, the inertial forces associated motion of the two cycles induce vibration that may propagate throughout the chains in the machine if no appropriate measures are taken. In this investigation, we look at the reference trajectories responsible for steering the chains throughout the two cycles, and propose two reference trajectory orchestrations that factor in the machine design, geometry, mass distribution, and functions. Theoretically, these orchestrations lead to suppressing the induced vibration without sacrificing the machine throughput while keeping the involved control loops intact.