Canon introduces new wafer measuring machine to improve the production efficiency of semiconductor lithography equipment

     Canon has introduced MS-001, a wafer measuring machine used in semiconductor manufacturing, which can measure wafers with high precision. As the manufacturing process of advanced semiconductors such as logic and memory becomes more complex, wafers are more prone to warp and deformation. In order to produce high-precision semiconductor components, the deformation of the wafer needs to be accurately measured, and several semiconductor lithography equipment is used to high-precision engraving of up to several layers of circuit diagram, and then exposed. In order to achieve high precision engraving, the number of alignment marks used for positioning on the wafer surface is increased from several to hundreds.

     As a result, alignment measurements for hundreds of alignment markers in each semiconductor lithography device can be time-consuming, reducing the efficiency of the semiconductor lithography device. With the new product, the majority of alignment measurements can be performed in a unified manner before the wafer is transported to the semiconductor lithography facility, reducing the workload of alignment measurement operations in the semiconductor lithography facility and thereby improving the production efficiency of the semiconductor lithography facility.

     The alignment oscilloscope on the MS-001 is equipped with an area sensor, which can be used for multi-pixel measurement and reduce noise during measurement. In addition, MS-001 can be used to measure multiple types of alignment markers. By using the newly developed oscilloscope light source for alignment, the new product can provide a wavelength range 1.5 times larger than the ×2 measurement in semiconductor lithography equipment, enabling alignment measurements at any wavelength desired by the user. As a result, MS-001 allows for more accurate alignment measurements than those made in semiconductor lithography equipment.