Standard Operating Manual AB-M Mask Aligner Version 1.1 Page 1 of 18
Contents 1. Picture and Location 2. Process Capabilities 2.1 Cleanliness Standard 2.2 Wafer Chuck Selection 2.3 Mask Holder Selection 3. Contact List and How to Become a Qualified User 3.1 Emergency Response and Communications 3.2 Training to Become a Qualified AB-M User 4. Operating Procedures 4.1 System Description 4.2 Safety Warnings 4.3 Operation Precautions and Rules 4.4 Initial Status Checks 4.5 Start-up Light source (Staff ONLY!) 4.6 System Checking and Initialization 4.7 Mask Loading 4.8 Substrate Loading 4.9 Sample Contact 4.10 Alignment 4.11 Exposure 4.12 Unload Substrate 4.13 Unload Mask 4.14 Machine OFF (Staff ONLY!) 4.15 Clean up 4.16 Check out Version 1.1 Page 2 of 18
1. Picture and Location AB-M Mask Aligner Fig.1 AB-M Mask Aligner This tool is located at NFF Phase II Cleanroom Class 100. 2. Process Capabilities 2.1 Cleanliness Standard AB-M Mask Aligner is classified as Semi-Clean/Non standard equipment. 2.2 Wafer Chuck Selection 1. 4 Sample Round Chuck 2. 4 Sample Square Chuck 3. 2 Sample Round Chuck 4. 1 Sample Round Chuck 5. Small Sample Chuck for 5mm to 1 sample 2.3 Mask Holder Selection 1. 5 Mask Holder with 4 square opening 2. 4 Mask Holder with 4 round opening Version 1.1 Page 3 of 18
3. Contact List and How to Become a Qualified User 3.1 Emergency Response and Communications 1. Security Control Center: 2358-8999 (24hr) & 2358-6565 (24hr) 2. Safety Officer: Mr. Wing Leong CHUNG 2358-7211 & 64406238 3. Deputy Safety Officer: Mr. Man Wai LEE 2358-7900 & 9621-7708 4. NFF Senior Technician: Mr. Henry YEUNG 2358-7896 5. NFF Technician: Mr. Charles TANG 23587896 3.2 Training to Become a Qualified AB-M User Please follow the procedure below to become a qualified user. 1. Read through the on-line equipment operating manual of the equipment; http://www.nff.ust.hk/equipment-and-process/equipment-operation-manual.ht ml 2. Attend the equipment hand-on operation training either by peer or NFF staff. 3. If training is provided by NFF staff, user must log in NFF equipment reservation system, and register these trainings. 4. Send an e-mail to Mr. Henry YEUNG requesting AB-M Mask Aligner qualified exam. 5. Pass the examination for the equipment operation and security. 4. Operating Procedures 4.1 System Description A 350Watt UV for AB-M #1 and 500Watt DUV for AB-M#2 light source used in these systems. The 500Watt DUV system is configured in the mid-uv range of 350-450nm by using band-pass mirrors. If you need deep UV (200nm-300nm) light for your application, please contact NFF staff. 4.2 Safety Warning: Version 1.1 Page 4 of 18
1. Follow NFF Health and Safety Manual. 2. Do not attempt to run the machine unless you are entitled to do so! 3. Do not open the electronics cabinets and any cover. 4. Do not touch the lamp house. It may burn your skins. 5. Never put any items on top of aligner or exposure and alignment systems may crush them or get jammed during transit. 6. Do not attempt to ignite the lamp prior to the completion of 45 minute cool down. This might cause lamp to explode. 7. The high UV light energy produced by the exposure lamp can cause eye damage and skin burns. Don t stare at the light during exposing! 8. If the machine failure while being used, never try to fix the problem by yourself. Please contact NFF staffs. 9. High power UV lamp is used in this machine. It is mercury-based. It pose a chemical risk. If a UV lamp break or explode, do not attempt to clean up. You should isolate the NFF cleanroom and call NFF staffs. 10. The Emergency Off Button (EMO) red button located in the right on the front of the machine. Only use the EMO in emergency situations. Emergency situations are where injury of personnel or serious damages of the system impends immediately. 11. In case of fire, keep calm, sound the alarm. If the machine hasn t shut down, press EMO Button to shut down the machine and notice NFF staff and UST security. 12. According to the general fire emergency procedure of HKUST, please report the accident to the Security Control Center first. The nature of other emergencies will determine whether you will call police, staff, or both. If someone is injured, the 9-999 emergency number should be called before calling staff. If there is a facilities problem, such as a flood or a utility problem that does not present a danger to lab users but may result in damage to equipment, the staff or EMO need to be called. The 9-999 emergency should not be called for facility or equipment problem. Always call 9-999 when a potentially life threatening situation might exist (injury, fire, gas leak, etc.) 13. After exposure to mercury vapors consult doctor immediately! 14. In case of air pressure failure the damping elements are deflated and your Version 1.1 Page 5 of 18
fingers could be jammed. 15. Do not operate the system without proper room ventilation as these lamps do produce small levels of ozone. 4.3 Operation Precautions and Rules 1. Please reserve the time slot on your own, and make sure you use your own time slot to do the exposure process. 2. Please check the checklist and fill all the details of the log sheets attached. 3. Do not operate the equipment unless you are properly trained and approved by NFF staff. 4. Change your gloves before operation if your gloves contaminate with any resist. 5. Do not lower the substrate chuck too far. It will get stuck. A good rule of thumb is to lower the chuck so that the substrate gasket is at or just slightly below the level of the mask holder. 6. No solvents are allowed near the machine! 7. If mask and wafer are in contact, don t move the wafer. 4.4 Initial Status Checks 1. Please check the status of shutdown notice posted in the NFF reservation website. 2. Please check the reservation status on the website, reserve the right time slot by your own. 3. Please check-in the equipment on your own according to the reserved time slot via card reader or NFF Equipment reservation website. 4. Before operate the machine, please make sure you have checked the check list and fill the log sheets. 4.5 Start-up Light source (Staff ONLY!) Version 1.1 Page 6 of 18
In the event that system is in a full shutdown condition (i.e., system and light source power off), you must first bring the light source into operation. To start up the light source, complete the following procedures: 1. Turn the POWER switch on the front of the intensity controller to the ON position. 2. Press and hold START switch to produce ignition of the mercury arc lamp. 3. Check to make sure that the cooling fans are operating. Note: If the light source cooling fan is not operating, shutdown the system and make sure the 3-prong fan plug is secured in the receptacle in back of the intensity controlling power supply. The source should be fully stabilized in approximately ten minutes. Fig.2. Turn Power button to ON Position. 4.6 System Checking and Initialization 1. Turn all pneumatic switches to OFF position 2. Check in the equipment in NFF Equipment Reservation website or card reader to turn on System Compressed Air. 3. Press POWER switch to ON to activate shutter timer module. 4. Set timer to desired exposure time. Version 1.1 Page 7 of 18
5. Set expose mode to Auto-expose. Fig.3. Set timer and expose mode. 6. Make sure the alignment optics (Microscope) and the light source are at HOME positions. Fig.4. Microscope and Light Source are at Home Position. 7. Turn Z control knob ( Chuck ) down a little bit (arrow on the dial showing which way is down and which is up) 8. Turn on the microscope, switch on the microscope light control box and adjust the voltage setting. Version 1.1 Page 8 of 18
Fig.5.Turn Microscope light control box voltage clockwise to 5V. 4.7 Mask Loading 1. Raise the mask frame by toggle MASK FRAME to RAISE. If needed, select the suitable mask holder for your mask. Replace them by unscrewing two setting screws and disconnecting the vacuum line. 2. Visually inspect shield O-rings and stage, and blow off any particulates with N2 Blow Gun. Fig.6. Unscrewing two screws and disconnects the vacuum line to replace mask holder. 3. Select the proper substrate chuck which is suitable for your sample. There are 5 chucks available. You can replace them by unscrew two bronze screws and disconnecting 3 pneumatic lines. Reconnect all 3 pneumatic lines of the chuck and fix it after the substrate chuck is installed. Version 1.1 Page 9 of 18
Fig.7. Replace the substrate check. 4. Lower the mask holder, roughly center the substrate stage relative to the mask frame opening using the X axis and Y axis micrometers, using only the coarse adjustment knobs. Fig.8. Adjust the substrate chuck to center position. 5. Using the alignment pins as guides, place mask in holder with patterned chrome side facing down. Version 1.1 Page 10 of 18
Fig.9. Place the mask faces down and against the alignment pins. 6. Carefully place the shield back over the stage using the guide pins, then press MASK VAC ON to vacuum clamp mask. Fig.10. Place the shield over the mask and fix it by vacuum. 7. Flip the switch to turn N2 on. Check the Nitrogen flow meter. Fig.11. Turn N2 on. Version 1.1 Page 11 of 18
4.8 Substrate Loading 1. Raise the mask frame by toggling the MASK FRAME switch to RAISE Fig.12. Toggle the Mask Frame switches to raise the mask frame. 2. Place substrate on chuck; turn on the substrate vacuum by toggling the SUB. VAC switch to ON position. 3. Lower the mask frame by toggling the MASK FRAME switch to LOWER. Fig.13. Toggle the SUB. VAC switch to fix substrate by vacuum and lower the Mask Frame by toggling the Mask Frame switch to Lower Position. 4.9 Sample Contact 1. Turn Z control knob counter clockwise CCW to raise the substrate stage towards the mask while pressing the Chuck Leveling button located in the front of the alignment module until the clutch begins to slip. This levels the Version 1.1 Page 12 of 18
substrate and the mask. This is the zero position between substrate and mask. 2. Release the button to lock the chuck 3. Set the separation gap by the turning the Z control knob clockwise down to the desired gap setting. Fig.14. Turn Z control knob counter-clockwise and Pressing the Chuck Leveling button. 4.10 Alignment 1. Switch ALIGN button to bring alignment optics (microscope) over the mask. Fig.15. Move microscope over the mask 2. Microscope position can be adjusted by depressing the two buttons (one for the X-movement and the other one for y-movement) Version 1.1 Page 13 of 18
Fig.16. Adjust microscope x or y position 3. The objective horizontally position can be adjusted by applying gentle force to the silver rods nears the objectives to locate position of your two alignment marks on the mask. Fig.17. Adjust the separation of two objectives. 4. Focus using the coarse focus knob to focus the left field of view, and then using the right objective focus to make minor adjustments to the right field of view. The split field knob is in the front of microscope Version 1.1 Page 14 of 18
Fig.18. Adjust the focus and split field. 5. If necessary, loosen the two black thumbscrews on the sides of the mask frame and rotate the mask assembly. Fig.19. loose the screws and rotate the mask assembly if necessary. 6. To align the wafer to the mask, right differential micrometer moves Version 1.1 Page 15 of 18
x-direction of the wafer, front center differential micrometer moves y-direction of the wafer, left differential micrometer rotate the wafer, right corner micrometer moves wafer up and down Fig.20. Align mask to substrate by x-, y-, theta- micrometer. 7. Toggle the CONTACT VAC switch to ON position for better sample contacting. You need O-ring on the substrate chuck. Fig.21. Switch CONTACT VAC to ON position. 4.11 Exposure 1. Switch ALIGN button to bring alignment optics (microscope) back to HOME position. 2. Switch HOME/EXPOSE to EXPOSE, system will bring exposure source over tooling module for expose. Version 1.1 Page 16 of 18
Fig.22. Switch microscope back to HOME position and flip the LIGHT SOURCE to EXPOSE position. 4.12 Unload Substrate 1. Switch LIGHT SOURCE to HOME to bring system to load/unload position. 2. Switch CONTACT vacuum to the OFF position. 3. Switch MASK RAISE to lift mask assembly. 4. Switch SUBSTRATE VACUUM to OFF position. 5. Unload the substrate. 6. Repeat steps 4.8 through 4.11 for each substrate. 7. Turn off the microscope power. 8. Fill out the log sheet. 4.13 Unload Mask 1. Lower the MASK FRAME. 2. Pull to OFF MASK VAC. 3. Transfer the chrome mask to your mask box. 4.14 Machine OFF (Staff ONLY!) Version 1.1 Page 17 of 18
1. Turn the POWER switch OFF the front of the intensity controller to the OFF position. 2. Turn OFF the microscope lamp decreases the voltage setting to zero on light control box. 4.15 Clean up Fig.23. Dial down (anti-clockwise) to power off microscope lamp. Clean the chuck and make sure everything is back to the original place. 4.16 Check out Check out the equipment in the NFF equipment reservation website or card reader after use. Version 1.1 Page 18 of 18