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EP-4742301-A1 - BONDING APPARATUS

EP4742301A1EP 4742301 A1EP4742301 A1EP 4742301A1EP-4742301-A1

Abstract

Disclosed is a bonding apparatus for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, the bonding apparatus comprising: a first support configured to support the first substrate; a second support configured to support the second substrate, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a surface to be conditioned, the surface configured to support the substrate; and a surface conditioner comprising at least one conditioning tool configured to contact the surface to be conditioned so as to condition the surface.

Inventors

  • DOLK, Victor, Sebastiaan

Assignees

  • ASML Netherlands B.V.

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241111

Claims (15)

  1. A bonding apparatus for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, the bonding apparatus comprising: a first support configured to support the first substrate; a second support configured to support the second substrate, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a surface to be conditioned, the surface configured to support the substrate; and a surface conditioner comprising at least one conditioning tool configured to contact the surface to be conditioned so as to condition the surface.
  2. The bonding apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one conditioning tool comprises: a cleaning tool configured to remove contaminant matter from the surface.
  3. The bonding apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one conditioning tool comprises: a roughening tool configured to roughen the surface.
  4. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one conditioning tool comprises a flattening tool configured to flatten the surface.
  5. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein each conditioning tool is selectively retractable.
  6. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the surface conditioner comprises: a tool actuator configured to actuate the at least one conditioning tool to move parallel to the surface so as to condition the surface.
  7. The bonding apparatus of claim 6, wherein the tool actuator is configured to rotate the at least one conditioning tool.
  8. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a plurality of burls having distal ends comprising the surface to be conditioned.
  9. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, comprising: an actuatable stage configured to move the surface to be conditioned relative to the surface conditioner so as to control which part of the surface is conditioned.
  10. The bonding apparatus of any preceding claim, comprising a controller configured to control the bonding apparatus so as to condition the surface with the surface conditioner.
  11. The bonding apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to control the bonding apparatus so as to condition the surface with the surface conditioner based on a predetermined schedule.
  12. The bonding apparatus of claim 10 or 11, wherein the controller is configured to control the bonding apparatus so as to condition the surface with the surface conditioner based on a measurement signal indicative of a deteriorated condition of the surface.
  13. The bonding apparatus of claim 12, comprising a deterioration sensor configured to output the measurement signal indicative of the deteriorated condition of the surface.
  14. The bonding apparatus of any of claims 10-13, wherein the controller is configured to control a force with which the surface and the at least one conditioning tool are pressed against each other.
  15. A method for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, the method comprising: supporting a first substrate with a first support; supporting a second substrate with a second support, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a surface to be conditioned, the surface configured to support the substrate; and contacting the surface to be conditioned with a surface conditioner so as to condition the surface.

Description

FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a bonding apparatus and a method for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, more particularly a first semiconductor substrate to a second semiconductor substrate. BACKGROUND A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a substrate, usually onto a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that instance, a patterning device, which is alternatively referred to as a mask or a reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on an individual layer of the IC. This pattern can be transferred onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one, or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer). Transfer of the pattern is typically via imaging onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) provided on the substrate. In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively patterned. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at one time, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate. Process control methods are used in the manufacture of integrated devices to monitor and control the processes of application of a pattern on a substrate or measurement of such a pattern. Such process control techniques are typically performed to obtain corrections for control of the process. Subsequently, it is sometimes required (for certain devices) to bond substrates together. Bonding processes include die-to-die, die-to-wafer and wafer-to-wafer. Wafer-to-wafer bonding, where whole wafers are permanently bonded together prior to dicing, has the potential of providing a high accuracy and high throughput bonding solution. When bonding, it is possible for there to be stresses internal to the wafers or dies that are being bonded. Such stresses can cause undesirable misalignment between the dies or wafers that are being bonded together. It is also possible that the wafers or dies may not be completely flat when they are bonded together. This can also use undesirable misalignment between the dies or wafers that are being bonded together. It would be desirable to improve the alignment between the dies or wafers that are being bonded together. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a bonding apparatus for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, the bonding apparatus comprising: a first support configured to support the first substrate; a second support configured to support the second substrate, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a surface to be conditioned, the surface configured to support the substrate; and a surface conditioner comprising at least one conditioning tool configured to contact the surface to be conditioned so as to condition the surface. In a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate, the method comprising: supporting a first substrate with a first support; supporting a second substrate with a second support, wherein at least one of the first support and the second support comprises a surface to be conditioned, the surface configured to support the substrate; and contacting the surface to be conditioned with a surface conditioner so as to condition the surface. Further aspects, features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 depicts a lithographic apparatus together with other apparatuses forming a production facility for semiconductor devices;Figure 2 is a flow diagram describing a present method of manufacturing integrated devices which utilizes wafer-to-wafer bonding;Figure 3 schematically depicts the main steps of a method of bonding a first semiconductor substrate to a second semiconductor substrate, in accordance with an embodiment;Figure 4 schematically depicts the main steps