Specific Process Knowledge/Lithography/UVExposure/aligner MLA1

Aligner: Maskless 01

Aligner: Maskless 01 is located in E-4.

Tool description
The MLA1 is a UV exposure tool, which can be used for direct writing of digital mask designs, on photosensitive resists on chips, 50 mm and, 100 mm substrates. It is possible to load a 150 mm wafer, but the writable area is only 125 mm x 125 mm.

The MLA 100 Maskless Aligner is a direct exposure projection lithography tool. It has a 365 nm UV LED exposure light source, that exposes the patterns directly on photosensitive resists on chips, 50 mm, 100 mm, and 150 mm inch substrates. It uses digital mask files instead of physical shadow masks. The system offers top side alignment with high accuracy.

Product:	Heidelberg Instruments MLA100 Tabletop Maskless Aligner
Year of purchase:	2016
Location:	Cleanroom E-4

User manual
The user manual and contact information can be found in LabManager - requires login

Tool training
Training on the tool requires users to complete the lithography TPT followed by the online tool training and a hands-on authorization training.

Equipment performance and process related parameters

Purpose	Alignment and UV exposure
Exposure modes	Projection
Exposure light/filters	365 nm (LED), 8 nm FWHM
Dynamic focusing method	Pneumatic
Minimum resolution	~1 µm
Design file formats	GDS-II CIF DXF Gerber HIMT format
Alignment modes	Top side (TSA): ±2 µm (can be achieved: ±1 µm)
Substrate size	Maximum writing area: 125 mm x 125 mm Small pieces: 5 mm x 5 mm 50 mm wafers 100 mm wafers 150 mm wafers
Allowed materials	All cleanroom allowed materials Total height variation across the substrate must be less than ±40 µm - including wafer bow
Substrate batch	1

Process information

• Exposure technology
• Process parameters
• Substrate positioning
• Alignment
• Optimal use of the maskless aligner

Exposure dose

Information on UV exposure dose

Alignment mark design and locations

Alignment mark design and locations.

Quality Control (QC)

The purpose of the QC process is to check the optical performance and alignment accuracy of the maskless aligners. The optical performance is checked by making a dose/defocus test. The alignment accuracy is checked by making a global alignment test for topside alignment.

Dose/defoc limit:
Deviations in the optical performance are not easily corrected, and is likely due to contaminated or damaged writehead. If either the dose or defoc changes, the tool is investigated for writehead contamination and/or damage.

Alignment accuracy accept limit:
Must be within machine specifications, and should be adjusted if necessary. The alignment accuracy for MLA1 is ±1 µm.

Documentation:

• The QC procedure for Aligner: MLA1 - requires login
  
• The newest QC data for Aligner: MLA1 - requires login