Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090051891 | Lithographic Apparatus and Device Manufacturing Method - A system and method use a substrate with a pattern of individual, indiscrete alignment marks, i.e., the marks are separate and distinct from each other, and each mark is not divided into component parts. The pattern of marks is distributed over an area of the substrate, and the method also comprises the steps of providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system and an array of individually controllable elements to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, providing a projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, and providing a movement system to effect relative movement between the substrate and the projection system. A detection system, able to detect the alignment marks individually, is also provided, and the method includes using the detection system to detect the marks to determine a relative position of the substrate to the projection system, using the movement system to position the substrate relative to the projection system, and using the projection system to project the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate. The pattern comprises one or more rows of simple alignment marks, such as spots and short linear marks. | 02-26-2009 |
20090153825 | LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS AND METHOD - A lithographic alignment apparatus includes a radiation source arranged to generate radiation at a wavelength of 1000 nanometers or longer, and a plurality of non-imaging detectors arranged to detect the radiation after the radiation has been reflected by an alignment mark. | 06-18-2009 |
20090176167 | Alignment System and Alignment Marks for Use Therewith - A lithographic apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes an alignment system for aligning a substrate or a reticle. The alignment system includes a radiation source configured to illuminate an alignment mark on the substrate or on the reticle, the alignment mark comprising a maximum length sequence or a multi periodic coarse alignment mark. An alignment signal produced from the alignment mark is detected by a detection system. A processor determines an alignment position of the substrate or the reticle based on the alignment signal. | 07-09-2009 |
20090195768 | Alignment Mark and a Method of Aligning a Substrate Comprising Such an Alignment Mark - An alignment mark comprising a periodic structure formed by mark lines is described. In an embodiment, the alignment mark is formed in a scribe lane of a substrate, the scribe lane extending in a scribe lane direction. The alignment mark includes: a first area including a first periodic structure formed by first mark lines extending in a first direction, the first direction being at a first angle α with respect to the scribe lane direction: 0°<α<90° and a second area comprising second periodic structure formed by second mark lines extending in a second direction, the second direction being at a second angle β with respect to the scribe lane direction: −90°≦β<0°. | 08-06-2009 |
20090237637 | METHOD FOR COARSE WAFER ALIGNMENT IN A LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS - A method for alignment of a substrate, in which the substrate includes a mark in a scribe lane, and the scribe lane extends along a longitudinal direction as a first direction. The mark has a periodic structure in the first direction. The method includes providing an illumination beam for scanning the mark in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the mark's periodic structure along a first scan path across the mark, scanning the spot of the illumination beam along a second scan path across the mark, the second scan path being parallel to the first scan path, wherein the second scan path is shifted relative to the first scan path over a first shift that corresponds to a fraction of the repeating distance of the periodic structure. | 09-24-2009 |
20100123886 | Lithographic Apparatus and Device Manufacturing Method - A method for manufacturing a device includes providing a substrate, the substrate including a plurality of exposure fields, each exposure field including one or more target portions and at least one mark structure, the mark structure being arranged as positional mark for the exposure field; scanning and measuring the mark of each exposure field to obtain alignment information for the respective exposure field; determining an absolute position of each exposure field from the alignment information for the respective exposure field; determining a relative position of each exposure field with respect to at least one other exposure field by use of additional information on the relative parameters of the exposure field and the at least one other exposure field relative to each other; and combining the absolute positions and the determined relative positions into improved absolute positions for each of the plurality of exposure fields. | 05-20-2010 |
20100214550 | Alignment System and Alignment Marks for Use Therewith - A lithographic apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes an alignment system for aligning a substrate or a reticle. The alignment system includes a radiation source configured to illuminate an alignment mark on the substrate or on the reticle, the alignment mark comprising a maximum length sequence or a multi periodic coarse alignment mark. An alignment signal produced from the alignment mark is detected by a detection system. A processor determines an alignment position of the substrate or the reticle based on the alignment signal. | 08-26-2010 |
20100245792 | Alignment Measurement Arrangement, Alignment Measurement Method, Device Manufacturing Method and Lithographic Apparatus - An alignment measurement arrangement includes a source, an optical system and a detector. The source generates a radiation beam with a plurality of wavelength ranges. The optical system receives the radiation beam, produces an alignment beam, directs the alignment beam to a mark located on an object, receives alignment radiation back from the mark, and transmits the received radiation. The detector receives the alignment radiation and detects an image of the alignment mark and outputs a plurality of alignment signals, r, each associated with one of the wavelength ranges. A processor, in communication with the detector, receives the alignment signals, determines signal qualities of the alignment signals; determines aligned positions of the alignment signals, and calculates a position of the alignment mark based on the signal qualities, aligned positions, and a model relating the aligned position to the range of wavelengths and mark characteristics, including mark depth and mark asymmetry. | 09-30-2010 |
20120062863 | Alignment Measurement System, Lithographic Apparatus, and a Method to Determine Alignment in a Lithographic Apparatus - An alignment measurement system measures an alignment target on an object. A measurement illuminates the target and is reflected. The reflected measurement beam is split and its parts are differently polarized. A detector receives the reflected measurement beam. A processing unit determines alignment on the basis of the measurement beam received by the detector. An alternative arrangement utilizes an optical dispersive fiber to guide a multi-wavelength measurement beam reflected from the object to a detector. | 03-15-2012 |
20120133938 | MEASURING METHOD, APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE - A pattern formed on a substrate includes first and second sub-patterns positioned adjacent one another and having respective first and second periodicities. The pattern is observed to obtain a combined signal which includes a beat component having a third periodicity at a frequency lower than that of the first and second periodicities. A measurement of performance of the lithographic process is determined by reference to a phase of the beat component. Depending how the sub-patterns are formed, the performance parameter might be critical dimension (CD) or overlay, for example. For CD measurement, one of the sub-patterns may comprise marks each having of a portion sub-divided by product-like features. The measurement can be made using an existing alignment sensor of a lithographic apparatus. Sensitivity and accuracy of the measurement can be adjusted by selection of the first and second periodicities, and hence the third periodicity. | 05-31-2012 |
20130141723 | Alignment Mark Deformation Estimating Method, Substrate Position Predicting Method, Alignment System and Lithographic Apparatus - A method is used to estimate a value representative for a level of alignment mark deformation on a processed substrate using an alignment system. The alignment sensor system is able to emit light at different measuring frequencies to reflect from an alignment mark on the substrate and to detect a diffraction pattern in the reflected light in order to measure an alignment position of the alignment mark. The two or more measuring frequencies are used to measure an alignment position deviation per alignment mark associated with each of the two or more measuring frequencies relative to an expected predetermined alignment position of the alignment mark. A value is determined representative for the spread in the determined alignment position deviations per alignment mark in order to estimate the level of alignment mark deformation. | 06-06-2013 |
20140307246 | DETERMINING POSITION AND CURVATURE INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM A SURFACE OF A PATTERNING DEVICE - Position and curvature information of a patterning device may be determined directly from the patterning device and controlled based on the determined information. In an embodiment, a lithographic apparatus includes a position determining system operative to determine a relative position of the patterning device. The patterning device may be configured to create a patterned radiation beam from a radiation beam incident on a major surface of the patterning device. The patterning device may have a side surface having an edge in common with the major surface. The position determining system may include an interferometer operative to transmit light to the side surface and to receive the transmitted light after the transmitted light has been reflected at the side surface. The position determining system is operative to determine a quantity representative of the relative position of the patterning device from the received reflected transmitted light. | 10-16-2014 |