摘要:
An Inspection apparatus and method includes utilizing a laser source which emits an ultraviolet laser beam, an illumination optical system, a detection optical system, and a processor. The illumination optical system includes a polarization controller, a coherence reducer and an objective lens for illuminating a specimen with a polarization condition controlled and coherency reduced ultraviolet laser beam through the objective lens. The detection optical system includes an imaging lens and a sensor for detecting an image of the specimen illuminated by the ultraviolet laser beam through the illumination optical system. The processor processes a signal outputted from the sensor and detects a defect on the specimen.
摘要:
Inspection apparatus and method in which laser source emits a laser beam and a coherence of the laser beam emitted from the laser source is reduced by a coherence reducer. A detector detects light from the sample irradiated with the coherence reduced laser beam and a processor processes a signal outputted from the detector and detects a defect on the sample. The coherence reducer has an optical path which includes a plurality of at least one of optical fibers and glass rods.
摘要:
Inspection apparatus and method in which laser source emits a laser beam and a coherence of the laser beam emitted from the laser source is reduced by a coherence reducer. A detector detects light from the sample irradiated with the coherence reduced laser beam and a processor processes a signal outputted from the detector and detects a defect on the sample. The coherence reducer has an optical path which includes a plurality of at least one of optical fibers and glass rods.
摘要:
A process management system in accordance with the present invention includes inspection apparatuses for inspecting defects on a wafer, the inspection apparatuses being connected through a communication network, inspection information and image information obtained from these inspection apparatuses being collected to construct a data base and an image file, therein definition of defects is given by combinations of elements which characterize the defect based on the inspection information and the image information obtained from the inspection apparatuses. By giving definition of the defect, characteristics of the defect can be subdivided and known. Therefore, the cause of a defect can be studied.
摘要:
As the size of the semiconductor devices decreases, the relative positional difference between a circuit at an exposure area and an alignment mark due to the aberrations and distortions of lenses and the reticle writing error can not be neglected. Images of circuit patterns having a very small size which are laminated are detected using lights having two different wavelengths. Alignment error is calculated from the relationship between the phase difference of images and the alignment error at each wavelength. The alignment error which affects the yield can be detected by directly measuring the alignment error of the circuit in the exposure area including the influence of the aberrations and distortions of lenses and the reticle writing error. Proper correction and improvement of the exposure apparatus can be achieved at early phase prior to electrical test.
摘要:
In lithographic (exposure) processing for semiconductor device fabrication, the task of extracting exposure parameters is performed by calculating exposure energy and focus offset using a test wafer for each exposure device, because fluctuations due to differences between exposure devices are large. For the fabrication of semiconductor devices in multiple-product small-lot production, the number of times the task of extracting exposure parameters has to be performed increases, so that the operation ratio of the exposure devices decreases, and the TAT of the semiconductor device fabrication increases. Moreover, as the miniaturization of semiconductor devices advances, differences between the exposure devices cause defects due to the exposure processing, and the yield of the semiconductor device fabrication decreases. In an improved method of exposure processing for semiconductor devices, the exposure energy and focus offset according to the illumination parameters for an exposure device and optical projection system, using information regarding the projection lens aberrations of a plurality of exposure devices, the photoresist parameters, and the circuit pattern information, as determined beforehand, are calculated using an optical development simulator, and the exposure processing is carried out using an exposure device, selected from a plurality of exposure devices, in which the process window is within a certain tolerance value.
摘要:
An inspection system comprises an inspection machine for inspecting a work which is processed in one of the manufacturing processes of a manufacturing line and an analysis system for outputting an inspection history list obtained by making calculations from the inspected result. The inspection history list shows a matrix of first information as the inspection processes in which the work is inspected or the manufacturing processes corresponding to the inspection processes in which the work is inspected and second information as to the works inspected by the inspection machine.
摘要:
A chromatic aberration-corrected optical system for broad-band through-the-lens (TTL) imaging and position detection of alignment marks deposed on a substrate located at the exposure plane of an exposure apparatus, for example, a stepper machine, uses a first projection lens capable of focusing a first broad-band alignment illumination and a second exposure illumination onto the substrate. A second achromat lens and a third refractive/diffractive hybrid lens are configured and designed to provide, in conjunction with the first projection lens, longitudinal and lateral chromatic aberration correction over a wavelength range from about 550-650 nm of the broad-band alignment illumination.
摘要:
A wafer is aligned by using an alignment light having a longer wavelength than an exposure light. Exposure and alignment are effected through a common reduction lens. A wavefront aberration caused by the use of the long wavelength alignment light is compensated by a hologram. Thus, an alignment precision is improved without exposing a resist layer to a light.
摘要:
An illumination apparatus is disclosed which is suitable for use in a projection/exposure system for projecting an image of a circuit pattern of a reticle on a semiconductor wafer through a projection lens. The illumination apparatus includes an excimer laser for emitting a pulsed laser beam, an optical system for illuminating the reticle with a plurality of laser pulses emitted from the excimer laser so that laser pulses having passed through the reticle impinge on the semiconductor wafer in different directions through the projection lens, and a light intensity control device for controlling the light intensity of each of the laser pulses so that the laser pulses equally contribute to the reaction of a light sensitive material which is provided on the semiconductor wafer, with light.