公开(公告)号：US5689339A

公开(公告)日：1997-11-18

申请号：US506132

申请日：1995-07-24

申请人： Kazuya Ota ,  Kouichirou Komatsu ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Nobutaka Magome

发明人： Kazuya Ota ,  Kouichirou Komatsu ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Nobutaka Magome

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G01B11/00

CPC分类号： G03F9/70

摘要： In an alignment apparatus for aligning a mask and a photosensitive substrate (a semiconductor wafer or glass plate applied with a photoresist), and which is suitably used in a projection exposure apparatus (a stepper or aligner), a proximity exposure apparatus, or the like used in a lithography process in the manufacture of a semiconductor element or a liquid crystal display element, two first beams and two second beams differing from the first beams may be radiated on a diffraction grating-like mask mark and a diffraction grating-like substrate mark, respectively, with the two second beams passing through a transparent region adjacent to the mask mark. By detecting diffracted light components of the two first beams and detecting diffracted light components of the two second beams, a relative position shift between the mask and the substrate can be determined. The alignment apparatus advantageously can reduce mixing of alignment light from a mask and alignment light from a wafer (substrate) to a minimum degree, or can sufficiently separate signals corresponding to these light components in a signal processing stage even when mixing inevitably occurs.

摘要翻译： 在用于对准掩模和感光基板（涂有光致抗蚀剂的半导体晶片或玻璃板）的对准装置中，适用于投影曝光装置（步进机或对准器）中的接近曝光装置等 用于制造半导体元件或液晶显示元件的光刻工艺中，可以将不同于第一光束的两个第一光束和两个第二光束照射在衍射光栅状掩模标记和衍射光栅样基板标记 分别与两个第二光束通过与掩模标记相邻的透明区域。 通过检测两个第一光束的衍射光分量并检测两个第二光束的衍射光分量，可以确定掩模和基板之间的相对位置偏移。 对准装置有利地可以减少来自掩模的对准光和来自晶片（衬底）的对准光到最小程度的混合，或者即使当不可避免地发生混合时，也可以在信号处理阶段中充分地分离与这些光分量对应的信号。

公开(公告)号：US5347356A

公开(公告)日：1994-09-13

申请号：US982129

申请日：1992-11-25

申请人： Kazuya Ota ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

发明人： Kazuya Ota ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

IPC分类号： G01B11/00 ,  G01B9/02 ,  G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/30

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049 ,  G01B9/02002 ,  G01B9/02003 ,  G01B9/02097 ,  G03F7/70633 ,  G03F7/70691 ,  G01B2290/30 ,  G01B2290/60 ,  G01B2290/70

摘要： An aligning device for aligning a substrate with a predetermined point on the basis of a detection signal from a photoelectric detector uses interference light generated by light diffracted from a diffraction grating. A calculating device calculates at least one of a crossing angle of two coherent beams irradiating the grating and the rotational error of a crossing line between a plane containing principal rays of the beams and the surface of the substrate, with respect to the direction of arrangement of the grating, based on the phase difference between detection signals of the photoelectric detector corresponding to interference light generated from different portions of the crossing area. The output of the calculating device may be used to adjust the crossing angle and/or to correct the rotational error.

摘要翻译： 基于来自光电检测器的检测信号将基板与预定点对准的对准装置使用由衍射光栅衍射的光产生的干涉光。 计算装置计算照射光栅的两个相干光束的交叉角度与包含光束的主光线和基板表面的平面之间的交叉线的旋转误差中的至少一个相对于 基于光电检测器的检测信号之间的相位差对应于由交叉区域的不同部分产生的干涉光的光栅。 可以使用计算装置的输出来调整交叉角度和/或校正旋转误差。

公开(公告)号：US5488230A

公开(公告)日：1996-01-30

申请号：US91501

申请日：1993-07-14

申请人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G01N21/86 ,  H04N1/00

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049 ,  G03F9/7076

摘要： A position detecting apparatus comprises a double-beam producing device for producing two beams different in frequency from each other, which are guided to irradiate a diffraction grating on an object to be inspected in two predetermined directions, and a detector photoelectrically detecting through an objective optical system diffracted light produced by the diffraction grating, in which the double-beam producing device comprises a light source for supplying a beam of a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths, a beam splitting device for splitting the beam from the light source into two predetermined beams, a relay optical system for converging the two split beams at a predetermined position, and a frequency difference producing device disposed at or near a converging position by the relay optical system, for producing a predetermined frequency difference between the two split beams.

公开(公告)号：US5171999A

公开(公告)日：1992-12-15

申请号：US762472

申请日：1991-09-19

申请人： Koichiro Komatsu ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Koichiro Komatsu ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049

摘要： A position detection apparatus has a substrate on which a diffraction grating is formed and an alignment optical system for illuminating the diffraction grating with a pair of coherent light beams having different frequencies from each other from different directions. The intensity of interference fringes formed due to the interference of diffracted beams generated in the diffraction grating is detected photo-electrically. The alignment optical system forms the pair of coherent light by using an optical modulator, and two luminous fluxes from the optical modulator pass through independent optical paths positioned symmetrically with the optical axis of the alignment optical system therebetween and reach the diffraction grating from different directions. The alignment optical system has a stop having an opening having an inclined edge with respect to the direction of the grating components of the diffraction grating, the opening being in conjugation with the substrate.

摘要翻译： 位置检测装置具有其上形成有衍射光栅的基板和用于用不同方向彼此不同频率的一对相干光束照射衍射光栅的对准光学系统。 由于衍射光栅中产生的衍射光束的干涉而形成的干涉条纹的强度被光电检测。 对准光学系统通过使用光学调制器形成一对相干光，并且来自光学调制器的两个光束通过独立的光学路径，与对准光学系统的光轴对称地定位并从不同的方向到达衍射光栅。 对准光学系统具有具有相对于衍射光栅的光栅部件的方向具有倾斜边缘的开口的开口，该开口与基板共轭。

公开(公告)号：US6153886A

公开(公告)日：2000-11-28

申请号：US407610

申请日：1999-09-28

申请人： Shigeru Hagiwara ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Shigeru Hagiwara ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G01N21/86

CPC分类号： G03F9/7065 ,  G03F9/7088

摘要： An alignment apparatus according to the present invention is constructed, for example, which is arranged in an exposure apparatus provided with a projection optical system which projects a predetermined pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate under exposure light, which performs relative positioning between the mask and the substrate, which has light irradiating means for irradiating alignment light in a wavelength region different from that of exposure light onto an alignment mark formed on the substrate through the projection optical system and detecting means for detecting light from the alignment mark through the projection optical system, wherein, for alignment light as irradiation light traveling toward the alignment mark and alignment light as detection light from the alignment mark, there are provided correction optical elements for irradiation light and correction optical elements for detection light to cause axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration in the opposite directions to axial chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration of the projection optical system between the mask and the substrate, wherein the alignment light is multi-colored light with a plurality of beams different in wavelength from each other in the wavelength region different from that of exposure light, and wherein the correction optical elements for irradiation light or the correction optical elements for detection light each are provided in correspondence with the plurality of beams different in wavelength.

摘要翻译： 根据本发明的对准装置例如被构造成设置在具有投影光学系统的曝光装置中，该投影光学系统将在掩模上形成的预定图案投影到曝光光下的基板上，该曝光装置执行掩模 以及基板，其具有用于通过投影光学系统将与曝光光不同的波长区域中的对准光照射到形成在基板上的对准标记上的光照射装置和用于通过投影光学器件检测来自对准标记的光的检测装置 系统，其中，对于作为向对准标记行进的照射光的对准光和作为来自对准标记的检测光的对准光，设置有用于照射光的校正光学元件和用于检测光的校正光学元件，以产生轴向色差和倍率色彩 像差 在与掩模和基板之间的投影光学系统的轴向色差和倍率色差的相反方向上，其中对准光是具有多个不同波长区域的波长不同的多个光束的多色光 曝光用光，并且其中用于照射光的校正光学元件或用于检测光的校正光学元件各自对应于波长不同的多个光束。

公开(公告)号：US5569929A

公开(公告)日：1996-10-29

申请号：US470889

申请日：1995-06-06

申请人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G01N21/86 ,  G06K7/015 ,  G01B11/00

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049 ,  G03F9/7076

摘要： A position detecting apparatus comprises a double-beam producing device for producing two beams different in frequency from each other, which are guided to irradiate a diffraction grating on an object to be inspected in two predetermined directions, and a detector photoelectrically detecting through an objective optical system diffracted light produced by the diffraction grating, in which the double-beam producing device comprises a light source for supplying a beam of a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths, a beam splitting device for splitting the beam from the light source into two predetermined beams, a relay optical system for converging the two split beams at a predetermined position, and a frequency difference producing device disposed at or near a converging position by the relay optical system, for producing a predetermined frequency difference between the two split beams.

公开(公告)号：US5530257A

公开(公告)日：1996-06-25

申请号：US471926

申请日：1995-06-06

申请人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G06K7/015 ,  G01B9/02

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049 ,  G03F9/7076

摘要： A position detecting apparatus comprises a double-beam producing device for producing two beams different in frequency from each other, which are guided to irradiate a diffraction grating on an object to be inspected in two predetermined directions, and a detector photoelectrically detecting through an objective optical system diffracted light produced by the diffraction grating, in which the double-beam producing device comprises a light source for supplying a beam of a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths, a beam splitting device for splitting the beam from the light source into two predetermined beams, a relay optical system for converging the two split beams at a predetermined position, and a frequency difference producing device disposed at or near a converging position by the relay optical system, for producing a predetermined frequency difference between the two split beams.

公开(公告)号：US5530256A

公开(公告)日：1996-06-25

申请号：US470902

申请日：1995-06-06

申请人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

发明人： Hideo Mizutani ,  Kazuya Ota

IPC分类号： G03F9/00 ,  G06K7/015 ,  G01B9/02

CPC分类号： G03F9/7049 ,  G03F9/7076

摘要： A position detecting apparatus comprises a double-beam producing device for producing two beams different in frequency from each other, which are guided to irradiate a diffraction grating on an object to be inspected in two predetermined directions, and a detector photoelectrically detecting through an objective optical system diffracted light produced by the diffraction grating, in which the double-beam producing device comprises a light source for supplying a beam of a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths, a beam splitting device for splitting the beam from the light source into two predetermined beams, a relay optical system for converging the two split beams at a predetermined position, and a frequency difference producing device disposed at or near a converging position by the relay optical system, for producing a predetermined frequency difference between the two split beams.

摘要翻译： 位置检测装置包括：双光束产生装置，用于产生彼此频率不同的两个光束，其被引导以在两个预定方向上对待检查对象照射衍射光栅;以及通过物镜光学检测器光电检测 由衍射光栅产生的系统衍射光，其中双光束产生装置包括用于提供单个波长或多个波长的光束的光源，用于将光束从光源分割成两个预定光束的分束装置， 用于将两个分离光束会聚在预定位置的中继光学系统，以及设置在中继光学系统的会聚位置处或其附近的频差产生装置，用于产生两个分割光束之间的预定频率差。

公开(公告)号：US5118953A

公开(公告)日：1992-06-02

申请号：US528244

申请日：1990-05-24

申请人： Kazuya Ota ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

发明人： Kazuya Ota ,  Nobutaka Magome ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

IPC分类号： G01B11/00 ,  G03F9/00 ,  H01L21/027 ,  H01L21/30

CPC分类号： G03F9/7065 ,  G03F9/7049

摘要： An alignment apparatus is provided with a first beam receiving device arranged to receive an interference beam which is produced at a diffraction grating of a substrate as a result of illumination with a pair of beams which intersect each other on the substrate, and a second beam receiving device arranged to receive a reference beam which is produced by the interference between regularly reflected beams of the pair of beams occurring on the substrate, wherein the positional offset of the substrate is obtained on the basis of a comparison between the output signal of the first beam receiving device and the output signal of the second beam receiving device. Since a beam transmitting path for transmitting a measurement beam is substantially common to a beam transmitting path for a reference beam, even if the fluctuations of air occur, both the measurement beam and the reference beam substantially equally reflect the influence of the fluctuations, whereby it is possible to cancel the same.

摘要翻译： 对准装置设置有第一光束接收装置，该第一光束接收装置被布置成接收在基板的衍射光栅处产生的干涉光束，所述干涉光束是由于在基板上彼此相交的一对光束照明的结果而产生的，并且第二光束接收 该设备被布置为接收由基板上出现的一对光束的规则反射光束之间的干涉产生的参考光束，其中基于第一光束的输出信号之间的比较获得基板的位置偏移 接收装置和第二光束接收装置的输出信号。 由于用于发送测量光束的光束传输路径对于参考光束的光束传输路径基本上是共同的，所以即使发生空气的波动，测量光束和参考光束都基本上等同地反映了波动的影响，由此 有可能取消相同的。

公开(公告)号：US5568257A

公开(公告)日：1996-10-22

申请号：US441062

申请日：1995-05-15

申请人： Kazuya Ota ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

发明人： Kazuya Ota ,  Hideo Mizutani ,  Kouichiro Komatsu

IPC分类号： G03F7/20 ,  G03F9/00 ,  H01L21/027 ,  G01B9/02 ,  G01B11/00

CPC分类号： G03F9/70

摘要： The structure of an alignment apparatus is as follows: The illuminating areas of the two laser beams for the use of alignment, which are irradiated onto a diffraction grating on a substrate and a diffraction grating mark on a fiducial member, are relatively driven by a field diaphragm and a diaphragm member. A photoelectric detector receives the interference light generated from a first portion in the area on the above-mentioned diffraction mark where the two laser beams intersect following the above-mentioned relative driving, and receives the interference light generated from a second portion in the aforesaid area. A main control system calculates the intersecting angles or rotational error of the two laser beams on the basis of the phase difference of the detection signals from the aforesaid photoelectric detector. The intersecting angles or rotational error is corrected by allowing the parallel flat glasses, which are arranged on the light path, to be slanted.

摘要翻译： 对准装置的结构如下：照射到基板上的衍射光栅上的两个用于对准的激光束的照明区域和基准部件上的衍射光栅标记相对地被场地驱动 隔膜和隔膜构件。 光电检测器接收由上述相关驱动之后两个激光束相交的上述衍射标记上的区域中的第一部分产生的干涉光，并接收由上述区域中的第二部分产生的干涉光 。 主控制系统根据来自上述光电检测器的检测信号的相位差来计算两个激光束的相交角或旋转误差。 通过使布置在光路上的平行平板眼镜倾斜来校正交叉角度或旋转误差。