# US 10,481,507 B2 · Measurement method comprising in-situ printing of apparatus mark and corresponding apparatus

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- Number: US 10,481,507 B2
- Document ID: US10481507B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/328,750
- Filed: 2017-08-18
- Published: 2019-06-27
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2016-09-08
- Assignees: ASML Holding N.V.; ASML Netherlands B.V.
- Applicants: Asml Holding N.V.; Asml Netherlands B.V.
- Inventors: Kevin J. Violette; Igor Matheus Petronella Aarts; Haico Victor Kok; Eric Brian Catey
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481507B2

## CPC

- G03F 7/70683: {Mark designs}
- G03F 7/70516: {Calibration of components of the microlithographic apparatus, e.g. light sources, addressable masks or detectors}
- G03F 7/70616: {Monitoring the printed patterns}
- G03F 9/7019: {Calibration}
- G03F 9/708: {Mark formation}
- G03F 9/7084: {Position of mark on substrate, i.e. position in (x, y, z) of mark, e.g. buried or resist covered mark, mark on rearside, at the substrate edge, in the circuit area, latent image mark, marks in plural levels}
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)

## Abstract

A method, including printing an apparatus mark onto a structure while the structure is at least partly within a lithographic apparatus. The structure may be part of, or is located on, a substrate table, but is separate from a substrate to be held by the apparatus. The method further includes measuring the apparatus mark using a sensor system within the apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
printing an apparatus mark onto a structure while at least partly within a substrate processing apparatus, the structure being separate from a substrate to be held by the apparatus, the printing involving using a patterned beam of radiation or using ablating radiation, such that the radiation directly contacts the structure when printing the apparatus mark; and
measuring the apparatus mark using a sensor system within the apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the structure is part of, or is located on, a substrate table configured to hold the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor system is an alignment sensor system.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising calibrating the sensor system using the apparatus mark.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein printing the apparatus mark comprises using a beam of radiation from a system of the apparatus.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein printing the apparatus mark comprises using the ablating radiation and ablating a surface of the structure with the apparatus mark.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein printing the apparatus mark comprises using a patterned beam and projecting the patterned beam having a pattern provided by a patterning device onto the structure to print the apparatus mark.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the structure comprises a plate with a surface coating.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus mark is of a same type as an alignment mark of the substrate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus mark is not the same type as an alignment mark of the substrate but mimics sensor system drift behavior of the alignment mark of the substrate.

### Claim 11

A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a structure;
a sensor system configured to measure a mark; and
a control system configured to at least:
cause printing of an apparatus mark onto the structure while at least partly within the apparatus, the structure being separate from a substrate to be held by the apparatus, the printing involving using a patterned beam of radiation or using ablating radiation, such that the radiation directly contacts the structure when printing the apparatus mark, and
cause measurement of the apparatus mark using the sensor system within the apparatus.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a substrate table configured to hold the substrate and wherein the structure is part of, or is located on, the substrate table.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the sensor system is an alignment sensor system.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control system is further configured to cause calibration of the sensor system using the apparatus mark.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a radiation system configured to project a radiation beam and wherein the control system is configured to cause the printing of the apparatus mark by using a beam of radiation from the radiation system of the apparatus.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to cause the printing of the apparatus mark by ablating a surface of the structure with the apparatus mark using the ablating radiation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to cause the printing of the apparatus mark by projecting the patterned beam having a pattern provided by a patterning device onto the structure to print the apparatus mark.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the structure comprises a plate with a surface coating.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer program product comprising machine-readable instructions therein, the machine-readable instructions, upon execution by a processor system, configured to cause the processor system to cause performance of at least:
printing of an apparatus mark onto a structure while at least partly within a substrate processing apparatus, the structure being separate from a substrate to be held by the apparatus, the printing involving using a patterned beam of radiation or using ablating radiation, such that the radiation directly contacts the structure when printing the apparatus mark; and
measuring of the apparatus mark using a sensor system within the apparatus.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the structure is part of, or is located on, a substrate table of a lithographic projection apparatus, the substrate table configured to hold the substrate.