Position detection method, position detection apparatus, lithography apparatus, and article manufacturing method

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a position detection method of detecting a position of a target in an image by template matching using a template having first to Nth feature points, where N is a natural number not less than 3, the method comprising:

• obtaining an index indicating correlation between the template and the image by repeating processing for each relative position of a plurality of relative positions of the template with respect to the image, while sequentially setting first to nth feature points as a feature point of interest, where n is less than or equal to N;
• determining, during obtaining of the index for each relative position of the plurality of relative positions, whether the feature point of interest is a Jth feature point, where J is a natural number not less than 2 and less than N, and where the Jth feature point is determined before causing the computer to start execution of a process of detecting the position of the target in the image;
• determining, in a case where the feature point of interest is determined as the Jth feature point, whether an intermediate index indicating the correlation obtained based on processing of the first to Jth feature points satisfies a censoring condition;
• and
• terminating processing of remaining (J+1)th to Nth feature points in a case where the intermediate index satisfies the censoring condition.

A position detection apparatus for detecting a position of a target in an image by template matching using a template having first to Nth feature points, where N is a natural number not less than 3, the apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

• obtain an index indicating correlation between the template and the image by repeating processing for each relative position of a plurality of relative positions of the template with respect to the image, while sequentially setting first to nth feature points as a feature point of interest, where n is less than or equal to N;
• determine, during processing performed on each relative position of the plurality of relative positions to obtain the index, whether the feature point of interest is a Jth feature point, where J is a natural number not less than 2 and less than N, and where the Jth feature point is determined before causing the computer to start execution of a process of detecting the position of the target in the image;
• determine, in a case where the feature point of interest is determined as the Jth feature point, whether an intermediate index indicating the correlation obtained based on processing of the first to Jth feature points satisfies a censoring condition;
• and
• terminate processing of remaining (J+1)th to Nth feature points in a case where the intermediate index satisfies the censoring condition.

An article manufacturing method comprising:

• forming a pattern on a substrate by using a lithography apparatus;
• and
• processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the forming,
• wherein an article is obtained from the processed substrate,
• wherein the lithography apparatus is configured to form a pattern on the substrate, and comprises:
• an image capture configured to capture an image of a mark on the substrate;
• a positioning mechanism configured to position the substrate;
• and
• a controller configured to control the positioning mechanism based on the image obtained by the image capture,
• wherein the controller includes a position detection apparatus configured to detect a position of a mark in the image obtained by the image capture,
• wherein the position detection apparatus is configured to detect a position of a target in an image by template matching using a template having first to Nth (N is a natural number not less than 3) feature points,
• the position detection apparatus comprising a processor configured to:
• obtain an index indicating correlation between the template and the image by repeating processing for each relative position of a plurality of relative positions of the template with respect to the image, while sequentially setting first to nth feature points as a feature point of interest, where n is less than or equal to N;
• determine, during processing performed on each relative position of the plurality of relative positions to obtain the index, whether the feature point of interest is a Jth feature point, where J is a natural number not less than 2 and less than N, and where the Jth feature point is determined before causing the computer to start execution of a process of detecting the position of the target in the image:
• determine, in a case where the feature point of interest is determined as the Jth feature point, whether an intermediate index indicating the correlation obtained based on processing of the first to Jth feature points satisfies a censoring condition;
• and
• terminate processing of remaining (J+1)th to Nth feature points in a case where the intermediate index satisfies the censoring condition.