# US 11,442,371 B2 · Substrate processing system and substrate processing method, and device manufacturing method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 11,442,371 B2
- Document ID: US11442371B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/983,446
- Filed: 2020-08-03
- Published: 2020-11-19
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2015-02-23
- Assignees: Nikon Corporation
- Applicants: Nikon Corporation
- Inventors: Yuichi Shibazaki
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442371B2

## CPC

- G03F 9/7046: {Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection}
- G01B 11/00: Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
- G01B 11/14: for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures (G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00)
- G03F 7/705: {Modelling or simulating from physical phenomena up to complete wafer processes or whole workflow in wafer productions}
- G03F 7/70716: {Stages}
- G03F 7/70783: {Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight}
- G03F 7/70875: {Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature}
- G03F 7/70991: {Connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure stations, particular arrangement of exposure apparatus and pre-exposure and/or post-exposure apparatus; Shared apparatus, e.g. having shared radiation source, shared mask or workpiece stage, shared base-plate; Utilities, e.g. cable, pipe or wireless arrangements for data, power, fluids or vacuum}
- G03F 9/7003: {Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment}
- H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment
- 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)
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A lithography system is provided with: a measurement device measuring position information of marks on a substrate held in a first stage; and an exposure apparatus on a second stage, the substrate for which the position information measurement for the marks has been completed, performs alignment measurement to measure position information for part of marks selected from among the marks on the substrate, and performs exposure. The measurement device measures position information of marks on the substrate to obtain higher-degree components of correction amounts of an arrangement of divided areas, and the exposure apparatus measures position information of a small number of marks on the substrate to obtain lower-degree components of the correction amounts of the arrangement of the divided areas and exposes the plurality of divided areas while controlling the position of the substrate by using the obtained lower-degree components and the higher-degree components obtained by the measurement device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing system that is configured to process a substrate on which a plurality of divided areas are formed along with a plurality of marks, as a processing target, the system comprising:
a measurement device that has a first stage for holding the substrate, and is configured to obtain position information of the plurality of marks corresponding to each of the divided areas formed on the substrate held on the first stage, the position information of the plurality of marks being the position of the plurality of marks in a plane of a surface of the substrate; and
an exposure apparatus that has a second stage on which the substrate is mounted, obtainment of the position information of the plurality of marks on the substrate having been completed by the measurement device, wherein
the exposure apparatus performs an exposure operation of exposing the plurality of divided areas of the substrate on the second stage with an energy beam based on two-dimensional shape information of each of the divided areas in the plane calculated by using the position information.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the measurement device is configured to select a predetermined number of the divided areas formed on the substrate, in order to obtain the position information of the plurality of marks in each of the predetermined number of the divided areas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The substrate processing system according to claim 2, wherein
the measurement device is configured to obtain the position information of one of the plurality of marks in non-selected divided areas formed on the substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the measurement device is configured to obtain the position information of the plurality of marks in all of the divided areas formed on the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing system according to the claim 4, wherein
the measurement device is configured to select a predetermined number of substrates in a single lot, the position information of the plurality of marks in all of the divided areas being obtained for the predetermined number of substrates.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to the claim 1, wherein
the measurement device is configured to obtain the position information of the plurality of marks in each of the divided areas formed on the substrate for all the substrates included in a single lot.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to the claim 1, wherein
the exposure apparatus is configured to select a number of marks in the divided areas, position information of the number of marks being used to calculate the two-dimensional shape information of the divided areas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to the claim 1, wherein
the two-dimensional shape information of the divided areas is calculated by statistical calculation using the position information of the plurality of marks in the divided areas.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the exposure apparatus further comprises a detection system configured to detect the plurality of marks formed on the substrate held by the second stage to obtain the position information of the plurality of marks, and
the exposure apparatus is configured to perform the exposure operation of exposing the plurality of divided areas based on the two-dimensional shape information of each of the divided areas and position information of some marks of the plurality of marks detected by the detection system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein
the detection system obtains position information of a part of the plurality of marks, the position information of the plurality of marks having been obtained by the measurement device.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The substrate processing system according to the claim 9, wherein
the exposure apparatus is a scanning exposure apparatus that is configured to move a mask stage on which a mask having a pattern formed is held, synchronously with the second stage, relative to a projection optical system and to transfer the pattern onto each of the divided areas on the substrate, and
the exposure apparatus is configured to adjust, during scanning exposure of one of the plurality of divided areas, at least one of a relative scanning angle between the mask stage and the second stage, scanning speed ratio, a relative position of at least one of the mask stage and the second stage with respect to the projection optical system, image forming characteristic of the projection optical system, and wavelength of exposure light, based on the two-dimensional shape information of the divided areas.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the measurement device and the exposure apparatus are connected in-line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The substrate processing system according to claim 12, further comprising:
a substrate processing device that is connected inline to the measurement device and the exposure apparatus, the substrate processing device applying a predetermined processing to the substrate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein
the substrate processing device is a coating developing apparatus that coats a substrate with a sensitive agent and develops the substrate after exposure.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The substrate processing system according to claim 14, wherein
the measurement device is capable of performing an overlay displacement measurement in which a positional displacement amount of overlay displacement measurement marks on the substrate after development is measured.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The substrate processing system according to claim 13, wherein
the substrate processing device is a coating apparatus that coats a substrate with a sensitive agent.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The substrate processing system according to claim 16, wherein
the measurement device is arranged between the exposure apparatus and the substrate processing device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The substrate processing system according to claim 17, wherein
the measurement device is used in at least one of a pre-measurement in which measurement of position information of a plurality of marks on a substrate before the sensitive agent is coated is performed and a post-measurement in which measurement of position information of the plurality of marks on the substrate coated with the sensitive agent is performed.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The substrate processing system according to claim 16, wherein
the measurement device is provided in a plurality of numbers, and a first measurement device and a second measurement device of the plurality of numbers of the measurement devices are arranged between the exposure apparatus and the substrate processing device,
the first measurement device and the second measurement device are used in both of a pre-measurement in which measurement of position information of a plurality of marks on a substrate before the sensitive agent is coated is performed and a post-measurement in which measurement of position information of the plurality of marks on the substrate coated with the sensitive agent is performed, and
the first measurement device and the second measurement device are used in the pre-measurement and the post-measurement to the same substrate when continuously processing a plurality of number of substrates.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The substrate processing system according to claim 19, wherein
the substrate processing device is a coating and developing apparatus that coats a substrate with a sensitive agent and develops the exposed substrate, and
the second measurement device is used for overlay displacement measurement in which a positional displacement amount of overlay displacement measurement marks on the substrate after development is measured.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The substrate processing system according to claim 16, wherein
the measurement device is provided in a plurality of numbers, and of the plurality of measurement devices a first measurement device is placed between the exposure apparatus and the substrate processing device, and of the plurality of measurement devices a second measurement device is placed at an opposite side of the exposure apparatus with the substrate processing device in between,
the second measurement device is used in a pre-measurement in which measurement of position information of a plurality of marks on a substrate before the sensitive agent is coated is performed, and
the first measurement device is used in a post-measurement in which measurement of position information of the plurality of marks on the substrate on which the sensitive agent has been coated is performed.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The substrate processing system according to claim 13, further comprising:
a temperature control device that controls temperature of the substrate to be within a predetermined temperature range before the substrate is mounted on the first stage of the measurement device.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The substrate processing system according to claim 22, wherein
the temperature control device is provided in a part of the substrate processing device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein
the measurement device obtains height distribution information of a surface of the substrate held on the first stage, and
the exposure apparatus performs an exposure operation of exposing the plurality of divided areas of the substrate placed on the second stage with an energy beam based on the height distribution information obtained by the measurement device.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein
the measurement device includes a first detection system that detects the marks formed on the substrate, and a second detection system that detects height of the surface of the substrate, and
the position information of the marks is obtained from a detection result of the first detection system and position information of the first stage, and the height distribution information of the surface of the substrate is obtained from a detection result of the second detection system and the position information of the first stage.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The substrate processing system according to claim 25, wherein
the second detection system is a multipoint position detection system capable of simultaneously detecting height information of a plurality of positions on the surface of the substrate.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein
the exposure apparatus obtains the position information and the height distribution information obtained by the measurement device prior to the exposure operation.

### Claim 28 (depends on 24)

The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein
the exposure apparatus uses the position information and the height distribution information obtained by the measurement device in order to control a position of the second stage during exposure of the substrate.

### Claim 29 (depends on 24)

The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein
the exposure apparatus uses the height distribution information of the surface of the substrate obtained by the measurement device in order to control the position of the second stage in a direction orthogonal to a mounting surface of the second stage on which the substrate is mounted during exposure of the substrate.

### Claim 30 (depends on 1)

A device manufacturing method, including:
exposing a substrate using the substrate processing system according to claim 1; and
developing the substrate that has been exposed.

### Claim 31

A substrate processing method of processing a substrate on which a plurality of divided areas are formed along with a plurality of marks, as a processing target, the method comprising:
obtaining position information of the plurality of marks corresponding to each of the plurality of divided areas formed on the substrate held on a first stage, the position information of the plurality of marks being the position of the plurality of marks in a plane of a surface of the substrate;
calculating two-dimensional shape information of the plurality of divided areas in the plane using the position information of the plurality of marks in the divided areas;
obtaining position information of some marks of the plurality of marks on the substrate held by a second stage, obtainment of the position information of the plurality of marks on the substrate having been completed on the first stage; and
performing an exposure operation of exposing the plurality of divided areas with an energy beam based on the two-dimensional shape information of each of the divided areas in the plane and the position information of part of the some marks of the plurality of marks obtained on the second stage.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The substrate processing method according to claim 31, wherein
the exposure operation is performed by moving a mask stage on which a mask having a pattern is held, synchronously with the second stage, relative to a projection optical system and exposing a substrate with a projection image of the pattern, and
during scanning exposure of one of the plurality of divided areas, at least one of a relative scanning angle between the mask stage and the second stage, scanning speed ratio, a relative position of at least one of the mask stage and the second stage with respect to the projection optical system, image forming characteristic of the projection optical system, and wavelength of exposure light is adjusted based on the two-dimensional shape information of the divided areas.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The substrate processing method according to claim 31, further comprising:
obtaining height distribution information of a surface of the substrate held on the first stage, wherein
the exposure operation using an energy beam is performed on the plurality of divided areas on the substrate mounted on the second stage based on the height distribution information.