Method and apparatus for registration control in production by imaging

A method of imaging an overlying conductive pattern over an underlying conductive pattern on a substrate, each conductive pattern being defined by image data to be applied at nominal locations according to scanning control data, said method comprising:

• selecting a plurality of features on said underlying conductive pattern to serve as reference targets;
• sensing the actual locations of said reference targets on said underlying conductive pattern while the substrate is carried by a holder;
• determining deviations in the sensed actual locations of said reference targets on said underlying conductive pattern with respect to the nominal locations of the reference targets in the underlying conductive pattern;
• and modifying said scanning control data of the overlying conductive pattern in accordance with said deviations to reduce misregistration of the overlying conductive pattern with respect to the underlying conductive pattern.

Apparatus for imaging conductive patterns on a substrate, comprising:

• a holder for holding the substrate;
• an imaging device for imaging at least two conductive patterns in overlying relationship to each other on said substrate, each conductive pattern being defined by image data to be applied at nominal locations on the substrate according to scanning control data;
• scanning means for effecting relative movement between the substrate and the imaging device according to the scanning control data for the respective conductive pattern;
• a sensor for sensing the actual locations of predetermined reference targets of an underlying conductive pattern on the substrate before an overlying conductive pattern is applied thereover;
• and a controller programmed to determine deviations between the actual locations and the nominal locations of predetermined reference targets of an underlying conductive pattern on the substrate and to utilize said determined deviations for modifying the scanning control data used for imaging the image data of the overlying conductive pattern in order to reduce misregistration thereof with respect to the underlying conductive pattern.