Position measuring method and apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHiroshi Tanaka, Michihiro Hirooka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Positions of reticle and stage fiducial marks (16, 15) are measured from image signals that are output by a camera (9) that simultaneously receives reflected light from the reticle fiducial mark (16) and reflected light from the stage fiducial mark (15). An image, which is obtained from an image signal representing the reticle fiducial mark (16), is stored in an image memory (11a) in such a manner that lightness of the image is increased to a predetermined lightness, and the reticle fiducial mark (16) and stage fiducial mark (15) are measured from image signals representing respective ones of the reticle fiducial mark (16) and stage fiducial mark (15).
Claims17
A position measuring method for measuring mark positions from signals that are output by a signal sensing unit that simultaneously receives reflected light from a first mark and reflected light from a second mark that is darker than the first mark, comprising the steps of:
- storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in memory in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- measuring the first mark and the second mark from the signals obtained from the signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks.
A position measuring apparatus for measuring mark positions from signals that are output by a signal sensing unit that simultaneously receives reflected light from a first mark and reflected light from a second mark that is darker than the first mark, comprising:
- a memory for storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in memory in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- a measurement unit for measuring the first mark and the second mark from signals obtained from signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks.
An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate on a stage to a pattern on a reticle via a projecting lens, comprising:
- a memory which, when a first mark for measuring position of the reticle and a second mark for measuring position of the substrate through the projecting lens are detected simultaneously by a signal sensing unit and the positions of the first and second marks are measured, is for storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- a measurement unit for measuring the first mark and the second mark obtained from the signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks;
- wherein the stage is driven based upon results of measurement by said measurement unit, whereby the reticle or the substrate or both are aligned.
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:
- installing a group of manufacturing apparatus for various processes in a semiconductor manufacturing plant;
- and
- manufacturing a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using SAID group of manufacturing apparatus;
- wherein said group of manufacturing apparatus includes an exposure apparatus comprising:
- a memory which, when a first mark for measuring position of a reticle and a second mark for measuring position of a substrate through a projecting lens are detected simultaneously by a signal sensing unit and the positions of the first and second marks are measured, is for storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- a measurement unit for measuring the first mark and the second mark obtained from signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks;
- wherein a stage is driven based upon results of measurement by said measurement unit to align the reticle or the substrate or both, thereby exposing a substrate on the stage to a pattern on the reticle via the projecting lens.
A semiconductor manufacturing plant comprising:
- a group of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for various processes inclusive of an exposure apparatus;
- a local-area network for interconnecting said group of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus;
- and
- a gateway for making it possible to access, from said local-area network, an external network outside the plant;
- whereby information relating to at least one of said manufacturing apparatus in the group thereof can be communicated by data communication;
- said exposure apparatus comprising:
- a memory which, when a first mark for measuring position of a reticle and a second mark for measuring position of a substrate through a projecting lens are detected simultaneously by a signal sensing unit and the positions of the first and second marks are measured, is for storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- a measurement unit for measuring the first mark and the second mark obtained from signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks;
- wherein a stage is driven based upon results of measurement by said measurement unit to align the reticle or the substrate or both, thereby exposing a substrate on the stage to a pattern on the reticle via the projecting lens.
A method of maintaining an exposure apparatus installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, comprising the steps of:
- providing a maintenance database, which is connected to an external network of the semiconductor manufacturing plant, by a vendor or user of the X-ray exposure apparatus;
- allowing access to the maintenance database from within the semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network;
- and
- transmitting maintenance information, which is stored in the maintenance database, to the side of the semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network;
- said exposure apparatus comprising:
- a memory which, when a first mark for measuring position of a reticle and a second mark for measuring position of a substrate through a projecting lens are detected simultaneously by a signal sensing unit and the positions of the first and second marks are measured, is for storing a signal, which is obtained from a signal representing the second mark, in such a manner that brightness of the signal is increased to a predetermined brightness;
- and
- a measurement unit for measuring the first mark and the second mark obtained from signals representing respective ones of the first and second marks;
- wherein a stage is driven based upon results of measurement by said measurement unit to align the reticle or the substrate or both, thereby exposing a substrate on the stage to a pattern on the reticle via the projecting lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.