Detection method for optimum position detection formula, alignment method, exposure method, device production method, device, and measurement and/or inspection apparatus

An exposure method aligning a plurality of areas formed on a substrate with predetermined patterns and exposing said plurality of areas by said predetermined patterns, comprising,

• in a registration period,
• using information of the differences between calculated position information obtained by using a first calculation formula provided with a second or greater orders and a plurality of coefficients to calculate position information of the plurality of areas and measured position information of said plurality of areas measured in advance to determine said plurality of coefficients of said first calculation formula and storing a second calculation formula for which said plurality of coefficients are determined and,
• in a processing period after said registration period,
• reading out the stored second calculation formula, using the read out second calculation formula to calculate the position information of said plurality of areas on said substrate and, based on said calculated position information, aligning said plurality of areas with said predetermined patterns to transfer said predetermined patterns to said aligned areas.

An exposure method aligning a plurality of areas formed on a substrate with predetermined patterns and exposing said plurality of areas by said predetermined patterns, comprising,

• in a registration period,
• changing said alignment conditions,
• using the information of the differences between calculated position information obtained by using a first calculation formula provided with a second or greater orders and a plurality of coefficients for each said condition to calculate said position information of the plurality of areas and measured position information of said plurality of areas so as to determine said plurality of coefficients of said first calculation formula and registering this as a second calculation formula, and,
• in a processing period after said registration period,
• using said second calculation formula to calculate position information of the plurality of areas on a substrate, using the calculated position information to align said plurality of areas with said predetermined patterns, and transferring said predetermined patterns to said aligned areas.

An exposure method calculating position information of a plurality of shot areas on a substrate and exposing predetermined patterns on each shot area while controlling the position of said substrate based on said calculated position information, including

• a step of selecting at least one option from a plurality of options prepared in advance for each item of position information output conditions comprised of a plurality of items,
• a step of selecting at least one higher order model formula from-a plurality of formulas for which coefficients are determined stored in advance in a storage device,
• a step of reading past data stored in advance on a storage device and relating to results of position control of the substrate on which a first process is performed,
• a step of using data relating to said selected higher order model formula, said selected position information output condition, and said read position control results to process said position control results under said position information output conditions, using the results of processing to find said coefficients of said higher order model formula, and calculating the higher order formula for finding position information of the plurality of shot areas on said substrate,
• a step of repeating the step of calculating said higher order formula a plurality of ways while changing at least one of said alignment condition and said higher order model formula and storing in a storage device at least one of the calculated plurality of higher order formulas together with the position information output conditions linked with said first process,
• a step of reading out data relating to results of past alignment of the substrate subjected to a second process different from said first process and stored in advance in said storage device, calculating the higher order formula for said second process as well in the same way as calculating the higher order formula corresponding to said first process, and storing in a storage device the calculated higher order formula together with the position information output conditions linked with said second process, and
• when newly executing position control for the substrate subjected to the first process, reading out the higher order formula and position information output conditions stored in said storage device linked with said first process, using said read out higher order formula and position information output conditions to find the position information of the plurality of shot areas on said substrate, and exposing predetermined patterns on the plurality of shot areas on said substrate while controlling the position of said substrate.

A method of display of information relating to position control on a display screen in an exposure method calculating position information of a plurality of shot areas on a substrate and exposing predetermined patterns on each shot area while controlling the position of said substrate based on said calculated position information, including

• a step of selecting at least one option from a plurality of options prepared in advance for each item of position information output conditions comprised of a plurality of items,
• a step of selecting at least one higher order model formula from a plurality of formulas for which coefficients are determined stored in advance in a storage device,
• a step of reading past data stored in advance on a storage device and relating to results of position control of the substrate on which a first process is performed,
• a step of using data relating to said selected higher order model formula, said selected position information output condition, and said read position control results to process said position control results under said position information output conditions, using the results of processing to find said coefficients of said higher order model formula, and calculating the higher order formula for finding position information of the plurality of shot areas on said substrate,
• a step of repeating the step of calculating said higher order formula a plurality of ways while changing at least one of said alignment condition and said higher order model formula and storing in a storage device at least one of the calculated plurality of higher order formulas together with the position information output conditions linked with said first process,
• a step of reading out data relating to results of past alignment of the substrate subjected to a second process different from said first process and stored in advance in said storage device, calculating the higher order formula for said second process as well in the same way as calculating the higher order formula corresponding to said first process, and storing in a storage device the calculated higher order formula together with the position information output conditions linked with said second process, and
• when newly executing position control for the substrate subjected to the first process, reading out the higher order formula and position information output conditions stored in said storage device linked with said first process, using said read out higher order formula and position information output conditions to find the position information of the plurality of shot areas on said substrate, and displaying said found position information on said display screen.

A measurement and/or inspection apparatus measuring overlay and outputting overlay measurement results as information used for the processing including the following steps:

• a step of selecting at least one option from a plurality of options prepared in advance for each item of position information output conditions comprised of a plurality of items,
• a step of selecting at least one higher order model formula for which coefficients are not determined stored in advance in a storage device,
• a step of using information relating to said selected higher order model formula, said selected position information output condition, and measurement results output from said measurement device to process said position control results under said position information output conditions, using the results of processing to find said coefficients of said higher order model formula, and calculating the higher order formula for finding position information of the plurality of shot areas on said substrate,
• a step of repeating the step of calculating said higher order formula a plurality of ways while changing at least one of said alignment condition and said higher order model formula and storing in a storage device at least one of the calculated plurality of higher order formulas together with the position information output conditions linked with said first process, and
• a step of reading out data relating to results of past alignment of the substrate subjected to a second process different from said first process and stored in advance in said storage device, calculating the higher order formula for said second process as well in the same way as calculating the higher order formula corresponding to said first process, and storing in a storage device the calculated higher order formula together with the position information output conditions linked with said second process.