Lithographic apparatus with multiple alignment arrangements and alignment measuring method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorFranciscus Maria Van Bilsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lithographic apparatus has a plurality of different alignment arrangements that are used to perform an alignment measurement on the same mark(s) by: detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector; detecting the first mark and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector using a different alignment measurement than the first detector; receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector; calculating a first position of the at least first mark based on the first alignment signal; receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector; calculating a further first position of the at least first mark based on the second alignment signal.
Claims38
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a first alignment arrangement comprising a first detector configured to detect by a first alignment measurement a first alignment mark on an object and to produce a first alignment signal;
- a second alignment arrangement using a second alignment measurement different than the first alignment arrangement and comprising a second detector arranged to detect the first mark and to produce a second alignment signal;
- and
- a processor connected to the first detector and to the second detector, and configured to:
- receive the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculate a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receive the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- and
- calculate a further first position of the first mark based on the second alignment signal.
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a first alignment arrangement comprising a first detector arranged to detect by a first alignment measurement a first alignment mark located on an object and to produce a first alignment signal;
- a second alignment arrangement comprising a second detector arranged to detect a second alignment mark on the object and to produce a second alignment signal;
- a processor connected to the first detector and to the second detector, and configured to receive the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculate a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receive the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculate a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- and
- evaluate the first and second positions to select either the first or second alignment arrangement to perform further alignment measurements based on a quality indicator.
A lithographic apparatus, comprising:
- a first alignment arrangement comprising a first detector configured to detect a first alignment mark located on an object and to produce a first alignment signal;
- a second alignment arrangement comprising a second detector configured to detect a second alignment mark on the object and to produce a second alignment signal;
- a processor connected to the first detector and to the second detector, and configured to receive the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculate a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receive the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculate a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- combine the first and second positions to calculate a calculated position while using at least one weighting factor on either the first or second position, the weighting factor being determined by an indicator.
An alignment measurement method, comprising:
- detecting by a first alignment measurement at least a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting the first mark and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector using a second alignment measurement different than the first detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- and
- calculating a further first position of the at least first mark based on the second alignment signal.
An alignment measurement method, comprising:
- detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting a second mark on the object and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculating a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- and
- evaluating the first and second positions to select either a first or a second alignment arrangement to perform further alignment measurements based on a quality indicator.
An alignment measurement method, comprising:
- detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting a second mark on the object and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculating a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- and
- combining the first and second positions to calculate a calculated position while using at least one weighting factor on either the first or second position, the weighting factor being determined by an indicator.
A computer program product comprising data and instructions to be loaded by a processor of a lithographic apparatus, and configured to instruct the lithographic apparatus to perform an alignment measurement method comprising:
- detecting by a first alignment measurement a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting the first mark and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector using a second alignment measurement different than the first detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- and
- calculating a further first position of the at least first mark based on the second alignment signal.
A computer program product comprising data and instructions to be loaded by a processor of a lithographic apparatus, and configured to instruct the lithographic apparatus to perform an alignment measurement method comprising;
- detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting a second mark on the object and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculating a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- and
- evaluating the first and second positions to select either a first or a second alignment arrangement to perform further alignment measurements based on a quality indicator.
A computer program product comprising data and instructions to be loaded by a processor of a lithographic apparatus, and configured to instruct the lithographic apparatus to perform an alignment measurement method comprising:
- detecting a first alignment mark located on an object and producing a first alignment signal by a first detector;
- detecting a second mark on the object and producing a second alignment signal by a second detector;
- receiving the first alignment signal from the first detector;
- calculating a first position of the first mark based on the first alignment signal;
- receiving the second alignment signal from the second detector;
- calculating a second position of the second mark based on the second alignment signal;
- and
- combining the first and second positions to calculate a calculated position while using at least one weighting factor on either the first or second position, the weighting factor being determined by an indicator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.