# US 2023/0408249 A1 · Measuring method, measuring apparatus, lithography apparatus, and article manufacturing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0408249 A1 - Document ID: US20230408249A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/331,986 - Filed: 2023-06-09 - Published: 2023-12-21 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-16 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Wataru YAMAGUCHI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230408249A1 ## CPC - G01B 11/002: {for measuring two or more coordinates} - G03F 7/706831: {Recipe selection or optimisation, e.g. select or optimise recipe parameters such as wavelength, polarisation or illumination modes} - G03F 9/7046: {Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection} - G03F 9/7088: {Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection} - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - 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) ## Abstract A measuring method includes performing preliminary measurement, while changing a combination of parameter values of at least two different measurement parameters, concerning each combination, performing processing to obtain a sensitivity distribution as a distribution of sensitivities indicating a change in measurement value with a change in parameter value concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on measurement values obtained in the performing preliminary measurement, determining a parameter value to be used concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on the sensitivity distribution concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters, and performing main measurement in accordance with the parameter value of each of the at least two measurement parameters determined in the determining. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A measuring method comprising: performing preliminary measurement, while changing a combination of parameter values of at least two different measurement parameters, concerning each combination; performing processing to obtain a sensitivity distribution as a distribution of sensitivities indicating a change in measurement value with a change in parameter value concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on measurement values obtained in the performing preliminary measurement; determining a parameter value to be used concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on the sensitivity distribution concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters; and performing main measurement in accordance with the parameter value of each of the at least two measurement parameters determined in the determining. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the performing preliminary measurement and the performing main measurement, position information of a target is measured. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two measurement parameters include a central wavelength of light illuminating the target and a wavelength width of the light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least two measurement parameters include at least two of a central wavelength, a wavelength width, and a σ value of light illuminating the target, a polarization characteristic in an optical path of a measuring apparatus that measures the target, a transmittance of an ND filter arranged in the optical path, a position of the target, and a tilt of the target. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein one of the at least two measurement parameters includes the position of the target in a direction along an optical path of a position detection apparatus that detects the position of the target. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein in the determining, a parameter value to be used is determined concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on the sensitivity distribution concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters and a weighting function given to each of the at least two measurement parameters. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the performing preliminary measurement includes detecting intermediate information for obtaining a measurement value from a measurement object and calculating a measurement value based on the intermediate information, and the performing processing includes estimating, based on the intermediate information, a measurement value obtained with a combination different from the combination with which the preliminary measurement is performed and performing calculation to obtain the sensitivity distribution concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on the measurement value estimated in the estimating. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein in the detecting, an image of the measurement object is detected as the intermediate information, and in the estimating, a composite image is generated as the intermediate information from a plurality of images, and a measurement value obtained with a combination different from the combination with which the preliminary measurement is performed is estimated based on the composite image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become worse than a predetermined sensitivity in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become lower than a predetermined sensitivity in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become a minimum in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the performing preliminary measurement and the performing main measurement, signal intensity information or waveform evaluation value information of a target is measured. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein in the determining, at least one of an average value and a variation of the sensitivity distribution is calculated based on the sensitivity distribution concerning each of plurality of the target, and the parameter value to be used is determined based on a sensitivity of the at least one of the average value and the variation of the sensitivity distribution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become more sensitive than a predetermined sensitivity in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become higher than a predetermined sensitivity in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein in the determining, the parameter value to be used is determined so as to make a sensitivity in the sensitivity distribution become a maximum in the parameter value to be used. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An article manufacturing method comprising: measuring a position of a mark on a substrate in accordance with a measuring method defined in claim 1 and transferring a pattern to the substrate based on the position of the mark; and obtaining an article by processing the substrate to which the pattern is transferred. ### Claim 18 A measuring apparatus comprising a measuring unit and a controller, wherein the controller controls the measuring unit to perform preliminary measurement over a plurality of times, while changing a combination of parameter values of at least two different measurement parameters, obtains a sensitivity distribution as a distribution of sensitivities indicating a change in measurement value with a change in parameter value concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on measurement values obtained by the preliminary measurement, determines a parameter value to be used concerning each of the at least two measurement parameters based on the sensitivity distribution, and controls the measuring unit to perform main measurement in accordance with the determined parameter value of each of the at least two measurement parameters. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a wavelength variable unit configured to change a wavelength of light illuminating a measurement object, wherein the controller controls the wavelength variable unit based on the parameter value determined for each of the at least two measurement parameters. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the wavelength variable unit includes a wavelength variable element having a transmission wavelength changing along a predetermined direction and a driving mechanism configured to drive the wavelength variable element. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the wavelength variable unit is configured to change a central wavelength and a wavelength width of light illuminating a measurement object, and the at least two measurement parameters include the central wavelength and the wavelength width. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the measuring unit measures position information of a target. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) A lithography apparatus comprising: a measuring apparatus defined in claim 18 and configured to measure a position of a mark provided on a substrate; and a positioning mechanism configured to position the substrate based on the position of the mark measured by the measuring apparatus, wherein the lithography apparatus is configured to transfer a pattern of the substrate. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) An article manufacturing method comprising: transferring a pattern to a substrate by using a lithography apparatus defined in claim 23; and obtaining an article by processing the substrate to which the pattern is transferred.