Alignment method
AssigneeKoninklijke Philips N.V.
InventorsMarcus Antonius Verschuuren, CHRISTIAN ALFRED ARLT
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanism for aligning a stamp and a substrate during a substrate conformal imprint lithography (SCIL) process. A stamp marker, comprising a first diffraction grating, is positioned on the stamp and a substrate marker is positioned on the substrate. The two markers are illuminated with two different lights. Each marker is configured to redirect proportionally more of a respective form of light (received by said marker) towards a light sensor than the other marker.
Claims15
A method of determining alignment between a stamp and a substrate in an imprint process, wherein the stamp comprises a stamp marker comprising a first diffraction grating, having a first period, on a surface of the stamp and the substrate comprises a substrate marker on the surface of the substrate, wherein the method comprises:
- using a light sensor for capturing marker light at an angle to the stamp and substrate;
- illuminating at least the stamp marker with a first light, wherein:
- the first light and the stamp marker are configured such that more than a first fraction of the first light is directed by the stamp marker towards the light sensor;
- the first light and the substrate marker are configured such that less than a second fraction of the first light incident upon the substrate marker is directed towards the light sensor, wherein the first fraction is greater than the second fraction;
- illuminating at least the substrate marker with a second, light, different from the first light wherein:
- the second light and the substrate marker are configured such that more than a third fraction of the second light is directed by the substrate marker towards the light sensor;
- the second light and the stamp marker are configured such that less than a fourth fraction of the second light is directed towards the light sensor, wherein the third fraction is greater than the fourth fraction;
- and
- using the response of the light sensor caused by the directed first light and second light to determine an alignment between the stamp and the substrate.
A system for determining an alignment between a stamp and a substrate in an imprint process, the system comprising an alignment system, a stamp and a substrate, wherein the stamp comprises a stamp marker comprising a first diffraction grating, having a first period, on a surface of the stamp and the substrate comprises a substrate marker comprising a second diffracting grating, having a second period different from the first period, on the surface of the substrate, and the alignment system comprises:
- a light sensor for capturing marker light at an angle to the stamp and substrate;
- a lighting system for:
- illuminating at least the stamp marker with a first light, wherein:
- the first light and the stamp marker are configured such that more than a first fraction of the first light is directed by the stamp marker towards the light sensor;
- the first light and the substrate marker are configured such that less than a second fraction of the first light is directed by the substrate marker towards the light sensor, wherein the first fraction is greater than the second fraction;
- and
- illuminating at least the substrate marker with a second light different from the first light, wherein:
- the second light and the substrate marker are configured such that more than a third fraction the second light is directed by the substrate marker towards the light sensor;
- the second light and the stamp marker are configured such that less than a fourth fraction of the second light is directed by the stamp marker towards the light sensor, wherein the third fraction is greater than the fourth fraction;
- and
- a processing system communicatively coupled to the light sensor for processing the response of the light sensor caused by the directed first light and second light to determine an alignment between the stamp and the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.