Method and apparatus for measuring position of pattern formed on a substrate having a thickness

A method for measuring a position of a pattern of a substrate to be measured mounted on a stage substantially horizontally, said method comprising the steps of:

• amending, based on a difference between a thickness of said substrate to be measured and a thickness of a predetermined reference substrate, an amount of displacement of the pattern caused by flexure due to the weight of said reference substrate;
• measuring a position of the pattern of said substrate to be measured;
• and then
• correcting, based on said amended amount of displacement, the measured pattern position.

A method for measuring a position of a pattern formed on a substrate to be measured, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) measuring a thickness of said substrate to be measured;
• (b) measuring a position of said pattern;
• and then
• (c) correcting said measured position of said pattern based on data concerning the measured thickness of said substrate to be measured as well as data concerning a thickness of a reference substrate and an amount of flexure of said reference substrate stored in a storage device.

An apparatus for inspecting a substrate to be measured in which a pattern is formed, said apparatus comprising:

• a stage on which said substrate to be measured is disposed;
• a memory which stores data concerning a thickness of a reference substrate and an amount of flexure of said reference substrate when said reference substrate is disposed on said stage;
• a laser source which can irradiate a surface of said stage with a laser beam;
• a photodetector disposed above said stage;
• and
• a processor which is electrically connected to said photodetector and can read out the data within said memory.

A pattern-position measuring apparatus for measuring a position of a pattern formed on a substrate, said apparatus comprising:

• a storage unit for storing, as a first correction amount, an amount of displacement of a pattern caused by flexure of a predetermined reference substrate;
• a thickness measurement unit for measuring a thickness error amount of a substrate to be measured with respect to said reference substrate;
• a calculation unit for amending said first correction amount based on said thickness error amount so as to determine a second correction amount;
• a position measurement unit for measuring a position of a pattern formed on said substrate to be measured;
• and
• a correction unit for correcting said measured position of the pattern based on said second correction amount.