Back to results
US 5,686,211 AGranted
Method and apparatus for removing a thin film layer
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsKiyoshi Motegi, Yukako Komaru
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorsKiyoshi Motegi, Yukako Komaru
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus whereby a thin film layer covering a plurality of marks of a given pattern formed on a surface of a substrate is selectively removed from each of a plurality of localized areas each including one of the marks by irradiation of an energy beam. The mark is detected by a mark detecting system in a noncontact manner during the irradiation of the energy beam or during a time that the irradiation is stopped, thereby producing an electric signal including information corresponding to a change of an optical or physical property of the localized area. In accordance with the electric signal produced by the mark detecting system, it is evaluated whether the information indicative of the optical or physical property of the mark has attained a predetermined condition for a predetermined information processing application of the information. In accordance with a result of the evaluation, it is selected whether the irradiation of the energy beam onto the localized area is to be effected continuously.
In a method for selectively removing an area of a film layer which covers an alignment mark formed as a stepped structure on a surface of a substrate from said film layer which covers said surface of said substrate, the improvement comprising the steps of:
In a method for removing a photoresist film layer which covers an alignment mark formed as a stepped structure on a surface of a semiconductor substrate from said photoresist film layer which covers said surface of said semiconductor substrate, said removing process being performed prior to exposing said photoresist layer with a circuit pattern image in an exposure apparatus, the improvement comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.