US 6,177,330 B1Granted

Method for correcting alignment, method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a semiconductor device

AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorTsuneo Yasuda

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Abstract

A manufacturing system for a semiconductor device manages a lower pattern (100) corresponding to a pattern (200) in the semiconductor device and the rotation of the lower pattern (100) from the position of a reference axis ±0 to the position of a central axis of the pattern (100). The manufacturing system generates a stepper correction value including the rotation of the lower pattern (100) to determine the position of the pattern (200) and gives the stepper correction value to a stepper. With the stepper correction value, it is possible to prevent any shear out of specification between the upper and lower patterns. Thus, a method for correcting alignment and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, by which any shear is prevented, can be provided.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for correcting alignment,

said method being used in a manufacturing system for manufacturing a semiconductor device onto each of plural wafers successively supplied, said manufacturing system including:
steppers to which stepper correction values are set to eliminate shift amounts between a plurality of patterns being stacked on said semiconductor device;
and
an overlay checking device for detecting said shift amounts between said plurality of patterns and forming overlay checking correction values for eliminating said detected shift amounts, and said method being for generating said stepper correction values being set by said manufacturing system,
wherein said manufacturing system manages lower patterns respectively corresponding to said plurality of patterns,
said method comprising the steps of:
(a) managing travels from a reference position to positions of said plurality of patterns by said manufacturing system;
and
(b) generating a value including one of said travels of a lower pattern corresponding to a pattern to be aligned in a next alignment as one of said stepper correction values to determine a position of said pattern to be aligned by said manufacturing system, wherein
step (a) further comprises the step of:
(a-1) calculating and storing a step-travel for each of said plurality of patterns by said manufacturing system, said step-travel being defined as corresponding one of said overlay checking correction values subtracted by corresponding one of said stepper correction values and added with one of said travels of corresponding lower pattern, and
step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b-1) generating a value as said one of said stepper correction values by subtracting, from said one of said travels of said lower pattern corresponding to said pattern to be aligned in said next alignment, one of said step-travels or a trend thereof calculated for a corresponding pattern having already been aligned onto another at least one wafer than a wafer to be subjected to said next alignment by using the same stepper as that to be used in said next alignment.

10 more elements

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the step of positioning a pattern to be aligned by using a method for correcting alignment,

said method for correcting alignment being used in a manufacturing system for manufacturing a semiconductor device onto each of plural wafers successively supplied, said manufacturing system including:
steppers to which stepper correction values are set to eliminate shift amounts between a plurality of patterns being stacked on said semiconductor device;
and
an overlay checking device for detecting said shift amounts between said plurality of patterns and forming overlay checking correction values for eliminating said detected shift amounts, and said method for correcting alignment being for generating said stepper correction values being set by said manufacturing system,
wherein said manufacturing system manages lower patterns respectively corresponding to said plurality of patterns,
said method for correcting alignment comprising the steps of:
(a) managing travels from a reference position to positions of said plurality of patterns by said manufacturing system;
and
(b) generating a value including one of said travels of a lower pattern corresponding to a pattern to be aligned in a next alignment as one of said stepper correction values to determine a position of said pattern to be aligned by said manufacturing system, wherein
step (a) further comprises the step of:
(a-1) calculating and storing a step-travel for each of said plurality of patterns by said manufacturing system, said step-travel being defined as corresponding one of said overlay checking correction values subtracted by corresponding one of said stepper correction values and added with one of said travels of corresponding lower pattern, and
step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b-1) generating a value as said one of said stepper correction values by subtracting, from said one of said travels of said lower pattern corresponding to said pattern to be aligned in said next alignment, one of said step-travels or a trend thereof calculated for a corresponding pattern having already been aligned onto another at least one wafer than a wafer to be subjected to said next alignment by using the same stepper as that to be used in said next alignment.

10 more elements

A method for correcting a fabricating process,

said method being used in a manufacturing system for manufacturing a semiconductor device onto each of plural wafers successively supplied, said manufacturing system including:
fabrication devices to which fabrication correction values are set to eliminate shift amounts between a plurality of processings successively performed on said semiconductor device;
and a checking device for detecting said shift amounts between said plurality of processings and forming checking correction values for eliminating said detected shift amounts, and said method being for generating said fabrication correction values being set by said manufacturing system,
wherein said manufacturing system manages previous processings respectively corresponding to said plurality of processings,
said method comprising the steps of:
(a) managing travels from a reference condition to conditions of said plurality of processings by said manufacturing system;
and
(b) generating a value including one of said travels of a previous processing corresponding to a processing to be performed in a next fabrication process as one of said fabrication correction values to determine a condition of said processing to be performed by said manufacturing system, wherein
step (a) further comprises the step of:
(a-1) calculating and storing a step-travel for each of said plurality of processings by said manufacturing system, said step-travel being defined as corresponding one of said checking correction values subtracted by corresponding one of said fabrication correction values and added with one of said travels of corresponding previous processing, and
step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b-1) generating a value as said one of said fabrication correction values by subtracting, from said one of said travels of said previous processing corresponding to said processing to be performed in said next fabrication process, one of said step-travels or a trend thereof calculated for a corresponding processing having already been performed onto another at least one wafer than a wafer to be subjected to said next processing by using the same fabrication device as that to be used in said next processing.

9 more elements

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the step of setting a condition onto a processing to be performed by using a method for correcting a fabrication process,

said method for correcting a fabrication process being used in a manufacturing system for manufacturing a semiconductor device onto each of plural wafers successively supplied, said manufacturing system including:
fabrication devices to which fabrication correction values are set to eliminate shift amounts between a plurality of processings successively performed on said semiconductor device;
and
a checking device for detecting said shift amounts between said plurality of processings and forming checking correction values for eliminating said detected shift amounts, and said method for correcting fabrication process being for generating said fabrication correction values being set by said manufacturing system,
wherein said manufacturing system manages previous processings respectively corresponding to said plurality of processings,
said method comprising steps of:
(a) managing travels from a reference condition to conditions of said plurality of processings by said manufacturing system;
and
(b) generating a value including one of said travels of a previous processing corresponding to a processing to be performed in a next fabrication process as one of said fabrication correction values to determine a condition of said processing to be performed by said manufacturing system, wherein
step (a) further comprises the step of:
(a-1) calculating and storing a step-travel for each of said plurality of processings by said manufacturing system, said step-travel being defined as corresponding one of said checking correction values subtracted by corresponding one of said fabrication correction values and added with one of said travels of corresponding previous processing, and
step (b) further comprises the step of:
(b-1) generating a value as said one of said fabrication correction values by subtracting, from said one of said travels of said previous processing corresponding to said processing to be performed in said next fabrication process, one of said step-travels or a trend thereof calculated for a corresponding processing having already been performed onto another at least one wafer than a wafer to be subjected to said next processing by using the same fabrication device as that to be used in said next processing.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/048,163Filed 26 Mar 1998
Priority: JP 9-26158026 Sep 1997
Granted: 23 Jan 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G03F 7/70633
Monitoring the printed patterns: overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the…
G03F 7/70991
Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials: connection with other apparatus, e.g. multiple exposure…
G03F 9/7046
Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment: strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
G05B 19/402
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…