Method for the measurement of aberration of optical projection system

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• locating a mask in an optical path of the optical projection system, the mask being formed with a line-and-space pattern containing lines, each line having a substantially equal line width;
• locating a substrate in a projection position of the optical projection system;
• exposing the line-and-space pattern to the substrate by varying an amount of exposure and a position of exposure by the optical projection system;
• measuring a ratio of a first amount of exposure to a second amount of exposure, the first amount of exposure being an exposure amount in which an image of a one line of the lines on both pitchwise ends of the line-and-space pattern disappears and the second amount of exposure being an exposure amount in which an image of an other line of the lines on both pitchwise ends of the line-and-space pattern disappears, in the line-and-space pattern images formed on the substrate;
• and
• determining an amount of aberration of the optical projection system on the basis of a relationship between a predetermined amount of aberration and a ratio of an amount of exposure, and the measured ratio.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• locating a mask in an optical path of the optical projection system, the mask being formed with plural groups of line-and-space patterns, each line-and-space pattern group containing plural lines with each line having a different line width from each other;
• locating a substrate in a projection position of the optical projection system;
• exposing the patterns to the substrate at a predetermined amount of exposure by the optical projection system;
• measuring a pitchwise width of an image of each line-and-space pattern group, the each line-and-space pattern group being formed on the substrate;
• and
• determining an amount of aberration of the optical projection system on the basis of the measured pitchwise width of the image of each line-and-space pattern group.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• exposing a line-and-space pattern containing lines each having an equal line width and a wedge-shaped pattern disposed on each of both pitchwise end sides of the line-and-space pattern, the wedge-shaped pattern being so formed as for its line width to vary gradually in a lengthwise direction of the line,
• to the predetermined plane by varying an amount and a position of exposure by the optical projection system;
• and
• determining an amount of an aberration on the basis of a ratio of a first amount of exposure to a second amount of exposure, the first amount of exposure being an exposure amount in which an image of a one pattern of the wedge-shaped pattern disappears and the second amount of exposure being an exposure amount in which an image of an other pattern of the wedge-shaped pattern disappears, in the position of exposure formed on the predetermined plane.

A method for measuring an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming a measuring pattern image in a predetermined pitch by said optical projection system;
• measuring line widths of patterns on both end sides of the measuring pattern image in its pitchwise direction;
• and
• determining an amount of the aberration on the basis of a relationship between a predetermined amount of aberration and a line width, and the measured line widths.

A method for measuring an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming plural measuring pattern images having different line widths by said optical projection system;
• measuring positions of the measuring pattern images which vary in relation to the line width due to the aberration of the optical projection system;
• and
• determining an amount of the aberration of the optical projection system on the basis of the measured positions of the measuring pattern images.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming an image of a first pattern and an image of a second pattern on a predetermined plane by exposure through the optical projection system, said second pattern being different from said first pattern;
• measuring a position of the image of said first pattern and a position of the image of said second pattern on the predetermined plane;
• and
• measuring an amount of an aberration of said optical projection system on the basis of an amount of deviation between the measured positions of the images of said first and second patterns,
• wherein said first pattern is a line-and-space pattern and said second pattern is an isolated line pattern.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming an image of a first pattern and an image of a second pattern on a predetermined plane by exposure through the optical projection system, said second pattern being different from said first pattern;
• measuring a position of the image of said first pattern and a position of the image of said second pattern on the predetermined plane;
• and
• measuring an amount of an aberration of said optical projection system on the basis of an amount of deviation between the measured positions of the images of said first and second patterns,
• wherein said first pattern is one member selected from a line-and-space pattern and an isolated line pattern, each having a predetermined line width, and said second pattern is one member selected from a line-and-space pattern and an isolated line pattern, each having a line width different from the predetermined line width.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming an image of a first pattern and an image of a second pattern on a predetermined plane by exposure through the optical projection system, said second pattern being different from said first pattern;
• measuring a position of the image of said first pattern and a position of the image of said second pattern on the predetermined plane;
• and
• measuring an amount of an aberration of said optical projection system on the basis of an amount of deviation between the measured positions of the images of said first and second patterns,
• wherein an image of a third pattern is formed on the predetermined plane, said third pattern having a line width substantially equal to a line width of said second pattern and wherein in said measuring of the amount of the aberration, an amount of deviation between the position of the image of said first pattern and the position of the image of said second pattern is corrected on the basis of the position of the image of said second pattern and a position of the image of said third pattern, and the amount of the aberration of the optical projection system is measured after the correction.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming an image of a first pattern and an image of a second pattern on a predetermined plane by exposure through the optical projection system, said second pattern being different from said first pattern;
• measuring a position of the image of said first pattern and a position of the image of said second pattern on the predetermined plane;
• and
• measuring an amount of an aberration of said optical projection system on the basis of an amount of deviation between the measured positions of the images of said first and second patterns,
• wherein said first pattern is formed on a first mask, together with a third pattern having a line width different from line widths of said first and second patterns, while said second pattern is formed on a second mask, together with a fourth pattern having a line width substantially equal to the line width of the third pattern, and wherein in said measuring of the amount of the aberration, an amount of deviation between the position of the image of said first pattern and the position of the image of said second pattern is corrected on the basis of the position of the image of said second pattern and the position of an image of said third pattern, and the amount of the aberration of the optical projection system is measured after the correction.

An aberration measurement method for the measurement of an amount of an aberration of an optical projection system, comprising:

• forming an image of a first pattern and an image of a second pattern on a predetermined plane by exposure through the optical projection system, said second pattern being different from said first pattern;
• measuring a position of the image of said first pattern and a position of the image of said second pattern on the predetermined plane;
• and
• measuring an amount of an aberration of said optical projection system on the basis of an amount of deviation between the measured positions of the images of said first and second patterns,
• wherein said first pattern comprises a first line-and-space pattern group having a plurality of line-and-space patterns formed in a zigzag pattern while said second pattern comprises a second line-and-space pattern group having a plurality of line-and-space patterns formed in a zigzag pattern, the plurality of line-and-space patterns of said second line-and-space pattern group having a line width different from a line width of the plurality of line-and-space patterns of said first line-and-space pattern group.