US 6,481,003 B1Granted

Alignment method and method for producing device using the alignment method

AssigneeNikon Corporation

InventorKoji Maeda

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Abstract

An alignment method for aligning each shot area on a photosensitive substrate with a reticle according to array coordinate predicted by a statistical technique with an improved alignment precision without inviting degradation of throughput, wherein a plurality of alignment marks 29-1, 30-1, 34-1, 35-1 in a short area 27-1 and so forth provided on the n-th wafer 8 (1≦n≦N−1) are measured to carry out the alignment of the shot area with the reticle considering the misalignment of the wafer 8 and the distortion of the shot area 27-1 and so forth, and one alignment mark in a shot are 27-1 or another provided on the (n+k)th wafer 8 (1≦k≦N−n) is measured to carry out the alignment of the shot area with the reticle considering the misalignment of the wafer 8 found from the measurement results, and the distortion of the shot area 27-1 and so forth obtained when the nth wafer 8 is processed.

Claims28

Dependent claims

An alignment method for determining for each of N (N≧2) substrates, exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said substrates to which a pattern of a mask is transferred, comprising the steps of:

detecting a plurality of marks formed on an nTH substrate (1≦n≦N−1), and in order to determine exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said nTH substrate using a first model function, determining a first parameter, which relates to array of said plurality of areas on said substrate, and a second parameter, which relates to an error of an image formation relationship relative to said pattern of said mask in said area, of said first model function using position information of said detected marks, and
detecting a plurality of marks formed on an (n+k)TH substrate (1≦k≦N−n), and in order to determined exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said (n+k)TH substrate using said first model function, determining said first parameter using a second model function different from said first model function, and position information of marks detected on said (n+k)TH substrate, and using this together with the second parameter determined for said nTH substrate.

An alignment apparatus which determines for each N (N≧2) substrates, exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said substrates to which a pattern of a mask is transferred, comprising:

a detector which detects a plurality of marks formed on one of the plurality of substrates;
a first controller which is electrically connected to said detector and which controls the detector to detect a plurality of marks formed on an nTH substrate (1≦n≦N−1), and the first controller in order to determine exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said nTH substrate using a first model function, determines a first parameter and a second parameter of said first model function using position information of said detected marks, the first parameter relates to array of said plurality of areas on said substrate, the second parameter relates to an error of an image formation relationship relative to said pattern of said mask in said area;
and
a second controller which is electrically connected to said detector and said first controller and which controls the detector to detect a plurality of marks formed on an (n+k)TH substrate (1≦k≦N−n), and the second controller in order to determine exposure position information for a plurality of areas on said (n+k)TH substrate using said first model function, determines said first parameter using a second model function different from said first mode function, and position information of said marks detected on said (n+k)TH substrate, and uses this determined first parameter together with the second parameter determined for said nTH substrate.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.