Method of characterization, method of characterizing a process operation, and device manufacturing method
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsMaria Elisabeth Reuhman-Huisken, Christianus Gerardus Maria De Mol, Hoite Pieter Theodoor Tolsma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system in which deformation of a substrate wafer is monitored during processing of the wafer is disclosed. In one embodiment, the distortion in the substrate wafer is measured after each exposure and processing operation by comparing the position of a plurality of reference marks to values in a database.
Claims31
A method of characterizing a process operation performed on a substrate having thereon a plurality of reference marks, the method comprising:
- exposing a pattern representing a layer of functional parts of a device onto a photosensitive layer provided on the substrate to create a latent pattern;
- developing said latent pattern in the photosensitive layer to reveal said pattern;
- subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate to form the functional parts;
- measuring relative positions of the reference marks on the processed substrate;
- and
- comparing a result of said measuring with reference information relating to nominal positions of the reference marks to characterize deformation of said substrate due to said processing,
- wherein characterizing deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the results of said measuring and the reference information.
A device manufacturing method comprising:
- providing a beam of radiation using an illumination system;
- using patterning structure to impart the beam of radiation with a pattern in its cross-section, said pattern including alignment marks and functional parts of a device layer;
- projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate to create a latent pattern;
- developing said latent pattern to reveal said pattern;
- subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate to form the functional parts;
- measuring relative positions of reference marks on the processed substrate;
- and
- comparing the results of said measuring with reference information relating to nominal positions of the reference marks to characterize deformation of said substrate due to said processing,
- wherein characterizing deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the results of said measuring and the reference information.
A method of characterization, the method comprising:
- creating a latent pattern in a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate, said creating including exposing a pattern onto the photosensitive layer;
- developing said latent pattern;
- subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate;
- measuring positions of a plurality of reference marks on the processed substrate;
- and
- obtaining a characterization of deformation of said substrate due to said processing, wherein said characterization is based on a distance between nominal positions of the reference marks and the measured positions,
- wherein the characterizing of deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the measured positions and the nominal positions of the reference marks.
A data storage medium storing machine-executable instructions, said instructions describing a method of characterization, said method comprising:
- creating a latent pattern in a photosensitive layer provided on a substrate, said creating including exposing a pattern onto the photosensitive layer;
- developing said latent pattern;
- subsequent to said developing, processing the substrate;
- measuring positions of a plurality of reference marks on the processed substrate;
- and
- obtaining a characterization of deformation of said substrate due to said processing, wherein said characterization is based on a distance between nominal positions of the reference marks and the measured positions,
- wherein the characterizing of deformation of said substrate comprises calculating a residual using a linear regression model of a difference between the measured positions and the nominal positions of the reference marks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.