Calibration methods, lithographic apparatus and patterning device for such lithographic apparatus

A calibration method to calibrate a substrate table position in a lithographic apparatus, the method comprising:

• repeatedly irradiating a pattern onto a surface of the substrate so as to create a two dimensional arrangement of patterns on the surface of the substrate, said repeatedly irradiating including displacing the substrate table between successive irradiations to irradiate the pattern onto different locations on the surface of the substrate;
• reading out the patterns to obtain pattern read out results;
• deriving incremental position deviations between two neighboring patterns in each of the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement of patterns from the read out results of neighboring patterns, said incremental position deviations in each of the two dimensions being a function of the position of the substrate table in the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement;
• determining a two dimensional position error of the substrate table as a function of the two dimensional position of the substrate table based on the derived incremental position deviations;
• and
• calibrating the position of the substrate table using the position dependent position error, said calibrating includes providing the determined two dimensional position error to a controller that is configured to control the position of the substrate table,
• wherein at least one of the patterns as projected onto the substrate overlaps at least two neighboring patterns in each of the two dimensions,
• wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of marks, the marks being distributed in the two dimensions over a center part of the pattern and edge parts of the pattern that are adjacent to the center parts, the marks being arranged such that when the marks in the edge parts would be displaced in a direction of the center part over a distance equivalent to a distance between two following, overlapping patterns, the displacement being in at least one of the dimensions, the pattern would form a full pattern in the center part.

A lithographic apparatus comprising:

• (a) a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;
• (b) a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;
• (c) a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and
• (d) a control system to control a position of the substrate table, the control system being arranged to calibrate the position of the substrate table by:
• (i) repeatedly irradiating a pattern onto a surface of the substrate so as to create a two dimensional arrangement of patterns on the surface of the substrate, the irradiating including displacing the substrate table between successive irradiations to irradiate the pattern onto different locations on the surface of the substrate;
• (ii) reading out the patterns to obtain pattern read out results;
• (iii) deriving incremental position deviations between two neighboring patterns in each of the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement of patterns from the read out results of neighboring patterns, said incremental position deviations in each of the two dimensions being a function of the position of the substrate table in the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement;
• (iv) determining a two dimensional position error of the substrate table as a function of the two dimensional position of the substrate table based on the derived incremental position deviations;
• and
• (v) calibrating the position of the substrate table using the position dependent position error, said calibrating includes providing the determined two dimensional position error to a controller that is configured to control the position of the substrate table,
• wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of marks extending along a first dimension of the two dimensions comprise marks to detect displacements in the first dimension and displacements in a third dimension substantially perpendicular to the first and second dimensions.

A lithographic apparatus comprising:

• (a) a support constructed to support a patterning device, the patterning device being capable of imparting a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross-section to form a patterned radiation beam;
• (b) a substrate table constructed to hold a substrate;
• (c) a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and (d) a control system to control a position of the substrate table, the control system being arranged to calibrate the position of the substrate table by:
• (i) repeatedly irradiating a pattern onto a surface of the substrate so as to create a two dimensional arrangement of patterns on the surface of the substrate, the irradiating including displacing the substrate table between successive irradiations to irradiate the pattern onto different locations on the surface of the substrate;
• (ii) reading out the patterns to obtain pattern read out results;
• (iii) deriving incremental position deviations between two neighboring patterns in each of the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement of patterns from the read out results of neighboring patterns, said incremental position deviations in each of the two dimensions being a function of the position of the substrate table in the two dimensions of the two dimensional arrangement;
• (iv) determining a two dimensional position error of the substrate table as a function of the two dimensional position of the substrate table based on the derived incremental position deviations;
• and
• (v) calibrating the position of the substrate table using the position dependent position error, said calibrating includes providing the determined two dimensional position error to a controller that is configured to control the position of the substrate table,
• wherein the control system is arranged to project the pattern onto the substrate such that at least one of the patterns as projected onto the substrate overlaps at least two neighboring patterns in each of the two dimensions,
• wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of marks, the marks being distributed in the two dimensions over a center part of the pattern and edge parts of the patterns that are adjacent to the center parts, the marks being arranged such that when the marks in the edge parts would be displaced in a direction of the center part over a distance equivalent to a distance between two following, overlapping patterns, the displacement being in at least one of the dimensions, the pattern would form a full pattern in the center part.