System and method for an adjusting optical proximity effect for an exposure apparatus

A method for matching a first OPE curve for a first exposure apparatus to a second OPE curve of a second exposure apparatus, the first exposure apparatus being used to transfer an image to a wafer, the method comprising the steps of:

• retaining the wafer with a wafer stage, the wafer stage being tiltable about a tilting axis to a plurality of alternative adjustment angles, the wafer stage being movable along a scan axis during the transfer of the image to the wafer, wherein the tilting axis is perpendicular to the scan axis;
• estimating the second OPE curve of the second exposure apparatus with lithographic modeling and without test exposures of the wafer;
• estimating the first OPE curve with lithographic modeling of the first exposure apparatus with the wafer stage at each of the plurality of alternative adjustment angles and without test exposures of the wafer;
• and
• adjusting a tilt of a wafer stage that retains the wafer to adjust the first OPE curve until the first OPE curve determined without test exposures of the wafer approximately matches the second OPE curve determined without test exposures of the wafer.

A first exposure apparatus for transferring an image to a wafer, the first exposure apparatus having an initial first OPE curve that is different than a second OPE curve of a second exposure apparatus, the first exposure apparatus comprising:

• a wafer stage that retains the wafer;
• a wafer stage mover for moving the wafer stage and the wafer along a scan axis, wherein the wafer stage mover also moves the wafer stage and wafer about a tilting axis to a plurality of alternative adjustment angles, the tilting axis being orthogonal to the scan axis, wherein a separate, first OPE curve is estimated at each of the plurality of alternative adjustment angles using lithographic modeling and without test exposures of the wafer;
• and
• an OPE adjuster that controls the wafer stage mover to move the wafer stage and the wafer about the tilting axis to the adjustment angle having the first OPE curve determined without test exposures of the wafer that approximately matches the second OPE curve estimated without test exposures of a wafer.