Pattern forming method, pattern forming apparatus, and device manufacturing method
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorYuichi Shibazaki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of wafer marks on a wafer is detected while a wafer stage moves from a loading position where a wafer is delivered onto the wafer stage to an exposure starting position where exposure of a wafer begins, with a part of an alignment system also moving, using the alignment system. Accordingly, the time required for mark detection can be reduced, therefore, it becomes possible to increase the throughput of the entire exposure process.
Claims127
A pattern forming method of forming a pattern on a plurality of divided areas of an object, the method comprising:
- a first process of detecting a mark associated with one of the divided areas on the object while the object is being moved;
- and
- a second process of forming a pattern in the divided areas on the object using the detection results of the associated mark,
- wherein, in the first process, a movement of at least a part of a mark detection system by an image processing method is controlled so that the associated mark is detected by the mark detection system while the object is being moved, and a first part of marks necessary for forming a pattern on all divided areas subject to pattern forming on the object are detected prior to performing the second process.
A pattern forming method of forming a pattern on a plurality of divided areas of an object, the method comprising:
- a first process of detecting a mark associated with one of the divided areas on the object while the object is being moved;
- and
- a second process of forming a pattern in the divided areas on the object using the detection results of the associated mark,
- wherein, in the first process, a movement of a detection area of a mark detection system by an image processing method is controlled so that the associated mark is detected by the mark detection system while the object is being moved, and a first part of marks necessary for forming a pattern on all divided areas subject to pattern forming on the object are detected prior to performing the second process.
A pattern forming method of forming a pattern on an object wherein
- a first mark on the object is detected by a mark detection system, and pattern forming with respect to the object begins using the detection results of the first mark detected before a beginning of pattern forming, whereby
- a second mark on the object is detected by the mark detection system even after the beginning of pattern forming, and the detection results of the second mark detected after the beginning of pattern forming are used in the pattern forming,
- wherein a pattern is formed in each of a plurality of divided areas on the object, and among the plurality of divided areas, in a first group of divided areas including a divided area on which the pattern is formed first, detection results of the first mark detected before the beginning of pattern forming are used, and in a second group of divided areas different from the first group of divided areas, detection results of the second mark detected after the beginning of pattern forming are used.
A pattern forming apparatus that forms a pattern on an object held by a moving section, the apparatus comprising:
- a mark detection system that can have at least a part of the mark detection system moved;
- and
- a control unit that moves the at least the part of the mark detection system configured to detect a mark on the object while the moving section is being moved,
- the control unit detecting a part of marks necessary for forming a pattern on all divided areas subject to pattern forming on the object, and detecting a rest of the marks necessary for forming a pattern on all the divided areas subject to pattern forming, in parallel with forming a pattern on a divided area on which a pattern can be formed based on detection results of the part of the marks necessary for forming the pattern.
A pattern forming apparatus that forms a pattern on an object held by a moving section, the apparatus comprising:
- a mark detection system having a movable member;
- and
- a control unit that controls a translational movement of the movable member in a predetermined direction to cause a detection area of the mark detection system to move and thereby detect a mark on the object while the moving section is being moved.
A pattern forming apparatus that forms a pattern on an object held by a moving section, the apparatus comprising:
- a mark detection system that detects a mark on the object;
- and
- a control unit that controls detection of the mark on the object using the mark detection system and pattern forming with respect to the object, wherein
- the control unit detects the mark on the object with the mark detection system and begins pattern forming with respect to the object using the detection results, and after a beginning of pattern forming, continues to detect the mark on the object with the mark detection system and uses the detection results in the pattern forming,
- the object has a plurality of divided areas in which a pattern is formed,
- the control unit uses:
- detection results of the mark detected before the beginning of pattern forming when forming a pattern with respect to a first group of divided areas including a divided area on which the pattern is formed first among the plurality of divided areas, and
- detection results of the mark detected after the beginning of pattern forming when forming a pattern with respect to a second group of divided areas different from the first group of divided areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.