Apparatus and method for detecting position, exposure apparatus, and method for the same

• US 10,314,142 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2016
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Tadaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Thanh
• Application Number:
  US15/242,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7065 Production of alignment light, e.g. light source, control of coherence, polarization, pulse length, wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A position detecting apparatus that detects a position of an object by detecting a mark on the object includes a light receiving element, a control unit, a light source, and an adjusting unit. The light receiving element receives light from the mark and accumulates the light as signals. The control unit detects a position of the mark based on the light from the mark. The light source illuminates the mark. The adjusting unit adjusts an amount of light applied to the mark. The control unit determines the amount of the light from the mark based on the accumulated signals in parallel with a term during which the accumulated signals are transferred to the control unit. The control unit adjusts the amount of light applied to the mark based on the amount of the light from the mark or detects the position of the mark based on the light from the mark.

Claims

1. A position detecting apparatus that detects a position of a mark on an object, the apparatus comprising:

a light receiving element configured to receive light from the mark and accumulate first signals and second signals from the mark;

a control unit configured to detect a position of the mark based on the light from the mark received by the light receiving element;

a light source configured to illuminate the mark; and

an adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of light applied to the mark,

wherein the control unit obtains the amount of the light from the mark based on the accumulated first signals in a term overlapping with another term during which the accumulated second signals are transferred to the control unit,

wherein the control unit, in a case where the amount of the light from the mark is appropriate, detects the position of the mark based on the light from the mark received by the light receiving element and in a case where the amount of the light from the mark is inappropriate, adjusts the amount of light applied to the mark by controlling the adjusting unit.

2. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if it is obtained that the amount of the light from the mark is inappropriate, the control unit stops accumulation of light from the mark in the light receiving element.

3. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects the position of the mark based on light from the mark received by the light receiving element after the amount of light applied to the mark is adjusted by the adjusting unit.

4. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit starts to calculate the amount of light from the mark based on a relationship between a speed at which the amount of light from the mark is calculated and a speed at which the accumulated first signals in the light receiving element are transferred.

5. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit obtains the amount of light from the mark based on the accumulated first signals by the light receiving element and transferred to the control unit in parallel with a term during which the accumulated second signals of the light from the mark by the light receiving element are transferred to the control unit.

6. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the light from the mark is accumulated in the light receiving element a plurality of times,

wherein, when the control unit detects the position of the mark based on the accumulated first signals of the light from the mark, the first signals being accumulated in the light receiving element a plurality of times, the control unit obtains the amount of the light from the mark based on the signals accumulated in the light receiving element and transferred to the control unit in parallel with a term in which the light from the mark is accumulated in the light receiving element and a term in which the accumulated second signals from the mark are transferred to the control unit.

7. An exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern on an original onto a substrate, the apparatus comprising the position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is aligned by detecting a position of mark on the substrate using the position detecting apparatus.

8. A method for detecting a position of a mark on an object, the method comprising the steps of:

illuminating the mark and accumulating first signals and second signals from the mark;

determining an amount of the light from the mark based on the accumulated first signals in parallel with the step of accumulating the second signals; and

detecting, in a case where the amount of light applied to the mark is appropriate, the position of the mark based on the light from the mark received by the light receiving element, and, adjusting, in a case where the amount of the light from the mark is inappropriate, the amount of light applied to the mark by controlling an adjusting unit.

9. A position detecting apparatus that detects a position of a mark on an object, the apparatus comprising:

a light receiving element configured to receive light from the object and accumulate signals corresponding to the received light;

a control unit configured to detect a position of the mark based on the accumulated signals from the light receiving element;

a light source configured to illuminate the object; and

an adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of light illuminating the object,

wherein the control unit obtains an amount of light based on first accumulated signals from the light receiving element transferred to the control unit in a term overlapping with a term during which second accumulated signals are transferred to the control unit,

wherein the control unit, in a case where the obtained amount of the light is appropriate, detects the position of the mark based on the accumulated signals from the light receiving element and in a case where the obtained amount of the light is inappropriate, adjusts the amount of light illuminating the object by controlling the adjusting unit.

10. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein, if the obtained amount of the light is inappropriate, the control unit stops accumulation of signals from the light receiving element.

11. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit detects the position of the mark based on the accumulated signals from the light receiving element after the amount of light illuminating the object is adjusted by the adjusting unit.

12. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit starts to calculate the amount of light based on a relationship between a speed at which the amount of light is calculated and a speed at which the first accumulated signals in the light receiving element are transferred.

13. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the control unit obtains the amount of light based on the first accumulated signals by the light receiving element and transferred to the control unit in parallel with a term during which the second accumulated signals of the light by the light receiving element are transferred to the control unit.

14. The position detecting apparatus according to claim 13,

wherein the accumulated signals is accumulated in the light receiving element a plurality of times,

wherein, when the control unit detects the position of the mark based on the first accumulated signals of the light, the first accumulated signals being accumulated in the light receiving element a plurality of times, the control unit obtains the obtained amount of the light based on the signals accumulated in the light receiving element and transferred to the control unit in parallel with a term in which the accumulated signals is accumulated in the light receiving element and a term in which the second accumulated signals from the mark are transferred to the control unit.

15. An exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern on an original onto a substrate, the apparatus comprising the position detecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the substrate is aligned by detecting a position of the substrate using the position detecting apparatus.

16. A method for detecting a position of a mark on an object, the method comprising the steps of:

illuminating the object and accumulating first signals and second signals from the object;

obtaining an amount of the light based on the first accumulated signals in parallel with the step of accumulating the second accumulated signals; and

obtaining, in a case where the obtained amount of light is appropriate, detecting the position of the mark based on the accumulated signals from the light receiving element, and, adjusting, in a case where the obtained amount of the light is inappropriate, the amount of light illuminating the object by controlling an adjusting unit.