Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 20050007572A1
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: George, Richard Alexander, Jager, Pieter Willem Herman de, Leeuwen, Robbert Edgar Van, Gui, Cheng-Qun, Burghoom, Jacobus
• Granted Patent: US 7,385,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/53 Automatic registration or positioning of originals with respect to each other or the photosensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70791 Large workpieces, e.g. glass substrates for flat panel displays or solar panels
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7003 Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus in which alignment marks on the substrate are inspected during the exposure of the substrate to optimize the exposure conditions.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation;

a substrate table for supporting a substrate;

a patterning device that patterns the projection beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, the patterning device and the projection system being arranged to expose the full width of the substrate, such that the substrate can be inspected and exposed in a single pass of the substrate relative to the apparatus;

a detector having a plurality of sensors for substantially inspecting a plurality of portions of the substrate across a full width of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

a controller for adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information from the detector.

2. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the projection beam;

a substrate table for supporting a substrate;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a detector for inspecting functional features of at least a portion of the substrate produced by previous processing steps while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

a controller for adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information from the detector.

3. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

a substrate table for supporting a substrate;

an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the projection beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate on the substrate table;

a detector for inspecting a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

a controller for adjusting magnification of a pattern projected onto the substrate in response to information from the detector.

4. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

a substrate table for supporting a substrate;

an illumination system for supplying a projection beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the projection beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate on the substrate table;

a detector for inspecting a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

a controller for adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information from the detector.

5. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the detector determines, from inspecting the portion of the substrate, at least one of a position and orientation of said portion of the substrate relative to the detector in one or more directions; and

the detector determines an expansion and a contraction of said portion of the substrate relative to a standard scale.

6. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein a position of the detector relative to the projection system is substantially fixed and is known.

7. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a position sensor that monitors a position of the detector relative to the projection system.

8. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

positioning means for moving the substrate relative to the projection system and the detector to consecutively expose different areas of the substrate, wherein the detector is arranged to inspect a given area of the substrate before the given area is exposed.

9. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate is moved at a substantially constant velocity relative to the projection system and the detector throughout a sequence of a plurality of exposures or during an exposure.

10. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by at least one of physically moving the projection system, the patterning device, and the substrate and by adjusting a timing of an exposure.

11. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein said patterning device comprises an array of individually controllable elements.

12. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by at least one of adjusting a timing of the pattern being set on the array of individually controllable elements and electronically adjusting the position of the pattern set on the array of individually controllable elements.

13. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 11, wherein the magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by electronically adjusting a pattern set on the array of individually controllable elements.

14. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the patterning device comprises:

a plurality of arrays of individually controllable elements spaced apart from one another;

wherein

the controller independently adjusts at least one of the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate, the magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and the focus image plane corresponding to at least one of the arrays of individually controllable elements.

15. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detector has a plurality of sensors for substantially simultaneously inspecting a plurality of portions of the substrate that are set apart from one another.

16. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detector inspects alignment marks on the substrate.

17. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 4, wherein the detector inspects features of a device being formed on the substrate produced by previous processing steps.

18. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning a projection beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate,

(c) inspecting a full width of the substrate while the patterned beam of radiation is projected onto the substrate;

(d) adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information from the detector; and

(e) exposing a full width of the substrate,

wherein steps (c) and (e) are performed during a single pass of the substrate relative to the apparatus.

19. A device manufacturing method comprising:

(a) patterning a projection beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate;

(c) detecting previously formed functional features on a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

(d) adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information obtained from step (c).

20. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning a projection beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of the substrate;

(c) inspecting a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

(d) adjusting a magnification of a pattern projected onto the substrate in response to information obtained from step (c).