PROCESSING CONDITION DETERMINING METHOD AND APPARATUS, DISPLAY METHOD AND APPARATUS, PROCESSING APPARATUS, MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND EXPOSURE APPARATUS, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND PROGRAM AND INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20080294280A1
• Filed: 07/29/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: OKITA, Shinichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/108
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70525 Controlling normal operating mode, e.g. matching different apparatus, remote control or prediction of failure
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70625 Dimensions, e.g. line width, critical dimension [CD], profile, sidewall angle or edge roughness
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70633 Overlay, i.e. relative alignment between patterns printed by separate exposures in different layers, or in the same layer in multiple exposures or stitching
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7046 Strategy, e.g. mark, sensor or wavelength selection
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32018 Adapt process as function of results of quality measuring until maximum quality
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823475 interconnection or wiring or contact manufacturing related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

In a first process, a process A, an actually measured transfer position measured by a measurement/inspection instrument is indicated by a black circle. A targeted transfer position indicated by x in a process B is located at the same position as the black circle. Assuming that the weights in the subsequent processes are the same, a targeted transfer position X_target indicated by x in processes C, D and E is located at a moderate position with which the total deviation from an actual transfer position (black circle) measured by the measurement/inspection instrument in a process preceding the current process is minimized, that is, at a proper position with respect to a plurality of other processes. Accordingly, the productivity of devices can be improved.

Claims

1. A processing condition determining method of determining a processing condition with respect to each of patterns that are formed and layered on an object in each process, the method comprising:

a determination process of determining a processing condition with respect to a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing, based on information on a forming state of a pattern in a process relating to a plurality of layers that has been executed in the past, using an information processor.

2. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, wherein

the information on a forming state of a pattern includes at least one of

information on at least one of overlay and linewidth of the patterns relating to a plurality of layers that have been already formed on the object, and

information on at least one of overlay and linewidth in a process that corresponds to formation of a pattern that is to be layered on the object from now among processes that were executed to another object.

3. The processing condition determining method according to claim 2, wherein

when the processing condition is determined, at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation of each layer of a plurality of layers is weighted.

4. The processing condition determining method according to claim 3, wherein

in accordance with relevance with a device pattern layer for which the processing condition is determined, a weight of each layer of a plurality of layers is determined.

5. The processing condition determining method according to claim 3, wherein

a weight of the each layer is determined taking thickness of the layer into consideration.

6. The processing condition determining method according to claim 3, wherein

information on the weight of the each layer can be input in the information processor via a man-machine interface.

7. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, wherein

the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object, and

the processing condition includes a condition related to alignment of the pattern and the object in the exposure process.

8. The processing condition determining method according to claim 7, wherein

the condition related to alignment includes a condition related to a targeted transfer position of the pattern.

9. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, wherein

the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object, and

the processing condition includes a transfer condition of the pattern in the exposure process.

10. The processing condition determining method according to claim 9, wherein

the transfer condition includes at least one of

a condition related to energy of an energy beam used to transfer a pattern onto the object, a condition related to focus of an optical system that projects the pattern on the object, a condition related to synchronous control of a stage on which the pattern is mounted and a stage on which the object is mounted, and a condition related to relative positional deviation between the pattern and the object.

11. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, wherein

the processing condition includes information on a permissible value of at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation of a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing.

12. The processing condition determining method according to claim 11, wherein

the information on a forming state of a pattern includes at least one of information on overlay of a pattern relating to a plurality of layers, and information on linewidth of the pattern relating to a plurality of layers, and

the information on a permissible value of at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation is determined, at least taking into consideration information on deviation relating to a plurality of layers of at least one of the information on overlay and the information on linewidth.

13. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, wherein

in the case where the determined processing condition is different from a default processing condition, the information processor displays the determined processing condition via a man-machine interface.

14. The processing condition determining method according to claim 13, wherein

the determined processing condition is displayed together with the default processing condition.

15. The processing condition determining method according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measurement process of measuring at least one of overlay error and linewidth error of a pattern that has been formed on the object according to the processing condition determined in the determination process.

16. The processing condition determining method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a detection process of detecting at least one of overlay abnormality and linewidth abnormality of a pattern of the layer that is subject to processing based on comparison result of measurement result of the measurement process and a threshold value, wherein

only in the case where the abnormality has been detected, the determination process is performed.

17. The processing condition determining method according to claim 16, wherein

at least a part of the object on which the abnormality has been detected in the detection process is excluded from a subsequent processing subject in a predetermined unit of processing.

18. The processing condition determining method according to claim 15, wherein

in accordance with at least one of overlay error and linewidth error of the pattern measured in the measurement process, frequency at which the measurement process and the determination process are performed is increased or decreased.

19. The processing condition determining method according to claim 15, wherein

in accordance with occurrence frequency of the abnormality in the detection process, the number of times of inspection of defect of a pattern of the each layer or a foreign substance on the pattern is increased or decreased.

20. A processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1.

26. A processing apparatus that executes a process of forming a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:

the processing condition determining apparatus according to claim 20.

28. A measurement apparatus that measures information on a pattern formed on an object, the apparatus comprising:

the processing condition determining apparatus according to claim 20.

30. An exposure apparatus that transfers a pattern onto an object, the apparatus comprising:

the processing condition determining apparatus according to claim 20.

32. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

33. The substrate processing system according to claim 32, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

34. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

35. The substrate processing system according to claim 34, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

36. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

37. The substrate processing system according to claim 36, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

38. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

39. The substrate processing system according to claim 38, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

40. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

41. The substrate processing system according to claim 40, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

42. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

43. The substrate processing system according to claim 42, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

44. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the processing condition determining apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

45. The substrate processing system according to claim 44, comprising:

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

46. A substrate processing system that executes a series of processes of forming a pattern on an object, the system comprising at least one of:

a processing condition determining apparatus that determines a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the processing condition determining method according to claim 1;

a display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21;

a processing apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and executes a process of forming a pattern on an object;

a measurement apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and measures information on a pattern formed on an object; and

an exposure apparatus that comprises the display apparatus and transfers a pattern onto an object.

47. The substrate processing system according to claim 46, comprising

the exposure apparatus, the processing apparatus and the measurement apparatus at least two of which are inline connected.

21. A display method of displaying a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, the method comprising:

a display process of displaying information on a processing condition, which has been dynamically changed for each layer with respect to patterns of a plurality of layers already layered on the object, for a plurality of layers, using an information processor.

22. The display method according to claim 21, wherein

in the display process, information on the processing condition dynamically changed and information on a default processing condition are simultaneously displayed.

23. The display method according to claim 21, wherein

in the display process, together with a processing condition of the each layer, information on result of processing executed according to the processing condition is also displayed simultaneously.

24. The display method according to claim 23, wherein the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object,

the processing condition of the each layer is at least one of a condition related to alignment of the pattern of the layer and the object and a transfer condition of the pattern of the layer, and

the result of processing includes at least one of overlay error and linewidth error between the layer and another layer.

25. A display apparatus that displays a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, using the display method according to claim 21.

27. A processing apparatus that executes a process of forming a pattern on an object, the apparatus comprising:

the display apparatus according to claim 25.

29. A measurement apparatus that measures information on a pattern formed on an object, the apparatus comprising:

the display apparatus according to claim 25.

31. An exposure apparatus that transfers a pattern onto an object, the apparatus comprising:

the display apparatus according to claim 25.

48. A substrate processing system that forms and layers a pattern on an object in each process, the system comprising:

a data management section that performs overall management of information on a forming state of a pattern in a process relating to a plurality of layers that has been executed in the past.

49. A program that makes a computer execute processing of determining a processing condition with respect to each of patterns that are formed and layered on an object in each process, the program making the computer execute:

a determination procedure of determining a processing condition with respect to a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing, based on information on a forming state of a pattern in a process relating to a plurality of layers that has been executed in the past.

50. The program according to claim 49, wherein

the information on a forming state of a pattern includes at least one of information on at least one of overlay and linewidth of the patterns relating to a plurality of layers that have been already formed on the object, and

information on at least one of overlay and linewidth in a process that corresponds to formation of a pattern that is to be layered on the object from now among processes that were executed to another object.

51. The program according to claim 50, wherein

when the processing condition is determined, at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation of each layer of a plurality of layers is weighted.

52. The program according to claim 51, wherein

in accordance with relevance with a device pattern layer for which the processing condition is determined, a weight of each layer of a plurality of layers is determined.

53. The program according to claim 51, wherein

a weight of the each layer is determined taking thickness of the layer into consideration.

54. The program according to claim 51, making the computer further execute:

a procedure of inputting information on the weight of the each layer via a man-machine interface.

55. The program according to claim 49, wherein

the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object, and

the processing condition includes a condition related to alignment of a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing and the object.

56. The program according to claim 55, wherein

the condition related to alignment includes a condition related to a targeted transfer position of the pattern.

57. The program according to claim 49, wherein

the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object, and

the processing condition includes a transfer condition of a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing.

58. The program according to claim 57, wherein

the transfer condition includes at least one of

a condition related to energy of an energy beam used to transfer a pattern onto the object, a condition related to focus of an optical system that projects the pattern on the object, a condition related to synchronous control of a stage on which the pattern is mounted and a stage on which the object is mounted, and a condition related to relative positional deviation between the pattern and the object.

59. The program according to claim 49, wherein

the processing condition includes information on a permissible value of at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation of a pattern of a layer that is subject to processing.

60. The program according to claim 59, wherein

the information on a forming state of a pattern includes at least one of information on overlay of a pattern relating to a plurality of layers, and information on linewidth of the pattern relating to a plurality of layers, and

the information on a permissible value of at least one of overlay deviation and linewidth deviation is determined, at least taking into consideration information on deviation relating to a plurality of layers of at least one of the information on overlay and the information on linewidth.

61. The program according to claim 49, wherein

in the case where the determined processing condition is different from a default processing condition, the computer displays the determined processing condition via a man-machine interface.

62. The program according to claim 61, wherein

the determined processing condition is displayed together with the default processing condition.

63. The program according to claim 49, making the computer further execute:

a measurement procedure of measuring at least one of overlay error and linewidth error of a pattern that has been formed on the object according to the processing condition determined in the determination procedure.

64. The program according to claim 63, making the computer further execute:

a detection procedure of detecting at least one of overlay abnormality and linewidth abnormality of a pattern of the layer that is subject to processing based on comparison result of measurement result of the measurement procedure and a threshold value, wherein

only in the case where the abnormality has been detected, the program makes the computer execute the determination procedure.

65. The program according to claim 64, wherein

at least a part of the object on which the abnormality has been detected in the detection procedure is excluded from a subsequent processing subject in a predetermined unit of processing.

66. The program according to claim 63, wherein

in accordance with at least one of overlay error and linewidth error of the pattern measured in the measurement procedure, frequency at which the measurement procedure and the determination procedure are performed is increased or decreased.

67. The program according to claim 63, wherein

in accordance with occurrence frequency of the abnormality in the detection procedure, the number of times of inspection of defect of a pattern of the each layer or a foreign substance on the pattern is increased or decreased.

68. An information recording medium that can be read by a computer in which the program according to claim 49 is stored.

69. A program that makes a computer execute a procedure of displaying a processing condition with respect to a pattern that is formed and layered on an object in each process, the program making the computer execute:

a display procedure of displaying information on a processing condition, which has been dynamically changed for each layer with respect to patterns of a plurality of layers already layered on the object, for a plurality of layers.

70. The program according to claim 69, wherein

in the display procedure, information on the processing condition dynamically changed and information on a default processing condition are simultaneously displayed.

71. The program according to claim 69, wherein

in the display procedure, together with a processing condition of the each layer, information on result of processing executed according to the processing condition is also displayed simultaneously.

72. The program according to claim 71, wherein

the process includes an exposure process of forming the pattern by transfer on the object,

the processing condition of the each layer is at least one of a condition related to alignment of the pattern of the layer and the object and a transfer condition of the pattern of the layer, and

the result of processing includes at least one of overlay error and linewidth error between the layer and another layer.

73. An information recording medium that can be read by a computer in which the program according to claim 69 is stored.