METHOD OF MEASURING THE POSITION OF A MASK SURFACE ALONG THE HEIGHT DIRECTION, EXPOSURE DEVICE, AND EXPOSURE METHOD

• US 20090015810A1
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Keiichi, Hirayanagi, Noriyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,390,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70358 Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70783 Handling stress or warp of chucks, masks or workpieces, e.g. to compensate for imaging errors or considerations related to warpage of masks or workpieces due to their own weight
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7034 Leveling

Abstract

A method to measure the height-direction position of a mask M in an exposure device having a function to irradiate the mask M with light emitted from a light source and transfer a pattern formed on the mask M onto a photosensitive substrate such as a wafer by a projection optical system, a mask surface height-direction position measurement method characterized by moving, before measuring the height-direction position of the mask M, an exposure area defining member 1 which is installed between the mask M and the projection optical system and defines an exposure area at the time of exposure.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An exposure device for exposing a photosensitive substrate with a reflection mask pattern, comprising:

a projection optical system configured to project a reflection mask pattern, the projection optical system comprising an exposure area defining member configured to define a shape of light incident on the photosensitive substrate;

a height-direction position measuring device configured to measure a height position of the reflection mask and configured to measure a measurement area defined on the mask that is greater than the area of the shape of light defined by the exposure area defining member; and

a mover configured to move the reflection mask according to the height position of the reflection mask as measured by the height-direction position measuring device.

23. An exposure device for exposing a photosensitive substrate with a reflection mask, pattern, comprising:

a projection optical system;

a height-direction position measuring device configured to measure a height position of a reflection mask;

an exposure area defining member between the reflection mask and the projection optical system configured to define a shape of the light incident on the photosensitive substrate at the time of exposure;

a mover configured to move the exposure defining member; and

a controller configured to control the mover so as to move the exposure defining member to a first position at the time of exposure and to move the exposure area defining member to a second position at the time of measuring the height direction position of the reflection mask.

24. An exposure device for exposing a photosensitive substrate with a reflection mask pattern, comprising:

a projection optical system configured to project the reflection mask pattern, the projection optical system comprising an exposure area defining member configured to define a shape of light incident on the photosensitive substrate;

a first measurement device comprising optical elements configured to measure the height-direction position of an area of the reflection mask that is greater than the area of the shape of light defined by the exposure area defining member;

a second measurement device configured to measure the height-direction position of the photosensitive substrate;

a controller configured to adjust the height-direction position of the reflection mask based on the measured height-direction position of the reflection mask, and to adjust the height-direction position of the photosensitive substrate based on the measured height-direction position of the photosensitive substrate.

25. The exposure device of claim 24, wherein the controller comprises a first controller configured to adjust the height-direction position of the reflection mask based on the measured height-direction position of the reflection mask, and a second controller configured to adjust the height-direction position of the photosensitive substrate based on the measured height-direction position of the photosensitive substrate.

26. An exposure device for exposing a mask with light emitted from a light source and for transferring a pattern formed on the mask onto a photosensitive substrate, comprising:

a projection optical system;

a height-direction position measurement device configured to measure the height-direction position of the mask;

an exposure area defining member between the mask and the projection optical system configured to define a shape of the light incident on the photosensitive substrate at the time of exposure;

a movement device configured to move the exposure area defining member; and

a controller configured to control the movement device so as to fix the exposure area defining member at a first position at the time of exposure and to move the exposure area defining member to a second position at the time of measuring the height-direction position.