Stage apparatus in exposing apparatus

• US 5,015,866 A
• Filed: 12/01/1989
• Issued: 05/14/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US07/444,330
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 250/548, 250/557, 356/399, 356/400, 356/401
• US Class Current: 250/548
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70725 control
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7023 Aligning or positioning in direction perpendicular to substrate surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/682 Mask-wafer alignment in general G03F7/70, G03F9/70

Abstract

In an exposing apparatus for copy transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate, the substrate is supported on a leveling stage mounted on a two-dimensionally movable stage. Two-dimensional deviation amounts of the substrate in relation to the moving stage, caused by inclination of the leveling stage, are detected and are compensated by controlling the movement of the moving stage, thereby correcting the relative positional relation between the mask and the substrate.

Claims

1. An exposing apparatus for copy transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:

a moving stage which is two-dimensionally movable in a predetermined exposure reference plane surface;

inclination detecting means for detecting the inclination of the surface of the substrate in relation to said exposure reference plane surface;

stage position detecting means for detecting the two-dimensional positions of the moving stage;

a leveling stage which is mounted over the moving stage and supports the substrate and can incline the substrate in an arbitrary direction in relation to the exposure reference plane surface in cooperation with the inclination detecting means so that the surface of the substrate substantially coincides with the exposure reference plane surface;

deviation detecting means for detecting two-dimensional deviation amounts of the substrate in relation to the moving stage which are caused in association with the inclination of the leveling stage; and

control means for controlling the positions of the moving stage which are detected by the stage position detecting means in accordance with the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means, thereby correcting the relative positional relation between the mask and the substrate.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for comparing the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means with a predetermined reference value, and when the deviation amounts exceed the predetermined reference value, the control means controls the position of the moving stage in accordance with the deviation amounts.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deviation detecting means includes two sets of laser light wave interference length measuring instruments each including:

a reflection optical system which is fixed to the leveling stage and has a plurality of mutually perpendicular reflecting surfaces;

a laser light source which is provided over the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system and emits a laser beam toward the reflection optical system; and

a fixed mirror which is fixed on the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system in order to receive light flux from the laser light source which is reflected by the reflection optical system, said reflection optical system, laser light source, and fixed mirror being disposed so that light flux from said laser light source is reversely reflected by the reflecting surfaces of said reflection optical system to said fixed mirror along a direction opposite to the direction in which said laser beam is emitted toward said reflection optical system.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means includes means for determining a deviation amount of the substrate from an output of the inclination detecting means and controls the position of the moving stage on the basis of the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means and the deviation amount determined by the determining means.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said determining means determines the deviation amount of the substrate on the basis of a fluctuation in thickness of the substrate and the inclination of the surface of the substrate which is detected by the inclination detecting means.

6. An exposing apparatus for copy transferring a pattern formed on a mask onto a substrate, comprising:

mask holding means which holds the mask and can two-dimensionally move in a substantially horizontal plane;

mask position detecting means for detecting two-dimensional positions of the mask holding means;

a moving stage which can two-dimensionally move in a predetermined exposure reference plane surface;

inclination detecting means for detecting the inclination of the surface of the substrate in relation to the exposure reference plane surface;

position detecting means for detecting the two-dimensional positions of the moving stage;

a leveling stage which is mounted over the moving stage and supports the substrate and can incline the substrate in an arbitrary direction in relation to the exposure reference plane surface in cooperation with the inclination detecting means so that the surface of the substrate substantially coincides with the exposure reference plane surface;

deviation detecting means for detecting two-dimensional deviation amounts of the substrate in relation to the moving stage which are caused in association with the inclination of the leveling stage; and

control means for controlling the position of the mask holding means which is detected by the mask position detecting means in accordance with the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means, thereby correcting the relative positional relation between the mask and the substrate.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means includes means for comparing the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means with a predetermined reference value, and when the deviation amounts exceed the predetermined reference value, the control means controls the position of the mask holding means in accordance with the deviation amounts.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said deviation detecting means includes two sets of laser light wave interference length measuring instruments each including:

a reflection optical system which is fixed to the leveling stage and has a plurality of reflecting surfaces which are mutually perpendicular;

a laser light source which is provided on the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system and emits a laser beam toward the reflection optical system; and

a fixed mirror which is fixed on the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system in order to receive light flux from the laser light source which is reflected by the reflection optical system, said reflection optical system, laser light source, and fixed mirror being disposed so that light flux from said laser light source is reversely reflected by the reflecting surfaces of said reflection optical system to said fixed mirror along a direction opposite to the direction in which said laser beam is emitted toward said reflection optical system.

9. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control means includes means for determining a deviation amount of the substrate from an output of the inclination detecting means and controls the position of the mask holding means on the basis of the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means and the deviation amount determined by the determining means.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said determining means determines the deviation amount of the substrate on the basis of a fluctuation in thickness of the substrate, and the inclination of the surface of the substrate which is detected by the inclination detecting means.

11. A stage apparatus for supporting a substrate, comprising:

a moving stage which can two-dimensionally move in a predetermined reference plane surface;

inclination detecting means for detecting the inclination of the surface of the substrate in relation to the predetermined reference plane surface;

stage position detecting means for detecting two-dimensional positions of the moving stage;

a leveling stage which is mounted over the moving stage and supports the substrate and can incline the substrate in an arbitrary direction in relation to the reference plane surface in cooperation with the inclination detecting means so that the surface of the substrate substantially coincides with the reference plane surface;

deviation detecting means for detecting two-dimensional deviation amounts of the substrate in relation to the moving stage which are caused in association with the inclination of the leveling stage; and

control means for controlling the position of the moving stage which is detected by the stage position detecting means in accordance with the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means, thereby correcting the relative positional relation between the mask and the substrate.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control means includes means for comparing the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means with a predetermined reference value, and when the deviation amounts exceed the predetermined reference value, the control means controls the position of the moving stage in accordance with the deviation amounts.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said deviation detecting means includes two sets of laser light wave interference length measuring instruments each including:

a reflection optical system which is fixed to the leveling stage and has a plurality of reflecting surfaces which are mutually perpendicular;

a laser light source which is provided over the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system and emits a laser beam toward the reflection optical system; and

a fixed mirror which is fixed onto the moving stage so as to face the reflection optical system in order to receive light flux from the laser light source which is reflected by the reflection optical system, said reflection optical system, laser light source, and fixed mirror being disposed so that light flux from said laser light source is reversely reflected by the reflecting surfaces of said reflection optical system to said fixed mirror along a direction opposite to the direction in which said laser beam is emitted toward said reflection optical system.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said control means includes means for determining a deviation amount of the substrate from an output of the inclination detecting means and controls the position of the moving stage on the basis of the deviation amounts which are detected by the deviation detecting means and the deviation amount determined by the determining means.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said determining means determines the deviation amount of the substrate on the basis of a fluctuation in thickness of the substrate and the inclination of the surface of the substrate which is detected by the inclination detecting means.