Position detecting method and apparatus
First Claim
1. In a method of detecting a position of a substrate having a alignment mark with an optical power, wherein a radiation beam is projected from an optical head to the alignment mark such that the alignment mark produces a signal beam on the basis of which the position of the substrate is detected, the improvements residing in:
- forming a reference mark on the substrate at a position different form that of the alignment mark;
projecting a radiation beam from the optical head to the reference mark, such that the reference mark produces a reference beam;
detecting the relative positional deviation of the optical head relative to the reference mark on the basis of the produced reference beam; and
adjusting the relative position of the optical head and the alignment mark on the basis of the detected relative positional deviation and, after the adjustment, detecting the position of the substrate on the basis of the produced signal beam.
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Abstract
A method of detecting a position of a substrate having an alignment mark includes the steps of projecting a radiation beam from an optical head to the alignment mark such that the alignment mark produces a signal beam on the basis of which the position of the substrate is detected, forming a reference mark on the substrate at a position different from that of the alignment mark, projecting a radiation beam from the optical head to the reference mark, such that the reference mark produces a reference beam, detecting the relative positional deviation of the optical head relative to the reference mark on the basis of the produced reference beam, and adjusting the relative position of the optical head and the alignment mark on the basis of the detected relative positional deviation and, after the adjustment, detecting the position of the substrate on the basis of the produced signal beam.
36 Citations
21 Claims
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1. In a method of detecting a position of a substrate having a alignment mark with an optical power, wherein a radiation beam is projected from an optical head to the alignment mark such that the alignment mark produces a signal beam on the basis of which the position of the substrate is detected, the improvements residing in:
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forming a reference mark on the substrate at a position different form that of the alignment mark; projecting a radiation beam from the optical head to the reference mark, such that the reference mark produces a reference beam; detecting the relative positional deviation of the optical head relative to the reference mark on the basis of the produced reference beam; and adjusting the relative position of the optical head and the alignment mark on the basis of the detected relative positional deviation and, after the adjustment, detecting the position of the substrate on the basis of the produced signal beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device for detecting a position of a substrate having a alignment mark with an optical power and a reference mark formed at different positions thereon, said device comprising:
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an optical head movable along the substrate, for projecting a radiation beam to the substrate and for receiving the radiation beam from the substrate; and control means for controlling said optical head and for detecting the position of the substrate on the basis of a signal from said optical head; wherein said control means is operable to cause said optical head to project a radiation beam to the reference mark of the substrate and also to cause said optical head to photoelectrically detect the radiation beam from the reference mark, whereby said optical head produces a first signal; wherein said control means is further operable to determine the relative positional deviation of said optical head relative to the reference mark of the substrate on the basis of the first signal from said optical head and also to move said optical head relative to the substrate in accordance with the determination so as to align said optical head with the alignment mark of the substrate; wherein said control means is further operable to cause said optical head to project a radiation beam to the alignment mark of the substrate and also to cause said optical head to photoelectrically detect the radiation beam from the alignment mark of the substrate, whereby said optical head produces a second signal; and wherein said control means is further operable to determine the position of the substrate on the basis of the second signal from said optical head. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An alignment and exposure apparatus usable with a mask having a circuit pattern and having a first alignment mark with an optical power and a reference mark formed at different positions thereon as well as a wafer having a second alignment mark with an optical power, for exposing the wafer to the circuit pattern of the mask with radiation, said apparatus comprising:
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a first stage for holding the mask; a second, movable stage for holding the wafer; illumination means for illuminating the mask so that the wafer is exposed to the circuit pattern of the mask as illuminated; an optical head movable along the mask, for projecting a radiation beam to the mask and for receiving the radiation beam from the mask; and control means for controlling said optical head and second movable stage and for detecting the position of the wafer on the basis of a signal from said optical head; wherein said control means is operable to cause said optical head to project a radiation beam to the reference mark of the mask and also to cause said optical head to photoelectrically detect a reflection beam from the reference mark, whereby said optical head produces a first signal; wherein said control means is further operable to determine the relative positional deviation of said optical head relative to the reference mark of the mask on the basis of the first signal from said optical head and also to move said optical head relative to the mask in accordance with the determination so as to align said optical head with the first alignment mark of the marks; wherein said control means is further operable to cause said optical head to project a radiation beam to the first and second alignment marks of the mask and the wafer and also to cause said optical head to photoelectrically detect a signal beam from the first and second alignment marks, whereby said optical head produces a second signal; wherein said control means is further operable to determine the relative position of the wafer relative to the mask on the basis of the second signal from said optical head; and wherein said control means is further operable to move said second movable stage in accordance with the determination of the relative position of the wafer, so as to align the wafer with respect to the mask. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method usable with a mask having a circuit pattern and a first alignment mark with an optical power as well as a wafer having a second alignment mark with an optical power, for manufacturing semiconductor devices, by using an optical head, comprising:
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forming a reference mark on the mask at a position different from that of the first alignment mark; projecting from the optical head a radiation beam to the reference mark of the mask, such that the reference mark produces a reference beam; detecting the relative positional deviation of the optical head relative to the reference mark of the mask on the basis of the produced reference beam; adjusting the relative position of the optical head and the first alignment mark of the mask on the basis of the detection of the relative positional deviation; projecting from the optical head a radiation beam to the first and second alignment marks of the mask and the wafer, such that the first and second alignment marks produce a signal beam; detecting the relative positional deviation of the mask and the wafer on the basis of the produced signal beam; adjusting the relative position of the mask and the wafer on the basis of the detected relative positional deviation of the mask and the wafer; and exposing the wafer to the circuit pattern of the mask with radiation energy. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. In a method of detecting a mark of a substrate which mark has an optical power, wherein a radiation beam is projected from an optical head to the substrate such that the substrate produces a signal beam indicative of the mark, the improvements residing in:
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providing a reference mark on the substrate; projecting a radiation beam from the optical head to the reference mark, such that the reference mark produces a reference beam; detecting a relative positional deviation of the optical head relative to the reference mark on the basis of the produced reference beam; and adjusting the relative position of the optical head and the substrate on the basis of the detected relative positional deviation and, after the adjustment, detecting the mark to be detected, with the produced signal beam.
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Specification