Method of detecting positional displacement between mask and wafer, and exposure apparatus adopting the method

• US 5,508,527 A
• Filed: 09/01/1994
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuroda, Ryo, Miyazaki, Toshihiko, Nose, Hiroyasu, Sakai, Kunihiro, Takimoto, Kiyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Berman, Jack I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIET TUAN
• Application Number:
  US08/298,316
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 250/491.1, 250/306, 250/307, 379/34, 379/35, 379/205, 379/206, 379/163
• US Class Current: 250/491.1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 20/02 by optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/02 Non-SPM analysing devices, e.g. SEM [Scanning Electron Microscope], spectrometer or optical microscope
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 40/02 Calibration standards and methods of fabrication thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/38 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 80/00 Applications, other than SPM, of scanning-probe techniques manufacture or treatment of nanostructures B82B3/00; recording or reproducing information using near-field interaction G11B9/12, G11B11/24, G11B13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7038 Alignment for proximity or contact printer proximity or contact printers per se G03F7/7035
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7061 Scanning probe microscopy, e.g. AFM, scanning tunneling microscopy
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/681 using optical controlling means

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting the relative positional displacement between a mask and a wafer. The mask is provided with a cantilever. The position mark is provided on the wafer so as to face the cantilever. A relative positional displacement between the mask and the wafer is detected from a deformation amount of the cantilever based on a force acting between the position mark and the cantilever upon relative movement of the position mark and the cantilever.

Claims

1. A method in which a position detection mark provided on a wafer is detected by using an elastic member provided on a mask and the relative positional deviation between the mask and the wafer is corrected in accordance with the detection results, comprising the steps of:

performing a first relative movement between the mask and the wafer such that the elastic member scans a predetermined region including the position detection mark on the wafer;

detecting a first deformation amount of the elastic member on the basis of a force acting between he elastic member and the position detection mark;

calculating a first relative position deviation amount between the mask and the wafer from the detected first deformation amount;

correcting the first relative position between the mask and the wafer on the basis of the calculated first relative position deviation amount;

performing a second relative movement between the mask and the wafer such that the elastic member scans a region on the wafer which includes the position detection mark and which is smaller than the predetermined region;

detecting a second deformation amount of the elastic member on the basis of a force acting between the elastic member and the position detection mark;

calculating a second relative position deviation amount between the mask and the wafer from the detected second deformation amount detected in said second deformation detecting step; and

correcting the second relative position between the mask and the wafer on the basis of the calculated second relative position deviation amount calculated in said second calculating step.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member comprises a cantilever.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein a probe is provided on a free end side of the cantilever.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first and second deformation amount detection steps comprise the step of irradiating a part of the elastic member with a laser beam and detecting the deformation amount of the elastic member on the basis of a variation of an incident position of a beam reflected from the elastic member on a light-receiving element.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the relative movement comprises a circular motion.

6. A method in which a position detection mark provided on a wafer is detected by using an elastic member provided on a mask and the relative positional deviation between the mask and the wafer is corrected in accordance with the detection result, comprising the steps of:

performing a relative movement between the masks and the wafer such that the elastic member scans the position detection mark with a circular motion;

detecting a deformation amount of the elastic member on the basis of a force acting between the elastic member and the position detection mark;

calculating a relative position deviation amount between the mask and the wafer from the detected deformation amount; and

correcting the relative position between the mask and the wafer on the basis of the calculated relative position deviation amount.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the elastic member comprises a cantilever.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a probe is provided on a free end side of the cantilever.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein said deformation amount detection step comprises a step of irradiating a part of the elastic member with a laser beam and detecting the deformation amount of the elastic member on the basis of a variation of an incident position of a beam reflected from the elastic member on a light-receiving element.

10. A method in which a plurality of position detection marks provided on a wafer are detected by using a plurality of elastic members provided on a mask and opposed to the plurality of position detection masks and the relative positional deviation between the mask and the wafer is corrected in accordance with the detection results, comprising the steps of:

performing a relative movement between the mask and the wafer such that the respective elastic members scan the respective position detection marks opposed to the respective elastic members;

detecting respective deformation amounts of the respective elastic members on the basis of respective forces acting between the respective elastic members and the respective position detecting marks;

calculating respective relative position deviation amounts of the mask with respect to the respective position detection marks on the basis of the respective detected deformation amounts; and

adjusting the relative position between the mask and the wafer so that the deviation of the calculated respective relative position deviation amounts of the mask with respect to the respective position detection marks is minimized.

11. A method of correcting a relative positional deviation between a mask and a wafer in an exposure apparatus in which a position detection mark provided on the wafer is detected using an elastic member including a probe provided on the mask and the relative positional deviation between the mask and the wafer is corrected in accordance with the detection result, and a pattern formed on the mask is exposed onto the wafer for a plurality of masks, respectively, comprising the steps of:

providing a reference wafer provided with a positioning mark in place of the wafer;

scanning the probe on the positioning mark provided on the reference wafer;

detecting a relative positional displacement between the probe and the positioning mark on the basis of the scanning of the probe on the positioning mark;

aligning the mask and the reference wafer on the basis of the detected relative positional displacement;

successively exposing patterns formed on the plurality of masks onto the reference wafer;

measuring a position deviation amount of each of the exposure patterns on the reference wafer; and

calculating a position deviation amount of the probe on each of the plurality of masks, caused upon forming each of the plurality of masks on the basis of the measurement result,

wherein when the relative positional deviation between the wafer and the respective masks is to be corrected, the correction is made taking into account the calculated positional deviation amount.