Exposure system for lithography apparatus

• US 5,825,468 A
• Filed: 07/24/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishimaru, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Moses, R. L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VIRMANI, SHIVAL P
• Application Number:
  US08/685,814
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 250/548, 355/50, 355/55, 355/53, 396/111, 396/115, 396/116, 396/118, 396/120
• US Class Current: 355/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70641 Focus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70675 Latent image, i.e. measuring the image of the exposed resist prior to development
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/70 for microlithography measuring printed patterns for monitoring overlay G03F7/70633 or focus G03F7/70641; projection system adjustment G03F7/70258; position control G03F7/70775

Abstract

A substrate is mounted on a stage of an exposure system, and an exposure light is converged on a material formed on the substrate to form a latent image. An auto-focusing light is emitted on the latent image, and the reflected light therefrom is detected. The focusing or defocusing state is judged on the basis of the detected result. When it is judged that the exposure light is defocused on the material formed on the substrate, the drive unit is driven for focus control so as to allow the exposure light to be focused on the material formed on the substrate.

Claims

1. An exposure system for a semiconductor device comprising:

a photosensitive material formed on a substrate provided on a stage of a projection exposure system;

an optical system allowing an exposure light after transmitting a pattern of a reticle to be focused on said photosensitive material for forming a latent image having a shape corresponding to the pattern of said reticle on said photosensitive material;

a focusing light source for emitting a focusing light on said latent image formed on said photosensitive material;

a detector for detecting the focusing light reflected from said latent image, said reflected focusing light being characteristic of accuracy of said focusing of said exposure light on said photosensitive material;

a pattern measuring device for measuring the reflected light detected by said detector and judging whether or not said exposure light is focused on said photosensitive material; and

a drive unit for driving said stage so as to adjust a vertical distance between said optical system and said photosensitive material in accordance with the measured result of said pattern measuring device.

2. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said photosensitive material is a photochromic material.

3. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the pattern of said reticle is formed to have rectangular slits.

4. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said substrate is disposed adjacently to a wafer chuck.

5. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said focusing light enters the surface of said photosensitive material at a specified angle.

6. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 5, wherein said focusing light enters the surface of said photosensitive material at a tilting angle.

7. An exposure system for a semiconductor system according to claim 2, wherein said pattern measuring device makes a judgement of the best focus when it receives from said detector a detection output of a reflected light from a latent image formed on said photochromic material in a shape accurately corresponding to the pattern of said reticle;

and makes a judgement of a defocusing state when it receives from said detector a detection output of a reflected light of a latent image formed on said photochromic material in a shape different from the pattern of said reticle.

8. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein a reflected light from said latent image formed on said photochromic material in a shape accurately corresponding to the pattern of said reticle is set at a maximum value.

9. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said latent image formed on said photochromic material in a shape different from the pattern of said reticle has a pattern thinner than that of said latent image formed in the shape accurately corresponding to the pattern of said reticle.

10. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein an incident angle and reflected intensity of said reflected focusing light is characteristic of accuracy of said focusing of said exposure light on said photosensitive material.

11. An exposure system for a semiconductor device, comprising:

a photochromic material coated on a substrate provided on a stage of a projection exposure system;

means for forming a latent image on said photochromic material by allowing an exposure light to transmit through a specified pattern of a reticle, said latent image having a shape corresponding to said specified pattern;

means for emitting an auto-focusing light at a specified angle to said latent image;

means for detecting said auto-focusing light reflected from said latent image, said reflected auto-focusing light being characteristic of accuracy of focusing of said exposure light on said photochromic material;

a pattern measuring device for measuring the reflected light detected by said detecting means and judging the size of said latent image depending on whether or not said exposure light is focused on said photochromic material; and

a drive unit for driving said stage so as to adjust a distance between said forming means and said photochromic material for allowing said exposure light to be focused on said photochromic material coated on said stage in accordance with the measured result from said pattern measuring device.

12. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein said pattern measuring device makes a judgment of the best focus when it receives from said detecting means a detection output of a light reflected from said latent image in a shape accurately corresponding to the pattern of said reticle;

and makes a judgment of a defocusing state when it receives from said detecting means a detection output of a light reflected from said latent image in a shape thinner than that of said latent image formed in the shape accurately corresponding to the pattern of said reticle.

13. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein the pattern of said reticle is formed to have rectangular slits.

14. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein said substrate is disposed adjacently to a wafer chuck.

15. An exposure system for a semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein said auto-focusing light enters a surface of said photochromic material at a tilting angle.

16. A method of exposing a photosensitive material through a pattern of a reticle, comprising the steps of:

placing a substrate with a photosensitive material provided thereon on a stage of a projection exposure system, said system comprising an exposure light source, an optical system, a focusing light source, a detecting means, a measuring means, and a driving means;

emitting an exposure light from said exposure light source through a pattern of a reticle;

focusing said exposure light by means of said optical system on said photosensitive material;

forming a latent image on said photosensitive material, said latent image having a shape corresponding to said pattern of said reticle;

emitting a focusing light onto said latent image from said focusing light source;

detecting said focusing light reflected from said latent image into said detecting means, an incident angle and a reflected intensity of said reflected focusing light being characteristic of accuracy of said focusing;

measuring said detected focusing light in said measuring means for judging whether or not said exposure light is focused on said photosensitive material; and

driving said stage by means of said driving means so as to adjust a distance between said optical system and said photosensitive material in accordance with results of said measuring.