Position detector and microlithography apparatus comprising same

• US 5,936,253 A
• Filed: 12/03/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Sugaya, Ayako
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, STEPHONE B
• Application Number:
  US08/984,123
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 250/548, 356/399-401, 355/53, 355/55
• US Class Current: 250/548
• 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

Position detectors are disclosed for reliable, high-accuracy detection of alignment marks on a wafer, including alignment marks consisting of small phase steps. The position detector comprises a phase plate located conjugate to an aperture stop. The phase plate produces a phase shift between the undiffracted light flux from the alignment marks and the diffracted light flux and a phase-contrast image is of the alignment marks is formed. The phase plate is switchable or insertable so that a bright-field image is also obtainable. Bright-field images and phase-contrast images are directly viewable or are received by one or more image sensor. A signal processor receives image signals from the image sensors and determines the position of the alignment marks. The sensor then provides a position signal that is used to move the wafer and reticle into alignment.

Claims

1. A position detector for measuring the position of a workpiece having alignment marks, comprising:

(a) an illumination optical system for illuminating the alignment marks with an alignment light flux, the illumination optical system comprising an illumination aperture stop;

(b) an imaging optical system that receives the alignment flux from the alignment marks and forms an image of the alignment marks, the imaging optical system comprising an imaging aperture stop;

(c) a phase plate positionable conjugate to the illumination aperture stop and having a phase-shift region and defining a phase-plate aperture, the phase plate providing a phase shift between a portion of the alignment flux from the alignment marks transmitted through the phase-shift region that corresponds to an image of the illumination aperture stop and a portion of the alignment flux transmitted through the phase-plate aperture; and

(d) a selector operable with the phase plate for selecting a phase-contrast image of the alignment marks.

2. The position detector of claim 1, wherein the selector inserts the phase plate at a location conjugate to the illumination aperture stop.

3. The position detector of claim 1, wherein:

the phase plate is located conjugate to the illumination aperture stop; and

the selector selects the phase-contrast image of the alignment marks by adjusting the relative phase shift of the phase-shift region and the phase plate aperture.

4. The position detector of claim 1, further comprising:

an image detector that receives the image of the alignment marks formed by the imaging optical system and produces an image signal at an image-signal output; and

a signal processor that receives the image signal and determines the position of the workpiece based on the image signal.

5. The position detector of claim 4, wherein the signal processor produces a position signal.

6. The position detector of claim 1, wherein the illumination aperture stop is circular.

7. The position detector of claim 6, wherein the phase-plate aperture is a circular ring surrounding the phase-shift region.

8. The position detector of claim 1, wherein the selector electrically changes the phase shift provided by the phase-shift region to a first phase difference for phase-contrast detection and a second phase difference for bright-field detection.

9. The position detector of claim 8, wherein the second phase difference is zero.

21. The position detector of claim 1, further comprising a reference-mark plate placed conjugate to the alignment marks.

10. A position detector for measuring the position of a workpiece having alignment marks, comprising:

(a) an illumination optical system for illuminating the alignment marks with an alignment light flux, the illumination optical system comprising an illumination aperture stop;

(b) a switchable mirror that is insertable to receive the alignment flux from the alignment marks;

(c) a bright-field optical system, selectable by the switchable mirror, that receives the alignment flux and comprises an imaging optical system and an imaging aperture stop for forming a bright-field image;

(d) a phase-contrast optical system, selectable by the switchable mirror, that receives the alignment flux and comprises an imaging system and a phase plate for forming a phase-contrast image;

(e) a selector for switching between bright-field imaging and phase-contrast imaging and that controls the switchable mirror.

11. The position detector of claim 10, wherein the phase plate is located conjugate to the illumination aperture stop and defines a phase-shift region and a phase-plate aperture, the phase plate providing a phase shift between a portion of the alignment flux from the alignment marks transmitted through the phase-shift region that corresponds to an image of the aperture stop and a portion of the alignment flux transmitted through the phase-plate aperture, wherein the imaging aperture stop is conjugate to the illumination aperture stop.

12. The position detector of claim 11, further comprising:

a first image sensor for selectably receiving a bright-field image and producing a bright-field image signal; and

a second image sensor for receiving a phase-contrast image and producing a phase-contrast image signal.

13. The position detector of claim 12, further comprising a signal processor that receives the bright-field image signal and the phase-contrast image signal, and that produces a position signal.

14. A position detector for measuring the position of a workpiece having alignment marks, comprising:

(a) an illumination optical system for illuminating the alignment marks with an alignment light flux, the illumination optical system comprising an illumination aperture stop;

(b) a bright-field optical system comprising an imaging optical system and an imaging aperture stop for forming a bright-field image of the alignment marks;

(c) a phase-contrast optical system comprising an imaging optical system and a phase plate for forming a phase-contrast image;

(d) a beamsplitter that receives the alignment flux from the alignment marks and directs the alignment flux to the bright-field optical system and the phase-contrast optical system.

15. The position detector of claim 14, wherein the phase plate is located conjugate to the illumination aperture stop and defines a phase-shift region and a phase-plate aperture, the phase plate providing a phase shift between a portion of the alignment flux from the alignment marks transmitted through the phase-shift region that corresponds to an image of the aperture stop and a portion of the alignment flux transmitted through the phase-plate aperture, wherein the imaging aperture stop is conjugate to the illumination aperture stop.

16. The position detector of claim 15, further comprising an image sensor for receiving the bright-field image and the phase-contrast image;

and

a selector for switching between bright-field imaging and phase-contrast imaging.

17. The position detector of claim 16, further comprising:

a first shutter for blocking the portion of the alignment flux in the bright-field optical system; and

a second shutter for blocking the portion of the alignment flux in the phase-contrast optical system.

18. The position detector of claim 15, further comprising:

a first image sensor that receives the bright-field image;

a second image sensor that receives the phase-contrast image; and

a selector for selecting the bright-field image or the phase-contrast image.

19. The position detector of claim 14, wherein the beamsplitter is a polarizing beamsplitter.

20. The position detector of claim 14, wherein the beamsplitter is a dichroic mirror.

22. An exposure device for exposing a sensitized substrate to patterns on a reticle, comprising:

(a) a position detector comprising;

(1) an illumination optical system that illuminates alignment marks on the substrate with an alignment flux, the illumination system comprising an illumination aperture stop;

(2) an imaging system that receives the alignment flux and forms an image of the alignment marks;

(3) an imaging detector that receives the image and provides an image signal;

(4) a phase plate located conjugate to the illumination aperture stop and defining a phase-shift region and phase-plate aperture, the phase plate providing a phase shift between a portion of the alignment flux from the alignment marks transmitted through the phase-shift region that corresponds to an image of the aperture stop and a portion of the alignment flux transmitted through the phase-plate aperture; and

(5) a selector that inserts and withdraws the phase plate to switch between bright-field imaging and phase-contrast imaging;

(b) an illumination system for illuminating the reticle;

(c) a projection system for forming an image of the reticle on the substrate; and

(d) a stage for translating the substrate.

23. The exposure apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a controller that translates the substrate based on the image signal.

24. An apparatus for observing a wafer, comprising:

(a) an illumination optical system comprising an illumination aperture stop, the illumination optical system producing an alignment flux that illuminates the wafer;

(b) an imaging system that forms an image of the wafer, the imaging system comprising an imaging aperture stop and a phase plate, the imaging aperture stop and the phase plate being located conjugate to the illumination aperture stop, the phase plate defining a phase-shift region and a phase-plate aperture, the phase plate providing a phase shift between a portion of the alignment flux from the alignment marks transmitted through the phase-shift region that corresponds to an image of the illumination aperture stop and a portion of the alignment flux transmitted through the phase-plate aperture; and

(c) a selector for controlling the insertion of the phase plate.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the phase-shift region of the phase plate has a transmission T₁ and the phase-shift aperture has a transmission T₂, wherein T₁ and T₂ satisfy the conditions T₁ >

0.7 and |T₁ -T₂ |<

0.3.

26. A method for exposing a sensitized substrate having alignment marks corresponding to patterns on a reticle, comprising:

(a) exposing the reticle with an exposure flux and forming an image of the reticle on the substrate with the exposure flux;

(b) illuminating the alignment marks with an alignment flux;

(c) obstructing a diffracted portion of the alignment flux at a imaging aperture plane and forming a bright-field image of the alignment marks with an unobstructed portion;

(d) determining a conjugate location to the imaging aperture plane;

(e) phase-shifting an undiffracted portion of the alignment flux relative to a diffracted portion at the conjugate location;

(f) forming a phase-contrast image of the alignment marks with the undiffracted and diffracted portions after phase-shifting; and

(g) selecting the bright-field image or the phase-contrast image of the alignment marks;

(h) adjusting the relative positions of the reticle and the sensitized substrate based on the selected image; and

(i) exposing the sensitized substrate to the pattern on the reticle.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing an image signal from the selected image of the alignment marks; and

providing a position signal based on the image signal.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

providing an image signal from the bright-field image; and

providing am image signal from the phase-contrast image.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising moving the substrate with respect to the reticle based on the image signal.