Position detecting method and position detecting system

• US 6,266,130 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1999
• Issued: 07/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ina, Hideki, Hasegawa, Masanobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US09/231,795
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 355/52, 355/53, 355/53.2, 355/53.22, 355/53.24, 355/53.26, 355/53.5, 355/67, 356/399, 356/400, 356/401, 438/14, 438/16, 438/975, 250/492.2, 250/492.22
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7069 Alignment mark illumination, e.g. darkfield, dual focus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7084 Position of mark on substrate, i.e. position in (x, y, z) of mark, e.g. buried or resist covered mark, mark on rearside, at the substrate edge, in the circuit area, latent image mark, marks in plural levels
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7088 Alignment mark detection, e.g. TTR, TTL, off-axis detection, array detector, video detection

Abstract

A position detecting system and method, wherein a wavefront that provides an optical path length distribution opposite to an optical pat length distribution to be defined in accordance with a shape of a light transmissive film on a mark provided on an object to be inspected, is produced, wherein the mark is illuminated with the produced wavefront, and an image of the illuminated mark is taken, such that positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

Claims

1. A position detecting method, comprising the steps of:

producing a wavefront that provides an optical path length distribution opposite to an optical path length distribution to be defined in accordance with a shape of a light transmissive film on a mark provided on an object to be inspected;

illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront; and

taking an image of the illuminated mark, wherein positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the production of the wavefront is made by use of reflection light resulting from obliquely illuminating the mark with a plane wave.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the production of the wavefront is made by use of an adaptive mirror.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the adaptive mirror has reflective poritions which can be actuated from the back, independently, by use of a number of piezoelectric devices.

5. A position detecting system, comprising:

a wavefront producing system for producing a wavefront that provides an optical path length distribution opposite to an optical path length distribution to be defined in acordance with a shape of a light transmissive film on a mark provided on an object to be inspected;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront; and

an image pickup device for taking an image of the illuminated mark, wherein positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

6. A position detecting system according to claim 5, further comprising an optical system for directing reflection light resulting from obliquely illuminating the mark with a plane wave, to the mark.

7. A position detecting system according to claim 5, wherein said wavefront producing system includes an adaptive mirror.

8. A position detecting system according to claim 7, wherein said adaptive mirror has reflective portions which can be actuated from the back, independently, by use of a number of piezoelectric devices.

9. A projection exposure apparatus, comprising:

a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer;

a wavefront producing system for prodducing a wavefront that provides an optical path length distribution to be defined in accordance with a shape of a resist on a mark provided on the wafer;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront;

an image pickup device for taking an image of the illuminated mark; and

an alignment system for aligning the wafer with respect to the reticle on the basis of the image taking through said image pickup device.

10. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

producing a wavefront that provides an optical path length distribution opposite to an optical path length distribution to be defined in accordance with a shape of a resist on a mark provided on a wafer;

illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront;

taking an image of the illuminated mark;

aligning the wafer with respect to a reticle on the basis of the image taking;

printing, through projection exposure, a pattern of the reticle to the wafer having been aligned with respect to the reticle; and

developing the resist of the projection-exposed wafer, whereby devices are produced from the developed wafer.

11. A position detecting method, comprising the steps of:

illuminating a mark formed on an object to be inspected, along an oblique direction;

re-illuminating the mark along a perpendicular direction, by use of reflection light from the obliquely illuminated mark; and

taking an image of the re-illuminated mark, wherein positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein, when an incidence angle of illumination light for the oblique illumination is θ

and a refractive index of a light transmissive film formed on the mark is Nr, a relation 2cosθ

=Nr−

1 is satisfied, and wherein an optical system for re-illuminating the mark along the perpendicular direction by use of the reflection light from the mark has an imaging magnification of 1/cosθ

.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein an optical system for re-illuminating the mark along the perpendicular direction by use of the reflection light from the mark includes one or more mirrors and one or more lens groups, constituting one imaging system, and wherein the total number of mirrors and lens groups is an odd number.

14. A position detecting system, comprising:

a first illumination system for illuminating a mark formed on an object to be inspected, along an oblique direction;

a second illumination system for re-illuminating the mark along a perpendicular direction, by use of reflection light from the obliquely illuminated mark; and

an image pcikup device for taking an image of the re-illuminated mark, wherein postional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

15. A position detecting system according to claim 14, wherein said first illumination system is arranged so that, when an incidence angle of illumination light is θ

and a refractive index of a light transmissive film formed on the mark is Nr, a relation 2cosθ

=Nr−

1 is satisfied, and wherein said second illumination system is arranged so that an imaging magnification for re-illuminating the mark along the perpendicular direction by use of the reflection light from the mark satisfied 1/cosθ

.

16. A position detecting system according to claim 14, further comprising a filter inserting mechanism disposed at a pupil position defined between the mark and said image pickup device.

17. A position detecting system according to claim 16, wherein said filter inserting mechanism includes a first filter for selecting and transmitting diffractive ight produced when the mark is illuminated obliquely, and a second filter for selecting and transmitting diffractive light produced when the mark is re-illuminated perpendicularly.

18. A position detecting system according to claim 14, further comprising means for optically detecting the position of the object with respect to the perpendicular direction, wherein said means has a light path which is partially in common to the light path of said second illumination system.

19. A position detecting system according to claim 14, wherein said second illumination system includes one or more mirrors and one or more lens groups, constituting one imaging system, and wherein the total number of mirrors and lens groups is an odd number.

20. A projection exposure apparatus, comprising:

a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer;

a first illuminating system for illuminating a mark formed on the wafer, along an oblique direction;

a second illumination system for re-illuminating the mark along a perpendicular direction, by use of reflection light from the obliquely illuminated mark;

an image pickup device for taking an image of the re-illuminated mark; and

an alignment system for aligning the wafer with respect to the reticle on the basis of the image takiing through said image pickup device.

21. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

illuminating a mark formed on a wafer along an oblique direction;

re-illuminating the mark along a perpendicular direction, by use of reflection light from the obliquely illuminated mark;

taking an image of the re-illuminated mark;

aligning the wafer with respect to a reticle on the basis of the image taking;

printing, through projection exposure, a pattern of the reticle onto the wafer having been aligned with respect to the reticle; and

developing a resist of the exposed wafer, wherein devices can be produced from the developed wafer.

22. A position detecting method, comprising the steps of:

detecting information related to a shape of a light transmissive film on a mark formed on an object to be inspected;

producing a wavefront on the basis of the shape information, wherein the wavefront is produced so that a plane wave is provided after it is transmitted through the light transmissive film;

illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront; and

taking an image of the illuminated mark, wherein positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

23. A position detecting system, comprising:

a wavefront producing system for detecting information related to a shape of a light transmissive film on a mark formed on an object to be inspected, and for producing a wavefront on the basis of the shape information, wherein the wavefront is produced so that a plane wave is provided after it is transmitted through the light transmissive film;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront; and

an image pickup device for taking an image of the illuminated mark, wherein positional information related to the mark is produced in response to the image taking.

24. A projection exposure apparatus, comprising:

a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a reticle onto a wafer;

a wavefront producing system for detecting information related to a shape of a resist on a mark formed on the wafer, and for producing a wavefront on the basis of the shape information, wherein the wavefront is produced so that a plane wave is provided after it is transmitted through the resist;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront;

an image pickup device for taking an image of the illuminated mark; and

an alignment system for aligning the wafer with respect to the reticle, on the basis of the image taking through said image pickup device.

25. A device manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

detecting information related to a shape of a resist on a mark formed on a wafer;

producing a wavefront on the basis of the shape information, wherein the wavefront is produced so that a plane wave is provided after it is transmitted through the resist;

illuminating the mark with the produced wavefront;

taking an image of the illuminated mark;

aligning the wafer with respect to the reticle, on the basis of the image taking;

printing, through projection exposure, a pattern of the reticle onto the wafer having been aligned with respect to the reticle; and

developing the resist of the exposed wafer, wherein devices can be produced from the developed wafer.