Exposure method and apparatus

• US 6,552,775 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2000
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Katsume, Tomohiro, Yanagihara, Masamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Khaled
• Application Number:
  US09/718,373
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 355/35, 355/55, 355/67, 355/70, 355/77, 250/492.2, 250/492.22, 430/311, 430/312, 430/314
• US Class Current: 355/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70225 Optical aspects of catadioptric systems, i.e. comprising reflective and refractive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70258 Projection system adjustments, e.g. adjustments during exposure or alignment during assembly of projection system
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70358 Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7003 Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment

Abstract

An exposure apparatus and a method which make it possible to enhance the fineness of pattern in spite of the trend to enlarge the size of the photosensitive substrate and device. In this apparatus, a mask and the photosensitive substrate are allowed to synchronously scan, and the optical projecting system thereof is provided with a scanning direction adjusting means which is designed to adjust the position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate, wherein a non-linear component of error is determined in advance and the result thus determined is stored as a correction value for the apparatus, thereby enabling the pattern exposure to be performed while continuously controlling the image-adjusting mechanism on the basis of the correction value.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of mask onto a substrate through an optical projecting system while synchronously scanning a mask having the pattern and the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction;

wherein the optical projecting system includes a scanning direction adjusting configured to adjust a position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate;

wherein one of the Dyson type optical systems includes an optical magnification adjustment system disposed at a midway of optical path formed between the reflecting prism and the lens.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the scanning direction adjuster adjusts the position of the projected image in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

2. An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of mask onto a substrate through an optical projecting system while synchronously scanning a mask having the pattern and the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction;

wherein the optical projecting system includes a scanning direction adjuster configured to adjust a position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate;

wherein the optical projecting system includes a plurality of optical projecting system modules disposed along a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

wherein the scanning direction adjuster adjusts the position of a projected image in the scanning direction of each of the plurality of optical projecting system modules.

3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein patterning exposure against the substrate is performed by allowing a portion of images projected by the plurality of optical projecting system modules to be overlapped with each other.

4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the scanning direction adjuster adjusts the position of the projected image in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the scanning direction adjuster adjusts the position of the projected image in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the scanning direction adjuster includes at least one of a magnification adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a magnification of the optical projecting system and an image rotation mechanism configured to rotate a projected image produced through the optical projecting system.

18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the scanning direction adjuster is provided with a magnification adjustment mechanism for performing the adjustment of magnification of the optical projecting system and/or an image rotation mechanism for rotating a projected image produced through the optical projecting system.

19. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the scanning direction adjuster includes at least one of a magnification adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a magnification of the optical projecting system and an image rotation mechanism configured to rotate a projected image produced through the optical projecting system.

5. An exposure apparatus for projecting a pattern of mask onto a substrate through an optical projecting system while synchronously scanning a mask having the pattern and the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction;

wherein the optical projecting system includes a scanning direction adjuster configured to adjust the position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate;

wherein the scanning direction adjuster includes at least one of a magnification adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a magnification of the optical projecting system and an image rotation mechanism configured to rotate a projected image produced through the optical projecting system; and

wherein the optical projecting system includes a combination of a pair of a Dyson type optical systems each system including a reflecting prism, a driving member for driving the reflecting prism, lens and a concave mirror.

20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the scanning direction adjuster adjusts the position of the projected image in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

6. An exposure method for projecting a pattern of mask onto a substrate through an optical projecting system while synchronously scanning a mask having the pattern and the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction, the method comprising:

adjusting a position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate by the optical projecting system;

wherein the optical projecting system includes a plurality of optical projecting system modules disposed along a direction intersecting the scanning direction; and

wherein the adjustment of position of scanning direction is performed by adjusting the position of a projected image in the scanning direction of each of the plurality of optical projecting system modules.

7. The exposure method according to claim 6, wherein patterning exposure against the substrate is performed by allowing a portion of images projected by the plurality of optical projecting system modules to be overlapped with each other.

8. The exposure method according to claim 7, wherein the adjustment in position of scanning direction is performed in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

10. The exposure method according to claim 6, wherein the adjustment in position of scanning direction is performed in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

11. The exposure method according to claim 6, further comprising:

performing at least one of adjusting a magnification of the optical projecting system and rotating an image projected through the optical projecting system.

12. The exposure method according to claim 7, further comprising:

performing at least one of adjusting a magnification of the optical projecting system and rotating an image projected through the optical projecting system.

13. The exposure method according to claim 8, further comprising:

performing at least one of adjusting a magnification of the optical projecting system and rotating an image projected through the optical projecting system.

14. The exposure method according to claim 10, further comprising:

performing at least one of adjusting a magnification of the optical projecting system and rotating an image projected through the optical projecting system.

21. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the scanning direction adjuster includes a storage unit configured to store a correction amount for the amount of deformation of the configuration of a photosensitive substrate which is measured in advance, and

wherein the scanning direction adjuster continuously adjusts the position of the projected image during the scanning on the basis of the correction amount.

9. An exposure method for projecting a pattern of mask onto a substrate through an optical projecting system while synchronously scanning a mask having the pattern and the substrate in a predetermined scanning direction, the method comprising:

adjusting a position of scanning direciton of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate; and

performing at least one of adjusting a magnification of the optical projecting system and rotating an image projected through the optical projecting system,

wherein the optical projecting system includes a scanning direction adjuster configured to adjust a position of scanning direction of a projected image to be projected onto the substrate; and

wherein the optical projecting system includes a combination of a pair of Dyson type optical system each system including a reflecting prism, a driving member for driving the reflecting prism, lens and a concave mirror.

22. The exposure method according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment in position of scanning direciton is performed in accordance with changes in configuration of the substrate.

23. The exposure method according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment in position of scanning direction is carried out by measuring the configuration of the substrate, storing a correction amount for the amount of deformation of the measured configuration of the substrate, and continuously adjusting the position during the scanning on the basis of the correction amount.