Position measuring system for use in lithographic apparatus

• US 6,894,261 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2000
• Issued: 05/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Ariens, Andreas B G., Loopstra, Erik R., Castenmiller, Thomas J. M., Kwan, YimBun P., Hoeks, Martinus H. H., Vogelsang, Patrick D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruce, David V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Allen C.
• Application Number:
  US09/739,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/548, 250/559.29, 250/559.3, 250/559.39, 250/559.4, 356/400, 356/401, 355/53
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70716 Stages
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7015 Reference, i.e. alignment of original or workpiece with respect to a reference not on the original or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7049 Technique, e.g. interferometric

Abstract

A position measuring apparatus includes a radiation source mounted on an isolated reference frame and a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted adjacent the radiation source. The object whose position is to be detected has a retro-reflector mounted on it so as to reflect light emitted from the radiation source along a return path that is parallel to but displaced from the incident light path. The amount of displacement is dependent on the position of the object and is measured by the two-dimensional detector. Three such apparatus can be combined in a system to measure the position of the object in all six degrees of freedom.

Claims

1. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection beam illumination system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a first object table for holding a protection beam patterning device which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a second object table for holding a substrate; and

a projection system which images the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a reference frame; and

a position measuring device comprising;

a radiation source mounted on said reference frame;

a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted in a fixed position on said reference frame; and

a mirroring device mounted on one of said object tables that is moveable relative to said reference frame so as to reflect radiation emitted by said radiation source toward said radiation detector, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector are mounted to the reference frame so that a radiation beam from the radiation source is incident at a predetermined angle relative to the movable object table and the predetermined angle is 45°

.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radiation source is a source of collimated radiation.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radiation source is a source of monochromatic radiation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said mirroring device is a retro-reflector.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said retro-reflector comprises a trapezoid form of a material transparent to said radiation and having three mutually perpendicular surfaces meeting at a corner, said three surfaces being provided with a reflective coating.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said retro-reflector comprises a convergent lens and a reflective surface, said reflective surface being spaced a distance from said lens equal to the focal length of said lens.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radiation source comprises a light source mountable away from the reference frame, beam directing optics mountable on said reference frame and an optical fiber to couple said fight source to said beam directing optics.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said radiation source comprises one of a laser diode and an LED as a light source.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said two-dimensional position detector is a two-dimensional PSD, or a CCD camera, or a four quadrant photo-detector.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 comprising three position measuring devices as therein defined.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mirroring device is configured to reflect the radiation onto a return path parallel to and displaced from an incident path.

12. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection beam illumination system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a first object table for holding a protection beam patterning device which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a second object table for holding a substrate; and

a projection system which images the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a reference frame; and

a position measuring device comprising;

a radiation source mounted on said reference frame;

a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted in a fixed position on said reference frame;

a mirroring device mounted on one of said object tables that is moveable relative to said reference frame so as to reflect radiation emitted by said radiation source toward said radiation detector; and

an incremental position sensing device to detect a position of said moveable object table in a detection range wider than that of said position measuring device and a combiner, which combines output signals from said incremental position sensing device and said position measuring device to determine an absolute position of said object table in said detection range.

13. A method of manufacturing a device comprising:

providing a substrate provided with a radiation-sensitive layer to an object table;

providing a projection beam of radiation using an illumination system;

patterning the projection beam to form a pattern in its cross section; and

projecting the patterned beam onto said target portions of said substrate;

determining a reference position of said object table relative to a reference frame by;

emitting radiation from a radiation source mounted on said reference frame toward a mirroring device mounted on said object table;

reflecting the radiation; and

detecting the reflected radiation in a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted in a fixed position on said reference frame, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector are mounted to the reference frame so that a radiation beam from the radiation source is incident at a predetermined angle relative to the object table and the predetermined angle is 45°

.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising:

determining an absolute position of said object table by measuring movements thereof relative to said reference position using an incremental position sensing system.

15. A device manufactured according to the method of claim 13.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein reflecting the radiation includes reflecting the radiation onto a return path that is parallel to and displaced from an incident path.

17. A position measuring device comprising:

a radiation source mounted on a reference frame;

a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted in a fixed position on said reference frame; and

a mirroring device mounted on an object that is moveable relative to said reference frame so as to reflect radiation emitted by said radiation source toward said radiation detector, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector are mounted to the reference frame so that a radiation beam from the radiation source is incident at a predetermined angle relative to the object table and the predetermined angle is 45°

.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the mirroring device is configured to reflect the radiation onto a return path parallel to and displaced from an incident path.

19. A method of determining a reference position of a moveable object table comprising:

emitting radiation from a radiation source mounted on a reference frame toward a mirroring device mounted on said moveable object table;

reflecting the radiation by said mirroring device; and

detecting the reflected radiation in a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted on a fixed position on said reference frame, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector are mounted to the reference frame so that a radiation beam from the radiation surface is incident at a predetermined angle relative to the object table and the predetermined angle is 45°

.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein reflecting the radiation includes reflecting the radiation onto a return path that is parallel to and displaced from an incident path.

21. A lithographic projection apparatus comprising:

a projection beam illumination system which supplies a projection beam of radiation;

a first object table for holding a projection beam patterning device which patterns the projection beam according to a desired pattern;

a second object table for holding a substrate; and

a projection system which images the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

a reference frame; and

a position system including three position measuring devices, each position measuring device comprising;

a radiation source mounted on said reference frame;

a two-dimensional radiation detector mounted in a fixed position on said reference frame; and

a mirroring device mounted on one of said object tables that is moveable relative to said reference frame so as to reflect radiation emitted by said radiation source toward said radiation detector, wherein the three position measuring devices are arranged non-parallel to each other, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector are mounted to the reference frame so that a radiation beam from the radiation source is incident at a predetermined angle relative to the movable object table and the predetermined angle is 45°

.

22. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the radiation source and the two-dimensional radiation detector of each position measuring device are adjacent to one another.

23. Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the mirroring device is configured to reflect the radiation onto a return path parallel to and displaced from an incident path.