Scanning exposure apparatus

• US 6,992,751 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hagiwara, Tsuneyuki, Okita, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLEDGE, DELLA J
• Application Number:
  US10/351,721
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/55, 355/67, 355/77, 356/399, 356/400, 250/548, 250/559.2, 430/22
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70358 Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70691 Handling of masks or workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7011 Pre-exposure scan; original with original holder alignment; Prealignment, i.e. workpiece with workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing

Abstract

A scanning exposure apparatus which promptly analyzes a cause for a variation in exposure line width. The scanning exposure apparatus includes a mask stage on which a mask is placed, a wafer stage on which a wafer is placed, a focusing mechanism which detects surface position information of the wafer and adjustment means which adjusts the surface position of the wafer. Control means acquires pose information of the wafer adjusted by the adjustment means at the time of exposure and stores the pose information in a memory in association with preacquired surface shape information of an exposure area. A state in which the exposed surface of the wafer has been exposed with respect to exposure light is known from the pose information and the surface shape information.

Claims

1. A management apparatus for managing a line width of a pattern formed by an exposure process in a shot area on a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device for storing a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

a prediction device for predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate at a plurality of positions in the shot area on the basis of the stored relationship and information of the coincidence condition detected in the exposure process.

2. The management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the target position is a position of an image surface of a projection optical system which projects the pattern on the substrate.

3. The management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure process is performed by synchronously moving the substrate with a mask on which a circuit pattern is formed, and wherein the predetermined operating condition includes a synchronous error between the substrate and the mask in the exposure process.

4. The management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the line width condition includes variation of a line width of the pattern formed in the shot area relative to a designed line width.

5. The management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the prediction device stops the exposure process or generates warning when the variation is equal or greater than a predetermined value.

6. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying distribution of the predicted line width condition in the shot area in the form of three-dimensional graph, contour graph, or numerical table.

7. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying a distribution of the predicted line width condition in the shot area in the form of a three-dimensional graph.

8. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying a distribution of the predicted line width condition in the shot area in the form of a contour graph.

9. The management apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display device for displaying a distribution of the predicted line width condition in the shot area in the form of a numerical table.

10. An exposure apparatus for forming a pattern in a shot area on a substrate by exposing the substrate using a mask on which a circuit pattern is formed, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a management apparatus for managing a line width of the pattern formed in the shot area, the management apparatus including;

a storage device for storing a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

a prediction device for predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate at a plurality of portions in the shot area on the basis of the stored relationship and information of the coincidence condition detected in the exposure process.

11. A managing method for managing a line width of a pattern formed by an exposure process in a shot area on a substrate, the method comprising:

previously obtaining a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate at a plurality of portions in the shot area on the basis of the stored relationship and information of the coincidence condition detected in the exposure process.

12. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a pattern in a shot area on a substrate by an exposure process, wherein the forming includes;

previously obtaining a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate at a plurality of portions in the shot area on the basis of the stored relationship and information of the coincidence condition detected in the exposure process on the substrate.

13. A management apparatus for managing a line width of a pattern formed by an exposure process in a shot area on a substrate on the substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a storage device which stores a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

a prediction device which predicts a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate at a plurality of positions in the shot area on the basis of the stored relationship and information of the coincidence condition detected in the exposure process.

14. A management apparatus for managing a line width of a pattern formed on a substrate using an exposure apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a processor coupled to a detector, wherein the detector detects a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position, and wherein the processor acquires information of the coincidence condition from the detector;

a storage device coupled to the processor, for storing a relationship between the coincidence condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

a prediction device coupled to the processor, for predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate on the basis of the information of the coincidence condition acquired by the processor and the relationship stored in the storage device.

15. The management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the detector is provided in the exposure apparatus and detects positional information of an exposure surface of the substrate, and wherein the target position is a position of an image surface of a projection optical system which projects the pattern on the substrate.

16. The management apparatus according to claim 15, the target position includes a focus position of the exposure surface of the substrate, which coincides with the image surface of the projection optical system, and an inclination angle at which the image surface and the exposure surface of the substrate become parallel to each other.

17. The management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the coincidence condition is a focus condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position.

18. The management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the storage device stores the coincidence condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position in association with preacquired surface shape information.

19. The management apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the line width condition includes variation of a line width of the pattern formed on the substrate relative to a designed line width.

20. The management apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the prediction device warns when the variation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

21. The management apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the prediction device provides a signal to a main control system of the exposure apparatus to stop an exposure process when the variation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

22. The management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the exposure apparatus is a scan type exposure apparatus that moves a mask on which the pattern is formed and the substrate in a synchronous manner.

23. The management apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a display device for displaying a distribution of the predicted line width condition in the form of one selected from a group comprising a three-dimensional graph, a contour graph, and a numerical value.

24. An exposure apparatus for transferring a pattern on a substrate by using an exposure apparatus, the exposure apparatus comprising:

a management apparatus for managing a line width of the pattern, the management apparatus including;

a processor coupled to a detector, wherein the detector detects a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position, and wherein the processor acquires information of the coincidence condition from the detector;

a storage device coupled to the processor, for storing a relationship between the coincidence condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate; and

a prediction device coupled to the processor, for predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate on the basis of the information of the coincidence condition acquired by the processor and the relationship stored in the storage device.

25. A managing method for managing a line width of a pattern formed on a substrate using an exposure apparatus, the method comprising:

storing a relationship between a coincidence condition of a surface of the substrate relative to a target position and a line width condition of the pattern formed on the substrate;

acquiring information of the coincidence condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position; and

predicting a line width condition of a pattern to be formed on the substrate on the basis of the stored relationship and acquired information of the coincidence condition.

26. The managing method according to claim 25, wherein the target position is a position of an image surface of a projection optical system which projects the pattern on the substrate.

27. The managing method according to claim 25, the target position includes a focus position of the exposure surface of the substrate, which coincides with the image surface of the projection optical system, and an inclination angle at which the image surface and the exposure surface of the substrate become parallel to each other.

28. The managing method according to claim 25, wherein the coincidence condition is a focus condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position.

29. The managing method according to claim 28, wherein said storing includes storing the coincidence condition of the surface of the substrate relative to the target position in association with preacquired surface shape information.

30. The managing method according to claim 25, wherein the line width condition includes variation of a line width of the pattern formed on the substrate relative to a designed line width.

31. The managing method according to claim 30, further comprising warning when the variation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

32. The managing method according to claim 30, further comprising providing a signal to a main control system of the exposure apparatus to stop an exposure process when the variation is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.