Lithographic apparatus and device manufacturing method

• US 7,385,675 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2004
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Original Assignee: ASML Netherlands BV (ASML Holding NV)
• Inventors: Burghoom, Jacobus, de Jager, Pieter Willem Herman, Gui, Cheng-Qun, Van Leeuwen, Robbert Edgar, George, Richard Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): MATHEWS, ALAN A
• Application Number:
  US10/853,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20050007572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 355/53, 355/67, 355/52, 355/55, 355/72, 355/77, 356/401
• US Class Current: 355/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/53 Automatic registration or positioning of originals with respect to each other or the photosensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70791 Large workpieces, e.g. glass substrates for flat panel displays or solar panels
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7003 Alignment type or strategy, e.g. leveling, global alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus in which alignment marks on the substrate are inspected during the exposure of the substrate to optimize the exposure conditions.

Claims

1. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system for supplying a beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate, the patterning device and the projection system being arranged to expose the full width of the substrate, such that the substrate is inspected and exposed in a single pass of the substrate relative to the apparatus;

a detector configured to detect functional features formed on the substrate from previous patterns for a plurality of portions of the substrate across a full width of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, the detector configured to generate information therefrom; and

a controller configured to adjust at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to the information from the detector.

2. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to determine an orientation of the substrate.

3. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detector is configured to determine the orientation of the substrate in at least a first degree of rotational freedom and a second degree of rotational freedom.

4. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 3, wherein the detector is configured to determine the orientation by inspecting alignment marks formed on the substrate.

5. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system for supplying a beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;

a detector configured to determine an orientation of the substrate in at least two degrees of freedom while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, the detector configured to generate information therefrom; and

a controller configured to adjust at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to the information from the detector.

6. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 5, wherein the detector is configured to determine the orientation by inspecting alignment marks formed on the substrate.

7. A lithographic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system for supplying a beam of radiation;

a patterning device that patterns the beam;

a projection system for projecting the patterned beam onto a target portion of a substrate;

a detector configured to detect functional features formed on the substrate from previous patterns for a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate, the detector configured to generate information therefrom; and

a controller configured to adjust at least one of a magnification of a pattern projected onto the substrate, a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to the information from the detector.

8. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the detector is configured to determine, from inspecting the portion of the substrate, a position of the portion of the substrate relative to the detector in one or more directions.

9. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein a position of the detector relative to the projection system is substantially fixed and is known.

10. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a position sensor that monitors a position of the detector relative to the projection system.

11. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a positioning device configured to position the substrate relative to the projection system and the detector to consecutively expose different areas of the substrate, wherein the detector is arranged to inspect a given area of the substrate before the given area is exposed.

12. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the substrate is moved at a substantially constant velocity relative to the projection system and the detector throughout a sequence of a plurality of exposures or during an exposure.

13. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by at least one of physically moving the projection system, the patterning device, and the substrate and by adjusting a timing of an exposure.

14. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein said patterning device comprises an array of individually controllable elements.

15. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 14, wherein the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by at least one of adjusting a timing of the pattern being set on the array of individually controllable elements and electronically adjusting the position of the pattern set on the array of individually controllable elements.

16. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 14, wherein the magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate is adjusted by electronically adjusting a pattern set on the array of individually controllable elements.

17. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the patterning device comprises:

a plurality of arrays of individually controllable elements spaced apart from one another;

wherein

the controller independently adjusts at least one of the position of the pattern projected onto the substrate, the magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and the focus image plane corresponding to at least one of the arrays of individually controllable elements.

18. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detector has a plurality of sensors for substantially simultaneously inspecting a plurality of portions of the substrate that are set apart from one another.

19. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to inspect alignment marks on the substrate.

20. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to determine an orientation of the substrate.

21. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 20, wherein the detector is configured to determine the orientation of the substrate in at least a first degree of rotational freedom and a second degree of rotational freedom.

22. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 21, wherein the detector is configured to determine the orientation by inspecting alignment marks formed on the substrate.

23. The lithographic projection apparatus of claim 7, wherein the detector is configured to determine an expansion or a contraction of the portion of the substrate relative to a standard scale.

24. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning a projection beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate,

(c) inspecting expansion or contraction of the substrate, as well as functional features formed on the substrate from previous patterns, alignment marks formed on the substrate, or orientation of the substrate for a full width of the substrate while the patterned beam of radiation is projected onto the substrate;

(d) adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information obtained from step (c); and

(e) exposing a full width of the substrate,

wherein steps (c) and (e) are performed during a single pass of the substrate relative to the apparatus.

25. A device manufacturing method comprising:

(a) patterning a beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate;

(c) detecting previously formed functional features on a portion of the substrate while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

(d) adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, a magnification of the pattern projected onto the substrate, and a focus image plane in response to information obtained from step (c).

26. The method of claim 25, wherein further comprising:

determining an orientation of the substrate.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the orientation of the substrate comprises determining the orientation of the substrate in at least a first degree of rotational freedom and a second degree of rotational freedom.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the determining step comprises:

inspecting alignment marks formed on the substrate.

29. A device manufacturing method, comprising:

(a) patterning a beam of radiation;

(b) projecting the patterned beam of radiation onto a target portion of a substrate;

(c) inspecting alignment marks formed on the substrate to determine an orientation of the substrate in at least a first degree and a second degree of rotational freedom while the substrate is in a position for the projection system to project the patterned beam onto the substrate; and

(d) adjusting at least one of a position of a pattern projected onto the substrate relative to the substrate, focus image plane, and a magnification of a pattern projected onto the substrate in response to step (c).