Exposure apparatus and exposure method

• US 7,426,016 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Noda, Kenji, Kitahara, Hidekazu, Tanaka, Seiji, Takada, Noritoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/984,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 355/30, 355/52, 355/53, 355/55, 355/67, 355/77, 250/548, 356/237.2, 356399-401
• US Class Current: 355/53
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/32 Projection printing apparatus, e.g. enlarger, copying camera
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7026 Focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7034 Leveling

Abstract

According to an exposure apparatus and an exposure method in the present invention, based on a focus value and a leveling value in each exposure shot calculated based on measurements by a focus sensor, differential absolute value for respective value are calculated. The differential absolute values for the focus values and leveling vaule are compared with predetermined threshold vaule for the respective differential absolute values. When the differential absolute values exceed the threshold value, it is determined that an exposure abnormality exists. In such case, based at least the number of exposure area where the exposure abnormality is occurred and distribution of the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is occurred on the object to be exposed, a kind of the exposure abnormality is identifed. The detection of the exposure abnormality is assured, and a cause of the abnormality is determined without lowering manufacturing capabilities and increasing in cost.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus measuring a surface position of an object to be exposed mounted on a stage and exposing a surface of the object in a state that the object surface is coincided with a base plane set at a desired position, comprising:

a unit measuring the surface position of the object at least more than two points within an exposure area;

a unit calculating a distance between the base plane and the object surface and a leveling value of the object surface relative to the base plane in a plurality of exposure areas arranged on the object based on a result of the measurement by the measuring unit;

a unit storing the calculated distance and the calculated leveling value in association with position information of the exposure area performed the calculation on the object surface;

a unit determining existence or nonexistence of an exposure abnormality based on the associated information and predetermined abnormal determination criteria; and

a unit identifying a kind of the exposure abnormality, in case that the determining unit determines that the exposure abnormality exists, at least based on the number of the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is occurred and distribution of the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is occurred on the object surface.

2. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a unit displaying the result of the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality determined by the determining unit together with information of the object including the position information of the exposure area on the object surface and information to identify the object.

3. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identifying unit identifies the exposure abnormality as the exposure abnormality caused by foreign material on a rear surface of the object when the exposure abnormality does not exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

4. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identifying unit identifies the exposure abnormality as the exposure abnormality caused by foreign material on a rear surface of the object when the exposure abnormality does not exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

5. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identifying unit identifies the exposure abnormality as the exposure abnormality caused by application of chemical solution applied on the object surface when the exposure abnormalities exist in the exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the identifying unit identifies the exposure abnormality as the exposure abnormality caused by application of chemical solution applied on the object surface when the exposure abnormalities exist in the exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

7. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a unit calculating difference between the calculated value in each exposure area and the calculated value in the exposure area where the surface position is measured immediately before the each exposure area with respect to the distance and the leveling value respectively; and

wherein the determining unit determines the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality by comparing the difference in the distance and the difference in the leveling value with predetermined threshold values for the respective differences.

8. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a unit calculating difference between the calculated value in each exposure area and the calculated value in the exposure area where the surface position is measured immediately before the each exposure area with respect to the distance and the leveling value respectively; and

wherein the determining unit determines the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality by comparing the difference in the distance and the difference in the leveling value with predetermined threshold values for the respective differences.

9. An exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the displaying unit displays by distinguishing areas determined as abnormal with areas determined as normal by the determining unit on a map showing the object surface.

10. An exposure method measuring a surface position of an object to be exposed mounted on a stage and exposing a surface of the object in a state that the object surface is coincided with a base plane set at a desired position, comprising the steps of:

measuring the surface position of the object at least more than two points within an exposure area;

calculating a distance between the base plane and the object surface and a leveling value of the object surface relative to the base plane in a plurality of exposure areas arranged on the object based on a result of the measurement;

associating the calculated distance and the calculated leveling value with position information of the exposure area performed the calculation on the object surface;

determining existence or nonexistence of an exposure abnormality based on the associated information and predetermined abnormal determination criteria; and

identifying a kind of the exposure abnormality, in case that the exposure abnormality is determined as existing, at least based on the number of the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is occurred and distribution of the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is occurred on the object surface.

11. An exposure method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

displaying the determined result of the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality together with information of the object including the position information of the exposure area on the object surface and information to identify the object.

12. An exposure method according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of identifying a kind of the exposure abnormality, the exposure abnormality is identified as the exposure abnormality caused by foreign material on a rear surface of the object when the exposure abnormality does not exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

13. An exposure method according to claim 11, wherein, in the step of identifying a kind of the exposure abnormality, the exposure abnormality is identified as the exposure abnormality caused by foreign material on a rear surface of the object when the exposure abnormality does not exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure area where the exposure abnormality is detected.

14. An exposure method according to claim 10, wherein, in the step of identifying the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality, the exposure abnormality is identified as the exposure abnormality caused by application of chemical solution applied on the object surface when exposure abnormalities exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is detected.

15. An exposure method according to claim 11, wherein, in the step of identifying the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality, the exposure abnormality is identified as the exposure abnormality caused by application of chemical solution applied on the object surface when exposure abnormalities exist in exposure areas adjacent to the exposure areas where the exposure abnormality is detected.

16. An exposure method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

calculating difference between the calculated value in each exposure area and the calculated value in the exposure area where the surface position is measured immediately before the each exposure area with respect to the distance and the leveling value respectively; and

wherein the determination of the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality is performed by comparing the difference in the distance and the difference in the leveling value with predetermined threshold values for the respective differences.

17. An exposure method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

calculating difference between the calculated value in each exposure area and the calculated value in the exposure area where the surface position is measured immediately before the each exposure area with respect to the distance and the leveling value respectively; and

wherein the determination of the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality is performed by comparing the difference in the distance and the difference in the leveling value with predetermined threshold values for the respective differences.

18. An exposure method according to claim 11, wherein a result of the existence or the nonexistence of the exposure abnormality is displayed by distinguishing areas determined as abnormal with areas determined as normal on a map showing the object surface.

19. An exposure method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of;

when being determined that the exposure abnormality exists in the step of determining the existence or the nonexistent of the exposure abnormality, removing chemical solution applied on the surface of the object which is determined that the exposure abnormality exists; and

re-applying chemical solution on the surface of the object where the chemical solution is removed.

20. An exposure method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of;

when being determined that the exposure abnormality exists in the step of determining the existence or the nonexistent of the exposure abnormality, removing chemical solution applied on the surface of the object which is determined that the exposure abnormality exists; and

re-applying chemical solution on the surface of the object where the chemical solution is removed.

21. An exposure method according to claim 19, wherein, in case that the chemical solution is photoresist, the photoresist is removed from the object which is determined as abnormal by applying thinner used as a solvent for the photoresist.

22. An exposure method according to claim 20, wherein, in case that the chemical solution is photoresist, the photoresist is removed from the object which is determined as abnormal by applying thinner used as a solvent for the photoresist.