Position measurement apparatus and method and pattern forming apparatus and writing method

• US 7,640,142 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NuFlare Technology, Inc. (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Mita, Makoto, Yasui, Kazumichi, Okuya, Tsugiyuki, Nakaso, Kiyoshi, Hattori, Kiyoshi, Tachikawa, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui; Bryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): TEIXEIRA MOFFAT, JONATHAN CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US11/492,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20070024864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 702/195, 702/197
• US Class Current: 702/197
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 9/7092 Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/31793 Problems associated with lithography
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3174 Particle-beam lithography, e.g. electron beam lithography

Abstract

A position measurement apparatus includes a movable stage structure, a measurement unit using a laser to measure a moved position of the stage and to output a corresponding measured value, a first filter configured to attenuate a first component of a certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by the measurement unit, a second filter connected in parallel with the first filter configured to attenuate a second component other than the certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by the measurement unit, a third filter connected in series to the second filter with the series connection of the second and third filters connected in parallel with the first filter, configured to attenuate the first component of the certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by the measurement unit, and a processing unit configured to combine an output of the first filter and an output of the series connection of the second and third filters and to thereby output a first combined value.

Claims

1. A position measurement apparatus comprising:

a movable stage structure;

a measurement unit using a laser to measure a moved position of the stage and to output a corresponding measured value;

a first filter configured to attenuate a first component of a certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit;

a second filter connected in parallel with said first filter configured to attenuate a second component other than the certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit;

a third filter connected in series to said second filter with the series connection of said second and third filters connected in parallel with the first filter, configured to attenuate the first component of said certain frequency region of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit; and

a processing unit configured to combine an output of said first filter and an output of the series connection of the second and third filters and to thereby output a first combined value,

wherein transfer function of the first filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₁·

S) using a time constant τ

₁ and a Laplace operator S, transfer function of the second filter is given by τ

₂·

S/(1+τ

·

S) using a time constant τ

₂ and the Laplace operator S, and transfer function of the third filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₃·

S) using a time constant τ

₃ and the Laplace operator S.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first filter is a low-pass filter and wherein said second filter is a high-pass filter and said third filter is a low-pass filter.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stage is configured to be driven to move at a constant speed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth filter connected in series to said second filter and in parallel with said third filter configured to attenuate the second component of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit;

a fifth filter coupled in series to said fourth filter with the series connection of said fourth and fifth filters connected in parallel with the third filter, configured to attenuate the first component of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit; and

said processing unit configured to further combine an output of the series connection of fourth and fifth filters with the first combined value and to thereby output a second combined value.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first and third filters are low-pass filters, said second filter is a high-pass filter, said fourth filter is a high-pass filter, and said fifth filter is a low-pass filter.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said stage is configured to be driven to move at a varying speed with constant acceleration.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a sixth filter connected in series to said fourth filter and in parallel with said fifth filter configured to attenuate the second component of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit;

a seventh filter coupled in series to said sixth filter with the series connection of said sixth and seventh filters connected in parallel with the fifth filter, configured to attenuate the first component of the measured value outputted by said measurement unit; and

said processing unit further combining an output of the series connection of sixth and seventh filters and the second combined value and to thereby output a third combined value.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said stage is configured to be driven to move with variable acceleration.

9. A pattern forming apparatus comprising:

a movable stage supporting thereon a workpiece;

a measurement unit configured to measure a moved position of said stage by use of a laser and to output a corresponding measured value;

a low-pass filter for causing the measured value outputted by said measurement unit to pass therethrough while being set at a prespecified cut-off frequency;

a first matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter, each having a cut-off frequency being set equal to the prespecified cut-off frequency, for causing the measured value outputted by said measurement unit to pass therethrough; and

a pattern writing unit responsive to receipt of a first combined value of an output of said low-pass filter and an output of said first matched pair comprising the low-pass and the high-pass filter, for writing a pattern on the workpiece at a desired position thereof,

wherein transfer function of the low-pass filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₁·

S) using a time constant τ

₁ and a Laplace operator S, transfer function of the high-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by τ

₂·

S/(1+τ

₂·

S) using a time constant τ

₂ and the Laplace operator S, and transfer function of the low-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by 1/(1+τ

₃·

S) using a time constant τ

₃ and the Laplace operator S.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said pattern writing unit is configured to irradiate a charged particle beam onto said workpiece while deflecting the beam based on said combined value.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said stage is configured to be driven to move at a constant speed.

12. The apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a second matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency being set equal to said predefined cut-off frequency, for causing the measured value which has passed through the high-pass filter of said first matched pair; and

said pattern writing unit being responsive to receipt of a second combined value of the first combined value and an output of the second matched pair comprising the low-pass and the high-pass filter, for writing a pattern on said workpiece at a desired position.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said stage is configured to driven to move at varying velocity with constant acceleration.

14. A position measurement method comprising:

measuring a moved position of a stage by using a laser;

removing a nonlinear error component from a measured value by use of a low-pass filter being set to a predefined cutoff frequency; and

correcting, by using a first matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency being set equal to said predefined cutoff frequency, a phase delay occurred in said measured value due to the use of said low-pass filter upon removal of the nonlinear error component,

wherein transfer function of the low-pass filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₁·

S) using a time constant τ

₁ and a Laplace operator S, transfer function of the high-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by τ

₂·

S/(1+τ

₂·

S) using a time constant τ

₂ and the Laplace operator S, and transfer function of the low-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by 1/(1+τ

₃·

S) using a time constant τ

₃ and the Laplace operator S.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said measuring includes measuring a moved position of said stage when said stage is in motion with fixed velocity.

16. A position measurement method comprising:

measuring a moved position of a stage by using a laser;

removing a nonlinear error component from a measured value by use of a low-pass filter being set to a predefined cutoff frequency; and

correcting occurrence of a velocity-proportional position deviation against said measured value by using a first matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency identical to said predefined cutoff frequency,

wherein transfer function of the low-pass filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₁·

S) using a time constant τ

₁ and a Laplace operator S, transfer function of the high-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by τ

₂·

S/(1+τ

₂·

S) using a time constant Ε

₂ and the Laplace operator S, and transfer function of the low-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by 1/(1+τ

₃·

S) using a time constant t3 and the Laplace operator S.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

correcting occurrence of an acceleration-proportional position deviation against said measured value by use of a second matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency identical to said predefined cutoff frequency.

18. A writing method comprising:

measuring a moved position of a stage by using a laser;

removing a nonlinear error component from a measured value by use of a low-pass filter being set to a predetermined cutoff frequency; and

correcting, by using a first matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency identical to said predetermined cutoff frequency, occurrence of a velocity-proportional position variation with respect to said measured value; and

writing a pattern on said workpiece at a desired position in response to receipt of a first combined value of an output of said low-pass filter and an output of said first matched pair comprising the low-pass and the high-pass filter,

wherein transfer function of the low-pass filter is given by 1/(1+τ

₁·

S) using a time constant τ

₁ and a Laplace operator S, transfer function of the high-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by τ

₂·

S/(1+τ

₂·

S) using a time constant τ

₂ and the Laplace operator S, and transfer function of the low-pass filter of the first matched pair is given by 1/(1+τ

₃·

S) using a time constant τ

₃ and the Laplace operator S.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

correcting, by using a second matched pair comprising a low-pass and a high-pass filter each having a cutoff frequency identical to said predetermined cutoff frequency, occurrence of an acceleration-proportional position variation with respect to said measured value; and

writing a pattern on said workpiece at a desired position in response to receipt of a second combined value of the first combined value and an output of said second matched pair comprising the low-pass and the high-pass filter.