Focusing method, focusing apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

• US 9,557,523 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suda, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Persaud, Deoram
• Application Number:
  US14/293,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0016 Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/28 Systems for automatic generation of focusing signals
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/285 including two or more different focus detection devices, e.g. both an active and a passive focus detecting device
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/32 using active means, e.g. light emitter including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40

Abstract

A target object has an upper surface including a first surface and a second surface located below the first surface. A method of focusing an optical system includes: measuring a surface position of the first surface; measuring a surface position of the second surface; obtaining, based on a measurement results of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the optical system is focused on the first surface; obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement results of the surface positions of the first surface and the second surface; and focusing the optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount.

Claims

1. A method of focusing an optical system on a second surface of a target object having an upper surface including a first surface and the second surface located below the first surface, wherein the target object has a step between the first surface and the second surface, the apparatus comprising:

a first step of projecting oblique incidence light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface;

a second step of projecting oblique incidence light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second incident angle is determined so as to prevent the light reflected by the second surface from being reflected by the step between the first surface and the second surface;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface; and

a fifth step of focusing the optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a sixth step of, after executing the first step and the third step, moving the target object in the first direction to focus the optical system on the first surface based on the in-focus condition obtained in the third step,

wherein while a position, in the first direction, of the target object which satisfies the in-focus condition is held in the sixth step, the second step is executed and then the fourth step is executed, and

in the fifth step, the target object which satisfies the in-focus condition is moved by only the step amount in the first direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first surface is set to surround the second surface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

, and the second angle is not larger than 15°

.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first oblique incidence surface position measurement device configured to measure the surface position of the first surface includes a light projecting unit configured to project light to the first surface, and a light receiving unit configured to receive light reflected by the first surface, the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are positioned on opposite sides with respect to the optical system in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a second oblique incidence surface position measurement device configured to measure the surface position of the second surface is arranged at a position shifted from the optical axis of the optical system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target object has a step between the first surface and the second surface and the second angle is determined so as to prevent the projecting light at the second incident angle from being reflected by the step between the first surface and the second surface.

7. An apparatus for focusing an optical system on a second surface of a target object having an upper surface including a first surface and the second surface located below the first surface, wherein the target object has a step between the first surface and the second surface, the apparatus comprising:

a first oblique incidence surface position measurement device configured to project light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system, and receive the light reflected by the first surface, thereby measuring a surface position of the first surface;

a second oblique incidence surface position measurement device configured to project light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receive the light reflected by the second surface, thereby measuring a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second incident angle is determined so as to prevent the light reflected by the second surface from being reflected by the step between the first surface and the second surface; and

a controller configured to obtain, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the optical system is focused on the first surface, obtain information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface, and focus the optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

, and the second angle is not larger than 15°

.

9. A method of projecting a pattern of a mask to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate via a projection optical system to expose the substrate,

each of the plurality of shot regions having an upper surface including a first surface and a second surface located below the first surface, wherein each of the plurality of shot regions has a step between the first surface and the second surface, the method comprising:

a first step of projecting oblique incidence light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface;

a second step of projecting oblique incidence light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second incident angle is determined so as to prevent the light reflected by the second surface from being reflected by the step between the first surface and the second surface;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the projection optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface;

a fifth step of focusing the projection optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount; and

a sixth step of exposing the second surface of the target shot region on which the projection optical system is focused in the fifth step.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in the third step, the surface positions of the second surfaces of a portion of shot regions out of the plurality of shot regions are measured, and in the fourth step, a step amount of the second surface of the target shot region is estimated using measurement results of the surface positions of the second surfaces of the portion of shot regions.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein

alignment marks are arranged in regions where the second surfaces of a portion of shot regions out of the plurality of shot regions exist, and

the step of focusing the projection optical system on the second surface of the target shot region includes a step of measuring the alignment marks and obtaining information about an array of the shot regions based on measurement results of the alignment marks.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

, and the second angle is not larger than 15°

.

13. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

an exposure step of projecting a pattern of a mask to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate via a projection optical system to expose the substrate;

a step of developing the exposed substrate; and

a step of processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device,

wherein each of the plurality of shot regions has an upper surface including a first surface and a second surface located below the first surface,

wherein each of the plurality of shot regions has a step between the first surface and the second surface, and

wherein the exposure step includes;

a first step of projecting oblique incidence light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface;

a second step of projecting oblique incidence light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second incident angle is determined so as to prevent the light reflected by the second surface from being reflected by the step between the first surface and the second surface;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the projection optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface;

a fifth step of focusing the projection optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount; and

a sixth step of exposing the second surface of the target shot region on which the projection optical system is focused in the fifth step.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

, and the second angle is not larger than 15°

.

15. A method of focusing an optical system on a second surface of a target object having an upper surface including a first surface and the second surface located below the first surface, comprising:

a first step of projecting light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

;

a second step of projecting light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second angle is not larger than 15°

;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface; and

a fifth step of focusing the optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount.

16. An apparatus for focusing an optical system on a second surface of a target object having an upper surface including a first surface and the second surface located below the first surface, comprising:

a first measurement device configured to project light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the optical system, and receive the light reflected by the first surface, thereby measuring a surface position of the first surface, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

;

a second measurement device configured to project light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receive the light reflected by the second surface, thereby measuring a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second angle is not larger than 15°

; and

a controller configured to obtain, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the optical system is focused on the first surface, obtain information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface, and focus the optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount.

17. A method of projecting a pattern of a mask to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate via a projection optical system to expose the substrate,

each of the plurality of shot regions having an upper surface including a first surface and a second surface located below the first surface,

the method comprising:

a first step of projecting light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

;

a second step of projecting light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second angle is not larger than 15°

;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the projection optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface;

a fifth step of focusing the projection optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount; and

a sixth step of exposing the second surface of the target shot region on which the projection optical system is focused in the fifth step.

18. A method of manufacturing a device, the method comprising:

an exposure step of projecting a pattern of a mask to each of a plurality of shot regions on a substrate via a projection optical system to expose the substrate;

a step of developing the exposed substrate; and

a step of processing the developed substrate to manufacture the device,

wherein each of the plurality of shot regions has an upper surface including a first surface and a second surface located below the first surface,

wherein the exposure step includes;

a first step of projecting light to the first surface at a first incident angle which forms a first angle with respect to a first direction parallel to an optical axis of the projection optical system, and receiving the light reflected by the first surface to measure a surface position of the first surface, wherein the first angle is not smaller than 70°

;

a second step of projecting light to the second surface at a second incident angle which forms a second angle smaller than the first angle with respect to the first direction, and receiving the light reflected by the second surface to measure a surface position of the second surface, wherein the second angle is not larger than 15°

;

a third step of obtaining, based on a measurement result of the surface position of the first surface, an in-focus condition in which the projection optical system is focused on the first surface;

a fourth step of obtaining information about a step amount between the first surface and the second surface based on the measurement result of the surface position of the first surface and a measurement result of the surface position of the second surface;

a fifth step of focusing the projection optical system on the second surface based on the in-focus condition and the information about the step amount; and

a sixth step of exposing the second surface of the target shot region on which the projection optical system is focused in the fifth step.