ALIGNMENT SYSTEM FOR LITHOGRAPHIC APPARATUS USING AT LEAST TWO WAVELENGTHS

• Main Authors: HUBERTUS JOHANNES GERTRUDUS SIMONS, NAVARRO Y KOREN RAMON, JUENINK ANDRE BERNARDUS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 07.10.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; MEASURING; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS; MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEARDIMENSIONS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TESTING

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an alignment system for a lithographic apparatus in which alignment accuracy and/or durability is improved. SOLUTION: The alignment system for the lithographic apparatus comprises a supply source of alignment radiation of a first wavelength and a second wavelength, a first wavelength channel arranged to receive alignment radiation from an alignment mark at the first wavelength and a second wavelength channel arranged to receive alignment radiation from the alignment mark at the second wavelength, and a position determining unit in communication with a detection system. The position determining unit processes information from the first wavelength channel, information from the second wavelength channel or combined information from the first and second wavelength channels, to determine a position of the alignment mark of a first object relative to a reference position on a second object based on the combined information. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI