US4054386A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for determining mutual positional relationship of plural patterns in a single viewing field
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1976-07-13
•
Granted: 1977-10-18
•
Expires: 1996-07-13
Abstract
Abstract The mutual positional relationship of a first pattern and a second pattern in a single viewing field will be determined. A light beam passing through an objective lens is divided by means of a beam splitter into a first light beam advancing along a first optical path and a second light beam advancing along a second optical path. Said first and second light beams are again united by a beam combiner to form, on an image plane, a first image of said first and second patterns formed by said first light beam passing through said first optical path and a second image of said first and second patterns formed by said second light beam passing through said second optical path. In said first optical path there is provided an adjuster for displacing, in said image plane, the first image of said first and second patterns formed by said first light beam. An adjustment is made with said adjuster so as to bring said first image of patterns formed by said first light beam to a predetermined position with respect to the second image of patterns formed by said second light beam, and the amount of such adjustment is determined by an adjustment detector. Thus the positional mutual relationship of said first and second patterns is determined from the thus detected amount of adjustment.
Inventors
- 👤 Akiyoshi Suzuki
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:37
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F9/00; G03F9/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
261 words
An apparatus for detecting mutual positional relationship of a first pattern and a second pattern present in a single viewing field, comprising: an objective lens of which viewing field contains the first and second patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a beam splitter member provided between said objective lens and an image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the first and second patterns into a first light beam and a second light beam respectively advancing along first and second optical paths; a beam recombiner for reuniting the first and second light beams and thus forming on the image focusing plane a first image of the first and second patterns by the first light beam passing along the first optical path and a second image of the first and second patterns by the second light beam passing along the second optical path; image displacing means provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths for mutually displacing the second image of the first and second patterns formed by the second light beam passing through the second optical path with respect to the first image of the first and second patterns formed by the first light beam passing through the first optical path so as to bring the second image to a position predetermined with respect to the first image; and means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said image displacing means, the mutual positional relationship between the first and second patterns being determinable from the amount of the displacement.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
261 words
An apparatus for detecting mutual positional relationship of a first pattern and a second pattern present in a single viewing field, comprising: an objective lens of which viewing field contains the first and second patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a beam splitter member provided between said objective lens and an image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the first and second patterns into a first light beam and a second light beam respectively advancing along first and second optical paths; a beam recombiner for reuniting the first and second light beams and thus forming on the image focusing plane a first image of the first and second patterns by the first light beam passing along the first optical path and a second image of the first and second patterns by the second light beam passing along the second optical path; image displacing means provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths for mutually displacing the second image of the first and second patterns formed by the second light beam passing through the second optical path with respect to the first image of the first and second patterns formed by the first light beam passing through the first optical path so as to bring the second image to a position predetermined with respect to the first image; and means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said image displacing means, the mutual positional relationship between the first and second patterns being determinable from the amount of the displacement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: a color filter provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second patterns are respectively included in first and second substrates positioned with a certain distance maintained therebetween on the optical axis of said objective lens.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
An apparatus according to claim 3 comprising: optical path length compensating means provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths for compensating the difference in optical path length resulting from the certain distance.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein at least one of said first and second substrates is supported by a supporting mechanism allowed to be displaced in parallel with the other.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said supporting mechanism is driven by a drive mechanism which is controlled by an electric controller generating electric signals in response to the amount of the displacement performed by said image displacing means.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
539 words
An apparatus for detecting mutual positional relationship between a first pattern and a second pattern in a first viewing field and mutual positional relationship between a third pattern and a fourth pattern in a second viewing field, comprising: a first objective lens covering a first viewing field containing the first and second patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a first beam splitting member provided between said first objective lens and a first image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the first and second patterns into a first light beam and a second light beam respectively advancing along first and second optical paths; a first beam recombiner for reuniting the first and second light beams and thus forming on the first image focusing plane a first image of the first and second patterns by the first light beam passing along the first optical path and a second image of the first and second patterns by the second light beam passing along the second optical path; first image displacing means provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths for mutually displacing the second image of the first and second patterns formed by the second light beam passing through the second optical path with respect to the first image of the first and second patterns formed by the first light beam passing through the first optical path so as to bring the second image to a position predetermined with respect to the first image; first detecting means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said first image displacing means, whereby the mutual positional relationship between the first and second patterns is determinable from the amount of the displacement; a second objective lens covering a second viewing field containing the third and fourth patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a second beam splitting member provided between said second objective lens and a second image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the third and fourth patterns into a third light beam and a fourth light beam respectively advancing along third and fourth optical paths; a second beam recombiner for reuniting the third and fourth light beams and thus forming on the second image focusing plane a third image of the third and fourth patterns by the third light beam passing along the third optical path and a fourth image of the third and fourth patterns by the fourth light beam passing along the fourth optical path; second image displacing means provided at least in one of the third and fourth optical paths for mutually displacing the fourth image of the third and fourth patterns formed by the fourth light beam passing through the fourth optical path with respect to the third image of the third and fourth patterns formed by the third light beam passing through the third optical path so as to bring the fourth image to a position predetermined with respect to the third image; and second detecting means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said second image displacing means, whereby the mutual positional relationship between the third and fourth patterns is determinable from the amount of the displacement.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
539 words
An apparatus for detecting mutual positional relationship between a first pattern and a second pattern in a first viewing field and mutual positional relationship between a third pattern and a fourth pattern in a second viewing field, comprising: a first objective lens covering a first viewing field containing the first and second patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a first beam splitting member provided between said first objective lens and a first image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the first and second patterns into a first light beam and a second light beam respectively advancing along first and second optical paths; a first beam recombiner for reuniting the first and second light beams and thus forming on the first image focusing plane a first image of the first and second patterns by the first light beam passing along the first optical path and a second image of the first and second patterns by the second light beam passing along the second optical path; first image displacing means provided at least in one of the first and second optical paths for mutually displacing the second image of the first and second patterns formed by the second light beam passing through the second optical path with respect to the first image of the first and second patterns formed by the first light beam passing through the first optical path so as to bring the second image to a position predetermined with respect to the first image; first detecting means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said first image displacing means, whereby the mutual positional relationship between the first and second patterns is determinable from the amount of the displacement; a second objective lens covering a second viewing field containing the third and fourth patterns of which mutual positional relationship is to be determined; a second beam splitting member provided between said second objective lens and a second image focusing plane for splitting a light beam containing information of the third and fourth patterns into a third light beam and a fourth light beam respectively advancing along third and fourth optical paths; a second beam recombiner for reuniting the third and fourth light beams and thus forming on the second image focusing plane a third image of the third and fourth patterns by the third light beam passing along the third optical path and a fourth image of the third and fourth patterns by the fourth light beam passing along the fourth optical path; second image displacing means provided at least in one of the third and fourth optical paths for mutually displacing the fourth image of the third and fourth patterns formed by the fourth light beam passing through the fourth optical path with respect to the third image of the third and fourth patterns formed by the third light beam passing through the third optical path so as to bring the fourth image to a position predetermined with respect to the third image; and second detecting means for detecting the amount of displacement performed by said second image displacing means, whereby the mutual positional relationship between the third and fourth patterns is determinable from the amount of the displacement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the first and third patterns are provided on a first substrate while the second and fourth patterns are provided on a second substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein at least one of said first and second substrates is supported by a supporting mechanism allowed to be displaced in parallel with the other.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said supporting mechanism is driven by a drive mechanism which is controlled by an electric controller generating control signals in response to the amounts of the displacements performed by said first and second image displacing means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3667848A
Cited
US3752589A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-10-17 | 1981-04-18 | 1981-10-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-10-17 | 1985-04-18 | 1985-10-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-10-17 | 1989-04-18 | 1989-10-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |