Patent US4857744A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4857744A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Optical projection printing apparatus wherein wafer mark has a grating pitch in the sagittal plane of the first optical system
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1988-07-27
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Granted: 1989-08-15
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Expires: 2008-07-27
Abstract
Abstract An optical projection printing apparatus which can irradiate a mask with light from a first light source to focus the mask pattern on a resist of a semiconductor wafer in a highly accurate alignment by a first optical system including a projection lens. A wafer mark formed on the wafer to have a grating pattern shape is arranged to have its grating pitch direction located in the sagittal plane of the first optical system. The wafer mark is irradiated with the light coming from a second light source having a wavelength different from that of the first light source. Of the reflected light from the wafer mark, only the ± 1st order diffraction light is extracted by a filter and partially superposed on the mask in a transversely misaligned state so that the reflected light from the wafer mark may be focused by a second optical system. The aforementioned filter is disposed in the Fourier plane of the second optical system.
Inventors
- 👤 Keiji Kataoka
- 👤 Toshiei Kurosaki
- 👤 Seiji Yonezawa
- 👤 Soichi Katagiri
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 22:28
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03F; G03F9/00; G03F9/70; G03F9/7049
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a wafer having a wafer mark shaped such that the wafer mark having a grating pattern shape formed on said wafer has its grating pitch direction arranged in the sagittal plane of said first optical system; and a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from a second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing the light reflected by the irradiated wafer mark onto a photo-detector.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a wafer having a wafer mark shaped such that the wafer mark having a grating pattern shape formed on said wafer has its grating pitch direction arranged in the sagittal plane of said first optical system; and a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from a second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing the light reflected by the irradiated wafer mark onto a photo-detector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 1 focusing only the ±1st order diffraction light of said reflected light onto the photo-detector in said second optical system.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said second optical system has its Fourier plane provided with a filter for extracting only said ±1st order diffraction light as the reflected light from said wafer mark.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for superposing the +1st order diffraction light each other of said reflected light onto said mask, and means for focusing the mask images obtained by said ±1st order diffraction light onto said photo-detector.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said filter includes a polarizing element having a polarizing direction perpendicular to the polarized light of the reflected light from said wafer mark and arranged outside of the optical path of said ±1st order diffraction light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
155 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a wafer having a wafer mark shaped such that the wafer mark having a grating pattern shape formed on said wafer has its grating pitch direction arranged in the sagittal plane of said first optical system; and a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from said second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing only the ±1st order diffraction light of the reflected light from said wafer mark onto a photodetector, wherein said wafer mark has at least two grating patterns shifted with respect to each other to establish a difference in magnitude between the detected signals of said grating patterns.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
155 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a wafer having a wafer mark shaped such that the wafer mark having a grating pattern shape formed on said wafer has its grating pitch direction arranged in the sagittal plane of said first optical system; and a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from said second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing only the ±1st order diffraction light of the reflected light from said wafer mark onto a photodetector, wherein said wafer mark has at least two grating patterns shifted with respect to each other to establish a difference in magnitude between the detected signals of said grating patterns.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
125 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from said second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for producing light at two wavelengths and in different states of polarization from said second light source, wherein said second optical system has its Fourier plane provided with a filter for extracting only the ±1st order diffraction light of the reflected light of said wafer mark and transmitting said ±1st order diffraction light at different wavelengths.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
125 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a second optical system including means for irradiating said wafer mark with light from said second light source adapted for a wavelength different from that of the light from said first light source, and means for producing light at two wavelengths and in different states of polarization from said second light source, wherein said second optical system has its Fourier plane provided with a filter for extracting only the ±1st order diffraction light of the reflected light of said wafer mark and transmitting said ±1st order diffraction light at different wavelengths.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
133 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a second optical system including means for irradiating a wafer mark and a mask mark, respectively, with light coming from a second light source for emitting light at two different wavelengths different from those of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing the reflected light from said wafer mark and said mask mark onto a photo-detector, wherein said second optical system has its Fourier plane provided with a filter for extracting the ±1st order diffraction light of said reflected light, and a slit is disposed on a focal plane located in front of said photo-detector.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
133 words
An optical projection printing apparatus comprising a first optical system for irradiating a mask with light coming from a first light source to focus the mask image on a wafer, said apparatus further comprising: a second optical system including means for irradiating a wafer mark and a mask mark, respectively, with light coming from a second light source for emitting light at two different wavelengths different from those of the light from said first light source, and means for focusing the reflected light from said wafer mark and said mask mark onto a photo-detector, wherein said second optical system has its Fourier plane provided with a filter for extracting the ±1st order diffraction light of said reflected light, and a slit is disposed on a focal plane located in front of said photo-detector.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
47 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a chromatic aberration correcting optical element disposed in said second optical system for separating the reflected lights from said mask mark and said wafer mark to be focused both of said marks on a common slit.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
66 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said second light source emits two wavelengths in different states of polarization light, and wherein said filter includes two PS separation prisms arranged at a right angle with respect to each other for selecting the ±1st order diffraction light coming from said wafer mark and said mask mark and for discriminating the states of polarization light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said slit has a width of about mp/4 where m is the magnification factor of the optical system extending from said wafer mark or said mask mark to said slit p is the grating pitch of said mask mark or said wafer mark.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
An optical projection printing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising means for superposing only the ±1st order diffraction light each other of said reflected light onto said mask, and means for focusing the mask images obtained by said ±1st order diffraction light onto said photo-detector.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4592625A
Cited
US4780616A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-08-14 | 1993-02-13 | 1993-08-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-08-14 | 1997-02-13 | 1997-08-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-08-14 | 2001-02-13 | 2001-08-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |