Method of position detection and the method and apparatus of printing patterns by use of the position detection method

Claim 2

A position detection method comprising the steps of: detecting the positions of specific points on the bottom surface of a sample so as to indirectly measure the positions of those points on the sample top surface which correspond to said specific points, the measurements of said specific points being prearranged to contain a deviation that varies with a tilt angle of said sample; and having said deviation cancel a difference caused by said sample tilt angle between the positions on said sample bottom surface and the positions on said smaple top surface; wherein the measurement of said specific points containing said deviation always indicate the true positions of those points on said sample top surface which correspond to said specific points.

Claim 3

A position detection method according to claim 1, wherein said specific points are marks formed on said sample bottom surface.

Claim 4

A position detection method according to claim 1, wherein said deviation contained in the measurements of said specific points on said sample bottom surface is substantially equal to the product of the thickness of said sample and the tilt angle thereof.

Claim 5

A pattern forming method comprising the steps of: detecting the positions of alignment marks provided on the bottom surface of a sample substrate; positioning areas in which to form desired patterns on the top surface of said sample substrate with reference to the detected positions of said alignment marks; and forming said desired patterns in said positioned areas; the detected positions of said alignment marks containing a deviation that varies with a tilt angle of said sample substrate; said deviation canceling a difference caused by said tilt angle between the positions of said sample substrate bottom surface and the positions of said sample substrate top surface; wherein the detected positions of said alignment marks containing said deviation always indicate the true positions on said sample substrate top surface.

Claim 6

A pattern forming method comprising the steps of: detecting the positions of alignment marks provided on the bottom surface of a sample substrate; positioning areas in which to form desired patterns on the top surface of said sample substrate with reference to the detected positions of said alignment marks; and forming said desired patterns in said positioned areas; the detected positions of said alignment marks containing a deviation that varies with a tilt angle of said sample substrate; said deviation canceling a difference caused by said tilt angle between the positions of said sample substrate bottom surface and the positions of said sample substrate top surface; wherein the detected positions of said alignment marks containing said deviation always indicate the true positions on said sample substrate top surface.

Claim 7

A pattern forming method according to claim 4, wherein said deviation contained in the detected positions of said alignment marks is substantially equal to the product of the thickness of said sample substrate and the tilt angle thereof.

Claim 8

A pattern forming method according to claim 4, wherein said alignment marks are two-dimensionally arranged at a predetermined pitch on said sample substrate bottom surface, said pitch of said marks being unrelated to the pitch of the patterns to be formed on said sample substrate top surface.

Claim 9

A pattern forming apparatus comprising: mark position detecting means for detecting the positions of alignment marks provided on the bottom surface of a sample substrate; pattern area positioning means for positioning areas in which to form desired patterns on the top surface of said sample substrate with reference to those positions of said alignment marks which are detected by said mark position detecting means; and pattern forming means for forming said desired patterns in the pattern forming areas positioned by said pattern area positioning means; wherein the alignment mark positioned detected by said mark detecting means contain a deviation that varies with a tilt angle of said sample substrate, said deviation canceling a difference caused by said tilt angle between the positions on said sample substrate bottom surface and the positions on said sample substrate top surface; said pattern area positioning means further comprising: calculating means for calculating the positions of the areas in which to form said desired patterns on said sample substrate top surface with reference to those positions of said marks which are detected by said mark position detecting means; and sample substrate positioning means for positioning said sample substrate so that the pattern forming areas obtained by said calculating means will coincide with the pattern forming positions acquired by said pattern forming means.

Claim 10

A pattern forming apparatus comprising: mark position detecting means for detecting the positions of alignment marks provided on the bottom surface of a sample substrate; pattern area positioning means for positioning areas in which to form desired patterns on the top surface of said sample substrate with reference to those positions of said alignment marks which are detected by said mark position detecting means; and pattern forming means for forming said desired patterns in the pattern forming areas positioned by said pattern area positioning means; wherein the alignment mark positioned detected by said mark detecting means contain a deviation that varies with a tilt angle of said sample substrate, said deviation canceling a difference caused by said tilt angle between the positions on said sample substrate bottom surface and the positions on said sample substrate top surface; said pattern area positioning means further comprising: calculating means for calculating the positions of the areas in which to form said desired patterns on said sample substrate top surface with reference to those positions of said marks which are detected by said mark position detecting means; and sample substrate positioning means for positioning said sample substrate so that the pattern forming areas obtained by said calculating means will coincide with the pattern forming positions acquired by said pattern forming means.

Claim 11

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said mark position detecting means comprises: a light source for emitting light beams for irradiation onto said sample substrate; means for condensing said light beams from said light source for irradiation onto said sample substrate; means for condensing the light beams reflecting from the marks formed on said sample substrate; light detecting means, having at least two light detection surfaces for detecting the condensed reflected light beams, for producing detection signals therefrom; calculating means for calculating differences between the detection signals produced by said light detecting means.

Claim 12

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said mark position detecting means comprises: a light source for emitting light beams for irradiation onto said sample substrate; means for irradiating onto said sample substrate said light beams coming from said light source; means for reflecting the light beams from the marks formed on said sample substrate; means for selecting part of said reflected light beams; and means for dtecting the reflected light beams selected by said selecting means.

Claim 13

A pattern forming apparatus acocrding to claim 7, wherein said mark position detecting means comprises: light source means for emitting a two-frequency light beam having two slightly different wavelengths; first light beam splitting means for receiving and splitting into first and second light beams said light beam from said light source means; means for obtaining a reference signal by detecting the first light beam from said first light beam splitting means; second light beam splitting means for receiving and splitting further into two light beams the second light beam from said first light beam splitting means, wherein said two light beams formed by said second light beam splitting means have two different wavelengths; objective lens means for condensing the two light beams from said second light beam splitting means and for irradiating the two condensed light beams onto two different spots of grating marks provided on said sample substrate bottom surface, said two condensed light beams being thereby reflected from said irradiated spots; means for separately extracting the positive first order diffracted light beam from one of said two irradiated spots, and the negative first order diffracted light beam from the other of said two irradiated spots; means for overlaying the separately extracted positive and negative first order diffracted light beams so as to generate interference therebetween; and means for detecting the light obtained by said interference in order to acquire a detection signal.

Claim 14

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said two-frequency light beam having two slightly different wavelengths is constituted by two linearly polarized light beams whose polarized planes differ from each other, and wherein said second light beam splitting means comprises a Wollaston prism arrangement.

Claim 15

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a beam spit angle ξ of said Wollaston prism arrangement is selected substantially to saitify the relation ξ=L/(2·f) where, f represents the focal distance of said objective lens means and L denotes the distance between said two irradiated spots.

Claim 16

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein a distance L between said two irradiated spots on said sample substrate bottom surface is selected to fall within the range of 0.9(dλ/P)<L<1.1(dλ/P) where, d represents the thickness of said sample substrate, λ denotes the cnetral wavelength of said tow-frequency light beam to be irradiated onto said sample substrate bottom surface, and P represents the pitch of said grating marks.

Claim 17

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the distance L between said two irradiated spots is selected substantially to satisfy the relation L=dλ/P.

Claim 18

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for fine-adjusting the distance L between said two irradiated spots on said sample substrate bottom surface.

Claim 19

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the spot diameter of each of said two irradiated spots on said sample substrate bottom surface is selected substantially to satisfy the relation γ=nP wherein, n represents a natural number, and P represents the pitch of said grating marks.

Claim 20

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the pitch P of said grating marks is selected to fall within the range of 0.9(dλ/P)<P<1.1(dλ/P) where, d represents the thickness of said sample substrate, λ denotes the central wavelength of said two-frequency light beam to be irradiated onto said sample substrate bottom surface, and L represents the distance between said two irradiated spots on said sample substrate bottom surface.

Claim 21

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the pitch P of said grating marks is selected substantially to satisfy the relation P=dλ/L.

Claim 22

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising means for fine-adjusting the distance L between said two irradiated spots on said sample substrate bottom surface.

Claim 23

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising means for measuring the thickness d of said sample substrate.

Claim 24

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said mark position detecting means detects the positions of at least four marks on said sample substrate bottom surface, and further comprises calculating means for calculating the local deformation of said sample substrate on the basis of the detected positional data of said four marks.

Claim 25

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a sample table for supporting said sample substrate; wherein the substrate support surface of said sample table contains a plurality of windows arranged at a predetermined pitch, said windows providing optical paths through which light beams are irradiated onto said sample substrate bottom surface.

Claim 26

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the respective pitches of said plurality of windows are substantially the same as the pitches of position detection marks provided on said sample substrate bottom surface.

Claim 27

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said mark position detecting means comprises: light source means for emitting a two-frequency light beam having two slightly different wavelengths; light beam splitting means for receiving the light beam from said light source means and for splitting said light beam into first and second light beams; reflecting means for reflecting said first light beam; lens means for receiving said reflected first light beam and said second light beam, and for condensing said received first and second light beams onto two different spots of grating marks provided on said sample substrate bottom surface, said first and second condensed light beams being thereby reflected from said two spots; means for separately extracting the positive first order diffracted light beam from one of said two spots, and the negative first order diffracted light beam from the other of said two spots; means for overlaying the separately extracted positive and negative first order diffracted light beams so as to generate interference therebetween; and means for detecting the light obtained by said interference in order to acquire a detection signal.

Claim 28

A pattern forming apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising means for adjusting the reflecting means and the light beam splitting means to thereby adjust the propagation paths of the reflected first light beam and the second light beam.