Semiconductor device manufacturing system

Claim 1

A semiconductor device manufacturing system comprising: (a) a resist coating unit for applying a photoresist to a wafer having different shot areas in each of which an alignment mark and a deviation measuring mark are formed; (b) an exposure unit for exposing the photoresist in each shot area of the wafer to an exposure beam passed through a reticle having a deviation measuring mark, said exposure unit including: (b-1) a detector for detecting, with respect to each shot area, a positional error of the wafer to the reticle by using said alignment mark; (b-2) a stage for adjusting the positional relationship between the reticle and the wafer on the basis of the detection by said detector, to thereby align each shot area of the wafer with respect to the reticle; (b-3) an exposure system for exposing the wafer to the exposure beam passed through the reticle, to thereby print said deviation measuring mark of the reticle to the photoresist on each shot area of the wafer; (c) a developing unit for developing the photoresist of the wafer, having been exposed by said exposure unit; (d) a conveying unit for conveying the wafer, having been developed with said developing unit, again into said exposure unit; and (e) a control unit for controlling said resist coating unit, said exposure unit, said developing unit and said conveying unit in an on-line control manner, said control unit being operable so that, after the wafer is conveyed from said developing unit again into said exposure unit by said conveying unit, said detector is caused to detect, with respect to each shot area, a deviation between said deviation measuring mark of the wafer and said deviation measuring mark of the reticle as photoprinted on the photoresist of the wafer, and said control unit further being operable to calculate, on the basis of the measured deviation, a precision of alignment between the reticle and the wafer based on at least one of said alignment mark and an offset in the alignment between the reticle and the wafer based on said alignment mark.

Claim 7

A method manufacturing semiconductor devices by using an exposure apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: placing, in the exposure apparatus, a reticle having a first deviation measurement mark; placing, in the exposure apparatus, a wafer having a second deviation measurement mark and an alignment mark; photoelectrically detecting the alignment mark of the wafer to determine an alignment error of the wafer with respect to the reticle; adjusting the positional relationship between the reticle and the wafer on the basis of said determination, to thereby align the reticle and the wafer with each other; exposing the wafer with light passing through the reticle to thereby print the first deviation measurement mark of the reticle on a photoresist of the wafer; developing the photoresist of the wafer; placing the photoresist-developed wafer in the exposure apparatus; detecting deviation between the second deviation measurement mark of the wafer and the first deviation measurement mark of the reticle, as printed on the photoresist of the wafer; and controlling the operation of the exposure apparatus on the basis of the detected deviation, for manufacturing semiconductor devices.

Claim 8

A method manufacturing semiconductor devices by using an exposure apparatus, said method comprising the steps of: placing, in the exposure apparatus, a reticle having a first deviation measurement mark; placing, in the exposure apparatus, a wafer having a second deviation measurement mark and an alignment mark; photoelectrically detecting the alignment mark of the wafer to determine an alignment error of the wafer with respect to the reticle; adjusting the positional relationship between the reticle and the wafer on the basis of said determination, to thereby align the reticle and the wafer with each other; exposing the wafer with light passing through the reticle to thereby print the first deviation measurement mark of the reticle on a photoresist of the wafer; developing the photoresist of the wafer; placing the photoresist-developed wafer in the exposure apparatus; detecting deviation between the second deviation measurement mark of the wafer and the first deviation measurement mark of the reticle, as printed on the photoresist of the wafer; and controlling the operation of the exposure apparatus on the basis of the detected deviation, for manufacturing semiconductor devices.