Measuring equipment and substrate platform conveying device system

Abstract

In order to improve productivity performance and / or economy of a measuring device, the invention provides a metrology device comprising: a first measuring device; a second measuring device; a first substrate platform configured to hold a first substrate and / or a second substrate; a second substrate platform configured to hold the first substrate and / or the second substrate; the first substrate conveying device is configured to convey the first substrate and / or the second substrate; the first substrate conveying device is configured to convey the first substrate and / or the second substrate conveying device is configured to convey the first substrate and / or the second substrate, the first substrate is loaded from a first FOUP, a second FOUP or a third FOUP, the second substrate is loaded from the first FOUP, the second FOUP or the third FOUP, the first measuring equipment is alignment measuring equipment, and the second measuring equipment is alignment measuring equipment. And wherein the second measuring device is a horizon sensor, a film thickness measuring device or a spectral reflectance measuring device.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with application number 201880046374.3 and invention name “Measuring Equipment and Substrate Platform Transport Device System”, which entered the Chinese national phase on January 10, 2020 (international application date is 2018-07-13, international application number is PCT / IB2018 / 055196). Technical Field

[0002] A first aspect of the invention relates to an alignment measurement device and a method for measuring the position of an alignment mark on a substrate.

[0003] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a lithography apparatus and a substrate stage transport device system.

[0004] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a measurement device. Background Art

[0005] A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern to a substrate, usually on a target portion of the substrate. A lithographic apparatus may be used, for example, to manufacture integrated circuits (ICs). In this case, a pattern forming device, alternatively referred to as a mask or reticle, may be used to generate a circuit pattern to be formed on a single layer of the integrated circuit. The pattern may be transferred to a target portion (e.g., including a portion of a die, one or more dies) on a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer). Typically, the transfer of the pattern is performed by imaging the pattern onto a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist) disposed on the substrate. Typically, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are patterned successively. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire pattern to the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern with a radiation beam in a given direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate in a direction parallel or antiparallel to that direction. It is also possible to transfer the pattern from the patterning device to the substrate by imprinting the pattern onto the substrate.

[0006] In a known embodiment of a lithographic apparatus, the lithographic apparatus comprises an alignment measurement system to measure the positions of alignment marks provided on the substrate. By measuring the positions of these alignment marks, the position and / or deformation of the substrate relative to a substrate table holding the substrate can be determined. This measured position and / or deformation of the substrate enables the lithographic apparatus to position the substrate in a desired position relative to the projection system and / or the patterning device during actual projection of a patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate.

[0007] In this way, successive projections of the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate may be aligned relative to each other. Overlay performance, i.e. alignment of successive projections of the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate, is an important factor in the product quality of devices manufactured using the lithographic apparatus.

[0008] It is often desirable to improve the overlay performance of a lithographic apparatus in order to improve product quality. The overlay performance can be improved, for example, by measuring substantially more alignment marks on the substrate. In particular, the substrate alignment grid may contain high-frequency components of deformation, which can be better corrected by measuring a large number of alignment marks. However, the measurement of a large number of alignment marks will result in an increase in the alignment measurement time, which will therefore have a limiting effect on the production performance of the lithographic apparatus.

[0009] Furthermore, during the manufacturing process of the device, the substrate is subjected to multiple processing steps, such as layer deposition, etching and annealing. The impact of these processing steps (which usually lead to variations between substrates and / or between stacks of substrates and / or between layers of substrates) on the overlay performance of the lithography process is also of great significance.

[0010] Conventionally, there has been proposed an apparatus including a single substrate stage to measure (or inspect) one type of characteristic of a substrate (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4). However, when such conventional technology is adopted, in order to measure (and / or inspect) a plurality of characteristics of the same substrate, a plurality of apparatuses for respectively measuring (and / or inspecting) different types of characteristics are required.

[0011] Reference file list

[0012] Patent Documents

[0013] Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-250578;

[0014] Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-202980;

[0015] Patent document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-135211;

[0016] Patent document 4: WO 2012 / 115013. Summary of the invention

[0017] The object of the present invention is to provide a device and / or method for measuring the position of a plurality of alignment marks on a substrate, which device and / or method is capable of measuring a large number of alignment marks and / or is capable of better handling variations between substrates and / or between stacks of substrates and / or between layers of substrates. Another object of the present invention is to provide a single unified metrology (inspection) device comprising a plurality of substrate stages, which is capable of measuring (inspecting) a plurality of types of characteristics of a substrate. In other words, the object of the present invention is to improve the overall productivity performance and / or economy of the metrology device / the inspection device (which can be recognized from the perspective of, for example, cost of ownership, product price or installation area).

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an alignment measurement device for measuring the position of an alignment mark on a substrate, comprising:

[0019] The first stop includes:

[0020] a first alignment sensor system to measure positions of a first number of alignment marks on the substrate, and

[0021] a first level sensor to measure a height map of an upper surface of the substrate;

[0022] The second stop includes:

[0023] a second alignment sensor system to measure the positions of a second number of alignment marks on the substrate, and

[0024] a second level sensor to measure a height map of an upper surface of the substrate; and

[0025] A movable substrate table is configured to hold a substrate, wherein the substrate table is arranged to move to the first station and the second station.

[0026] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lithography system, comprising:

[0027] Lithographic equipment, including:

[0028] a support configured to support a patterning device capable of imparting a pattern to the radiation beam in a cross-section of the radiation beam to form a patterned radiation beam;

[0029] a substrate table configured to hold a substrate; and

[0030] a projection system configured to project the patterned radiation beam onto a target portion of the substrate;

[0031] The alignment measurement apparatus according to claim 1; and

[0032] One or more substrate transport devices to transfer substrates between corresponding substrate tables of the alignment measurement apparatus and substrate tables of the lithographic apparatus.

[0033] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for measuring a position of an alignment mark on a substrate, comprising:

[0034] In a first station, the positions of a first number of alignment marks on the substrate are measured, and

[0035] In a second station, measuring the positions of a second number of alignment marks on the substrate,

[0036] wherein the substrate is held by the same substrate table in the first station and the second station, and measured positions of a first number of alignment marks measured in the first station are used for measuring positions of a second number of alignment marks in the second station.

[0037] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a device manufacturing method, the method comprising projecting a radiation beam having a pattern onto a substrate, the method comprising:

[0038] In a first station of the alignment measurement device, positions of a first number of alignment marks on the substrate are measured, and / or

[0039] measuring the positions of a second number of alignment marks on the substrate in a second station of the alignment measurement device,

[0040] wherein a substrate table holds the substrate in the first station and / or the second station,

[0041] transferring the substrate from the substrate stage of the alignment measurement apparatus to a substrate stage of a lithographic apparatus using one or more substrate transport devices, and

[0042] In the lithographic apparatus, the measurements of the positions of the first and / or second number of alignment marks are used to project a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate.

[0043] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lithography apparatus, comprising:

[0044] a patterning device support for supporting the patterning device;

[0045] a first substrate stage, a second substrate stage, and a third substrate stage, each configured to support a substrate;

[0046] The first stop includes:

[0047] an alignment sensor system to measure the positions of a number of alignment marks on the substrate, and / or

[0048] a level sensor to measure a height map of the upper surface of the substrate;

[0049] The second stop includes:

[0050] an exposure unit for transferring a pattern from the pattern forming device to the substrate; and

[0051] a substrate table positioning system to move each of the first substrate table, the second substrate table and the third substrate table in a translation plane region between at least the first station and the second station,

[0052] A first cable connector is provided between the first substrate stage and the first cable connector support, a second cable connector is provided between the second substrate stage and the second cable connector support, and a third cable connector is provided between the third substrate stage and the third cable connector support,

[0053] wherein a first linear guide is provided at a first side of the moving plane area to guide the first cable connection support and the third cable connection support, and wherein a second linear guide is provided at a second side of the moving plane area opposite to the first side to guide the second cable connection support.

[0054] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a measuring device, comprising:

[0055] First measuring device;

[0056] A second measuring device;

[0057] a first substrate stage configured to hold a first substrate and / or a second substrate;

[0058] a second substrate stage configured to hold the first substrate and / or the second substrate;

[0059] a first substrate conveying device configured to convey the first substrate and / or the second substrate; and

[0060] a second substrate conveying device, the second substrate conveying device being configured to convey the first substrate and / or the second substrate,

[0061] wherein the first substrate is loaded from a first FOUP (front opening wafer box), a second FOUP or a third FOUP,

[0062] wherein the second substrate is loaded from the first FOUP, the second FOUP or the third FOUP,

[0063] wherein the first measuring device is an alignment measuring device, and

[0064] The second measuring device is a level sensor, a film thickness measuring device or a spectral reflectance measuring device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0065] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts, and in which:

[0066] Figure 1 A lithographic apparatus according to an aspect of the invention is depicted;

[0067] Figure 2 Schematically illustrates a lithography system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0068] Figure 3 Schematically illustrates an alignment measurement device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0069] Figure 4 A substrate platform conveyor system according to a first embodiment of an aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0070] Figure 5 showing a side view of a portion of the lithographic apparatus;

[0071] Figure 6 A substrate platform conveyor system according to a second embodiment of an aspect of the present invention is shown;

[0072] Figure 7 A substrate platform conveyor system according to a third embodiment of an aspect of the present invention is shown; and

[0073] Figure 8 A substrate stage transporter system according to a fourth embodiment of an aspect of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0074] Figure 1 A lithographic apparatus which may be part of a lithographic system according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The lithographic apparatus comprises an illumination system IL, a support structure MT, a substrate table WT and a projection system PS.

[0075] The illumination system IL is configured to condition a radiation beam B. The support structure MT (e.g. a mask table) is configured to support a patterning device MA (e.g. a mask) and is connected to a first positioner PM configured to accurately position the patterning device according to certain parameters. The substrate table WT (e.g. a wafer stage) is configured to hold a substrate W (e.g. a wafer coated with resist) and is connected to a second positioner PW configured to accurately position the substrate according to certain parameters. The projection system PS is configured to project a pattern imparted to the radiation beam B by the patterning device MA onto a target portion C (e.g. comprising one or more dies) of the substrate W.

[0076] The illumination system IL may include various types of optical components, such as refractive, reflective, magnetic, electromagnetic, electrostatic or other types of optical components, or any combination thereof, for directing, shaping, or controlling the radiation.

[0077] As used herein, the term "radiation beam" encompasses all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g., having a wavelength equal to or approximately 365 nm, 355 nm, 248 nm, 193 nm, 157 nm, or 126 nm) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (e.g., having a wavelength in the range of 5 nm to 20 nm), as well as particle beams such as ion beams or electron beams.

[0078] The support structure MT supports the patterning device MA, i.e. bears the weight of the patterning device MA. The support structure MT holds the patterning device MA in a manner that depends on the orientation of the patterning device MA, the design of the lithographic apparatus, and other conditions such as, for example, whether the patterning device MA is held in a vacuum environment. The support structure MT may use mechanical, vacuum, electrostatic or other clamping techniques to hold the patterning device MA. The support structure MT may be a frame or a table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required. The support structure MT may ensure that the patterning device MA is located at a desired position (e.g. relative to the projection system PS).

[0079] The term “patterning device” as used herein should be broadly interpreted as referring to any device that can be used to impart a pattern in the cross-section of the radiation beam B so as to form a pattern in the target portion C of the substrate W. It should be noted that the pattern imparted to the radiation beam B may not exactly correspond to the desired pattern in the target portion C of the substrate W, for example if the pattern includes phase-shifting features or so called assist features. Typically, the pattern imparted to the radiation beam will correspond to a specific functional layer in a device being formed in the target portion C, such as an integrated circuit.

[0080] The patterning device MA may be transmissive or reflective. Examples of patterning devices include masks, programmable mirror arrays, and programmable liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. Masks are well known in lithography and include mask types such as binary mask types, alternating phase-shift mask types, and attenuated phase-shift mask types, as well as various hybrid mask types. An example of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of small mirrors, each of which can be independently tilted to reflect an incident radiation beam B in different directions. The tilted mirrors impart a pattern to the radiation beam B reflected by the mirror matrix.

[0081] The term "projection system" as used herein should be broadly interpreted to include any type of projection system suitable for the exposure radiation used or other factors (such as use of immersion liquid or use of vacuum), including refractive, reflective, catadioptric, magnetic, electromagnetic and electrostatic optical systems, or any combination thereof.

[0082] As depicted herein, the device is transmissive (eg, employing a transmissive mask). Alternatively, the device may be reflective (eg, employing a programmable mirror array of the type described above, or employing a reflective mask).

[0083] The lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two (dual-stage) or more substrate tables WT (and / or two or more mask tables). In such a "multi-stage" machine, additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be performed on one or more tables while one or more other tables are used for exposure. In addition to one or more substrate tables WT, the lithographic apparatus may have a measurement stage which is arranged at a position below the projection system PS when the substrate table WT is away from this position. Instead of supporting the substrate W, the measurement stage may be provided with sensors to measure characteristics of the lithographic apparatus. For example, the projection system may project an image onto a sensor on the measurement stage to determine image quality.

[0084] The lithographic apparatus may also be of a type in which at least a portion of the substrate W may be covered by a liquid having a relatively high refractive index, such as water, so as to fill the space between the projection system and the substrate. Immersion liquid may also be applied to other spaces in the lithographic apparatus, for example, the space between the patterning device MA and the projection system PS. It is well known in the art that immersion techniques are used to increase the numerical aperture of a projection system. The term "immersion" as used herein does not mean that structures such as the substrate W are necessarily immersed in a liquid, but only means that a liquid is located between the projection system PS and the substrate W during exposure.

[0085] refer to Figure 1 , the illumination system IL receives a radiation beam from a radiation source SO. For example, when the radiation source SO is an excimer laser, the radiation source SO and the lithographic apparatus may be separate entities. In this case, the source is not considered to form a part of the lithographic apparatus, and the laser beam B is transferred from the radiation source SO to the illumination system IL with the aid of a beam delivery system BD comprising, for example, suitable guiding mirrors and / or a beam expander. In other cases, for example, when the radiation source SO is a mercury lamp, the radiation source SO may be an integral part of the lithographic apparatus. The radiation source SO and the illuminator IL, and the beam delivery system BD if necessary, may be referred to as a radiation system.

[0086] The illumination system IL may comprise an adjuster AD for adjusting the angular intensity distribution of the radiation beam B. Typically, at least the outer and / or inner radial extent (commonly referred to as σ-outer and σ-inner, respectively) of the intensity distribution in a pupil plane of the illumination system may be adjusted. In addition, the illumination system IL may comprise various other components, such as an integrator IN and a condenser CO. The illumination system IL may be used to condition the radiation beam B to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution in its cross-section.

[0087] The radiation beam B is incident on the patterning device MA held on the support structure MT and is patterned by the patterning device MA. After having passed through the patterning device MA, the radiation beam B passes through the projection system PS which focuses the beam onto a target portion C of the substrate W. With the aid of the second positioner PW and a position sensor IF (e.g. an interferometric device, a linear encoder or a capacitive sensor), the substrate table WT can be precisely moved, for example, in order to position a different target portion C in the path of the radiation beam B. Similarly, the first positioner PM and a further position sensor (which is not in the Figure 1The support structure MT may be arranged in a manner that allows the support structure MT to be positioned precisely relative to the path of the radiation beam B (for example after mechanical acquisition of a mask library or during scanning). In general, movement of the support structure MT may be achieved with the aid of a long-stroke module and a short-stroke module, which form part of the first positioner PM. The long-stroke module may provide coarse positioning of the short-stroke module within a larger range of motion. The short-stroke module may provide fine positioning of the support structure MT relative to the long-stroke module within a smaller range of motion. Similarly, movement of the substrate table WT may be achieved using a long-stroke module and a short-stroke module, which form part of the second positioner PW. The long-stroke module may provide coarse positioning of the short-stroke module within a larger range of motion. The short-stroke module may provide fine positioning of the substrate table WT relative to the long-stroke module within a smaller range of motion. In the case of a stepper (as opposed to a scanner), the support structure MT may be connected to the short-stroke actuator only, or may be fixed. The mask alignment marks M1, M2 and substrate alignment marks P1, P2 may be used to align the patterning device MA and the substrate W. Although the illustrated substrate alignment marks P1, P2 occupy dedicated target portions, the substrate alignment marks may be located in spaces between target portions C (these substrate alignment marks are referred to as scribe lane alignment marks). Similarly, in the case where more than one die is disposed on the patterning device MA, the mask alignment marks M1, M2 may be located between the dies.

[0088] The depicted device can be used in at least one of the following modes:

[0089] In a first mode (so called step mode), the support structure MT and the substrate table WT are held substantially stationary while an entire pattern imparted to the radiation beam B is projected at once (i.e. a single static exposure) onto a target portion C. The substrate table WT is then shifted in the X and / or Y direction so that a different target portion C can be exposed. In step mode, the maximum size of the exposure field limits the size of the target portion C that is imaged in a single static exposure.

[0090] In a second mode (the so called scan mode), the support structure MT and substrate table WT are scanned synchronously while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam B is projected onto a target portion C (i.e. a single dynamic exposure). The speed and direction of the substrate table WT relative to the support structure MT may be determined by the (de-)magnification and image reversal characteristics of the projection system PS. In scan mode, the maximum size of the exposure field limits the width (in the non-scanning direction) of the target portion in a single dynamic exposure, while the length of the scanning movement determines the height of the target portion (in the scanning direction).

[0091] In a third mode, the support structure MT holding a programmable patterning device is held substantially stationary and the substrate table WT is moved or scanned while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion C. In this mode, a pulsed radiation source is typically employed and the programmable patterning device is updated as required after each movement of the substrate table WT or between successive radiation pulses during a scan. This mode of operation may be readily applicable to maskless lithography using a programmable patterning device, such as a programmable mirror array of the type described above.

[0092] Combinations and / or similar types of the above-described modes of use may be employed. In addition, completely different modes of use may also be employed.

[0093] As described above, the lithographic apparatus of the present invention may include an alignment measurement system to measure the positions of alignment marks provided on the substrate. By measuring the positions of these alignment marks P1, P2, the position of the substrate W relative to the substrate table WT may be determined.

[0094] This measured position of the substrate W enables the lithographic apparatus to position the substrate W in a desired position relative to the projection system PS and / or the patterning device M when actually projecting a patterned radiation beam onto the target portion of the substrate. In this way, successive projections of the patterned radiation beam onto the target portion C of the substrate W can be aligned relative to each other. Overlay performance, i.e. the alignment of successive projections of the patterned radiation beam onto the target portion of the substrate, is an important factor in the product quality of devices manufactured using the lithographic apparatus.

[0095] It is often desirable to improve the overlay performance of a lithographic apparatus to improve product quality. For example, the overlay performance can be improved by measuring substantially more alignment marks on the substrate W. In particular, the substrate alignment grid may contain high-frequency components of deformation, which can be better corrected by measuring a larger number of alignment marks. However, the measurement of a larger number of alignment marks will result in an increase in the alignment measurement time and thus have a limiting effect on the production performance of the lithographic apparatus.

[0096] In addition, during the manufacture of the device, the substrate is subjected to multiple processing steps, such as layer deposition, etching and annealing. These processing steps (which usually lead to variations between substrates and / or between substrate stacks and / or between layers of substrates) also have a significant impact on the overlay performance of the lithography process.

[0097] The invention is based on the recognition that a substantial part of the alignment measurements can be performed in a single alignment measurement device. As a result, an increase in the number of alignment measurements is less restrictive of the production performance of the lithographic apparatus.

[0098] Figure 2 A lithography system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The lithography system comprises a lithography apparatus LA, an alignment measurement apparatus AMA and a substrate conveying device SH.

[0099] The lithographic apparatus LA may be Figure 1 Shown and referenced Figure 1 The lithographic apparatus described are identical or substantially identical.The alignment measurement apparatus AMA is arranged as a separate device which can be used to measure a large number of alignment marks without directly affecting the production performance of the lithographic apparatus LA.

[0100] The substrate handling device SH is provided to transfer a substrate W between the alignment measurement apparatus AMA and the lithography apparatus LA. A further substrate handling device (not shown) may be provided to load a substrate W into the alignment measurement apparatus AMA and to remove a substrate W from the lithography apparatus LA for further processing steps of the substrate W to manufacture a device.

[0101] The substrate transport device SH may be any device capable of transferring a substrate W from the alignment measurement device AMA to the lithography device LA. For example, the substrate transport device SH may include a clamp in contact with the bottom surface of the substrate, a single or multiple robotic arms, and / or a Bernoulli chuck that holds the substrate at the upper surface of the substrate. A Bernoulli chuck is described in WO 2013 / 100203, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0102] When necessary, multiple alignment measurement devices AMA can be provided, which are coupled to the lithographic apparatus LA via one or more substrate conveyors SH. This makes the production performance of the lithographic apparatus less dependent on the output of the alignment measurement device AMA. In addition, an apparatus including one or more alignment measurement devices AMA and one or more substrate conveyors SH can be referred to as a metrology apparatus.

[0103] Figure 3 An embodiment of an alignment measurement device AMA is shown in more detail. The alignment measurement device AMA is arranged to measure a plurality of alignment marks provided on a substrate W. For example, the alignment measurement device AMA comprises a substrate alignment system having a single or multiple FIA ​​(field image alignment) sensors. This substrate alignment system may be the same as or similar to the above-mentioned alignment measurement system (used to measure the position of alignment marks provided on a substrate in the lithography device). In addition, the alignment measurement device AMA may not only measure the position of alignment marks provided between exposure fields (or between dies) provided on the substrate, but may also measure overlap marks provided in exposure fields (or dies) provided on the substrate. In addition to measuring the position of the alignment mark and / or the overlap mark provided on the substrate, the alignment measurement device AMA may also measure the asymmetry of the alignment mark and / or the overlap mark.

[0104] The alignment measurement apparatus AMA comprises a first substrate table (substrate stage) WT1 and a second substrate table (substrate stage) WT2. The first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2 are each configured to support a substrate W during processing of the substrate W in the alignment measurement apparatus AMA. Note that the two substrates W supported by the first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2 may each be loaded from a first FOUP, a second FOUP or a third FOUP.

[0105] A first positioning system POS1 is provided to position the first substrate table WT1 at a desired position, and a second positioning system POS2 is provided to position the second substrate table WT2 at a desired position. The first positioning system POS1 and the second positioning system POS2 are supported on a base frame BF. The first positioning system POS1 and the second positioning system POS2 comprise an actuator system and a position measurement system to position the substrate W at a desired position with six degrees of freedom.

[0106] The alignment measurement apparatus AMA further comprises a track frame MF which is supported on a base frame BF via vibration isolating supports VIS.

[0107] The alignment measurement apparatus AMA comprises a first station ST1 and a second station ST2 for processing a substrate W. The first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2 are movable between the first station ST1 and the second station ST2, so that a substrate W supported on one of the first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2 can be processed in the first station ST1 and / or the second station ST2. Thus, in order to process the substrate W in the first station ST1 and subsequently in the second station ST2, it is not necessary to transfer the substrate W between the first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2.

[0108] A substrate conveying device may be provided ( Figure 3 The apparatus may further comprise a plurality of control units (not shown) for placing a substrate W on the first substrate table WT1 and / or the second substrate table WT2 and / or removing a substrate W from the first substrate table WT1 and / or the second substrate table WT2.

[0109] In the first station ST1, a first alignment sensor AS1 and / or a first horizontal sensor LS1 are provided. The second station ST2 includes a second alignment sensor AS2 and / or a second horizontal sensor LS2. The first alignment sensor AS1 includes, for example, a single FIA ​​(field image alignment) sensor. Alternatively, the first alignment sensor AS1 may include a plurality of FIA sensors, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2009 / 0233234 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. The second alignment sensor AS2 shown may be configured in the same manner as the first alignment sensor AS1. Alternatively, the second alignment sensor AS2 may include an alignment sensor of a different type than the first alignment sensor AS1. A processing unit PU is provided to receive sensor signals of the first horizontal sensor LS1, the first alignment sensor AS1, the second horizontal sensor LS2 and / or the second alignment sensor AS2 to process these sensor signals. The processing unit PU may also be arranged to control the first positioning system POS1 and the second positioning system POS2.

[0110] The structure of the first station ST1 and the second station ST2 (having two or more substrate tables WT that can be moved between the two stations ST1, ST2) is very suitable for providing additional devices or systems that can be used to measure the positions of alignment marks on the substrate W or to perform other measurements on the substrate W. In fact, this structure can serve as a basis for configuring the alignment measurement device AMA to include the additional devices or systems as required, depending on the needs of the user of the alignment measurement device AMA shown. In the case where the alignment measurement device AMA includes multiple types of sensors, devices or systems, the alignment measurement device AMA can be referred to as a measurement device. In addition, in the case where the alignment measurement device AMA includes one or more devices for checking the characteristics of the substrate, the alignment measurement device AMA can be referred to as an inspection device.

[0111] The additional device or system may, for example, include a first horizontal sensor LS1, a second horizontal sensor LS2, a first exposure unit EU1, a second exposure unit EU2, a laser ablation unit LAU and / or an overlap sensor OS in the first station and / or the second station. The additional device or system may also include additional alignment sensors, such as a third alignment sensor AS3 and a fourth alignment sensor AS4. A device in which one or more exposure units are included in the additional device or system may be referred to as a lithography device. In addition, a device in which the exposure unit is not included in the additional device or system may be referred to as the measurement device or the inspection device. In other words, the essential difference between the lithography device and the measurement device / the inspection device lies in whether the exposure unit is present, and the lithography device and the measurement device / the inspection device may include the same single or multiple alignment measurement devices AMA, single or multiple substrate stages, and single or multiple substrate conveying devices.

[0112] Each of the additional devices or systems may be connected to the processing unit PU such that the processing unit PU may receive measurement data from the additional device or system and / or the processing unit PU may send instructions to the corresponding device or system.

[0113] Figure 3 An embodiment of such a configurable alignment measurement device AMA is shown.

[0114] The alignment measurement device AMA includes: the first level sensor LS1 in the first station ST1, and the second level sensor LS2 in the second station ST2. The level sensors LS1 and LS2 are set to measure the height map of at least a part of the upper surface of the substrate W. Such a height map can be used, for example, to more optimally position the substrate W relative to other measuring devices (such as, for example, the second alignment sensor AS2 in the second station ST2). In addition, in addition to or instead of the level sensor, the alignment measurement device AMA may include a film thickness measurement device and / or a spectral reflectance measurement device. For example, the film thickness measurement device can be set in the first station ST1, and the spectral reflectance measurement device can be set in the second station ST2. In addition, only the first alignment sensor AS1 can be set in the first station ST1, and only the film thickness measurement device / the spectral reflectance measurement device can be set in the second station ST2. When the alignment measurement device AMA includes one or more alignment sensors AS and the film thickness measurement device / the spectral reflectance measurement device, the alignment measurement device AMA can be referred to as the measurement device. The measurement device may include one or more alignment sensors AS, one or more level sensors, one or more film thickness measuring devices, and / or one or more spectral reflectance measuring devices. The film thickness measuring device may be, for example, a film thickness measuring device capable of measuring the film thickness distribution of the entire surface of a substrate at high speed as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-025575 (which is incorporated herein by reference). Instead of the spectral reflectance measuring device, for example, a spectral reflectance prediction device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-084333 (which is incorporated herein by reference) may be used. In addition, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-265655 (which is incorporated herein by reference), the film thickness measuring device may include the spectral reflectance measuring device.

[0115] Depending on the desired accuracy of the height map of the substrate W, the upper surface of the respective substrate W may be scanned one or more times. The upper surface may be completely scanned by the first level sensor LS1 to obtain a complete height map of the substrate W. In other embodiments, the upper surface of the substrate W is only partially scanned at relevant parts of the substrate W. For example, the height level is determined only for a small area in which the alignment mark is provided, so as to optimize the vertical position and / or the tilted position of the substrate W relative to the second alignment sensor AS2 during the measurement of the respective alignment mark by means of the second alignment sensor AS2. Such an optimized position of the alignment mark relative to the second alignment sensor AS2 will improve the measurement performance of the second alignment sensor AS2.

[0116] Additionally or alternatively, the alignment measurement device AMA may include a laser ablation unit LAU in the first station ST1. This laser ablation unit LAU may be used to locally cut out a portion of a resist layer provided on the substrate W for use in a lithography process, in particular at the location of the alignment mark. Certain types of alignment sensors reduce alignment measurement performance when measurements must be performed through the resist layer. Certain types of resist layers used in device manufacturing are also opaque. For example, opaque layers are commonly used in the manufacture of 3D cell stacked devices. These opaque layers prevent the alignment sensors AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 from measuring the position of the alignment mark through the opaque layer on top of the alignment mark.

[0117] By locally removing the resist layer by means of the laser ablation unit LAU, the alignment marks may be easily accessible to alignment sensors AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4 without the measuring beam having to travel through the resist layer of the substrate W. Thus, the laser ablation unit LAU offers the possibility to improve the measurement quality of the position measurement of the alignment marks or to measure alignment marks which were previously coated with an opaque layer.

[0118] Additionally or alternatively, in the first station ST1 and the second station ST2, a first exposure unit EU1 and a second exposure unit EU2 may be provided, respectively. The first exposure unit EU1 and the second exposure unit EU2 may be used to project additional alignment marks on the substrate W. In some applications, it may be desirable to provide new alignment marks on the substrate W, for example because the alignment marks tend to deteriorate during the lithography process steps, or because the alignment marks are covered by the opaque layer; whereas it is undesirable to locally cut out the layer at the location of the alignment marks, for example using the laser ablation unit LAU. New alignment marks may then be printed on the substrate W using the exposure units EU1, EU2.

[0119] It should be noted that the first exposure unit EU1 and the first alignment sensor AS1 can be used simultaneously, so that while the exposure unit EU projects a new alignment mark onto the substrate W, at least one existing alignment mark can be measured by the first alignment sensor AS1, so that the exact position of the new alignment mark relative to the existing alignment mark can be determined. Similarly, the second exposure unit EU2 and the second alignment sensor AS2 can be used simultaneously in the second station ST2.

[0120] The first exposure unit EU1 and / or the second exposure unit EU2 may also be used to project a beam onto a specific portion of the resist layer in order to locally remove this specific portion of the resist layer. In particular, the first exposure unit EU1 and / or the second exposure unit EU2 may be used to remove a portion of the resist layer that is arranged on top of one or more alignment marks of the substrate W, which corresponds to the use of the laser ablation unit LAU described above.

[0121] The first station ST1 further comprises a third alignment sensor AS3. The second station ST2 comprises a fourth alignment sensor AS4 and an overlap sensor OS. It should be noted that the third alignment sensor AS3 and the fourth alignment sensor AS4 may be different types of alignment measurement devices than the first alignment sensor AS1 and the second alignment sensor AS2.

[0122] The provision of the third alignment sensor AS3 and the fourth alignment sensor AS4 provides greater flexibility with respect to alignment measurements that can be performed with the alignment measurement apparatus AMA. For example, based on the results of previous alignment measurements and / or knowledge of the specific substrate W to be measured, it may be determined which alignment sensor in the first station ST1 and / or the second station ST2 is most suitable for use in the alignment measurement of alignment marks on the substrate W.

[0123] Furthermore, the first alignment sensor AS1, the second alignment sensor AS2, the third alignment sensor AS3 and the fourth alignment sensor AS4 allow different types of alignment marks to be measured on the same substrate W, which may also improve the quality of the alignment measurement of the substrate W. Furthermore, these alignment sensors may measure not only the positions of the alignment marks disposed between exposure fields (or between dies) on the substrate, but also the overlap marks disposed in the exposure fields (or in a die) on the substrate.

[0124] The overlap sensor OS is provided to measure the overlap between the projected patterns on the substrate W. The overlap sensor OS can be used, for example, to measure the overlap performance of the lithography system. For example, the overlap sensor OS can measure overlap marks on the substrate. In addition, the alignment sensor and / or the overlap sensor OS can measure the asymmetry of the alignment mark and / or the overlap mark. In order to measure the asymmetry of these marks, for example, the device / measurement method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-060214 and WO 2014 / 026819 (which are incorporated herein by reference), or a device / measurement method similar thereto can be used.

[0125] The alignment measurement apparatus AMA provides a great deal of flexibility in the alignment measurements of the substrate W. This allows the user to adapt the alignment measurements to specific characteristics of the stack characteristics of the substrate W to be processed, such as layer thicknesses, material properties and target shape. These stack characteristics typically vary from one semiconductor device type to another, but they also vary on each substrate and from substrate to substrate. Since the lithography apparatus can be used for different device types, the flexible alignment measurement apparatus AMA can be applied to efficiently handle all these different stacks.

[0126] In addition, the alignment measurement device AMA is provided with a first station ST1 and a second station ST2, in which two substrates can be processed simultaneously. This can substantially increase (e.g., double) the measurement capacity, for example, in the case where the first alignment sensor AS1 and the second alignment sensor AS2 are simply arranged in each corresponding station and operated in the same manner. In addition, in the case where different types of measurement devices (or sensor systems) are arranged in the first station ST1 and the second station ST2, for example, in the case where the first alignment sensor AS1 and the film thickness measurement device / the spectral reflectance measurement device are arranged in the corresponding stations, not only can two substrates be processed simultaneously, but also the operation method of the alignment measurement device AMA can be optimized according to the difference in the required measurement time. For example, if the time required for the first alignment sensor AS1 arranged in the first station ST1 to complete the alignment measurement of one substrate is three times the time required for the film thickness measurement device arranged in the second station ST2 to measure the film thickness distribution of the entire surface of the substrate (assuming that the time required for the substrate conveying device to replace the substrate can be ignored), then while one substrate is being processed at the first station ST1, approximately three substrates can be processed at the second station ST2.

[0127] In an embodiment of the method using the alignment measurement device, alignment measurements on the positions of the alignment marks on the substrate W may be performed in both the first station ST1 and the second station ST2, whereby the substrate W remains supported on one of the first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2.

[0128] Thereby, the result of the alignment measurement in the first station ST1 with the first alignment sensor AS1 can be used as input for the alignment measurement in the second station with the second alignment sensor AS2.

[0129] For example, in the first station ST1, the positions of a first number of alignment marks on the substrate may be measured by the first alignment sensor AS1. In the second station ST2, the positions of a second number of alignment marks on the substrate W may be measured by the second alignment sensor AS2, thereby measuring a second number of alignment marks, i.e., the number and / or the location, based on the result of the alignment measurement in the first station ST. The selection of the second number of alignment marks may, for example, be a result of a measurement quality determined with respect to the alignment measurement performed using the first alignment sensor AS1.

[0130] If, based on the measurement results of the first alignment sensor AS1, certain areas of the substrate W are likely to require further or relatively more alignment measurements to improve the measurement quality of the alignment marks on the substrate W, a second number of alignment marks can be specifically selected or concentrated in these areas to obtain a large number of position measurements of the alignment marks in these areas.

[0131] In one embodiment, the number of alignment marks measured by the first alignment sensor AS1 (first number) is substantially smaller than the number of alignment marks measured by the second alignment sensor AS2 (second number). The measurement performed by the first alignment sensor AS1 will generally be used to optimize the measurement performed by the second alignment sensor AS2.

[0132] The number of alignment marks measured by the second alignment sensor AS2 (second number) may be: the second alignment sensor measures 200 or more alignment marks for each substrate, and preferably may be 300 or more alignment marks for each substrate. Such a relatively large number of alignment mark measurements may substantially improve the alignment mark measurement quality and thereby have a significant positive impact on the overlay performance of the lithographic apparatus LA.

[0133] It should be noted that the first number of alignment marks and the second number of alignment marks may partially or completely overlap, that is, the alignment marks measured by the first alignment sensor AS1 and the alignment marks measured by the second alignment sensor AS2 may partially or completely overlap.

[0134] Above, it has been described as Figure 3An embodiment of the alignment measurement device AMA is shown. It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that many other configurations are also possible. For example, the laser ablation unit LAU, the first exposure unit EU1 and / or the third alignment sensor AS3 may be omitted in the first station ST1, and the second exposure unit EU2, the fourth alignment sensor AS4 and / or the overlap sensor OS may be omitted in the second station ST. Correspondingly, an overlap sensor OS may be added in the first station ST1 and / or a laser ablation unit LAU may be added in the second station ST2. Moreover, in the case where the first alignment sensor AS1, the second alignment sensor AS2, the third alignment sensor AS3 and / or the fourth alignment sensor AS4 measure not only the position of the alignment mark on the substrate but also the overlap mark on the substrate, the overlap sensor OS may be omitted.

[0135] Figure 4 A first embodiment of a lithographic apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is shown. In particular, Figure 4 A top view of a substrate table configuration (substrate stage conveyor system) applied in a lithography apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The substrate stage conveyor system according to an embodiment of the present invention can be applied in a metrology apparatus or an inspection apparatus.

[0136] The substrate table arrangement (substrate stage transport system) comprises a first substrate table WT1, a second substrate table WT2 and a third substrate table WT3, each of which is configured to support a substrate W. The first substrate table WT1, the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table WT3 are movably supported by a substrate table positioning system. The substrate table positioning system comprises a first positioning module PM1, which is movable in a moving plane area PAM. Correspondingly, the second substrate table WT2 is supported by a second positioning module PM2 which is movable within the moving plane area PAM, and the third substrate table WT3 is supported by a third positioning module PM3 which is also movable within the moving plane area PAM.

[0137] The moving plane area PAM may be defined, for example, by a plane surface formed by a plurality of permanent magnet arrays. Each of the first positioning module PM1, the second positioning module PM2 and the third positioning module PM3 may include one or more actuating coils, which, when excited by a controller, enable the corresponding positioning module PM1, PM2, PM3 to move to a desired position within the moving plane area PAM relative to the plurality of permanent magnet arrays. Each of the first positioning module PM1, the second positioning module PM2 and the third positioning module PM3 may include a fine positioning device to position the first substrate stage WT1, the second substrate stage WT2 and the third substrate stage WT3 at a desired position with high precision, respectively.

[0138] A position measurement system may be provided to measure the position of the first substrate table WT1, the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table WT3 preferably with high accuracy in six degrees of freedom. In one embodiment, the position measurement system comprises one or more grid plates arranged above at least a portion of the moving plane area PAM, and encoder-type sensors mounted on each of the first substrate table WT1, the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table to determine the position of the respective substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3 relative to the one or more grid plates. Alternatively, one or more grid plates may be provided on the upper surface, side surface and / or lower surface of each substrate table WT1, WT2, WT3. In this case, a plurality of encoder-type sensors may be arranged at any position of the track frame MF, the base frame BF, and / or the operating area around each substrate table. Additionally or alternatively, the position measurement system may comprise an interferometer system. In this case, a single or multiple reflectors may be provided on the upper surface, side surface and / or lower surface of each substrate table.

[0139] The first substrate table WT1 needs to be connected to a fixed part of the lithographic apparatus to supply some required items or signals to the first substrate table WT1. For example, electrical connections may be provided to provide energy, for example to energize the actuation coil; vacuum conduits may be provided to facilitate vacuum clamping; one or more cooling fluid conduits may be provided to provide cooling fluid; and / or control connections may be provided to provide control signals to the first substrate table WT1. In addition, it may be necessary to transfer items or signals (such as cooling liquid or sensor signals for cooling the first substrate table WT1) from the first substrate table WT1 to the fixed part of the lithographic apparatus.

[0140] In the above-described embodiment, these connections between the first substrate table WT1 and the fixed part of the lithographic apparatus, or at least a part thereof, are arranged in the first cable connection CC1. The first cable CC1 is arranged between the first substrate table WT1 and the first cable connection support CCS1. The different connections in the first cable connection CC1 are arranged as a row of connections, which are relatively rigid in the x-direction and relatively flexible in other directions, in particular in the y-direction. Such a cable connection is also denoted as a cable haul or schlepp. It should be noted that the term "cable connection" is used in this document for any mechanical connection between the respective substrate table and other parts of the lithographic apparatus to transmit items such as fluids, electrical energy, air and / or signals between the respective substrate table and other parts of the lithographic apparatus.

[0141] Since the first cable connection CC1 is relatively rigid in the x-direction, the first cable connection support CCS1 is movably supported on a first linear guide LG1 extending in the x-direction at a first side of the movement plane area PAM. The first cable connection support CCS1 moves relative to the first linear guide LG1 to follow the movement of the first substrate table WT1 in the x-direction, so that the first cable connection CC1 does not have a significant negative impact on the positioning of the first substrate table WT1. Additional connections may be provided from the first cable connection support CCS1 to other parts of the lithographic apparatus, such as to an energy source, a vacuum source, a cooling liquid source and / or a controller.

[0142] The first cable connection support CCS1 may be guided on the first linear guide LG1 in any suitable manner. For example, there may be a mechanical, fluid or gas bearing between the first cable connection support CCS1 and the first linear guide LG1. For example, an air bearing may be used. Preferably, the first linear guide LG1 is formed as a linear magnetic support guide.

[0143] The second substrate table WT2 is connected to a second cable connection support CCS2 by means of a second cable connection CC2. The second cable connection support CCS2 is movably guided on a second linear guide LG2. The second linear guide LG2 is arranged at a second side of the movement plane area PAM, which second side is opposite to a first side along which the first linear guide LG1 extends of the movement plane area PAM. The first linear guide LG1 and the second linear guide LG2 both extend in the same direction, e.g. Figure 4 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , it is the x direction.

[0144] The third substrate table WT3 is connected to the third cable connection support CCS3 by means of a third cable connection CC3. The third cable connection support CCS3 is movably guided by the first linear guide LG1. Since both the first cable connection support CCS1 and the third cable connection support CCS3 are guided on the first linear guide LG1, the first substrate table WT1 and the third substrate table WT3 cannot interchange positions in the x-direction. On the contrary, the second substrate table WT2 connected to the second cable connection support CCS2 guided by the second linear guide LG2 by means of the second cable connection CC2 can interchange positions with the first substrate table WT1 and the third substrate table WT3 in the x-direction. This means that the second substrate table WT2 can be as Figure 4 It is shown at the right side of the third substrate table WT3, but may also be located between the first substrate table WT1 and the third substrate table WT3, and at the left side of the first substrate table WT1.

[0145] In order to be able to load a substrate W onto both the first substrate table WT1 and the third substrate table WT3, a first substrate conveyor SH1 is arranged at a third side of the implementation movement plane area PAM for loading and / or unloading the substrate W onto the first substrate table WT1, and a second substrate conveyor SH2 is arranged at a fourth side of the movement plane area PAM opposite to the third side for loading and / or unloading the substrate W onto the third substrate table WT3. Both the first substrate conveyor SH1 and the second substrate conveyor SH2 can be used to load and / or unload a substrate onto the second substrate table WT2.

[0146] The first loading station LST1 is arranged adjacent to the first substrate conveyor SH1, and the second loading station LST2 is arranged adjacent to the second substrate conveyor SH2. When the first substrate conveyor SH1 loads or unloads a substrate W from the first substrate stage WT1 or the second substrate stage WT2, the first substrate stage WT1 and the second substrate stage WT2 may be arranged in the first loading station LST1. Correspondingly, when the second substrate conveyor SH2 loads or unloads a substrate W on the second substrate stage WT2 or the third substrate stage WT3, the second substrate stage WT2 and the third substrate stage WT3 may be arranged in the second loading station LST2.

[0147] It should be noted that instead of the first substrate conveying device SH1 and the second substrate conveying device SH2, a single long-arm substrate conveying device can be set at one side of the moving plane area PAM, and the single long-arm substrate conveying device can load and / or unload the substrate W on each of the first substrate table WT1, the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table WT3 from this side.

[0148] The substrate table positioning system is configured such that the first substrate table WT1 , the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table WT3 are moveable at least between an alignment and level measurement station ALST and an exposure station EST.

[0149] Figure 5 The alignment and level measurement station ALST and the exposure station EST are shown in more detail. In the alignment and level measurement station ALST, an alignment sensor AS is provided to measure the position of a certain number of alignment marks on the substrate, and a level sensor LS is provided to measure the height map of the upper surface of the substrate W. In the exposure station EST, an exposure unit is provided to transfer a pattern from the pattern forming device MA to the substrate W. The exposure unit is as described with reference to Figure 1 The EMBODIMENT comprises a light source SO, an illumination system IL, a patterning device support MT supporting a patterning device, and a projection system PS which projects a patterned radiation beam onto a substrate W.

[0150] It should be noted that the alignment and level measurement station ALST may comprise a plurality of alignment sensors and / or level sensors, eg different types of alignment sensors may be used depending on the needs of a user of the lithographic apparatus.

[0151] The alignment and level measuring station ALST and the exposure station EST are aligned relative to each other, i.e. positioned adjacent to each other in the x-direction. The alignment direction of the alignment and level measuring station ALST and the exposure station EST is identical to the connecting cable guiding direction of the first linear guide LG1 and the second linear guide LG2.

[0152] like Figure 4 An advantage of the shown substrate table configuration is that the additional substrate table WT3 makes it possible to ensure a longer time for loading and / or unloading substrates W on the substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3 and / or for alignment and / or level measurement in the alignment and level measurement station ALST.

[0153] By making the time for loading and unloading the substrate W longer, grid deformation and wear of the substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3 caused by rapid loading of wafers can be reduced.

[0154] By making the alignment measurement time longer, the number of alignment marks that can be measured in the alignment and level measurement station ALST can be increased. As a result, the (inter-field and intra-field) grid density of the measured alignment marks on the substrate W can be further increased. As a result, the overlay accuracy during the actual lithography exposure process in the exposure station EST can be improved.

[0155] Figure 6 An alternative embodiment of a substrate stage transport device system according to an embodiment of the present invention that can be applied to a lithography apparatus and a metrology apparatus is shown. Figure 6 In the embodiment, except Figure 4 In addition to the embodiment, the lithography equipment also includes a second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2. In the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2, an alignment sensor AS is set to measure the position of a certain number of alignment marks on the substrate, and a horizontal sensor LS is set to measure the height map of the upper surface of the substrate. The alignment sensor AS and the horizontal sensor LS in the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST and the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2 may be substantially the same. The alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST, the exposure station EST and the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2 are aligned in the x-direction, that is, they are arranged adjacent to each other in the x-direction. In the case where this substrate platform conveying device system is applied to a measurement device, a third alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST3 may be arranged instead of the exposure station EST.

[0156] The alignment and level measurement station ALST and the second alignment and level measurement station ALST2 allow for simultaneous measurement of level measurement and / or alignment marks of the upper surfaces of two substrates W. Figure 6 As shown, the substrate W supported on the first substrate table WT1 is arranged in the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST, and the substrate W supported on the third substrate table WT3 is arranged in the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2. At the same time, the substrate W supported on the second substrate table WT2 is processed in the exposure station EST. Usually, the first substrate table WT1 will be used in combination with the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST, and the third substrate table WT3 will be used in combination with the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2. The second substrate table WT2 can be used in combination with both the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST and the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2.

[0157] like Figure 6An advantage of the shown substrate table configuration is that by using the second alignment and level measurement station ALST2, the time for loading and / or unloading the substrate W on the substrate table WT1, WT2, WT3 and / or the time for alignment and level measurement in the alignment and level measurement station ALST can be further extended.

[0158] Figure 7 Another alternative embodiment of a substrate stage conveyor system according to an embodiment of the present invention that can be applied to a lithography apparatus and a metrology apparatus is shown. Figure 7 In the embodiment, except Figure 6 In addition to the embodiment, the lithography device also includes an additional alignment measurement station AAST, which includes an alignment sensor system to measure the positions of a certain number of alignment marks on the substrate W supported by one of the first substrate table WT1, the second substrate table WT2 and the third substrate table WT3. The type of alignment sensor set and used in the additional alignment measurement station AAST may be different from the alignment sensor AS of the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST and the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2. In an alternative embodiment, the type of alignment sensor in the additional alignment measurement station AAST may be the same as the alignment sensor AS of the alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST and the second alignment and horizontal measurement station ALST2. Similarly, a combination of the same and different alignment sensors may be set in the additional alignment measurement station AAST.

[0159] The alignment and levelling measuring station ALST, the second alignment and levelling measuring station ALST2 and the additional alignment measuring station AAST can be used as described above with respect to the alignment measuring device AMA, such as Figure 3 As shown. The alignment and level measurement station ALST and the second alignment and level measurement station ALST2 can be configured as the first station of the alignment measurement device AMA, and the additional alignment measurement station AAST can be configured as the second station of the alignment measurement device AMA, except that the alignment and level measurement station ALST, the second alignment and level measurement station ALST2 and the additional alignment measurement station AAST are arranged in the lithography device instead of in a separate alignment measurement device AMA. Any other configuration of the alignment and level measurement station ALST, the second alignment and level measurement station ALST2 and the additional alignment measurement station AAST may also be applied.

[0160] Figure 8 Another alternative embodiment of a substrate stage transport device system according to an aspect of the present invention that can be applied to a lithography apparatus and a metrology apparatus is shown. Figure 8In an embodiment of the present invention, a fourth substrate table WT4 is configured to support a substrate W. The fourth substrate table WT4 is supported on a fourth positioning module PM4 which is movable in the movement plane area PAM.

[0161] A fourth cable connector CC4 is provided between the fourth substrate table WT4 and the fourth cable connector support CCS4. The fourth cable connector support CCS4 is supported on the second linear guide LG2. The first substrate conveying device SH1 is provided to load and unload substrates W on the first substrate table WT1 and the second substrate table WT2. The second substrate conveying device SH2 is provided to load and unload substrates W on the third substrate table WT3 and the fourth substrate table WT4. Since both the second cable connector support CCS2 and the fourth cable connector support CCS4 are guided by the second linear guide LG2, it is clear that the second substrate table WT2 and the fourth substrate table WT4 cannot be interchanged in the x-direction. However, the second substrate table WT2 and the fourth substrate table WT4 can be arranged at any position in the x-direction relative to the first substrate table WT1 and the third substrate table WT3.

[0162] In the movement plane area PAM of the substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3, WT4, an alignment and level measurement station ALST, an additional alignment measurement station AAST, and an exposure station EST are arranged. The alignment and level measurement station ALST, the additional alignment measurement station AAST, and the exposure station EST are aligned in the x-direction, in particular parallel to the guiding direction of the cable connectors of the first linear guide LG1 and the second linear guide LG2. The alignment and level measurement station ALST can be configured as the first station of the alignment measurement device AMA, and the additional alignment measurement station AAST can be configured as the second station of the alignment measurement device AMA. Any other configuration of the alignment and level measurement station ALST and the additional alignment measurement station AAST can also be applied. In the case where this substrate platform conveyor system is applied to a metrology device, a third alignment and level measurement station ALST3 can be arranged instead of the exposure station EST.

[0163] Since four substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3, WT4 are provided, the loading / unloading time of the substrate W and the time for performing alignment and level measurement are further prolonged.

[0164] Likewise, in Figures 4 to 8 In all embodiments of the present invention, the substrate W remains on the same substrate table WT1 , WT2 , WT3 , WT4 during level measurement, alignment measurement and exposure of the patterned radiation beam on the substrate W.

[0165] It is worth noting that between two cable connection support members guided on a single linear guide, a further cable connection support member may be provided to support the cable connection member to a further positioning module. The further positioning module may not be configured to support a substrate table, as it cannot be arranged in close proximity to the substrate handling device SH1, SH2, but it may be configured to perform metrology and / or calibration processes, for example.

[0166] However, in one embodiment, the further positioning module may further comprise a substrate table configured to support a substrate W. In that case, at least one substrate handling device capable of loading and unloading substrates on the substrate table of the further positioning module should be provided. Such a substrate loader may, for example, be a long-arm substrate handling device, which may load a substrate at a relatively long distance from the bottom of the substrate handling device, for example, over the first substrate table to the substrate table of the further positioning module.

[0167] In the above, reference Figures 4 to 8 , different combinations of three or more substrate tables and a plurality of process stations including exposure stations and / or alignment and level measurement stations are described. Additional stations, such as alignment and level measurement stations, may be provided to increase the time available for loading / unloading substrates on the respective substrate tables and for performing alignment and level measurement. That is, by applying the above-described substrate stage conveyor system to a lithographic apparatus, the overlap performance of the lithographic process may be improved. It will be apparent that other substrate table configurations may also be provided.

[0168] When the substrate platform conveyor system is applied to a lithography device Figure 4-8An important advantage of the embodiment is that the substrate W remains supported on the respective substrate tables WT1, WT2, WT3, WT4 during alignment and level measurements and subsequent exposure of the patterned radiation beam. Furthermore, an advantage in the case of applying the above-described substrate stage conveyor system to a metrology apparatus (or inspection apparatus) is that the number (or type) of measuring devices / inspection devices, the number of substrate tables, and the number of substrate conveyors do not have to be the same, and by optimizing the combination of these numbers, various types of properties of the substrate can be effectively measured (inspected). In the case where the metrology apparatus includes different types of measuring devices (inspection devices, sensor systems), such as alignment sensors and level sensors (or film thickness measurement apparatus / spectral reflectance measurement apparatus), the number of measuring devices / inspection devices, the number of substrate tables, the number of substrate conveyors, and the method of operating the metrology apparatus can also be optimized by taking into account the difference in the time required for each measuring device to complete the measurement of one substrate. In other words, by providing a single unified metrology (inspection) device capable of measuring (inspecting) multiple types of properties of a substrate, and optimizing the number of measuring devices / inspection devices, the number of substrate tables, the number of substrate conveying devices, and the metrology device of such metrology device, the productivity performance and / or economy of the metrology device / the inspection device can be improved compared to the case where multiple metrology devices / inspection devices are used.

[0169] Although specific reference may be made herein to the use of lithographic apparatus in IC manufacturing, it should be understood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may have other applications, such as the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guide and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, flat panel displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), thin film magnetic heads, etc. Those skilled in the art will understand that in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the term "wafer" or "die" herein may be considered synonymous with the broader term "substrate" or "target portion", respectively. The substrate referred to herein may be processed before or after exposure in, for example, a coating and developing system or track (a tool that typically applies a resist layer to a substrate and develops the exposed resist), a metrology tool, and / or an inspection tool. Where applicable, the disclosure herein may be applied to such and other substrate processing tools. In addition, the substrate may be processed more than once, for example to produce a multi-layer IC, so that the term substrate used herein may also refer to a substrate that already contains multiple processed layers.

[0170] Although specific reference has been made above to the use of embodiments of the invention in the context of optical lithography, it should be understood that the invention may be used in other applications, such as imprint lithography, and is not limited to optical lithography where the context permits. In imprint lithography, the topography in a patterning device defines the pattern produced on a substrate. The topography of the patterning device may be pressed into a layer of resist provided to the substrate, the resist being cured by applying electromagnetic radiation, heat, pressure, or a combination thereof. The patterning device is removed from the resist, leaving a pattern therein after the resist has cured.

[0171] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be appreciated that the present invention may be implemented in ways other than those described. For example, the present invention may take the form of a computer program comprising one or more machine-readable instruction sequences describing the methods disclosed above, or a data storage medium (e.g., a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or an optical disk) having such a computer program stored therein.

[0172] The above description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting. It will therefore be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention described without departing from the scope of the claims set forth below.

Claims

1. A metrology apparatus for measuring the first substrate and the second substrate before sending the first substrate and the second substrate to separate lithography apparatus for exposure based on the measurement of the first substrate and the second substrate by the metrology apparatus, the metrology apparatus comprising: a first substrate stage configured to hold the first substrate or the second substrate; a second substrate stage configured to hold the other of the first substrate or the second substrate; a first measurement device comprising an alignment sensor system for measuring positions of a number of alignment marks on a substrate supported by the first substrate stage and / or the second substrate stage; A second measuring device; and A processing system is configured to control the device so that the first measurement device and the second measurement device measure the first substrate and the second substrate respectively at the same time.

2. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The first substrate stage and / or the second substrate stage is capable of moving from measurement of a substrate by the first measurement device to measurement of the substrate by the second measurement device, or from measurement of the substrate by the second measurement device to measurement of the substrate by the first measurement device.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The second measuring device includes a film thickness measuring device or a spectral reflectance measuring device.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The first measuring device comprises a level sensor configured to perform height measurements.

5. The measuring device according to claim 4, wherein: The second measuring device comprises a level sensor configured to perform height measurements.

6. The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein: The second measurement device comprises an alignment sensor system for measuring positions of a number of alignment marks on a substrate supported by the first substrate stage and / or the second substrate stage. The metrology apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a laser ablation unit.

8. An alignment measurement device for measuring the position of an alignment mark on a substrate before sending the substrate to a separate lithography device for exposure based on the measurement of the substrate by the alignment measurement device, the alignment measurement device comprising: a first station including a first alignment sensor system for measuring positions of a first number of alignment marks on a substrate; a second station including a second alignment sensor system for measuring positions of a second number of alignment marks on the substrate or another substrate, wherein a central portion of the second station is spaced apart from a central portion of the first station by at least a cross-sectional dimension of the substrate; and A movable substrate table is configured to hold the substrate, wherein the substrate table is arranged to move to the first station and the second station. 9 . The alignment measurement apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a film thickness measurement apparatus or a spectral reflectance measurement apparatus.

10. The alignment measurement device according to claim 8, wherein: The first station includes a level sensor configured to perform height measurements.

11. The alignment measurement device according to claim 10, wherein: The second station includes a level sensor configured to perform height measurements.

12. The alignment measurement device according to claim 8, wherein: The first alignment sensor system is of a different type than the second alignment sensor system.

13. The alignment measurement device according to claim 8, wherein: The structures of the first station, the second station and / or both the first station and the second station are designed to selectively add an alignment measurement device, a level sensor, a film thickness measurement device, a spectral reflectance measurement device, a laser ablation unit and / or an overlap sensor.

14. The alignment measurement apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a laser ablation unit.

15. An alignment measurement apparatus for measuring the position of an alignment mark on a substrate before sending the substrate to a separate lithography apparatus for exposure based on the measurement of the substrate by the alignment measurement apparatus, the alignment measurement apparatus comprising: a first alignment sensor system for measuring a position of an alignment mark on a substrate; and a second alignment sensor system for measuring a position of an alignment mark on the substrate or another substrate, the second alignment sensor system being of a different type than the first alignment sensor system; and A movable substrate table is configured to hold the substrate. 16 . The alignment measurement apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising a movable substrate stage configured to hold the substrate or the further substrate.

17. The alignment measurement apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a level sensor configured to perform height measurements.

18. The alignment measurement apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a laser ablation unit. 19 . The alignment measurement apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising a processing system configured to control the apparatus so that the first alignment sensor system and the second alignment sensor system respectively measure the substrate and another substrate simultaneously.

20. The alignment measurement apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a film thickness measurement apparatus or a spectral reflectance measurement apparatus.

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