Position detection method and position detector, exposure method and exposure apparatus, and device and device manufacturing method

Abstract

A parameter calculation unit statistically calculates the estimations and their certainty of a predetermined number of parameters, which uniquely specify any position on an object, for each of a plurality of measured sample sets on the basis of position information of marks composing the sample set. A valid value calculation unit calculates statistically valid values of the predetermined number of parameters on the basis of groups of the estimations and their certainty of the predetermined number of parameters for the respective sample sets. Furthermore, an evaluation unit statistically evaluates if the number of marks composing a sample set can be reduced. If it is determined that the number of marks can be reduced, the parameter calculation unit calculates values of the predetermined number of parameters by using a new sample set having reduced number of marks. Using the values of the predetermined number of parameters calculated in this manner, the position of any area on the object can be accurately detected.

Description

[0001] This is a continuation of International Application PCT / JP00 / 00855, with an international filing date of Feb. 16, 2000, the entire content of which being hereby incorporated herein by reference.[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to a position detection method and position detector, an exposure method and exposure apparatus, and a device and device manufacturing method and, more particularly, to a position detection method and position detector for obtaining arrangement information of divided areas on an object, an exposure method and exposure apparatus using the position detection method, and a device manufactured using the exposure method and a manufacturing method thereof.[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art[0005] In a lithography process for making semiconductor devices, liquid crystal display devices, and the like, an exposure apparatus which transfers a pattern formed on a mask or reticle (to be generally referred to as a "reticle" h...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The accuracy of the arrangement coordinate position determination of shot areas determined under the above premise suffices to achieve conventionally required exposure accuracy, but does not suffice for the increase of integration degree in recent years.

However, since prior art 2 requires a huge computation volume for fuzzy inference, a long period of time is required to determine the arrangement coordinate positions of shot regions, and this makes it difficult to improve the throughput of exposure.

However, the use thereof causes the whole exposure apparatus to be large and complicated.

Therefore, it is not guaranteed that the error distribution of the positions of a plurality of alignment marks as elements of a sample set determined by the conventional method appropriately reflects the error distribution of positions of all alignment marks.

This method presupposes that only few isolated sh

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