Exposure method, exposure apparatus, and method of manufacturing an article

Abstract

The present application relates to an exposure method, an exposure apparatus, and an article manufacturing method. An exposure method of exposing a pattern of a master to a first shot area of a substrate, and exposing a pattern of a master to a second shot area which overlaps a part of the first shot area, includes: a first measurement step of measuring a position of an alignment mark corresponding to the first shot area; and an exposure step of performing exposure based on a result of measurement in the first measurement step, wherein in the exposure step, alignment of the first shot area is performed based on position information of the alignment mark measured in the first measurement step, and alignment of the second shot area is performed using the position information of the alignment mark used for the alignment of the first shot area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an exposure method, an exposure apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an article. Background Technology

[0002] In the manufacturing of LCD panels, OLED displays, and the like, an exposure apparatus is used to expose a substrate (glass substrate) coated with a photosensitive agent using a projection optical system, based on the pattern of a master mask. In recent years, the demand for large-area panels has surged, leading to a requirement for exposure apparatuses to cover larger areas.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-12258 discloses an exposure method called "joint exposure," which exposes by overlapping a portion of adjacent shooting areas, enabling exposure of a large area. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0005] However, when overlapping the upper and lower layers in a combined exposure, the reduced throughput due to the measurement of alignment marks formed on the lower layer can become a problem. For example, when exposing the upper layer of three adjacent shooting areas in a combined exposure manner, the alignment marks formed on the lower layer corresponding to each shooting area are typically measured separately. The deviation between the pattern in the lower layer and the pattern in the upper layer is then calculated. However, when measuring the alignment marks corresponding to each shooting area separately, the measuring unit for measuring the alignment marks needs to be driven to a position where the alignment marks can be measured, thus potentially reducing throughput.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an exposure method that is advantageous in increasing throughput in bonding exposure.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, an exposure method according to one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the exposure method exposes a pattern of the original in a first imaging area of ​​a substrate and exposes the pattern of the original in a second imaging area that overlaps with a portion of the first imaging area. The exposure method includes: a first measurement step of measuring the position of an alignment mark corresponding to the first imaging area; and an exposure step of performing exposure based on the result measured in the first measurement step, wherein the first imaging area is aligned based on the position information of the alignment mark measured in the first measurement step, and the second imaging area is aligned using the position information of the alignment mark used for aligning the first imaging area.

[0008] Further features of the invention will become apparent from the exemplary embodiments described below (with reference to the accompanying drawings). Attached Figure Description

[0009] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the exposure apparatus.

[0010] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the alignment observer and the off-axis observer.

[0011] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the shooting area in the first embodiment.

[0012] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating the decision-making process for omitting measurements of the shooting area.

[0013] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating the exposure process in the first embodiment.

[0014] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the configuration of the two shooting areas.

[0015] Figure 7 This diagram shows the configuration of four or more shooting areas.

[0016] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the exposure process in the second embodiment.

[0017] (Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram)

[0018] 30: Original; 60: Substrate; 70: Control unit; 100: Exposure device; AM: Alignment mark; S1: First shooting area; S2: Second shooting area; S3: Third shooting area. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0020] <First Implementation>

[0021] The structure of the exposure apparatus in this embodiment will be explained. The exposure apparatus in this embodiment is used in the photolithography process during the manufacture of semiconductor devices, flat panel displays (FPDs), and other devices. The exposure apparatus forms a latent image pattern in the imaging area of ​​the substrate by transferring the pattern of a master mask onto a substrate coated with resist. In this embodiment, the exposure apparatus illuminates the pattern of the master mask and transfers the pattern of the master mask onto multiple areas of the substrate via a projection optics system. In this embodiment, a step-scan exposure apparatus is described, but it is not limited to this; other exposure methods such as step-repetition can also be used.

[0022] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the exposure apparatus 100 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a coordinate system is defined with the surface on which the substrate 60 is placed as the XY plane and the direction perpendicular to the XY plane as the Z direction. Furthermore, a coordinate system is defined with the scanning direction of the original 30 and the substrate 60 as the Y direction and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction within the XY plane as the X direction.

[0023] The exposure apparatus 100 includes a master plate stage 31 for holding a master plate 30, a substrate stage 61 for holding a substrate 60, an illumination optical system 10 for illuminating the master plate 30, and a projection optical system 40 for projecting the pattern of the master plate 30 onto the substrate 60. Additionally, the exposure apparatus 100 includes a slit imaging system 20, mirrors 32 and 62, laser interferometers 33 and 63, an X-ray shield 50, a control unit 70, an alignment observation instrument 80, and an off-axis observation instrument 81. The master plate 30 and the substrate 60 are positioned optically conjugately (object plane and image plane of the projection optical system 40) via the projection optical system 40. The slit imaging system 20, which shapes the exposed light, is positioned between the illumination optical system 10 and the master plate stage 31. Additionally, an X-ray shield 50 is disposed between the projection optical system 40 and the substrate stage 61. This X-ray shield 50 is used to sequentially expose images of the pattern of the original 30 in different areas of the substrate 60 with partial overlap during scanning exposure of the substrate 60 (hereinafter, joint exposure). The X-ray shield 50 functions as a shield to adjust the exposure amount of the repeatedly exposed areas through joint exposure. The control unit 70 controls the driving of each part of the exposure apparatus 100.

[0024] The illumination optical system 10 comprises a light source (not shown) such as an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp or an LED light source, a wavelength selective filter, a lens group, a shutter, etc. The illumination optical system 10 illuminates the slit imaging system 20 with light of a wavelength suitable for exposure. The slit imaging system 20 has a slit (not shown) that shapes the incident light from the illumination optical system 10 into an exposure width that satisfies the necessary exposure amount at a fixed stage scanning speed (e.g., an upper limit of the scanning speed).

[0025] The original plate stage 31, on which the original plate 30 is mounted, is scanned in the Y direction by a drive mechanism (not shown). Multiple mirrors 32 are arranged on the original plate stage 31 to reflect measurement light from a laser interferometer 33 positioned outside the original plate stage 31. The laser interferometer 33 receives the reflected measurement light and continuously monitors and measures the position of the original plate stage 31. The control unit 70 controls the position and speed of the original plate stage 31 based on the measurement results from the laser interferometer 33.

[0026] The projection optical system 40 has a mirror and a lens (not shown) that reflect and refract the exposed light, thereby projecting the pattern formed on the original 30 onto the substrate 60. Furthermore, the mirror and lens of the projection optical system 40 are driven in the Z-direction and rotational direction by a drive mechanism (not shown) to produce arbitrary magnification and displacement.

[0027] In the exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment, a first image is exposed in the imaging area S1 (first imaging area) of the substrate 60, and a second image is exposed in the imaging area S2 (second imaging area), which overlaps with a portion of the imaging area S1. Furthermore, a third image is exposed in the imaging area S3 (third imaging area), which overlaps with a portion of the imaging area S2. Hereinafter, the exposure method that combines the exposed areas of the first and second images, and the second and third images, will be referred to as combined exposure.

[0028] The X-shield 50 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). By driving the X-shield 50 horizontally and changing the position of the light being blocked, the light being exposed by the slit imaging system 20 is blocked at an angle relative to the scanning direction, thereby controlling the amount of exposure accumulated in the area of ​​repeated exposures.

[0029] A substrate stage 61, on which a substrate 60 is mounted, is scanned in the X, Y, and Z directions by a drive mechanism (not shown). Multiple mirrors 62 are disposed on the substrate stage to reflect measurement light from a laser interferometer 63 disposed outside the substrate stage 61. The laser interferometer 63 receives the reflected measurement light and continuously monitors and measures the position of the substrate stage 61. The control unit 70 controls the position and speed of the substrate stage 61 based on the measurement results from the laser interferometer 63.

[0030] The alignment observation instrument 80 (measuring unit) measures the alignment marks formed on the substrate 60 via the original plate 30 and the projection optical system 40. On the other hand, the off-axis observation instrument 81 (measuring unit) is disposed below the projection optical system 40 and measures the alignment marks on the substrate 60 without passing through the original plate 30 and the projection optical system 40. Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the configuration of the alignment observer 80 and the off-axis observer 81. The alignment observer 80 and the off-axis observer 81 are as follows... Figure 2 As shown, the positions of each alignment mark corresponding to the imaging area on the substrate 60 are arranged to be measured. In this embodiment, the method of measuring the alignment marks using the alignment observer 80 and the off-axis observer 81 is described, but it is also possible to measure the alignment marks using only the alignment observer 80 or only the off-axis observer 81.

[0031] The control unit 70 functions as a processing unit that determines correction amounts related to the alignment of exposures in each shooting area using measurement values ​​of alignment marks measured by the alignment observer 80. The control unit 70 includes a data holding unit 71, a drive quantity calculation unit 72, and a drive indication unit 73. The data holding unit 71 holds the deviations in the X and Y directions of one or more points within the shooting area measured by the marks exposed on the substrate using the exposure apparatus. It also holds drive parameters such as drive offset and sensitivity of various drive axes, various measurement data obtained by the exposure apparatus, the arrangement coordinates of the shooting areas on the substrate 60, and the arrangement coordinates of the alignment marks within the shooting areas. The drive quantity calculation unit 72 calculates various correction components such as position offset, rotation, and magnification in the X and Y directions using general statistical methods based on the data held by the data holding unit 71. Furthermore, the drive quantity calculation unit 72 determines the drive indication amount for each axis based on the drive parameters and the calculated correction components. The drive indication unit 73 outputs drive indications for each drive mechanism using the drive indication amounts determined by the drive quantity calculation unit 72. Furthermore, regarding the control unit 70, its hardware structure may, for example, consist of a computer device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and memory. In this case, the data holding unit 71 is implemented by memory, and the drive quantity calculation unit 72 and the drive instruction unit 73 are implemented by the CPU.

[0032] Next, use Figure 3 This section explains the imaging area and alignment marks formed on the substrate 60 in this embodiment. The exposure apparatus 100 performs overlapping exposure on the imaging area on the bottom layer formed on the substrate 60. Imaging area S1, which serves as the overlapping target for the first imaging exposure (first exposure), imaging area S2, which serves as the overlapping target for the second imaging exposure (second exposure), and imaging area S3, which serves as the overlapping target for the third imaging exposure (third exposure), are formed on the substrate 60. Alignment marks AM1, AM2, AM3, and AM4, corresponding to imaging area S1, are formed near the corners of imaging area S1. Alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6, corresponding to imaging area S2, are formed near the corners of imaging area S2. Alignment marks AM5, AM6, AM7, and AM8, corresponding to imaging area S3, are formed near the corners of imaging area S3. Alignment marks AM3 and AM4 are formed in a region where a portion of imaging area S1 and a portion of imaging area S2 overlap. Alignment marks AM5 and AM6 are formed in a region where a portion of imaging area S2 and a portion of imaging area S3 overlap. Figure 3 In the example, the shooting areas S1, S2, and S3 are areas of the same size.

[0033] (Exposure methods in the comparative example)

[0034] A comparative example of this embodiment is described. In order to perform overlapping exposures on the shooting areas formed on the bottom layer, the position information of the alignment marks corresponding to each shooting area is measured using an alignment observer 80 and an off-axis observer 81.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the alignment observation instrument 80 and the off-axis observation instrument 81 are positioned at the alignment marks of each shooting area that can be measured simultaneously.

[0036] First, the imaging area S1 is aligned. Alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 are used to measure alignment marks AM1, AM2, AM3, and AM4 corresponding to the imaging area S1, obtaining position information. At this time, the substrate stage 61 is driven towards the measurement position in a manner capable of measuring alignment marks AM1, AM2, AM3, and AM4. Based on the position information of alignment marks AM1, AM2, AM3, and AM4, a correction amount related to the alignment of the imaging area S1 is calculated.

[0037] Next, the imaging area S2 is aligned. Alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 are used to measure alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6 corresponding to the imaging area S2 to obtain position information. At this time, the substrate stage 61 is driven towards the measurement position in a manner capable of measuring alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6. Based on the position information of alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6, a correction amount related to the alignment of the imaging area S2 is calculated.

[0038] Next, the imaging area S3 is aligned. Alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 are used to measure alignment marks AM5, AM6, AM7, and AM8 corresponding to the imaging area S3 to obtain position information. At this time, the substrate stage 61 is driven towards the measurement position in a manner capable of measuring alignment marks AM5, AM6, AM7, and AM8. Based on the position information of alignment marks AM5, AM6, AM7, and AM8, a correction amount related to the alignment of the imaging area S3 is calculated.

[0039] Next, while adjusting each part of the exposure device 100 based on the respective correction amounts calculated for the shooting areas S1, S2, and S3, exposure is performed in a manner that overlaps with the underlying pattern.

[0040] Through the above procedures, bonding and exposure can be performed.

[0041] During the bonding exposure, as described above, the substrate 60 needs to be driven from the positions of the alignment marks AM1, AM2, AM3, and AM4 to the positions of the alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6. Additionally, the substrate 60 needs to be driven from the positions of the alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6 to the positions of the alignment marks AM5, AM6, AM7, and AM8. In order to calculate the correction amount used to overlap each imaging area, the alignment mark group corresponding to each imaging area is measured; therefore, a reduction in throughput may become a problem.

[0042] (The exposure method in this embodiment)

[0043] In this embodiment, similar to the comparative example, the objective is to calculate the correction amount used for overlapping exposure of each shooting area. In this embodiment, the measurement of alignment marks AM3, AM4, AM5, and AM6 corresponding to shooting area S2 is omitted, thereby improving throughput compared to the comparative example.

[0044] Figure 4 This is a flowchart for determining the shooting area for omitting alignment marks during measurement. Figure 4 Each process is executed by the control unit 70 controlling each part of the exposure device 100.

[0045] In step S101, the configuration coordinates of each alignment mark are calculated based on the configuration coordinates of the shooting areas S1, S2, and S3 stored in the data holding unit 71, and the configuration coordinates of the alignment marks in each shooting area. Then, the alignment marks formed in the overlapping areas of the shooting areas (repeated areas) are determined as common alignment marks. In this embodiment, alignment marks AM3 and AM4 are determined as common alignment marks in shooting areas S1 and S2, and alignment marks AM5 and AM6 are determined as common alignment marks in shooting areas S2 and S3.

[0046] In step S102, the shooting area where all alignment marks within the shooting area become common alignment marks between shots is determined as a shooting area where the measurement of alignment marks can be omitted (determination step). In this embodiment, alignment marks AM3, AM4 and alignment marks AM5, AM6 of shooting area S2 are determined as common alignment marks with other shooting areas. Therefore, shooting area S2 is determined as a shooting area where the measurement of alignment marks can be omitted.

[0047] Based on the above processing, it was decided to omit the measurement area for the alignment marks.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the measurement of the alignment mark is omitted and only one imaging area is included, but as will be described later... Figure 7For example, depending on the layout of the shooting area, it is also possible to determine more than two shooting areas that omit measurement.

[0049] Next, refer to Figure 5 This describes the process (exposure process) from the moment the substrate 60 is moved into the exposure apparatus 100 until the substrate 60 is removed. Figure 5 This is a flowchart of the exposure process in this embodiment. Figure 5 Each process is executed by the control unit 70 controlling each part of the exposure device 100.

[0050] In step S201, the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM1-4) corresponding to the shooting area S1 is measured (first measurement step). In the first measurement step, the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM1-4) corresponding to the first shooting area is measured with the relative position of the measuring unit (alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81) and the substrate 60 in a first position. Furthermore, in the first measurement step, each alignment mark in the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM1-4) corresponding to the first shooting area is measured in parallel. Parallel measurement means that it is preferable to measure multiple alignment marks simultaneously, but at least a portion of the timing in the measurement of each alignment mark need to be repeated.

[0051] In step S202, the measurement of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM3-6) corresponding to the shooting area S2 is omitted, and the measurement of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM5-8) corresponding to the shooting area S3 is performed (second measurement step). In the second measurement step, the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM5-8) corresponding to the third shooting area is measured with the relative positional relationship between the measuring unit (alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81) and the substrate 60 in a second position. In addition, in the second measurement step, each alignment mark of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM5-8) corresponding to the third shooting area is measured in parallel. Parallel measurement means that it is preferable to measure multiple alignment marks at the same time, but at least a portion of the timing in the measurement of each alignment mark need to be repeated.

[0052] In step S203, calculated values ​​are obtained showing the position information of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM3 to AM6) corresponding to the shooting area S2, omitting the measurement of the alignment marks. The calculated values ​​of the alignment marks corresponding to the shooting area S2 are calculated based on the position information of alignment marks AM3 and AM4 measured in S201 (first information) and the position information of alignment marks AM5 and AM6 measured in S202 (second information).

[0053] Furthermore, the measurement results for alignment marks AM3 and AM4 when measuring alignment marks AM1 to AM4 may differ from the measurement results for alignment marks AM3 to AM4 when measuring alignment marks AM3 to AM6. This is because during both measurements, the deviation amount is generated due to the error in driving the substrate stage 61. Therefore, the deviation amount of the measurement results for both measurements can be stored in advance (Information 3).

[0054] Similarly, the measurement results of alignment marks AM5 and AM6 when measuring alignment marks AM3–6 may differ from the measurement results of alignment marks AM5 and AM6 when measuring alignment marks AM5–8. Therefore, the deviation amount (4th information) of the measurement results of the two measurements can be stored in advance. This deviation amount is also called the calibration amount. The measurement value of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 can be calculated based on the 1st information, 2nd information, 3rd information, and 4th information.

[0055] In step S204, based on the position information of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM1-4) measured in the first measurement step, a correction amount related to the alignment of the shooting area S1 is calculated. Additionally, based on the calculated values ​​of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM3-6) corresponding to the shooting area S2 calculated in step S203, a correction amount related to the alignment of the shooting area S2 is calculated. Furthermore, based on the position information of the alignment mark group (alignment marks AM5-8) measured in the second measurement step, a correction amount related to the alignment of the shooting area S3 is calculated. Steps S203 and S204 are also referred to as calculation steps.

[0056] In step S205, based on the calculation results of the correction amounts of the shooting areas S1 to S3 calculated in the calculation process, overlapping exposure of each shooting area is performed (exposure process). In the exposure process, exposure is performed while controlling the alignment of the original 30 and the substrate 60.

[0057] In the exposure process of this embodiment, the measurement results of the alignment marks for the alignment of the shooting area S1, which are measured in the first measurement process, are also used for the alignment of the second shooting area.

[0058] (Modified Example)

[0059] The above example shows a combined exposure of three adjacent shooting areas, but it could also be a combined exposure of two adjacent shooting areas. Figure 6 This is an example of a pattern layout where shooting areas S1 and S2 are adjacent. Alignment marks AM3 and AM4 are located in the overlapping areas of the two adjacent shooting areas and are common alignment marks.

[0060] In addition, the shooting area S2 is smaller than the shooting area S1, and the distance between alignment marks AM1 and AM3 is different from the distance between alignment marks AM3 and AM5.

[0061] exist Figure 6 In this example, the measurement of the common alignment marks can also be omitted. By omitting the measurement of the common alignment marks, the throughput can be improved compared to not omitting them. Here, the distance between the two mirrors of the alignment observer 80 and the distance between the two mirrors of the off-axis observer 81 are set to the distance fixed between alignment marks AM1 and AM3.

[0062] The following describes the case where the measurement of common alignment marks is not omitted. First, the position driving board 60, which can be used with alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 to measure the alignment marks AM1 to AM4, is used to measure the alignment marks AM1 to AM4 corresponding to the shooting area S1 (first measurement step). Next, the position driving board 60, which can be used with alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 to measure the alignment marks AM3 and AM4, is used to measure the alignment marks AM3 and AM4 corresponding to the shooting area S2. Next, the position driving board 60, which can be used with alignment observer 80 and off-axis observer 81 to measure the alignment marks AM3 and AM4, is used to measure the alignment marks AM5 and AM6 corresponding to the shooting area S2.

[0063] In this variation, by omitting the measurement of common alignment marks, the throughput can be improved compared to the case where the measurement of common alignment marks is not omitted. This variation calculates the correction amount related to the alignment of the shooting area S2 based on the position information of the alignment marks formed in the overlapping area of ​​shooting area S1 and shooting area S2 within the alignment mark group measured in the first measurement step.

[0064] In addition, the omission of measurements of common alignment marks can also be performed in combined exposures of more than four adjacent shooting areas. Figure 7 This is an example of the pattern layout of adjacent shooting areas S1 to S5. Alignment marks AM3 to 10 are placed in the overlapping areas of the two adjacent shooting areas and are common alignment marks.

[0065] exist Figure 6 In the example, the measurement of common alignment marks can also be omitted. For instance, only the alignment marks corresponding to shooting areas S1, S3, and S5 can be measured, while the measurement of the alignment marks corresponding to shooting areas S2 and S4 can be omitted. This improves throughput compared to not omitting the measurement of common alignment marks.

[0066] Based on the above, in this embodiment, by omitting the measurement of common alignment marks, the throughput in joint exposure can be improved.

[0067] <Second Implementation Method>

[0068] In this embodiment, a method for switching between a first mode that does not omit the measurement of common alignment marks and a second mode that omits the measurement of common alignment marks will be described. Furthermore, the structure of the exposure apparatus 100 is the same as in the first embodiment, and therefore its description is omitted. Additionally, matters not mentioned in this embodiment will follow the first embodiment.

[0069] In this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a first mode that does not omit the common alignment marks and a second mode that omits the common alignment marks. Therefore, compared to the first embodiment, the measurement accuracy of the alignment marks can be improved.

[0070] Heat is generated by continuously performing the exposure process. Due to the effect of this heat, the measurement results of the alignment mark may change. Due to the thermal deformation of the projection optics system 40 equipped with the off-axis observer 81 and the thermal deformation of the support member of the off-axis observer 81, the position and orientation of the off-axis observer 81 may change when measuring the alignment mark.

[0071] In this case, since the calibration amount described in the first embodiment is remeasured, the position information of the alignment mark can be calculated with high accuracy even if the measurement of the alignment mark is omitted.

[0072] Reference Figure 3 The pattern layout shown illustrates the steps of this embodiment. Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the process in this embodiment. Figure 8 Each process is executed by the control unit 70 controlling each part of the exposure device 100.

[0073] In S301, the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S1 is measured.

[0074] In step S302, it is determined whether the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 needs to be measured (determination step). The determination method for whether to perform the alignment mark measurement of the shooting area S2 is based on at least one of the following: the number of substrates processed, the processing time, and the energy of the light exposed to the projection optical system 40. In step S302, if it is determined that measurement is required, the process proceeds to step S303; if it is determined that measurement is not required, the process proceeds to step S304.

[0075] In the method for determining the number of substrates processed, starting from the last substrate where the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 was measured, if the specified number of substrates has not been reached, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is omitted. Then, when more than the specified number of substrates have been processed, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is performed.

[0076] In the time-based determination method, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is taken as the starting point if the specified time has not elapsed. Then, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is performed after the specified time has elapsed.

[0077] In the method of determining the temperature using the energy of the exposed light, the temperature change of the projection optical system 40 is considered to be caused by the exposure energy. Then, if the temperature change of the projection optical system 40 from the last measurement of the alignment mark of the shooting area S2 is lower than a specified temperature change, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is omitted. If the temperature change is higher than the specified temperature change, the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is performed.

[0078] In step S302, if it is determined that measurement is required, proceed to step S303; if it is determined that measurement is not required, proceed to step S304. In step S303, the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S2 is measured.

[0079] In step S304, the alignment mark corresponding to the shooting area S3 is measured.

[0080] In step S305, based on the measurement results obtained in the above steps, overlapping exposure of each shooting area is performed. Furthermore, if it is determined in step S302 that the measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to shooting area S2 is not required, the process described in the first embodiment is performed before exposure is executed in step S305. Figure 5 The flowchart illustrates the calculation process of step S203.

[0081] Based on the above, in this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a first mode that does not omit the measurement of common alignment marks and a second mode that omits the measurement of common alignment marks. Therefore, even if the measurement results of the off-axis observer 81 change with the exposure process, it is possible to omit the measurement process of the alignment marks corresponding to the shooting area S2 while maintaining the overlap accuracy of the exposure.

[0082] <Implementation Method of Manufacturing the Item>

[0083] The article manufacturing method of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as flat panel displays (FPDs), semiconductor devices, sensors, or optical elements. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes: a step (exposure step) of forming a latent image pattern by exposing a photosensitive material coated on a substrate through an exposure apparatus to obtain an exposed substrate; and a step (development step) of developing the exposed substrate with the latent image pattern formed in this step to obtain a developed substrate. Further, this manufacturing method includes other known steps (oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, cutting, bonding, encapsulation, etc.). Compared with conventional methods, the article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the following aspects: article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost.

[0084] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and alterations can be made within its scope.

[0085] According to the present invention, an exposure method that is advantageous in improving throughput in bonding exposure can be provided.

Claims

1. An exposure method, characterized in that, The exposure method exposes the original pattern in a first imaging area of ​​the substrate and a second imaging area that overlaps with a portion of the first imaging area, the exposure method comprising: The first measurement step involves measuring the position of the alignment mark corresponding to the first shooting area. as well as The exposure process involves exposing the object based on the results measured in the first measurement process. The alignment mark is a first common alignment mark formed in the overlapping area of ​​the first shooting area and the second shooting area. In the exposure process, the first shooting area is aligned based on the position information of the first common alignment mark measured in the first measurement process, and the second shooting area is aligned using the position information of the first common alignment mark.

2. An exposure method, characterized in that, The exposure method exposes the original pattern in a first imaging area of ​​the substrate and a second imaging area that overlaps with a portion of the first imaging area, the exposure method comprising: The first measurement step involves measuring the position of the alignment mark corresponding to the first shooting area. The exposure process is performed based on the results measured in the first measurement process; as well as The determination process includes determining whether to measure the alignment mark corresponding to the second shooting area. The alignment marks used for the alignment of the first shooting area and the second shooting area are a first common alignment mark formed in the overlapping areas of the first shooting area and the second shooting area. In the exposure process, The alignment of the first shooting area is performed based on the position information of the first common alignment mark measured in the first measurement step. If, during the determination process, it is determined that the measurement of the first common alignment mark should be performed, the position information used for the alignment of the first shooting area is not used for the alignment of the second shooting area. If it is determined in the determination process that the measurement of the first common alignment mark is not to be performed, the position information used for the alignment of the first shooting area is used to align the second shooting area.

3. The exposure method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The determination process determines whether to perform a measurement of the alignment mark corresponding to the second shooting area based on at least one of the following: the number of substrates processed, the time, and the energy of the exposed light.

4. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the exposure process, the substrate is exposed while the alignment of the original image and the substrate is controlled based on a correction amount related to the alignment of the shooting area.

5. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the first measurement step, the relative positional relationship between the measuring unit, which measures the alignment mark in the first measurement step, and the substrate is in a first position, and the alignment mark corresponding to the first shooting area is measured.

6. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, In the first measurement step, each alignment mark of the alignment mark group corresponding to the first shooting area is measured in parallel.

7. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The exposure method further involves exposing the original pattern to a third shooting area that overlaps with a portion of the second shooting area, and the exposure method further includes: The second measurement step involves measuring the position of the alignment mark corresponding to the third shooting area. In the exposure process, the second shooting area is aligned based on the position information of the alignment mark measured in the second measurement process. The second shooting area is aligned using the position information of the alignment mark used for the alignment of the first shooting area and the position information of the alignment mark used for the alignment of the third shooting area.

8. The exposure method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The alignment marks used for the alignment of the second shooting area and the third shooting area are alignment marks formed in the overlapping areas of the second and third shooting areas.

9. The exposure method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the second measurement step, the relative positional relationship between the measuring unit, which measures the alignment marks in the second measurement step, and the substrate is in a second position, and the alignment mark group corresponding to the third shooting area is measured.

10. The exposure method according to claim 7, characterized in that, In the second measurement step, each alignment mark of the alignment mark group corresponding to the third shooting area is measured in parallel.

11. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first shooting area is an area of ​​the same size as the second shooting area.

12. The exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The first shooting area is an area of ​​a different size than the second shooting area.

13. An exposure apparatus, characterized in that, It features a projection optics system that projects light from a light source onto the original image, transferring the image's pattern onto the substrate. The substrate is exposed using the exposure method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

14. A method for manufacturing an article, characterized in that, Include: The exposure process involves exposing the substrate using the exposure method described in any one of claims 1 to 3 to obtain an exposed substrate; as well as In the developing process, the exposed substrate is developed to obtain a developed substrate. Articles are manufactured from the developing substrate.

Images