Exposure device, exposure method, and article manufacturing method

Abstract

To reduce deterioration in productivity due to calibration operation.SOLUTION: An exposure device has a projection optical system for projecting a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, a detection optical system for detecting light quantity distribution of illumination light having passed through a first measurement mark arranged on an object surface of the projection optical system, the projection optical system and a second measurement mark arranged on an image surface of the projection optical system, and a control part for controlling a relative position between the mask and the substrate, in which the control part controls a relative position in an optical axis direction of the projection optical system and a relative position in a direction vertical to the optical axis direction at a third timing after a second timing after a first timing, based on first light quantity distribution of the illumination light having passed through the first measurement mark and the second measurement mark detected by the detection optical system at the first timing, and second light quantity distribution of illumination light having passed through each of the first measurement mark and the second measurement mark detected by the detection optical system at the second timing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] Exposure apparatuses are used to transfer mask patterns onto substrates in the photolithography process used to manufacture semiconductor devices, flat panel displays (FPDs), and other devices. In order to accurately transfer the mask pattern onto the substrate, exposure apparatuses must adjust the alignment (the relative positioning of the mask and substrate in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system) and focus (the focal point of the light irradiated onto the substrate) with high precision.

[0003] As one of the alignment and focus adjustment methods, calibration by a TTL (Through The Lens) method via a projection optical system has been proposed. Patent Document 1 discloses the details of focus calibration by the TTL method. In focus calibration, generally, the amount of light obtained through the projection optical system and a stage-side mark or the like is detected while driving the substrate stage in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system. The position of the substrate where the optimum focus is obtained on the surface (resist layer) is obtained from the change in the amount of light when the substrate stage is driven in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-348019 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is known that the optimal relative position (best focus position) between the mask and the substrate changes over time due to air fluctuations inside the projection optical system and positional shifts of the components that make up the projection optical system caused by the effects of heat during exposure processing. If exposure processing is performed with the best focus position shifted, there is a risk of exposure accuracy decreasing. Therefore, even if focus calibration has been performed once, if the best focus position changes, it is necessary to perform focus calibration again. However, since focus calibration operation takes time, the productivity of substrate processing decreases.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENTS Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus which is advantageous in reducing the decrease in productivity caused by the calibration operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an exposure apparatus as one aspect of the present invention is an exposure apparatus that performs an exposure process to transfer a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, and includes a projection optical system that projects the pattern of the mask onto the substrate, a first measurement mark arranged on an object plane of the projection optical system, a detection optical system that detects a light amount distribution of illumination light that has passed through the projection optical system and a second measurement mark arranged on an image plane of the projection optical system, and a control unit that controls a relative position of the mask and the substrate, wherein the control unit controls the relative position in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system and the relative position in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction at a third timing after the second timing based on a first light amount distribution of illumination light that has passed through the first measurement mark and the second measurement mark, respectively, detected by the detection optical system at a first timing, and a second light amount distribution of illumination light that has passed through the first measurement mark and the second measurement mark, respectively, detected by the detection optical system at a second timing after the first timing. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exposure apparatus that is advantageous in reducing the decrease in productivity caused by the calibration operation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus in a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exposure apparatus during measurement processing. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal aberration diagram showing curvature of field. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a reference focus position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state where the focus position is shifted from the reference focus position. [Figure 6] 11 is a graph showing the correspondence between the light amount distribution and the focus position of the substrate stage. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a first method for calculating the best focus position. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a second method for calculating the best focus position. [Figure 9] 11 is a longitudinal aberration diagram showing field curvature when the envelope of the light quantity distribution does not have a maximum value. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the light amount distribution at a reference alignment position. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state where the alignment position is shifted from the reference alignment position. [Figure 12] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the correspondence between field curvature and light amount distribution. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configurations of an alignment measurement system and a focus measurement system. [Figure 14] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating measurement marks and a detected light amount distribution in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus in a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0011] First Embodiment

[0012] (Configuration of exposure device) The configuration of the exposure apparatus in this embodiment will be described. The exposure apparatus in this embodiment is a lithography apparatus used in a photolithography process, which is a manufacturing process for devices such as semiconductor devices and FPDs. The exposure apparatus in this embodiment employs a step-and-scan method, and performs an exposure process in which a substrate is exposed through a mask having a surface on which a pattern is formed, and the pattern of the mask is transferred to the substrate. The exposure method in this embodiment is the step-and-scan method, but is not limited to this, and the exposure process may be performed by other exposure methods such as a step-and-repeat method.

[0013] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus 100 in this embodiment. Figure 1(a) is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of exposure apparatus 100. In this embodiment, a coordinate system is defined with the direction parallel to the optical axis of the projection optical system as the Z-axis direction, and an arbitrary plane perpendicular to this Z-axis direction as the XY plane.

[0014] Exposure apparatus 100 has an illumination optical system 1 that illuminates mask 2, a mask stage 3 that holds mask 2, a projection optical system 4 that projects the pattern of mask 2 onto substrate 5, and a substrate stage 6 that holds substrate 5. Exposure apparatus 100 also has a controller 7 that controls each part of exposure apparatus 100, an input unit 13, and a determination unit 14.

[0015] Furthermore, exposure apparatus 100 has a means for illuminating the first measurement mark with illumination light using illumination optical system 1, and detection optical system 20 for detecting the light amount distribution of the illumination light that has passed through the illuminated mark portion including first measurement mark 115 and second measurement mark 109, and projection optical system 4. Detection optical system 20 has imaging system 21 and detection unit 22, which are configured with a system including lenses 23 and 24. The wavelength of the illumination light is the same as the wavelength of the exposure light that projects the pattern of mask 2 onto substrate 5.

[0016] The control unit 7 is composed of a computer including a CPU, a memory, etc., and comprehensively controls each part of the exposure apparatus 100 to operate the exposure apparatus 100. For example, when performing exposure processing, the control unit 7 controls the relative position between the mask 2 and the substrate 5 in the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the projection optical system 4, and the relative position between the mask 2 and the substrate 5 in directions perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system 4 (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction which are perpendicular to each other).

[0017] The input unit 13 receives input of exposure conditions (exposure area, illumination mode, pattern of the mask 2, etc.) for exposure processing, i.e., when transferring the pattern of the mask 2 to the substrate 5, through operation by a user. The determination unit 14 determines measurement conditions (number of measurements, accumulation time of the detection unit, etc.) required for calibration, which will be described later, based on the exposure conditions input to the input unit 13.

[0018] The detection optical system 20 is provided on the substrate stage 6, and is configured so that illumination light after passing through a second measurement mark 109 formed on the upper surface of the substrate stage 6 is incident on the detection unit 22. In FIG. 1(a), the detection optical system is illustrated enlarged below the substrate stage 6 for convenience, but in reality, it is configured inside the substrate stage 6. The detection unit 22 is, for example, an imaging element such as a line sensor in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a predetermined direction. Note that the detection unit 22 may detect light reflected by the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109, instead of light transmitted through a mark portion including the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109.

[0019] The imaging system 21 is an optical system disposed between the projection optical system 4 and the detection unit 22, and forms images of the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 on the detection unit 22 side. In this embodiment, the imaging system 21 has a predetermined imaging magnification, and is an optical system that multiplies the images of the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 by this magnification to form images on the detection unit 22 side and guides the illumination light. The above magnification can be appropriately set according to the resolution of the detection unit 22. The detection unit 22 includes a plurality of pixels, and detects (captures) the images of the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 formed by the imaging system 21. The imaging system 21 is a system having an appropriate amount of aberration (field curvature), as described later. The imaging system 21 may also be configured to include three or more lenses or other optical elements.

[0020] Illumination light (exposure light) from the illumination optical system 1 passes through the mask 2 held on the mask stage 3, and reaches the substrate 5 held on the substrate stage 6 via the projection optical system 4. The pattern surface of the mask 2 and the surface (resist layer) of the substrate 5 are arranged in a conjugate positional relationship via the projection optical system 4. Therefore, the pattern of the mask 2 is transferred onto the substrate 5 via the projection optical system 4. In this embodiment, the step-and-scan method is adopted, so the exposure process is performed while synchronously scanning the mask stage 3 and the substrate stage 6 in the Y-axis direction.

[0021] 1(b) is a plan view showing the configuration of the mask stage 3. A first measurement mark 115 may be formed on the mask 2 held by the mask stage 3 in addition to the pattern to be transferred to the substrate 5. A plurality of first measurement marks 115 are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction of the mask 2. Although a single first measurement mark 115 may be provided on the mask 2, it is preferable to provide a plurality of first measurement marks 115 in order to measure the characteristics of the projection optical system 4 in detail. The characteristics of the projection optical system 4 include, for example, characteristics such as the focal position and distortion.

[0022] FIG. 1(c) shows the details of the first measurement mark 115. FIG. 1(c) is a plan view showing the first measurement mark 115. The first measurement mark 115 includes a light-shielding region 115a, a transmission region 115b which is a plurality of patterns having a predetermined line width and pitch, and a transmission region 115c. The transmission regions 115b are arranged along the X-axis direction to form a line-and-space pattern. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the first measurement mark 115 is formed on the mask 2, but this is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that the first measurement mark 115 is provided at a position corresponding to the object surface of the projection optical system 4. For example, the first measurement mark 115 may be provided on the mask stage 3. In this case, even if the mask 2 is not placed on the mask stage 3, the projection optical system 4 can be calibrated.

[0023] The line and space pattern of the transparent region 115b may be various patterns (or a group of patterns) having different line widths, pitches, directions, etc. The transparent region 115c is provided to illuminate the transparent region 109c of the second measurement mark 109 described later. In this embodiment, an example in which the transparent region 115c is provided to illuminate the transparent region 109c will be described. However, instead of providing the transparent region 115c, the transparent region 109c may be illuminated by irradiating the illumination light outside the range of the light-shielding region 115a.

[0024] Next, the second measurement mark 109 is shown in detail in FIG. 1(d). FIG. 1(d) is a plan view showing the second measurement mark 109. The second measurement mark 109 includes a light-shielding region 109a, a transmission region 109b, and a transmission region 109c. In the description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the second measurement mark 109 is formed on the substrate stage 6, but this is not limiting, and the mark 109 may be formed in a location other than the stage 6 as long as the mark 109 can be positioned at a position corresponding to the image plane of the projection optical system 4. The transmission region 109b is provided to transmit the irradiation light that has passed through the transmission region 115b of the first measurement mark 115.

[0025] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the exposure apparatus 100 in a state where the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 are positioned at the measurement positions, i.e., during measurement processing for alignment and focus adjustment. Alignment refers to the relative positioning of the mask and the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optical system, and focus refers to the focal point of the light irradiated onto the substrate (the focal point in the projection optical system). In the following explanation, measurement for alignment and correction based thereon are referred to as alignment calibration, and measurement for focus adjustment and correction based thereon are referred to as focus calibration.

[0026] In this embodiment, in the alignment and focus calibration operation, the measurement process is performed without further moving the mask stage 3 or substrate stage 6 positioned at the measurement position in the Z-axis direction. When performing the measurement process, the control unit 7 drives the mask stage 3 so that it is positioned at the measurement position of the first measurement mark 115 determined by the determination unit 14. Similarly, when performing the above calibration operation, the control unit 7 drives the substrate stage 6 so that it is positioned at the measurement position of the second measurement mark 109 determined by the determination unit 14.

[0027] (Aberrations in the imaging system 21) The relationship between the aberration and the imaging position of the detection optical system 20 in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. An example in which the detection optical system 20 has a predetermined field curvature as an optical characteristic will be described below. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal aberration diagram showing the field curvature in the imaging system 21. The vertical axis of the graph is the image height (X coordinate) of the imaging system, the horizontal axis is the imaging position in the optical axis direction (Z coordinate), and a curve 211 is a curve showing the field curvature in the detection optical system 20 (i.e., a curve showing the imaging position for each image height).

[0028] It is characteristic of the curve 211 that a slight change in image height causes a large change in the image position in the optical axis direction near point 211b compared to near point 211a. For example, when the optical axis of imaging system 21 is arranged to perpendicularly intersect the light receiving surface of detection unit 22 near point 211b, the pattern on the object surface of imaging system 21 will not be focused on the entire light receiving surface of detection unit 22, but only on a part of the light receiving surface. In this embodiment, point 211a corresponds to the position of the optical axis of imaging system 21 of detection optical system 20, and point 212b corresponds to the measurement image height at which first measurement mark 115 and second measurement mark 109 are measured.

[0029] In this embodiment, as described above, the imaging system 21 is configured so as to generate the field curvature shown in Fig. 3, for example, and the center of the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 is disposed at a position shifted from the optical axis of the imaging system 21. Then, the first measurement mark 115 is illuminated with illumination light from the illumination optical system 1, and the light that has passed through the transmission region 115b of the first measurement mark 115 is detected by the detection unit 22 via the projection optical system 4 and the transmission region 109b of the second measurement mark 109, thereby performing focus calibration by a method described later, without moving the mask stage 3 or substrate stage 6 positioned at the measurement position in the Z-axis direction.

[0030] In this embodiment, the first measurement mark 115 is illuminated with light from the illumination optical system 1, and the light that passes through the transmission area 115c of the first measurement mark 115 is detected by the detection unit 22 via the transmission area 109c of the projection optical systems 4 and 109. This makes it possible to perform alignment calibration at the same time as focus calibration by a method described later.

[0031] (Focus calibration) Next, the change amount measurement process for determining the amount of change in focus in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Figs. 4(a) and 5(a) are explanatory diagrams showing the state of the exposure apparatus 100 in the focus change amount measurement process, and show the mark image of the first measurement mark 115 projected onto the detection unit 22 after passing through the projection optical system 4, the second measurement mark 109, and the imaging system 21. The state in Fig. 4(a) is the state at the first timing (a state in which the focus position by the projection optical system is at the reference focus position). The state in Fig. 5(a) is the state at the second timing after the exposure process performed after the first timing (a state in which the focus position by the projection optical system is shifted from the reference focus position).

[0032] The projection optical system 4 is an optical system whose purpose is to focus and project the pattern image of the mask 2 onto the surface of the substrate 5. For this reason, it is required that the first measurement mark 115 is imaged on a plane on which the projection optical system 4 that projects it is focused, and on which the surface of the substrate 5 should be located.

[0033] 4(a) (first timing), the image of first measurement mark 115 formed on the plane where the surface of substrate 5 should be located is defined as imaged pattern 115P. Also, the pattern image formed on detection unit 22 after imaged pattern 115P passes through imaging system 21 is defined as imaged pattern 115S.

[0034] At this time, due to the curvature of the field of the imaging system 21, the imaging pattern 115S is imaged on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the imaging system 21 and inclined with respect to the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, the imaging plane (imaging pattern 115S) of the first measurement mark 115 by the imaging system 21 only partially overlaps with the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22. The imaging plane of the second measurement mark 109 by the imaging system 21 also only partially overlaps with the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22.

[0035] 4B is a diagram showing a light amount distribution (first light amount distribution) of illumination light that passes through first measurement mark 115 and second measurement mark 109 and is detected by detection unit 22 at a first timing. The vertical axis of the graph represents the light amount obtained on the light receiving surface of detection unit 22, and the horizontal axis represents the position of the light receiving surface of detection unit 22 in the X-axis direction. The first light amount distribution includes distributions M1 to M7 corresponding to transmission region 115b of first measurement mark 115, and distributions P1 and P2 corresponding to transmission region 109b of second measurement mark 109. It also includes distributions V1 to V10 corresponding to light-shielded region 115a of first measurement mark 115, and distributions V1, V2, V9, and V10 corresponding to light-shielded region 109a of second measurement mark 109.

[0036] Here, since the imaging system 21 in this embodiment has a curvature of field, a deviation occurs between the image plane of the detection optical system 20 and the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22. In the light amount distribution, the light amount is the largest in a portion where there is no or the smallest deviation, and the light amount decreases according to the deviation in a portion where the deviation is larger than this portion. In the light amount distribution of FIG. 4(b), it can be seen that among the distributions M1 to M7, the distribution M4 has the largest light amount. This indicates that the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 corresponding to the distribution M4 is in focus. The reason why the light amounts of the distributions P1 and P2 are large despite the deviation is that the width of the transmission region 109c of the second measurement mark 109 is wide and the sensitivity of the change in light amount to defocus is low.

[0037] A method for determining the in-focus position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 from the light amount distribution in FIG. 4(b) will be described. In this determination, attention is paid only to the distributions M1 to M7 corresponding to the transmission region 115b of the first measurement mark. First, the distributions M1, M2, and M3 indicate that the imaging position is shifted in the -Z direction (or +Z direction) with respect to the detection unit 22. Also, the distributions M5, M6, and M7 indicate that the imaging position is shifted in the +Z direction (or -Z direction) with respect to the detection unit. Therefore, if the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 corresponding to the distribution M4 can be obtained, it is possible to obtain the in-focus position A on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 from the following formula (1). A=P×PixelSize×tanθ / Mag...(1)

[0038] In formula (1), P indicates the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 where the amount of light is the largest, and PixelSize indicates the size of a pixel of the detection unit 22. In addition, θ indicates the angle between the image forming surface of the imaging system 21 having the field curvature and the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22, and Mag indicates the magnification of the imaging system 21.

[0039] In addition, the method of obtaining the in-focus position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 is not limited to the method of obtaining the position on the light receiving surface by formula (1). For example, it is possible to obtain an envelope 26 consisting of distribution M4 with the largest light amount and other distributions M1 to M3 and M5 to M7, and obtain the in-focus position more accurately from the envelope 26. In that case, even if there is a position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 that is in focus near distribution M4 (for example, the intermediate position between distributions M4 and M3), it is possible to obtain the in-focus position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 from the envelope 26. In FIG. 4(b), the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 that corresponds to the maximum value 27 (peak position) of envelope 26 obtained from distributions M1 to M7 is shown as position MI1.

[0040] Fig. 5(a) shows a state in which the position of the substrate stage 6 has shifted in the Z-axis direction from the state shown in Fig. 4(a) (a state at a second timing after the first timing). Due to the influence of heat during the exposure process, etc., air fluctuations inside the projection optical system 4 and positional shifts of the members that make up the projection optical system 4 may cause the image of the first measurement mark to shift in the Z-axis direction from 115P to 115Q, as shown in Fig. 5(a). At this time, in the vicinity of the detection unit 22, the image of the first measurement mark also shifts in the Z-axis direction from 115S to 115T.

[0041] FIG. 5B is a diagram showing a light amount distribution (second light amount distribution) of illumination light detected by the detection unit 22 after passing through the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 at a second timing after the first timing. The vertical axis of the graph represents the light amount obtained on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22, and the horizontal axis represents the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 in the X-axis direction. In the second light amount distribution, the distribution M3 has the maximum light amount among the distributions M1 to M7, and the position corresponding to the distribution M3 (or a position nearby it) is the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 where the focus is on. In addition, the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 corresponding to the maximum value 31 of the envelope 30 obtained from the distributions M1 to M7 is shown as position MI2, and like position MI1 in the first light amount distribution, position MI2 in the second light amount distribution may be the position where the focus is on.

[0042] By obtaining the positions MI1 and MI2, a change amount measurement process can be performed to obtain the amount of change in focus. That is, a position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 that is in focus at a first timing is compared with a position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 that is in focus at a second timing (e.g., after a predetermined time has elapsed or after the substrate has been exposed a predetermined number of times) that follows the first timing. As a result, the amount of change in focus can be obtained.

[0043] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between positions MI1 and MI2, which indicate positions in the X-axis direction on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22, and the best focus position by the projection optical system 4. It can be seen from Fig. 6 that when the position corresponding to the maximum value of the envelope changes from position MI1 to position MI2, the best focus position by the projection optical system 4 also changes from Z1 to Z2 accordingly.

[0044] In addition, when the influence of aberration or other disturbances is large, a plurality of measurement points may be prepared in advance for the best focus position by the projection optical system 4 and the position on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 corresponding to the maximum value of the envelope. For example, the result of fitting the measurement points with an approximation formula may be stored in the control unit 7 as table data. The control unit 7 can obtain the best focus position by using table data indicating the correspondence between the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit 22 and the relative positions of the mask 2 and the substrate 5 in the optical axis direction (Z axis direction). Therefore, it is possible to obtain the best focus positions (e.g. Z1, Z2) at different timings and obtain the change amount (e.g. Z1-Z2) of the best focus position. The above is the description of the change amount measurement process for obtaining the change amount of focus in this embodiment.

[0045] Here, two methods for determining the best focus position will be described. Both methods involve calculation from the change in the amount of light of the first measurement mark 15 in the detection unit 22 when the substrate stage 6 is driven in the Z-axis direction. In this embodiment, by setting the reference focus position to the best focus position determined at the first timing, it becomes unnecessary to drive the substrate stage 6 positioned at the measurement position in the Z-axis direction in the second and subsequent calibrations. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity due to calibration.

[0046] The first method is to specify a certain pattern in the first measurement mark 115, and determine the position of the substrate stage 6 that is the best focus position from the amount of change in the light amount of the distribution (for example, any one of the distributions M1 to M7 in FIG. 7) corresponding to the specified pattern. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the first method for determining the best focus position. FIG. 7(a) is a light amount distribution in which the pattern of the first measurement mark 115 is detected by the detection unit 22 when the substrate stage 6 is at a certain position in the Z axis direction. FIG. 7(b) is a light amount distribution in which the pattern of the first measurement mark 115 is detected by the detection unit 22 when the substrate stage 6 is at a position in the Z axis direction different from that in FIG. 7(a). Here, for example, when focusing on the pattern of distribution M4, the light amount in distribution M4 changes depending on the position of the substrate stage in the Z axis direction.

[0047] Fig. 7(c) is a graph showing the change in the amount of light detected by the detection unit 22 when focusing on distribution M4. The vertical axis of the graph represents the amount of light in distribution M4 in Figs. 7(a) and 7(b), and the horizontal axis represents the position of the substrate stage in the Z-axis direction. As shown in Fig. 7(c), the amount of light changes according to the position of the substrate stage in the Z-axis direction. At the best focus position of the substrate stage 6, the amount of light detected by the detection unit 22 is at a maximum, so the reference focus position can be determined by finding the position of the substrate stage 6 where the amount of light is at a maximum value Z0 in Fig. 7(c).

[0048] Furthermore, when focusing on a distribution other than distribution M4, the reference focus position can be determined by taking into consideration the image plane shift amount at the image height corresponding to distribution M4, which has been grasped in advance.

[0049] The second method is to obtain the light amount distribution of illumination light that has passed through the first measurement mark 115 at an image height where the field curvature of the imaging system 21 is minute, for example, near point 211(a) in the longitudinal aberration diagram in Fig. 3, and determine the best focus position from the amount of change in the light amount of this illumination light. A field curvature that is minute means that it is ¼ or less of the focus calculation accuracy (for example, 3σ), and the aberration (defocus amount) is at a level that does not affect the measurement.

[0050] 8 is a diagram for explaining a second method for determining the best focus position. FIG. 8(a) is a light quantity distribution (illumination light quantity distribution) resulting from detection of the pattern image of the first measurement mark 115 by the detection unit 22 when the substrate stage 6 is at a certain position in the Z axis direction. FIG. 8(b) is a light quantity distribution resulting from detection of the pattern image of the first measurement mark 115 by the detection unit 22 when the substrate stage 6 is at a different position in the Z axis direction from that shown in FIG. 8(a). In FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), the detection unit 22 measures the light quantity at a position where the field curvature is minute, and therefore, unlike FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 7(b), there is little variation in the light quantity in the distributions M1 to M7.

[0051] Here, when focusing on the patterns M1 to M7, the amount of light detected by the detection unit 22 changes depending on the position of the substrate stage in the Z-axis direction. FIG. 8(c) is a graph showing the change in the amount of light detected by the detection unit 22 when focusing on the distributions M1 to M7. The vertical axis of the graph is the average value of the amount of light in the distributions M1 to M7 in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 8(b), and the horizontal axis is the position of the substrate stage in the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 8(c), the amount of light changes depending on the position of the substrate stage in the Z-axis direction. At the best focus position of the substrate stage 6, the amount of light detected by the detection unit 22 is maximum, so the reference focus position can be determined by finding the position of the substrate stage 6 where the amount of light is the maximum value Z0 in FIG. 8(c).

[0052] After calculating the reference focus position by the above method, the detection unit 22 is moved in the X-axis direction to an image height where the field curvature is sufficiently large (for example, near point 211b in FIG. 3), and the light amount distribution corresponding to the first measurement mark 115 is obtained. This makes it possible to calibrate the focus.

[0053] Depending on the shape of the field curvature, when the substrate stage 6 is moved in the X direction from an image height where the field curvature is minute to a sufficiently large image height, the envelope may not have an extreme value. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal aberration diagram showing the field curvature when the envelope of the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit 22 does not have an extreme value. The vertical axis of the graph is the image height (X coordinate) of the imaging system, the horizontal axis is the imaging position in the optical axis direction (Z coordinate), and curve 231 is a curve showing the field curvature in the detection optical system 20 (i.e., a curve showing the imaging position for each image height).

[0054] In the curve 231, the light receiving surface of the detector 22 and the imaging position are largely separated from each other near the point 231a. As a result, the pattern with the maximum light amount becomes the distribution M1, and the envelope may not have a maximum value. In such a case, the substrate stage 6 is moved in the Z-axis direction so that the envelope has a maximum value, and the focus value is managed on the premise that there is a difference from the best focus by the amount of movement, thereby making it possible to obtain the amount of change in the best focus position.

[0055] As described above, by setting the reference focus position to an appropriate focus position, it becomes unnecessary to drive the substrate stage 6 positioned at the measurement position in the Z-axis direction in the second and subsequent focus calibrations, which makes it possible to suppress a decrease in productivity due to calibration.

[0056] (Alignment calibration) Next, a change amount measurement process for obtaining the amount of change in alignment in this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11. This is a diagram showing the light amount distribution of illumination light that passes through the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 and is detected by the detection unit 22 in the state of the exposure apparatus 100 in Fig. 4(a). The vertical axis of the graph represents the light amount obtained by the detection unit 22, and the horizontal axis represents the position in the X-axis direction on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22. The light amount distribution in Fig. 10 includes distributions M1 to M7 corresponding to the transmission region 115b of the first measurement mark 115, and distributions P1 and P2 corresponding to the transmission region 109b of the second measurement mark 109. In addition, distributions V1 to V10 corresponding to the light-shielding region 115b of the first measurement mark 115, and distributions V1, V2, V9, and V10 corresponding to the light-shielding region 109b of the second measurement mark 109 are included.

[0057] A method for determining an appropriate relative position (reference alignment position) between the mask 2 and the substrate stage 6 on the XY plane from the light amount distribution of the illumination light shown in FIG. 10 will be described. First, the position of the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 of each pattern of the distributions M1 to M7 corresponding to the first measurement mark 115 is calculated (for example, by calculating the center of gravity). The position 92 obtained by averaging the positions of each pattern is defined as MA1. Furthermore, the position of the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 of each pattern of the distributions P1 and P2 is calculated (for example, by calculating the center of gravity). The position 93 obtained by averaging the positions of each pattern is defined as PA1. The difference between MA1 and PA1 represents the relative position between the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109, i.e., the relative position between the mask 2 and the substrate stage 6.

[0058] Fig. 11(a) shows a state in which the alignment position (the relative position between the mask 2 and the substrate stage 6 in a direction parallel to the XY plane) has shifted from the state shown in Fig. 4(a). Heat and the like generated during the exposure process may cause air fluctuations inside the projection optical system 4 and positional deviations of the components that make up the projection optical system 4. This may cause the image of the first measurement mark 115 to shift in the X-axis direction from the imaged pattern 115P to the imaged pattern 115O, as shown in Figs. 4(a) and 11(a). In such a case, the light amount distribution changes from that shown in Fig. 10 to that shown in Fig. 11(b).

[0059] In FIG. 11(b), as in FIG. 10, a position 95 obtained by averaging the positions of M1 to M7 is MA2, and a position 96 obtained by averaging the positions of P1 and P2 is PA2. At this time, the position of MA2 has changed compared to MA1. PA1 and PA2 correspond to the second measurement mark 109 after passing through the projection optical system 4, and are therefore not affected by air fluctuations in the projection optical system 4 or positional deviations of members constituting the projection optical system 4. Therefore, the position of the transmission region 109b of the second measurement mark 109 does not change due to the air fluctuations or positional deviations of members, and the position of the distribution PA2 corresponding to 109b does not change from the position of PA1. Here, when the difference AA1 between MA1 and PA1 is set as the alignment reference and the difference between MA2 and PA2 is set as AA2, the change amount between AA1 and AA2 is calculated as the change amount of alignment in this embodiment.

[0060] As described above, in this embodiment, the amount of change in alignment can be calculated. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the detection result by the detection unit 22 used in the focus calibration can also be used in the alignment calibration.

[0061] (Specific method of calibration operation) In the above, the methods for calculating the amount of change in focus and alignment are specifically described. However, unless it is determined whether the change in the graphs in Figures 4(b) and 5(b) or Figures 10 and 11(b) is caused by the effect of the focus or alignment of the projection optical system 4, the amount of change in focus and alignment may not be calculated correctly. Below, a specific processing method for determining the amount of change in focus and alignment is described.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the position of the image plane on which the first measurement mark 115 is imaged in the XY plane changes due to the influence of air fluctuations in the projection optical system 4 or misalignment of members constituting the projection optical system 4, the measurement image height in the imaging system 21 also changes. Since the imaging system 21 in this embodiment has a curvature of field, the focal position of the imaging system 21 also changes in response to changes in the image height. This results in a light amount distribution that appears as if the focus has also changed, even though only the imaging position of the first measurement mark 115 in the XY plane has changed.

[0063] Therefore, in order to separate the amount of change that is affected by changes in the state of the projection optical system due to heat or the like (to calculate only the amount of change in focus), information regarding the amount of change in focus corresponding to the position on the light-receiving surface of the detection unit 22 is stored in advance in the control unit 7. Then, by subtracting the amount of change in focus from the information indicating the focus change of the feature corresponding to the position on the light-receiving surface of the detection unit 22, the amount of change in focus in the projection optical system 4 can be correctly measured.

[0064] When the position of the image plane on the XY plane where the first measurement mark 115 is imaged changes due to the influence of air fluctuations in the projection optical system 4 or misalignment of the members that make up the projection optical system 4, the maximum value of the envelope of the light quantity distribution detected on the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22 also shifts. In other words, even though only the alignment position has changed, the position of the maximum value of the envelope shifts, resulting in a light quantity distribution that looks as if the focus has changed.

[0065] Therefore, in order to separate the amount of change that is affected by changes in the state of the projection optical system due to heat, etc. (to calculate only the amount of change in alignment), the difference between MA1 and PA1 is defined as ΔA, and the difference between MA2 and PA2 is defined as ΔB, and the amount of change in MI1-ΔA and MI2-ΔB are calculated. The amount of change in alignment position is calculated from the difference between MA1-PA1 and MA2-PA2, and the amount of change in focus position is calculated from the difference between MI1-ΔA and MI2-ΔB. This makes it possible to correctly separate the positional deviations of focus and alignment.

[0066] Next, the amount of field curvature in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0067] When the amount of curvature of field is large in the range where the detection unit 22 can detect the light amount distribution, the light amount distribution becomes steeper with respect to the change in image height (the light amount changes abruptly). Also, the shift amount of the envelope of the light amount distribution increases when the focus changes. On the other hand, when the amount of curvature of field is small, these characteristics are reversed.

[0068] 12(a) shows the light quantity distribution of illumination light when the amount of field curvature is large, where a light quantity distribution 191 shown by a dashed line and a light quantity distribution 193 shown by a solid line show light quantity distributions at different focus positions. The position of the center of gravity of an envelope 192 of the light quantity distribution 191 shown by the dashed line is designated as MI191, and the position of the center of gravity of an envelope 194 of the light quantity distribution 193 shown by the solid line is designated as MI193.

[0069] Fig. 12(b) shows the light quantity distribution of illumination light when the amount of field curvature is smaller than that in Fig. 12(a), and light quantity distribution 195 shown by the dashed line and light quantity distribution 197 shown by the solid line show light quantity distributions at different focus positions. The position of the center of gravity of envelope 196 of light quantity distribution 195 shown by the dashed line is MI195, and the position of the center of gravity of envelope 198 of light quantity distribution 197 shown by the solid line is MI197.

[0070] The light quantity distributions in FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b) are drawn assuming that only the curvature of field of the imaging system 21 of the detection optical system 20 is different, and the focus change amount and other conditions shown by the two light quantity distributions shown by the solid line and the dashed line are the same. When FIG. 12(a) and FIG. 12(b) are compared, the change amount of the center of gravity of the two envelopes shown by the solid line and the dashed line is different. Specifically, when the difference between the two center of gravity positions MI191 and MI193 in FIG. 12(a) is compared with the difference between the two center of gravity positions MI195 and MI197 in FIG. 12(b), the difference between MI191 and MI193 in FIG. 11(a) where the curvature of field is large is smaller. Therefore, when the curvature of field is large, the focus change amount having the extreme value of the envelope in the detection unit 22 becomes small, and accordingly, a wide measurement range can be obtained. On the other hand, the measurement accuracy decreases due to insensitivity to the focus change amount.

[0071] The above measurement range and measurement accuracy may be adjusted according to the required accuracy of the measurement system. There is a trade-off relationship among the optical conditions (design wavelength, numerical aperture, magnification, etc.) of the imaging system 21, the line width and pitch of the line and space of the first measurement mark, the specifications (S / N ratio, pixel size) of the detection unit 22, etc.

[0072] One guide to the amount of field curvature is the amount of field curvature where the pattern intensity at best focus (for example, distribution M4 in Fig. 4(b)) is 1 and the surrounding pattern intensity of the same line width (for example, distributions M1 and M7 at the very edge in Fig. 4(b)) is 0.2 or more. The reason for this is that if the pattern intensity is 0.2 or more, a contrast that can be measured sufficiently can be obtained.

[0073] Next, a specific exposure method will be described. Based on the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit 22 as described above, focus and alignment calibration operations can be performed. Furthermore, by grasping the relative positional relationship between the mask 2 and the substrate stage 6, the relative positions of the mask 2 and the substrate stage 6 can be controlled at a third timing after the second timing by using an alignment measurement system and a focus measurement system as described later. That is, the control unit 7 can expose the pattern of the mask 2 onto the substrate 5 while appropriately managing the relative positional relationship between the mask 2 and the substrate 5.

[0074] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an alignment measurement system and a focus measurement system. The alignment measurement system 50 (also called an off-axis alignment scope) shown in FIG. 13(a) includes a light source 51 such as an LED, lenses 52, 53, 54, 55, a half mirror 56, and an imaging unit 57. Light emitted from the light source 51 passes through the lenses 52 and 53, is reflected by the half mirror 56, passes through the lens 54, and perpendicularly enters the substrate 5. The light that enters the substrate 5 is reflected and scattered by an alignment mark or the like in a shot area of ​​the substrate 5, and the reflected and scattered light passes through the lens 54, the half mirror 56, and the lens 55, and forms an image of the alignment mark on the imaging unit 57, so that the alignment mark image is captured. The alignment measurement system 50 measures the position of the substrate 5 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction parallel to the XY plane.

[0075] 13(b) includes a light source 61 such as an LED, lenses 62, 63, and 64, and an imaging unit 65. Light emitted from the light source 61 passes through the lens 62 and is obliquely incident on the substrate 5. The incident light is reflected by the substrate 5, passes through the lenses 63 and 64, and is imaged by the imaging unit 65. The focus measurement system 60 performs position measurement of the second measurement mark 109 formed on the substrate stage 6 and the substrate stage 6 in the Z-axis direction (measurement of the surface height in the Z-axis direction). The positional relationship between the mask 2 and the substrate 5 can be grasped from the measurement results in the X-axis and Y-axis directions and the Z-axis direction, and information on the focus and alignment calibration described above.

[0076] The frequency with which the above calibration is performed may be set appropriately depending on the stability of the projection optical system 4 and the accuracy required for the exposure apparatus. Since the calibration in this embodiment can be performed without driving the substrate stage 6, the effect on productivity is small even if the calibration is performed frequently. Therefore, by increasing the frequency of calibration, it is possible to calibrate the relative positions of the mask 2 and the substrate 5 with high accuracy.

[0077] In this way, in the change amount measurement process in this embodiment, there is no need to drive the substrate stage 6 in the Z axis direction when obtaining the focus change amount. Therefore, in this embodiment, the time required for the operation of moving the substrate stage 6 in the Z axis direction (focus calibration operation) in calibration is reduced, and a decrease in productivity of the exposure apparatus 100 can be suppressed.

[0078] In the present embodiment, the control unit 7 drives the substrate stage 6 to control the relative position between the mask 2 and the substrate 5 at the third timing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the mask stage 6 may be driven. In addition, both the mask stage 3 and the substrate stage 6 may be driven. In the present embodiment, the multiple patterns (transmission areas) of the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109 are arranged in the X direction, but the first measurement mark and the second measurement mark may have the same multiple patterns arranged in the Y direction. In this case, a plurality of detection units 22 are prepared and are provided as a first detection unit that detects images of the multiple patterns arranged in the X direction and a second detection unit that detects images of the multiple patterns arranged in the Y direction.

[0079] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the light intensity distribution of illumination light that has passed through the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109, whose patterns are arranged in one direction (X-axis direction), is measured, and calibration is performed. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the light intensity distribution of the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109, whose patterns are arranged in multiple directions (X-axis direction and Y-axis direction), is measured, and calibration is performed. The basic configuration of the exposure apparatus 100 is similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, matters not mentioned in this embodiment follow the first embodiment.

[0080] FIG. 14(a) is a diagram showing the first measurement mark 115 in this embodiment. The first measurement mark 115 in this embodiment includes a light-shielding region 115d, and transmission regions 115e and 115f, which are a plurality of patterns having a predetermined line width and pitch, and transmission regions 115g, 115h, and 115i. The transmission region 115e is arranged along the X-axis direction to form a line-and-space pattern. The transmission region 115f is arranged along the Y-axis direction to form a line-and-space pattern. In the description of this embodiment, it is assumed that the first measurement mark 115 is formed on the mask 2, but this is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient that the first measurement mark 115 is provided at a position corresponding to the object surface of the projection optical system 4. For example, the first measurement mark 115 may be provided on the mask stage 3. In this case, even if the mask 2 is not placed on the mask stage 3, the projection optical system 4 can be calibrated.

[0081] Similarly to the first embodiment, the line and space patterns of the transparent regions 115e and 115f may be various patterns (or patterns) having different line widths, pitches, directions, etc. The transparent regions 115g, 115h, and 115i are provided to illuminate the transparent regions 109e, 109f, and 109g of the second measurement mark 109, which will be described later.

[0082] 14B is a diagram showing second measurement mark 109 in this embodiment. Second measurement mark 109 in this embodiment includes light-shielding region 109d, transparent regions 109e, 109f, 109g, and transparent regions 109h, 109i. Transparent regions 109e and 109f are formed as a pattern in the X-axis direction, and transparent regions 109f and 109g are formed as a pattern in the Y-axis direction.

[0083] In the description of this embodiment, the second measurement mark 109 is provided on the substrate stage 6, but this is not limiting as long as the mark 109 can be positioned at a position corresponding to the image plane of the projection optical system 4 and at a location where the pattern of the measurement mark 115 is projected. For example, the mark 109 may be provided on a unit or element different from the substrate stage 6.

[0084] Moreover, the transmitting regions 109h and 109i are provided to transmit the pattern images of the transmitting regions 115e and 115f of the first measurement mark 115.

[0085] 14(c) shows the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit 22. Note that an area 322 shows the illumination light reaching the light receiving surface of the detection unit 22. Areas 322a to 322e show the illumination light that has passed through the first measurement mark 115 and the second measurement mark 109, and are images of the patterns of each mark.

[0086] Moreover, the intersection line 322h represents the line where the light receiving surface and the imaging surface of the detection unit 22 coincide. Since the imaging system 21 has field curvature in both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, the light receiving surface and the imaging surface of the detection unit 22 do not coincide completely and only partially in both directions, resulting in the existence of the intersection line 322h.

[0087] Light amount distribution 323 is a distribution of the amount of light received on the light receiving surface of detection unit 22 in region 322f extending in the X-axis direction of detection unit 22. As shown in Fig. 14(c) , the light amount in region 322a is distribution 323a in light amount distribution 323, the light amount in region 322b is distribution 323b in light amount distribution 323, and the light amount in region 322d is distribution 323d in light amount distribution 323.

[0088] Light amount distribution 324 is a distribution of the amount of illumination light received on the light receiving surface of detection unit 22 in region 322g extending in the Y-axis direction of detection unit 22. As shown in Fig. 14(c) , the light amount in region 322a is distribution 324a in light amount distribution 324, the light amount in region 322c is distribution 324c in light amount distribution 324, and the light amount in region 322e is distribution 324e in light amount distribution 323.

[0089] In this embodiment, the light amount distribution of the illumination light that has passed through the first and second measurement marks can be obtained in each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and alignment calibration can be performed in each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction based on the light amount distribution in each direction. Also, focus calibration can be performed in the same way as in the first embodiment.

[0090] In this embodiment, a two-dimensional detection unit 22 such as an area sensor is used, and measurements can be performed in both the X-axis and Y-axis directions with a single detection unit 22. This makes it possible to save space and reduce costs compared to providing a detection unit 22 for each of the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0091] In the change amount measurement process in this embodiment, there is no need to drive the substrate stage 6 in the Z-axis direction when determining the focus change amount. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the time required for the operation of moving the substrate stage 6 in the Z-axis direction (focus calibration operation) in calibration is reduced, and a decrease in productivity of the exposure apparatus 100 can be suppressed.

[0092] <Third embodiment> In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the first measurement mark 115 is formed on the mask 2, the second measurement mark 109 is formed on the substrate stage 6, and the detection unit 22 is arranged on the substrate stage 6. In the present embodiment, an example will be described in which the first measurement mark 115 is arranged on a part other than the mask 2, the second measurement mark 109 is arranged on a part other than the substrate stage 6, or the detection unit 22 is arranged on a part other than the substrate stage 6.

[0093] As in the first embodiment, the first measurement mark 115 is arranged on the object plane of the projection optical system 4, and the second measurement mark 109 is arranged on the image plane of the projection optical system 4. The basic configuration of the exposure apparatus 100 is also similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. Matters not mentioned in this embodiment follow the first embodiment.

[0094] In the first embodiment, two methods for obtaining the best focus position have been described. In this embodiment, however, even if the substrate stage 6 is driven in the Z-axis direction, no change appears in the light amount distribution obtained by the detection unit 22. Therefore, the best focus position cannot be determined by the method described in the first embodiment. In order to determine the best focus position in this embodiment, when the detection unit 22 is installed, it is necessary to determine the best focus position based on the light amount distribution that changes by driving the detection unit 22 in the optical axis direction. Therefore, the detection unit 22 needs to have a mechanism for driving in the optical axis direction. Alternatively, the best focus position may be determined by simultaneously providing a detection optical system installed under the substrate stage 6 as in the first embodiment.

[0095] With reference to Fig. 15, the exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 15(a) is a diagram showing the detection optical system 20 fixed to the side (the barrel side) of the projection optical system 4. As in Fig. 1(a), the detection optical system 20 includes the detection unit 22, and the imaging system 21 including the lens 23 and the lens 24, as well as mirrors 32 and 33 for guiding illumination light to the imaging system 21. Also, the second measurement mark 109 is not formed on the substrate stage 6, but is instead disposed in the optical system 20, between the mirrors 32 and 33, at a position corresponding to the image plane of the projection optical system 4.

[0096] As described in the first embodiment, the detection unit 22 can measure the amount of change in focus and alignment without driving the substrate stage 6. In this embodiment, the detection optical system 20 including the detection unit 20 can measure the amount of change in focus and alignment without moving the detection optical system 20 in the optical axis direction while being fixed to the projection optical system 4. By utilizing this feature, illumination light having an optical path slightly outside the illumination light (exposure light) irradiated to the substrate 5 during exposure processing is guided to the detection unit 22 of the detection optical system 20, so that the amount of change in focus and alignment of the projection optical system 4 can be constantly measured during exposure. This allows the calibration operation to be performed without waiting for measurements, thereby minimizing the decrease in productivity.

[0097] 15(b) shows that the first measurement mark 115 is arranged in an optical system 40 above the projection optical system 4, rather than on the mask 2 or mask stage 3. In order to illuminate the first measurement mark 115, the optical system 40 includes elements such as a light source 41, a lens 42, and a mirror 43, and supplies illumination light separate from the illumination light used for the exposure process.

[0098] An advantage of this embodiment is that it can be calibrated by isolating it into parts. For example, in the exposure apparatus 100 with the configuration in FIG. 15(b) compared to the first embodiment, the imaging performance and deformation etc. of only the projection optical system 4 can be known. Also, in the exposure apparatus 100 with the configuration in FIG. 15(a) compared to the first embodiment, the drive performance and deformation etc. of the substrate stage 6 can be known by evaluating the difference in the measurement values. In this way, it is advantageous compared to the first embodiment in that it is possible to grasp the performance by isolating it into parts.

[0099] Also, in the change amount measurement process in this embodiment, there is no need to drive the substrate stage 6 in the Z-axis direction when determining the focus change amount. Moreover, the optical system 20 including the detection unit 22 does not move in the optical axis direction. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, the time required for the operation of moving the substrate stage 6 in the Z-axis direction (focus calibration operation) during calibration is reduced, and a decrease in productivity of the exposure apparatus 100 can be suppressed.

[0100] <Embodiments of the method for manufacturing an article> The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing, for example, a flat panel display (FPD). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment includes a step of forming a latent image pattern on a photosensitive agent applied on a substrate using the above-mentioned exposure apparatus (a step of exposing the substrate), and a step of developing the substrate on which the latent image pattern has been formed in this step. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional methods.

[0101] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 2. Mask 4 Projection optical system 5 Substrate 7 Control section 22 Detection unit 100 Exposure device 109 Second Measurement Mark 115 First measuring mark

Claims

1. a projection optical system for projecting a mask pattern onto a substrate; a detection optical system including a detection unit that detects a light amount distribution of illumination light that has passed through a first measurement mark arranged on an object plane of the projection optical system, the projection optical system, and a second measurement mark arranged on an image plane of the projection optical system; a control unit for controlling a relative position between the mask and the substrate, the detection optical system is an optical system disposed such that an image forming surface on which the illumination light is imaged is inclined with respect to a light receiving surface of the detection unit, The control unit controls the relative position in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system based on a change in the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit.

2. The exposure apparatus described in Claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the relative position in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction based on the light intensity distribution.

3. 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the relative position based on an amount of change in a peak position of an envelope of the light amount distribution.

4. 4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a best focus position based on a light amount distribution detected by the detection optical system while moving the second measurement mark in the optical axis direction.

5. 5. The exposure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first measurement mark includes at least two measurement marks.

6. 6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object plane is a plane on which a pattern of the mask is formed.

7. 7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first measurement mark is formed on the mask.

8. a mask stage for holding the mask; 7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first measurement mark is formed on the mask stage.

9. 6. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first measurement mark is arranged on a surface other than the surface on which the pattern of the mask is formed, and is illuminated by illumination light other than illumination light used during the exposure process.

10. 10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image plane is a surface on the substrate when the substrate is disposed.

11. a substrate stage for holding the substrate; 10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second measurement mark is formed on the substrate stage.

12. Further comprising a substrate stage for holding the substrate, 10. An exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second measurement mark is arranged on a surface different from the upper surface of the substrate stage and is illuminated by illumination light different from illumination light used during exposure processing.

13. An exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the control unit stores table data indicating a correspondence between the light amount distribution detected by the detection unit and the relative position in the optical axis direction, and corrects the relative position in the optical axis direction using the table data.

14. 14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection optical system is disposed on a substrate stage that holds the substrate.

15. 14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection optical system is disposed in the projection optical system.

16. 16. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection optical system has a line sensor that receives the illumination light.

17. 17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection optical system is an optical system having a curvature of field.

18. An exposure method for performing an exposure process for transferring a pattern of a mask onto a substrate, comprising the steps of: a detection step of detecting, by a detection optical system including a detection unit, illumination light passing through a first measurement mark arranged on an object plane of a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the mask onto the substrate and a second measurement mark arranged on an image plane of the projection optical system; a control step of controlling a relative position between the mask and the substrate; an exposure step of performing the exposure process, the detection optical system is an optical system disposed such that an image forming surface on which the illumination light is imaged is inclined with respect to a light receiving surface of the detection unit, the control step controls the relative position in the optical axis direction of the projection optical system based on the amount of change in the light amount distribution detected in the detection step.

19. exposing a substrate using an exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17; developing the exposed substrate; and producing an article from the developed substrate.

Images