Information processor, exposure device, article manufacturing method, substrate processing system, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processor which can improve the overlay accuracy in an exposure step on the basis of an exposure pretreatment condition.SOLUTION: An information processor for projecting an image of a pattern of an original plate onto a substrate, and determining a control parameter of an exposure device for exposing the substrate with light executes: an acquisition step of acquiring an overlay error of a pattern formed by the exposure device on each of a plurality of substrates; a calculation step of calculating a weighted average value according to an exposure pretreatment condition of each of the overlay errors acquired by the acquisition step; and a determination step of determining a control parameter on the basis of the weighted average value calculated by the calculation step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been a demand for improving the quality of products such as semiconductors and displays manufactured from substrates that are subjected to exposure processing by an exposure apparatus by improving the overlay accuracy of the substrates. It is known that the overlay accuracy in an exposure apparatus can be improved by measuring the overlay error on a substrate that has been subjected to exposure processing, and performing feedback to determine control parameters for the exposure apparatus based on the results of the measurement.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an exposure apparatus that improves the accuracy of feedback that determines control parameters by calculating a weighted average value based on the control parameters used in the exposure process of overlay errors measured on each of multiple substrates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-140566 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] On the other hand, there are cases where a process prior to the exposure process reduces the overlay accuracy in the exposure process, such as when the substrate is heated to a high temperature in a deposition process or a sputtering process, causing distortion. If multiple pre-processing devices are provided to perform the pre-processing, the degree of deterioration in overlay accuracy in the exposure process will vary depending on the processing conditions for the substrate in each pre-processing device (hereinafter referred to as pre-exposure processing conditions).

[0006] Therefore, when determining control parameters for the exposure process so as to improve the overlay accuracy in the exposure process, it is necessary to take into consideration the pre-exposure processing conditions for the substrate in each pre-processing device used in the process before the exposure process. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can improve the overlay accuracy in the exposure process based on the pre-exposure processing conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The information processing device according to the present invention is an information processing device that projects an image of a pattern on an original onto a substrate and determines control parameters of an exposure device that exposes the substrate, and is characterized by carrying out an acquisition step of acquiring overlay errors of patterns formed by the exposure device on each of a plurality of substrates, a calculation step of calculating a weighted average value of each overlay error acquired by the acquisition step in accordance with pre-exposure processing conditions, and a determination step of determining control parameters based on the weighted average value calculated by the calculation step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus that can improve the overlay accuracy in the exposure process based on the pre-exposure processing conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a substrate processing system including an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 5 is a flowchart showing exposure parameter determination processing in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exposure apparatus equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The information processing device according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the drawings may be drawn at a scale different from the actual scale in order to facilitate understanding of the present embodiment.

[0011] [First embodiment] In the manufacture of semiconductors and displays, the overlay accuracy of the exposure equipment used in the manufacture is one of the essential factors for fully achieving the specifications of the final product.

[0012] Overlay in an exposure apparatus is mainly performed by an alignment method or a feedback method. In the alignment method, the position of an alignment mark on a substrate such as a wafer or glass substrate to be exposed is measured in real time by a measuring device such as an alignment scope, and overlay is performed based on the measurement results. On the other hand, in the feedback method, the position of the overlay mark on the exposed substrate is measured by a measuring device such as a length measuring machine, and the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus for overlay are determined based on the measurement results.

[0013] In the feedback method, in order to reduce the variation in overlay error, it is common to calculate an average value of the overlay error measured on each of multiple substrates and determine exposure parameters based on the calculated average value. A conventional technique is known in which a weighted average value based on the exposure parameters used for exposure of the overlay errors measured on each of a plurality of substrates is calculated to improve the accuracy of feedback for determining the exposure parameters. Further, a feedback technique is also known in the prior art, in which the exposure results in an exposure process by an exposure apparatus are used to determine parameters of an apparatus to be used in a process subsequent to the exposure process.

[0014] On the other hand, with improvements in precision in the manufacture of semiconductors and displays and changes in the manufacturing methods, the influence of processes before the exposure process on achieving sufficient overlay precision on the substrate has become more pronounced than ever before. For example, in the manufacture of organic EL displays, a process in which the substrate is heated to a high temperature, such as a vapor deposition process or a sputtering process, is carried out as a pre-process before the exposure process.

[0015] In such processes, complex distortions are formed in the pattern on the substrate that are difficult to adequately correct using alignment methods, which reduces the overlay accuracy on the substrate in the exposure device, so feedback methods are mainly used. However, the distortion caused by such heating in the substrate may tend to differ depending on the equipment used in the previous process that performs the heating and the chambers within the equipment.

[0016] Therefore, by adjusting each device in the upstream process or each chamber within that device, it is possible to reduce the distortion formed on the substrate or reduce the difference between the trends of that distortion, thereby reducing the impact of that upstream process on the exposure process. However, making such adjustments requires production costs such as materials and time.

[0017] Furthermore, by improving feedback, such as by increasing the frequency of feedback or by classifying multiple substrates into multiple groups and then providing feedback, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the overlay accuracy of the substrate in the exposure apparatus. However, such improvements in feedback would require an increase in the number of substrates to be measured, an increase in the number of parameters for the feedback, and so on, which would lead to increased production or management costs and risks.

[0018] Therefore, the present embodiment aims to provide an information processing device that can determine exposure parameters of an exposure device so as to suppress a decrease in overlay accuracy in the exposure process according to the process preceding the exposure process, while suppressing an increase in production costs.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a substrate processing system 500 including an information processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. The substrate processing system 500 is used, for example, in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays.

[0020] Specifically, the substrate processing system 500 includes an exposure apparatus 100, a pre-processing apparatus 200, a developing apparatus 300, and a measuring apparatus 400. In the substrate processing system 500, substrates are transported as indicated by the solid arrows in FIG. 1, and data is transmitted and received as indicated by the dashed arrows.

[0021] The exposure apparatus 100 is configured to project an image of a pattern of an original onto a substrate and expose the substrate to light. The specific configuration for exposing a substrate in exposure apparatus 100 will be described later.

[0022] The exposure apparatus 100 also includes a parameter storage unit 101 and a parameter calculation unit 102 . The parameter storage unit 101 is formed by a storage device such as a memory, and stores exposure parameters (control parameters) used in the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 100. The parameter storage unit 101 can also store data on the overlay error of each substrate measured by the measurement device 400 .

[0023] The parameter calculation unit 102 is formed by a processing device such as a CPU, and calculates exposure parameters used in the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 100 . The parameter storage unit 101 and the parameter calculation unit 102 are connected to each other so as to enable two-way data transmission and reception.

[0024] This allows parameter calculation unit 102 to refer to data stored in parameter storage unit 101 and write data to parameter storage unit 101 when performing the process of calculating exposure parameters for exposure apparatus 100 . The information processing device according to this embodiment is made up of a parameter storage unit 101 and a parameter calculation unit 102. The information processing apparatus according to this embodiment is provided inside the exposure apparatus 100 in the substrate processing system 500, but is not limited to this and may be provided outside the exposure apparatus 100 as a terminal such as a computer.

[0025] The pre-processing apparatus 200 is used in at least a part of a pre-processing step, that is, a pre-exposure process, which is performed before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 100 in the substrate processing process in the substrate processing system 500 . For example, the pre-processing equipment 200 provided in the substrate processing system 500 used in display manufacturing includes a vapor deposition equipment that performs vapor deposition processing on a substrate, a sputtering equipment that performs sputtering processing on a substrate, and the like.

[0026] The substrate that has undergone pre-exposure processing in the pre-processing apparatus 200 is then transported to the exposure apparatus 100 by a transport apparatus or the like (not shown). The pre-processing equipment 200 is also provided with a chamber 201 and a chamber 202 that can perform the same pre-exposure treatment on a substrate, and can perform the pre-exposure treatment on a plurality of substrates simultaneously. When the pre-processing equipment 200 is a vapor deposition equipment or a sputtering equipment, predetermined control parameters including the temperature and heating time when a heat treatment is performed on a substrate are set in each of the chambers 201 and 202.

[0027] In the substrate processing system 500, the pre-processing equipment 200 is provided with two chambers as described above, but is not limited to this and may be provided with three or more chambers. Furthermore, the substrate processing system 500 may be provided with a plurality of pre-processing devices 200 .

[0028] In the substrate processing system 500, the pre-exposure processing conditions, including the identification number of the pre-processing equipment 200 that performed the pre-exposure processing on each substrate, the identification number of the chamber in the pre-processing equipment 200, and control parameters, are sent to the parameter calculation unit 102 in a state linked to each substrate. In the substrate processing system 500, the exposure apparatus 100 and the front-end process apparatus 200 are directly connected to each other to perform the transmission, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, a data server or the like may be provided outside the substrate processing system 500, and the transmission may be performed via the data server.

[0029] The developing apparatus 300 is configured to receive a substrate that has been subjected to exposure processing in the exposure apparatus 100 and is transported by a transport apparatus (not shown), and then to perform development processing on the substrate. Depending on the material that has been exposed in the exposure device 100, there may be cases where it is not necessary to use the development device 300.

[0030] The measuring device 400 receives a substrate that has been developed in the developing device 300 and is transported by a transport device (not shown), and then measures the overlay error of the pattern formed on the substrate surface of the substrate and the marks included in the pattern. The measurement results from the measurement tool 400 are then sent to the parameter calculation unit 102 of the exposure tool 100 .

[0031] In the substrate processing system 500, the exposure apparatus 100 and the measurement apparatus 400 are directly connected to each other to perform the transmission, but this is not limiting. That is, a data server or the like may be provided outside the substrate processing system 500, and the transmission may be performed via the data server.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the process of determining exposure parameters for exposure apparatus 100 in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment. When the process starts, first, the pre-exposure processing conditions of the pre-processing tool 200 for each of the plurality of substrates that have been subjected to exposure processing in the exposure tool 100 are acquired from the pre-processing tool 200 (step S101).

[0033] Next, the measurement results of the overlay error for each of the plurality of substrates are acquired from the measurement device 400 (step S102, acquisition step). Then, based on the pre-exposure treatment conditions for each of the plurality of substrates acquired in step S101, the average value of the overlay errors for the plurality of substrates acquired in step S102 is calculated (step S103, first calculation step).

[0034] Finally, the exposure parameters of the exposure tool 100 are determined based on the average value calculated in step S103 (step S104, determination step), and the process ends. Specifically, in step S104, parameter calculation unit 102 determines exposure parameters for exposure tool 100 based on the average value calculated in step S103, and the determined exposure parameters are stored in parameter storage unit 101.

[0035] Next, a specific method for calculating the average value of the overlay errors of a plurality of substrates in step S103 will be described. In the conventional information processing device, the number of substrates is N, and the overlay error of the i-th substrate (i=1, 2, . . . , N) is M i When expressed as above, the average value of the overlay error of multiple substrates M ave (conv) is calculated by the arithmetic mean expressed by the following equation (1).

[0036]

number

[0037] That is, in the conventional information processing device, the average value M ave Since there is no information about the weights used to calculate (conv), the same weights are set for all substrates and the calculation is performed.

[0038] On the other hand, the number of pre-exposure treatment conditions of the pre-processing equipment 200 is n, and the number of substrates that have undergone pre-exposure treatment under the jth (j=1, 2, . . . , n) pre-exposure treatment condition is N j It is expressed as: Also, N j The ith (i=1, 2, . . . , N j ) is the overlay error of the board i It is expressed as: In this case, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the average value M ave (pres) is calculated by the weighted average expressed by the following equations (2) to (4).

[0039]

number

number

number

[0040] Here, (1 / nN) shown in equation (2) j ) is the average value of the overlay error of multiple substrates M ave This can be called the weight when calculating (pres). Furthermore, in equation (2), at least one substrate that has undergone pre-exposure treatment under each of the n pre-exposure treatment conditions is selected. Next, the average value M of the overlay errors of a plurality of substrates in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment aveA specific example of calculating (pres) is shown below.

[0041] Table 1 shows the average value M ave (conv) and the average value M ave (pres) and indicates.

[0042] [Table 1]

[0043] As shown in Table 1, in this calculation example, only one pre-processing equipment 200 is used, and the control parameters for each substrate in each of the chambers 201 and 202 are assumed to be the same. That is, the number n of pre-exposure processing conditions of the front-end process equipment 200 is 2, which is the number of chambers provided in the front-end process equipment 200, the numbers N1 and N2 of substrates that have undergone pre-exposure processing in chambers 201 and 202 are 1 and 3, respectively, and the number N of substrates is 4.

[0044] In this case, the average value M ave (conv) is calculated as shown in the following equation (5) according to the above equation (1).

[0045]

number

[0046] On the other hand, the average value M ave (pres) is calculated as shown in the following equation (6) according to the above equations (2) to (4).

[0047]

number

[0048] In other words, in the information processing device of this embodiment, the pre-exposure processing conditions of the pre-processing equipment 200 for each of the multiple substrates are acquired in step S101, so that the influence of each pre-exposure processing condition on the exposure results of the multiple substrates can be equalized. In other words, the weight of each pre-exposure treatment condition on the exposure results of a plurality of substrates can be equalized.

[0049] Specifically, in the above calculation example, since two chambers 201 and 202 are provided, half the weight is set for each of the chambers 201 and 202. In chamber 201, a single substrate is subjected to pre-exposure processing, and therefore a weight of 1 / 1 is set for that single substrate.

[0050] On the other hand, in chamber 202, three substrates are subjected to pre-exposure processing, and therefore 1 / 3 weight is set for each of the three substrates. That is, for one substrate that has undergone pre-exposure processing in chamber 201, a weight of (1 / 2) x (1 / 1) = 1 / 2 is set, and for each of the three substrates that have undergone pre-exposure processing in chamber 202, a weight of (1 / 2) x (1 / 3) = 1 / 6 is set.

[0051] As shown in Table 1, the difference M between the average overlay error and the overlay error for each substrate in the conventional information processing equipment i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (conv) is 3.0. That is, if a conventional information processing apparatus were to perform exposure processing on substrates P1 to P4 using exposure parameters determined in step S104 based on the average value calculated in step S103, an overlay error of -3.0 would occur on substrate P1.

[0052] On the other hand, the difference M between the overlay error and the average value for each substrate in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (pres) is 2.2. In other words, in the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, if exposure processing is performed on substrates P1 to P4 using exposure parameters determined in step S104 based on the average value calculated in step S103, an overlay error of 2.2 will occur on substrate P3.

[0053] As shown in Table 1, in the above calculation example, the variation in the overlay error between each chamber is greater than the variation between each pre-exposure processing condition, i.e., the variation between the overlay errors of at least one substrate in each chamber. In the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, particularly in such a case, it is possible to determine the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 so as to reduce the maximum absolute value of the overlay error for each substrate more than before. In other words, the calculation of a weighted average value according to pre-exposure processing conditions in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment is particularly effective when the trends in overlay errors under a plurality of pre-exposure processing conditions are significantly different from one another.

[0054] As described above, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 are determined based on the weighted average value of the overlay errors of each of the multiple substrates calculated using equations (2) to (4) according to the pre-exposure processing conditions. This makes it possible to reduce overlay errors between the substrates compared to the conventional method. That is, according to the information processing apparatus of this embodiment, it is possible to determine the exposure parameters of exposure apparatus 100 so as to suppress the deterioration of overlay accuracy resulting from the previous process while suppressing production costs.

[0055] The above equation (2) can be rewritten as the following equation (7).

number

[0056] That is, the average value M calculated using the formulas (2) to (4) in the information processing device according to this embodiment ave(pres) can also be interpreted as the average value of the average overlay error calculated within each chamber. In other words, the average value M calculated in the information processing device according to this embodiment ave (pres) can be calculated by calculating the average value for each substrate group in which multiple substrates are classified according to the pre-exposure treatment conditions, and averaging the calculated average values ​​for each substrate group. Furthermore, the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment is not limited to determining exposure parameters for only exposure apparatus 100, but may be configured to determine exposure parameters for each of a plurality of exposure apparatuses.

[0057] [Second embodiment] Next, an information processing apparatus according to a second embodiment will be described. The information processing apparatus according to this embodiment calculates the average value M of the overlay errors of the plurality of substrates in step S103. ave Other than the fact that the formula used to calculate (pres) is different, the information processing device according to the first embodiment has the same configuration as that of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0058] Specifically, in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, when the trends in overlay errors under a plurality of pre-exposure processing conditions differ significantly from one another, the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 are determined so as to reduce the maximum absolute value of the overlay error for each substrate. On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 are determined so as to reduce the overlay error for each substrate, taking into consideration the stability under each of a plurality of pre-exposure processing conditions.

[0059] The average value M of the overlay errors of the plurality of substrates in step S103 in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment ave The specific method for calculating (pres) is explained below. In the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the average value M of the overlay errors of a plurality of substrates is ave(pres) is calculated by the weighted average expressed by the following equations (8) to (10) (second calculation step).

[0060]

number

number

number

[0061] Here, w shown in equation (8) j is the weight set for the jth (j=1, 2, . . . , n) pre-exposure processing condition. Next, the average value M of the overlay errors of a plurality of substrates in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment ave A specific example of calculating (pres) is shown below.

[0062] Table 2 shows the average value M ave (conv) and the average value M ave (pres) and indicates.

[0063] [Table 2]

[0064] As shown in Table 2, in this calculation example, only one pre-processing equipment 200 is used, and the control parameters for each substrate in each of the chambers 201 and 202 are assumed to be the same. In other words, the number n of pre-exposure processing conditions of the front-end process equipment 200 is 2, which is the number of chambers provided in the front-end process equipment 200, the numbers N1 and N2 of substrates that have undergone pre-exposure processing in chambers 201 and 202 are 2 and 2, respectively, and the number N of substrates is 4.

[0065] In this case, the average value M ave (conv) is calculated as in the following equation (11) according to the above equation (1).

[0066]

number

[0067] On the other hand, in the calculation example shown in Table 2, the trends of the overlay errors in chambers 201 and 202 are significantly different from each other. Furthermore, the variation in overlay error of each substrate pre-processed in chamber 202 is greater than the variation in chamber 201, that is, the stability of overlay accuracy is relatively low. In this case, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the exposure parameters of exposure apparatus 100 are determined so as to reduce the overlay error of each substrate that has undergone pre-exposure processing in chamber 201 where the stability of overlay accuracy is relatively high.

[0068] That is, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, when a plurality of substrates are classified into a plurality of pre-exposure processing conditions, the smaller the variance of the overlay error of at least one substrate classified into each pre-exposure processing condition, the greater the weight w j is set to a large value. Specifically, in the calculation example shown in Table 2, the variance in chamber 201 is smaller than the variance in chamber 202, so the weights w j are set to 0.6 and 0.4, respectively.

[0069] At this time, the average value M ave (pres) is calculated as shown in the following equation (12) according to the above equations (8) to (10).

[0070]

number

[0071] As shown in Table 2, the difference M between the overlay error of each substrate in the chamber 201 and the average value in the conventional information processing apparatus i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (conv) is 1.6. That is, if a conventional information processing apparatus were to perform exposure processing on substrates P1 and P2 using exposure parameters determined in step S104 based on the average value calculated in step S103, an overlay error of -1.6 would occur on substrate P1.

[0072] On the other hand, the difference M between the overlay error of each substrate in the chamber 201 and the average value in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (pres) is 1.3. In other words, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, when exposure processing is performed on substrates P1 and P2 using exposure parameters determined in step S104 based on the average value calculated in step S103, an overlay error of -1.3 will occur on substrate P1. As described above, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 so as to reduce the overlay error of each substrate that has been pre-exposure processed in the chamber 201, which has a relatively high stability of overlay accuracy, compared to conventional methods.

[0073] In addition, for the chamber 202 in which the stability of the overlay accuracy is relatively low, the difference M between the overlay error of each substrate and the average value in the conventional information processing apparatus is i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (conv) is 2.6. The difference between the error and the mean value, M i -M ave The maximum absolute value of (pres) is 2.9, and the overlay error is not reduced as compared to the conventional information processing device.

[0074] This is because, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, a relatively low weight w is assigned to the chamber 202, which has a relatively low stability of overlay accuracy as described above. j This is because the following is set. For such chambers 202, overlay errors can be reduced by adjusting control parameters other than the exposure parameters of exposure apparatus 100, for example, when pre-exposure processing is performed on each substrate in chamber 202.

[0075] In the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the number N of substrates that have undergone pre-exposure processing under each of the n pre-exposure processing conditions is j are the same value N'=N / n, equation (2) can be rewritten as equation (13) below.

[0076]

number

[0077] That is, in the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, the number N j are the same value, even if the trends of the overlay error under each of the multiple pre-exposure processing conditions are significantly different from each other, the conventional average value M ave The same value as (conv) is calculated. In other words, in the calculation example shown in Table 2, the average value M calculated in the information processing device according to the first embodiment ave (pres) and the average value M calculated in a conventional information processing device ave (conv) and (conv) have the same value.

[0078] On the other hand, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, as shown in formula (8), the number N j Even if these have the same value N'=N / n, they are not the same as equation (1). In other words, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the number N j is equal to a predetermined constant N', that is, N jN' substrates may be selected from at least one substrate that has undergone pre-exposure treatment under each pre-exposure treatment condition so as to satisfy =N'. That is, even in such a case, the exposure parameters of exposure apparatus 100 can be determined so as to reduce the overlay error of each substrate.

[0079] As described above, in the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment, the exposure parameters of the exposure apparatus 100 are determined based on the weighted average value of the overlay errors of each of the multiple substrates calculated using equations (8) to (10) according to the pre-exposure processing conditions. This makes it possible to reduce overlay errors between the substrates compared to the conventional method.

[0080] [Exposure equipment] FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an exposure apparatus 100 equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment.

[0081] The exposure apparatus 100 includes a lamp lighting device 401 (light source), an illumination optical system 402, a slit 403, an imaging optical system 404, an original stage 405, a projection optical system 406, a substrate stage 407, and an information processing device 408 according to the first or second embodiment.

[0082] The lamp lighting device 401 is a light source that emits ultraviolet light, such as a high-pressure mercury lamp. The illumination optical system 402 includes a first bending mirror 501 , a first condenser lens 502 , a fly's-eye lens 503 , a second condenser lens 504 , and a second bending mirror 505 . The original stage 405 is a mask stage that holds the original M, and can be driven in the Y direction shown in FIG.

[0083] The projection optical system 406 is configured to project and transfer a pattern drawn on the original M onto a substrate W coated with a photosensitive agent. The exposure apparatus 100 uses a projection optical system 406 that is an Offner type optical system.

[0084] In the Offner optical system, the original M is illuminated in an arc shape to ensure a good image area, and the illumination shape of the exposure light that reaches the substrate W also has an arc shape. The light that passes through the original M is reflected in this order by the trapezoidal mirror 601, the concave mirror 602, the convex mirror 603, the concave mirror 602, and the trapezoidal mirror 601, before reaching the substrate W, and the pattern on the original M is transferred onto the substrate W.

[0085] The substrate stage 407 is a wafer stage that holds the substrate W, and is driven in the Y direction in synchronization with the original stage 405 to expose the substrate W. The substrate stage 407 can be driven in the X direction as well as the Y direction, and when exposing a plurality of panels on the substrate W, the substrate stage 407 is driven in both the X and Y directions to perform exposure.

[0086] The exposure light emitted from the lamp lighting device 401 passes through an illumination optical system 402 , a slit 403 and an imaging optical system 404 , and then irradiates the original M placed on an original stage 405 . The exposure light transmitted through the original M passes through a projection optical system 406 and irradiates a substrate W placed on a substrate stage 407, and an exposure area on the substrate W is exposed.

[0087] [Production method] Next, a method for manufacturing an article using an exposure apparatus 100 equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment will be described.

[0088] The products manufactured here include semiconductor devices, display devices, color filters, optical components, and MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). For example, a semiconductor device is manufactured through a pre-process for creating a circuit pattern on a substrate W, and a post-process including a processing step for completing the circuit chip created in the pre-process as a finished product.

[0089] The pre-processing includes an exposure process in which a substrate W coated with a photosensitive agent is exposed using an exposure apparatus 100 equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment, and a development process in which the photosensitive agent exposed by the exposure process is developed. Then, a circuit pattern is formed on the substrate W by performing an etching process, an ion implantation process, or the like using the developed photosensitive agent pattern as a mask.

[0090] By repeating these steps of exposure, development, etching, etc., a circuit pattern consisting of multiple layers is formed on the substrate W. In the post-process, the substrate W on which the circuit pattern is formed is diced, and chip mounting, bonding and inspection processes are carried out.

[0091] A display device is manufactured through a process of forming a transparent electrode. The process of forming a transparent electrode includes a process of applying a photosensitive agent onto a glass substrate W on which a transparent conductive film has been vapor-deposited, and a process of exposing the substrate W on which the photosensitive agent has been applied using an exposure apparatus 100 equipped with an information processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment. The step of forming the transparent electrode also includes a step of developing the exposed photosensitive agent.

[0092] According to the method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment, it is possible to manufacture an article with higher quality and higher productivity than conventional methods. Although the preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0093] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configurations and methods. (Configuration 1) An information processing device that projects an image of a pattern on an original onto a substrate and determines control parameters for an exposure device that exposes the substrate, the information processing device comprising: an acquisition step that acquires overlay errors of patterns formed by the exposure device on each of a plurality of substrates; a first calculation step that calculates a weighted average value of each overlay error acquired by the acquisition step according to pre-exposure processing conditions; and a determination step that determines control parameters based on the weighted average value calculated by the first calculation step. (Configuration 2) The information processing apparatus according to Configuration 1, wherein the acquisition step includes a step of acquiring pre-exposure treatment conditions for each of a plurality of substrates. (Configuration 3) In the first calculation step, the number of pre-exposure treatment conditions is denoted by n, and the number of substrates that have undergone pre-exposure treatment under the jth (j=1, 2, . . . , n) pre-exposure treatment condition is denoted by N j , N under the jth pre-exposure treatment condition j The ith (i=1, 2, . . . , N j ) is the overlay error of the board i , the weighted average value is M ave When

number

number

[0094] 100 Exposure device 408 Information processing equipment M Original version W substrate

Claims

1. 1. An information processing device that projects an image of a pattern of an original onto a substrate and determines control parameters of an exposure device that exposes the substrate, an acquisition step of acquiring an overlay error of the pattern formed on each of the plurality of substrates by the exposure apparatus; a first calculation step of calculating a weighted average value of each overlay error acquired in the acquisition step in accordance with a pre-exposure processing condition; a determination step of determining the control parameter based on the weighted average value calculated in the first calculation step; An information processing device characterized by performing the above.

2. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining step includes a step of obtaining the pre-exposure processing conditions for each of the plurality of substrates.

3. In the first calculation step, the number of the pre-exposure treatment conditions is n, the number of the substrates subjected to the pre-exposure treatment under the j-th (j=1, 2, . . . , n) pre-exposure treatment condition is N ｊ , N in which the pre-exposure treatment was performed under the j-th pre-exposure treatment condition ｊ The i-th (i=1, 2, . . . , N) of the substrates ｊ ) the overlay error of the substrate is M ｉ , the weighted average value is M ａｖｅ When [Equation 1] 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a step of calculating the weighted average value from the following formula:

4. In the first calculation step, the number of the pre-exposure treatment conditions is n, the number of the substrates subjected to the pre-exposure treatment under the j-th (j=1, 2, . . . , n) pre-exposure treatment condition is N ｊ , the weight of the j-th pre-exposure treatment condition is w ｊ , N in which the pre-exposure treatment was performed under the j-th pre-exposure treatment condition ｊ The i-th (i=1, 2, . . . , N) of the substrates ｊ ) the overlay error of the substrate is M ｉ , the weighted average value is M ａｖｅ When [Equation 2] 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second calculation step of calculating the weighted average value from the following formula:

5. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second calculation step includes a step of setting the weight to a larger value as the variance of the overlay error of at least one of the substrates subjected to the pre-exposure processing under each pre-exposure processing condition decreases.

6. In the second calculation step, when a predetermined constant is N′, N ｊ =N’ 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a step of selecting N' substrates from at least one substrate that has undergone the pre-exposure treatment under each pre-exposure treatment condition so as to satisfy the following formula:

7. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first calculation step includes a step of calculating the weighted average value based on the overlay error of at least one of the substrates that has undergone pre-exposure processing under each pre-exposure processing condition.

8. a storage unit that stores the overlay error and the control parameters; the acquiring step includes a step of storing the acquired overlay error in the storage unit; 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining step includes a step of storing the determined control parameters in the storage unit.

9. 1. An information processing device that projects an image of a pattern of an original onto a substrate and determines control parameters of an exposure device that exposes the substrate, an acquisition step of acquiring an overlay error of the pattern formed on each of the plurality of substrates by the exposure apparatus; a calculation step of calculating an average value of the overlay errors acquired in the acquisition step; a determination step of determining the control parameter based on the average value calculated in the calculation step; and The information processing apparatus, wherein the calculation step includes a step of calculating the average value for each substrate group into which the plurality of substrates are classified according to pre-exposure treatment conditions.

10. An exposure apparatus that projects an image of a pattern of an original onto a substrate and exposes the substrate, An exposure apparatus comprising the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. exposing a substrate by the exposure apparatus according to claim 10; developing the exposed substrate; Including, A method for manufacturing an article, comprising manufacturing an article from the developed substrate.

12. at least one pre-processing device, each of which performs a pre-processing step on a substrate under predetermined pre-exposure processing conditions; an exposure device that projects an image of a pattern of an original onto the substrate that has been subjected to the pre-processing by the pre-processing device, thereby exposing the substrate; An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9; A substrate processing system comprising:

13. 13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined pre-exposure processing conditions include at least one of an identification number of the pre-processing device, an identification number of a chamber provided in the pre-processing device, and a control parameter of the chamber.

14. The substrate processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the pre-processing equipment includes a vapor deposition equipment for performing a vapor deposition process on the substrate and a sputtering equipment for performing a sputtering process on the substrate.

15. a developing device that develops the substrate exposed by the exposure device; a measurement device that measures the overlay error of the pattern formed on the substrate developed by the developing device; Equipped with 13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, wherein the obtaining step includes the step of obtaining the overlay error measured by the measurement device.

16. 1. An information processing method for determining control parameters of an exposure apparatus that projects an image of a pattern of a reticle onto a substrate and exposes the substrate, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring an overlay error of the pattern formed on each of the plurality of substrates by the exposure apparatus; a calculation step of calculating a weighted average value of each of the overlay errors acquired in the acquisition step in accordance with pre-exposure processing conditions; a determination step of determining the control parameter based on the weighted average value calculated in the calculation step; An information processing method comprising:

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