Processing system, measuring device, substrate processing device, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for aligning a substrate.SOLUTION: A processing system includes a first device and a second device, and is configured to process a substrate. The first device includes a first measurement part configured to detect a first structure provided at the substrate and a second structure different from the first structure to measure relative positions of the first structure and the second structure. The second device includes: an acquisition part configured to obtain the relative positions measured at the first measurement part; a second measurement part configured to detect the second structure to measure a position of the second structure; and a control part configured to obtain a position of the first structure according to the relative positions acquired at the acquisition part and the position of the second structure measured at the second measurement part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, with the miniaturization and high integration of devices, there is an increasing demand for improved alignment accuracy of devices. Therefore, in order to achieve high-precision alignment even if distortion (substrate distortion) occurs in the substrate during device manufacturing, a technique has been proposed for measuring the positions of a large number of alignment marks on the substrate and correcting the substrate distortion with high precision (see Patent Document 1). Substrate distortions that can be corrected by such a technique include not only the shape of the arrangement of a plurality of divided regions (areas to be exposed, so-called shot regions) on the entire substrate, but also the shape of such divided regions. For example, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses information on substrate distortion acquired in advance to correct the shape of the arrangement of a plurality of divided regions on the substrate and the shape of such divided regions. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6719729 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to correct the shape of a divided area on a substrate, it is necessary to detect multiple alignment marks within the divided area, but usually, multiple alignment marks are not provided within a divided area. Therefore, a method is considered in which multiple overlay inspection marks provided within the divided area on the substrate are used instead to perform measurements to correct the shape of the divided area. However, since the shape of the overlay inspection mark is special, a detection optical system dedicated to the overlay inspection mark is required.

[0005] Another issue related to the correction of the shape of the divided regions on the substrate is the increase in processes that make it difficult to detect alignment marks. For example, the number of processes using hard masks is increasing with the stacking of devices. Although the etching resistance of a hard mask can be increased by increasing the carbon (C) content, the transmittance of the light (illumination light) that illuminates the alignment mark decreases when detecting the alignment mark through the hard mask. Therefore, a method using an alignment detection optical system that increases the wavelength selectivity of the illumination light and enables highly accurate detection of the alignment mark is considered. However, even with such a method, a dedicated alignment detection optical system is required.

[0006] As described above, a dedicated detection optical system is required to correct the shape of the divided areas on the substrate, but it is not realistic to install such a dedicated detection optical system in an exposure apparatus in terms of layout constraints. Even if it were possible to install a dedicated detection optical system in an exposure apparatus, it would result in an increase in costs.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the conventional technology, and has an exemplary object to provide a technology that is advantageous for aligning a substrate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a processing system according to one aspect of the present invention is a processing system for processing a substrate, comprising a first apparatus and a second apparatus, wherein the first apparatus has a first measurement unit that detects a first measurement target provided on the substrate and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target and measures a relative position between the first measurement target and the second measurement target, and the second apparatus has an acquisition unit that acquires the relative position measured by the first measurement unit, a second measurement unit that detects the second measurement target and measures a position of the second measurement target, and a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and the position of the second measurement target measured by the second measurement unit. the second measurement unit images the second measurement target to obtain an image including information regarding a position of the second measurement target, the first measurement target includes an alignment mark provided in a target layer to be aligned on the substrate, and the second measurement target includes a device pattern provided in a layer different from the target layer on the substrate, the first measurement unit images the first measurement target and a plurality of second measurement targets provided in the different layer that exist around the first measurement target to obtain images, and the first device images the plurality of second measurement targets included in the image obtained by the first measurement unit. The imaging device further includes a selection unit that selects a second measurement target to be measured by the second measurement unit from the plurality of second measurement targets based on contrast in a portion corresponding to each of the second measurement targets, and the acquisition unit acquires position information indicating the position of the second measurement target selected by the selection unit and the image acquired by the first measurement unit, and the second measurement unit images the second measurement target selected by the selection unit according to the position information acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines the position of the second measurement target selected by the selection unit based on the image including information regarding the position of the second measurement target and the image acquired by the first measurement unit.It is characterized by the above.

[0009] Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an advantageous technique for aligning a substrate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a processing system according to one aspect of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an exposure apparatus. [Diagram 3] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a detection optical system of the exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart for explaining a general exposure process. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a measurement device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an arrangement of multiple divided regions on a substrate. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an alignment mark provided in a sample area. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing a cross section of a substrate on which a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark are provided. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a measurement process in the measurement device. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart for explaining substrate processing in the exposure apparatus. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of overlay inspection marks and alignment marks provided in a sample area. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an overlay inspection mark. [Figure 13] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a measurement process in the measurement device. [Figure 14] 4 is a flowchart for explaining substrate processing in the exposure apparatus. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an exposure apparatus. [Figure 16] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of alignment marks and device patterns provided in a sample area. [Figure 17] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing an example of alignment marks and a plurality of device patterns provided in a sample area. [Figure 18] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a measurement process in the measurement device. [Figure 19] 4 is a flowchart for explaining substrate processing in the exposure apparatus. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a measurement device. [Figure 21] 4 is a flowchart for explaining a measurement process in the measurement device. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 shows an image including the inherent texture of a substrate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims. Although the embodiments describe a number of features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any manner. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numbers are used for the same or similar configurations, and duplicated descriptions are omitted.

[0013] First Embodiment 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a processing system 1 according to one aspect of the present invention. The processing system 1 includes a measurement apparatus 100 (first apparatus) and an exposure apparatus 1000 (second apparatus). In the processing system 1, the measurement apparatus 100 measures the position of a structure provided on a substrate in advance and transmits the measured position to the exposure apparatus 1000, and the exposure apparatus processes the substrate using the position of the structure acquired from the measurement apparatus 100. In this embodiment, the measurement apparatus 100 measures the relative position between two marks as structures provided on the substrate, and the exposure apparatus 1000 aligns the substrate to a target position based on the relative position between the marks to process the substrate.

[0014] In this manner, in the processing system 1, the relative positions of the alignment mark provided on the target layer of the substrate and the substitute mark provided on a layer different from the target layer are measured using the high-precision detection optical system of the measurement apparatus 100. This makes it possible to perform alignment with respect to the target layer in the exposure apparatus 1000 without measuring the position of the alignment mark provided on the target layer of the substrate.

[0015] The exposure apparatus 1000 constituting the processing system 1 can be replaced with a substrate processing apparatus that is required to align the substrate, which is an object, to a target position and process the substrate. Such substrate processing apparatuses include, for example, imprinting apparatuses and drawing apparatuses. Here, the imprinting apparatus brings an imprinting material arranged on a substrate into contact with a mold, and applies energy for curing to the imprinting material to form a pattern of a cured material to which the pattern of the mold has been transferred. The drawing apparatus forms a pattern (latent image pattern) on the substrate by drawing on the substrate with a charged particle beam (electron beam) or a laser beam.

[0016] First, the configuration of exposure apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of exposure apparatus 1000. Exposure apparatus 1000 is a substrate processing apparatus that processes substrate 4 to form a pattern on substrate 4, and in this embodiment, projects the pattern of original 2 (reticle or mask) onto substrate 4 via projection optical system 3 to expose substrate 4.

[0017] The exposure apparatus 1000 has a projection optical system 3 that projects (reduced projection) a pattern formed on the original 2, and a substrate chuck 5 that holds a substrate 4 on which a base pattern and alignment marks have been formed in a previous process. The exposure apparatus 1000 also has a substrate stage 6 that holds the substrate chuck 5 and positions the substrate 4 at a predetermined position (target position), a detection optical system 7 that measures the position of a structure, such as an alignment mark, provided on the substrate 4, and a control unit CU.

[0018] The control unit CU is composed of, for example, a computer (information processing device) including a CPU, a memory, etc., and controls each unit of the exposure apparatus 1000 in accordance with a program stored in a storage unit or the like. As will be described in detail later, the control unit CU realizes the following functions in this embodiment. The control unit CU acquires (functions as an acquisition unit) the measurement result of the measurement device 100 (detection optical system 107), specifically, the relative position between a first structure provided on the substrate 4 and a second structure different from the first structure. In addition, the control unit CU performs control to align (align) the substrate 4 to a target position and process the substrate 4 based on the relative position between the first structure and the second structure acquired from the measurement device 100 and the measurement result of the detection optical system 7, specifically, the position of the second structure. Note that, in this embodiment, the processing of the substrate 4 is an exposure process in which the substrate 4 is exposed through the original 2 and the pattern of the original 2 is transferred to the substrate 4.

[0019] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the detection optical system 7. Light from a light source 8 is reflected by a beam splitter 9 and passes through a lens 10 to illuminate an alignment mark 11 or 12 provided on a substrate 4. The light diffracted by the alignment mark 11 or 12 passes through the lens 10, the beam splitter 9, and a lens 13 and is detected (received) by a sensor 14.

[0020] A general exposure process in the exposure apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Here, an outline of the process from aligning the substrate 4 to exposing it will be described. In S101, the substrate 4 is loaded into the exposure apparatus 1000. In S102, pre-alignment is performed. Specifically, the detection optical system 7 detects the alignment marks 11 for pre-alignment provided on the substrate 4, and the position of the substrate 4 is obtained with a rough accuracy. At this time, the detection of the alignment marks 11 is performed for a plurality of divided areas (areas (shot areas) that are units of the area to be exposed) of the substrate 4, and the overall shift and first-order linear components (magnification and rotation) of the substrate 4 are obtained. In S103, fine alignment is performed. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 6 is driven to a position where the alignment marks 12 for fine alignment can be detected by the detection optical system 7, and the alignment marks 12 provided in each of the plurality of divided areas of the substrate 4 are detected by the detection optical system 7. Then, the overall shift and first-order linear components (magnification and rotation) of the substrate 4 are obtained with precision. In S104, the substrate 4 is exposed to light. Specifically, after fine alignment is performed, the pattern of the original 2 is transferred to each divided area of ​​the substrate 4 via the projection optical system 3. In S105, the substrate 4 is unloaded from the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0021] Next, the configuration of measurement apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of measurement apparatus 100. Measurement apparatus 100 is configured as an apparatus separate from exposure apparatus 1000 (i.e., an apparatus external to exposure apparatus 1000). Measurement apparatus 100 is a measurement apparatus that detects structures provided on substrate 4, for example, a first structure and a second structure different from the first structure, and measures the relative position between the first structure and the second structure.

[0022] The measuring apparatus 100 has a substrate chuck 105 that holds the substrate 4, and a substrate stage 106 that holds the substrate chuck 105 and positions the substrate 4 at a predetermined position (target position). The measuring apparatus 100 also has a detection optical system 107 that measures with high accuracy the position of an alignment mark provided on the substrate 4, a control unit 108, and an interface 109.

[0023] The detection optical system 107 basically has the same configuration as the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000. However, the detection optical system 107 is a detection optical system with higher accuracy and functionality than the detection optical system 7, and has a configuration that can measure structures provided on the substrate 4, such as an alignment mark, with high accuracy, such as a high numerical aperture, high magnification, and a multi-pixel sensor. Furthermore, the detection optical system 107 has a configuration with high brightness and high wavelength selectivity for the light that illuminates the alignment mark (illumination light) in order to improve the visibility of the alignment mark.

[0024] The control unit 108 is configured, for example, by a computer (information processing device) including a CPU, a memory, etc., and performs overall control of each part of the measuring device 100 in accordance with a program stored in the storage unit, etc. The control unit 108 controls the operation of each part of the measuring device 100, thereby controlling measurement processing including processing for measuring the position of a structure provided on the substrate 4 and processing for measuring the relative position between two structures provided on the substrate 4.

[0025] The interface 109 includes a display device, an input device, and the like, and is a user interface for transmitting information and instructions from the measuring device 100 to a user, or from the user to the measuring device 100. In the interface 109, the user can input necessary information via an input device while referring to a screen provided on the display device, thereby specifying a structure whose position should be measured by the measuring device 100, from among multiple structures provided on the substrate 4. Thus, in this embodiment, the interface 109 is provided so that the user can specify a structure to be detected by the detection optical system 107.

[0026] The measurement process performed in the measuring device 100 under the control of the control unit 108 will be described. Specifically, the measurement process will be described for detecting two alignment marks (a first structure and a second structure different from the first structure) provided on the substrate 4 and measuring the relative positions of the two alignment marks. The two alignment marks are specified by the user via the interface 109, as described above.

[0027] First, the alignment marks provided on the substrate 4, which is the measurement target of the measurement device 100, will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a plurality of divided regions on the substrate 4. Among the plurality of divided regions on the substrate 4, the divided regions in which the measurement process (alignment measurement) is performed are set as sample regions 151 to 158. As shown in FIG. 7, a first alignment mark 200 (first structure) and a second alignment mark 201 (second structure) are provided in each of the sample regions 151 to 158. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the alignment marks provided in each of the sample regions 151 to 158. The first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 are provided in different layers on the substrate 4. The first alignment mark 200 is an alignment mark provided in a target layer on the substrate 4, and the second alignment mark 201 is an alignment mark provided in a layer different from the target layer on the substrate 4. The first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 are not usually used together in alignment, and are therefore provided at positions separated from each other. For example, if the relative distance between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 is L and the size of the second alignment mark 201 is S, then L / S>3 is satisfied. Note that the target layer is a process layer to be aligned when forming a pattern on the substrate 4.

[0028] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a cross section of a substrate 4 on which a first alignment mark 200 and a second alignment mark 201 are provided. As shown in FIG. 8, the substrate 4 includes a target layer 210 and a layer 211 different from the target layer 210. A layer that requires alignment when forming a pattern on the substrate 4 is predetermined, and is called a target layer as described above. However, when a different process (layer) is formed on the target layer 210, the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 may not be detected (observed) with high contrast. On the other hand, the second alignment mark 201 provided on the layer 211 different from the target layer 210 can be detected with high contrast because there is no shielding object (layer) that shields the second alignment mark 201. Between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201, there is a positional deviation (deviation from a design value) corresponding to an alignment error that occurs when the second alignment mark 201 is formed. Therefore, the second alignment mark 201 cannot be used as it is as a measurement target in alignment measurement in place of (substitute for) the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210.

[0029] Therefore, in this embodiment, the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 (i.e., the alignment error between the two layers) are measured and understood. This makes it possible to calculate the position of the first alignment mark 200 from the position of the second alignment mark 201, making it possible to perform alignment to the target layer 210 using the second alignment mark 201. The relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 are measured by the measuring device 100.

[0030] With reference to FIG. 9, the measurement process in the measurement device 100, specifically, the measurement process for measuring the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201, will be described.

[0031] In S201, the substrate 4 is carried into the measuring device 100.

[0032] In S202, pre-alignment is performed. Specifically, the alignment marks 11 for pre-alignment provided on the substrate 4 are detected by the detection optical system 107, and the position of the substrate 4 is obtained with a rough accuracy. At this time, the detection of the alignment marks 11 is performed for a plurality of partitioned regions of the substrate 4, and the overall shift and first-order linear components (magnification and rotation) of the substrate 4 are obtained.

[0033] In S203, the position of the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where the first alignment mark 200 can be detected by the detection optical system 107. Then, the detection optical system 107 is used to detect the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4, and the position of the first alignment mark 200 is measured.

[0034] In S204, the position of the second alignment mark 201 provided on a layer 211 different from the target layer 210 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where the second alignment mark 201 can be detected by the detection optical system 107. Then, the detection optical system 107 is used to detect the second alignment mark 201 provided on the layer 211 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4, and the position of the second alignment mark 201 is measured.

[0035] In S205, the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 is calculated based on the position of the first alignment mark 200 measured in S203 and the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured in S204. For example, the position of the first alignment mark 200 measured by the detection optical system 107 is (Ax, Ay), and the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured by the detection optical system 107 is (Bx, By). In this case, the relative position (Cx, Cy) between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 is calculated as Cx=Bx-Ax and Cy=By-Ay. The calculation of the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 may be performed by the control unit 108 or may be performed by the detection optical system 107 (a calculation unit including a CPU and the like). In this way, the detection optical system 107, in cooperation with the control unit 108 or alone, functions as a first measurement unit that detects the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 and measures the relative position between those alignment marks.

[0036] In S206, it is determined whether the relative positions between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4. If the relative positions between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 have not been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S203 to obtain the relative positions in the next sample area. On the other hand, if the relative positions between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S207.

[0037] In S207, the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 obtained in S205 is output to the exposure apparatus 1000. At this time, the control unit 108 functions as an output unit that outputs the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 to the exposure apparatus 1000. Note that in this embodiment, the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 is output directly from the measurement apparatus 100 to the exposure apparatus 1000, but this is not limited to this. For example, the relative position between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 may be output from the measurement apparatus 100 to the exposure apparatus 1000 via a host device that communicates between the measurement apparatus 100 and the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0038] In S208, the substrate 4 is unloaded from the measuring device 100.

[0039] 10, the processing of substrate 4 in exposure apparatus 1000 will be described. Specifically, the processing of aligning substrate 4 to a target position and exposing substrate 4 will be described using the relative positions of first alignment mark 200 and second alignment mark 201 obtained by measurement apparatus 100.

[0040] In S301, the substrate 4 is loaded into the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0041] In S302, the relative positions between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 output from the measurement device 100 are obtained. In other words, the relative positions between the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 measured by the measurement device 100 are obtained from the measurement device 100.

[0042] In S303, pre-alignment is performed. Since the pre-alignment is similar to the pre-alignment in S102 shown in Fig. 4, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0043] In S304, the position of the second alignment mark 201 provided on a layer 211 different from the target layer 210 of the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 6 is driven to a position where the second alignment mark 201 can be detected by the detection optical system 7. Then, the detection optical system 7 is used to detect the second alignment mark 201 provided on the layer 211 of the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 and measure the position of the second alignment mark 201. In this way, the detection optical system 7 functions as a second measurement unit that detects the second alignment mark 201 and measures the position of the second alignment mark 201.

[0044] In S305, the position of the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is calculated. Specifically, the position of the first alignment mark 200 is calculated based on the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 acquired in S302 and the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured in S304. For example, the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured by the detection optical system 7 is set to (Bx', By'). In this case, the position (Ax', Ay') of the first alignment mark 200 is calculated by Ax'=Bx'-Cx=Bx'-(Bx-Ax) and Ay'=By'-Cy=By'-(By-Ay). The calculation of the position of the first alignment mark 200 is performed by the control unit CU.

[0045] In S306, it is determined whether the positions of the first alignment marks 200 have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4. If the positions of the first alignment marks 200 have not been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S304 to obtain the positions of the first alignment marks 200 in the next sample area. On the other hand, if the positions of the first alignment marks 200 have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S307.

[0046] In S307, the substrate 4 is exposed to light. Specifically, the substrate 4 is aligned to a target position based on the position of the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 calculated in S305. Then, the pattern of the original 2 is transferred to each divided area of ​​the substrate 4 via the projection optical system 3.

[0047] In S308, the substrate 4 is unloaded from the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0048] In this manner, in this embodiment, instead of the first alignment mark 200 which cannot be detected with high accuracy by the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000, the position of the second alignment mark 201 provided on a layer 211 different from the target layer 210 is measured. Then, the position of the first alignment mark 200 is obtained from the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 measured by the measurement apparatus 100 and the position of the second alignment mark 201. This makes it possible to align the substrate 4 to the target position and expose it based on the position of the first alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210.

[0049] In this embodiment, the case where the position of the first alignment mark 200 is calculated has been described, but the position of the first alignment mark 200 does not necessarily need to be calculated. It is also possible to align the substrate 4 to a target position and expose it based on the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 and the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured by the detection optical system 7. Specifically, the relative positions of the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 may be offset to the position of the second alignment mark 201 to directly obtain the target position. For example, the position of the second alignment mark 201 measured by the detection optical system 7 is set to (Bx', By'). In this case, the target position (Dx, Dy) is obtained by Dx=Bx'-Cx and Dy=By'-Cy.

[0050] Furthermore, there may be a certain tendency in the distortion of the substrate 4 that occurs when the substrate 4 is held between the substrate chuck 105 of the measurement apparatus 100 and the substrate chuck 5 of the exposure apparatus 1000. In such a case, it is advisable to reflect a certain offset in the measurement value for each divided area of ​​the substrate 4 to correct the offset due to the distortion when the substrate 4 is held. In other words, in this embodiment, it is possible to use matching correction between the measurement apparatus 100 and the exposure apparatus 1000 in combination.

[0051] Also, the calculation process of the mark position for each divided area of ​​the substrate 4 may be changed, for example, to calculate a statistical alignment correction value (overall shift and first-order linear component of the substrate 4) for each mark, and the relative difference between the alignment correction values ​​may be used. Note that there may be cases where the arrangement or number of sample areas to be measured by the measurement apparatus 100 differs from that of the sample areas to be measured by the exposure apparatus 1000. In such cases, by using a statistical alignment correction value, it becomes possible to convert the alignment correction value into a correction value for the target layer based on the alignment correction value.

[0052] It is also possible to use a technique for measuring the position of the alignment mark 200 provided on the target layer 210 with high accuracy in the measurement apparatus 100. Such a technique includes, for example, a super-resolution technique in which the substrate stage 106 is minutely stepped in the X direction and the Y direction in sub-pixel units of the alignment mark image to acquire multiple alignment mark images and generate a pseudo high-accuracy alignment mark image. Such a technique also includes a technique in which the substrate stage 106 is stepped in the Z direction to acquire multiple alignment mark images and the measurement values ​​of the alignment marks obtained from each alignment mark image are averaged to reduce the influence of aberration of the detection optical system 107. Furthermore, such a technique includes a technique in which multiple alignment mark images are integrated to average noise components when the alignment mark images are acquired.

[0053] <Second embodiment> In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the relative positions of an alignment mark and an overlay inspection mark are measured, and the substrate is aligned and exposed using the relative positions. Specifically, the relative positions of the alignment mark and the overlay inspection mark provided on the substrate 4 are measured using a highly accurate detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100. This makes it possible to perform alignment using the overlay inspection mark as a reference (target) in the exposure apparatus 1000, without measuring the position of the overlay inspection mark provided on the substrate 4.

[0054] In this embodiment, compared to the first embodiment, the configuration of the processing system 1 (the measurement apparatus 100 and the exposure apparatus 1000) is similar, but the configuration of the marks provided on the substrate 4 is different. As shown in FIG. 11, an overlay inspection mark 203 (first structure) and an alignment mark 202 (second structure) are provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4.

[0055] The alignment mark 202 is a type of mark that measures the X direction and the Y direction separately, and can be detected by the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000. The alignment mark 202 is provided mainly for the purpose of measuring the position of the sample area (divided area). Therefore, it is rare that multiple alignment marks 202 are provided within a sample area.

[0056] The overlay inspection mark 203 is a type of mark that simultaneously measures the X direction and the Y direction. The overlay inspection mark 203 cannot be detected by the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000, and can only be detected by a detection optical system that can capture an image of the mark, such as the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 12, the overlay inspection mark 203 is used together with an overlay inspection mark 204 of a layer that is exposed to the target layer on which the overlay inspection mark 203 is provided. The overlay inspection marks 203 and 204 are marks for measuring the relative positions of the overlay inspection mark 203 and the overlay inspection mark 204 to inspect the positional deviation (overlay) between the layers. In the overlay inspection, the shape of the sample area (divided area) is also inspected, so that a plurality of overlay inspection marks 203 (or 204) are often provided in the sample area. Therefore, by performing alignment using the overlay inspection mark 203, it is possible to correct the shape of the divided area of ​​the substrate 4. In addition, at the stage when the measurement apparatus 100 performs measurement or the exposure apparatus 1000 performs alignment, the overlay inspection mark 204 has not been formed, so in this embodiment, only the overlay inspection mark 203 is used for alignment.

[0057] 13, a description will be given of the measurement process in the measurement apparatus 100, specifically, the measurement process for measuring the relative position between the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203. Note that S401, S402, S406, S407, and S408 shown in Fig. 13 are similar to S201, S202, S206, S207, and S208 described with reference to Fig. 9, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0058] In S403, the position of the alignment mark 202 provided in the sample region of the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where the alignment mark 202 can be detected by the detection optical system 107. Then, the detection optical system 107 is used to detect the alignment mark 202 provided in the sample region of the substrate 4, and the position of the alignment mark 202 is measured.

[0059] In S404, the positions of the overlay inspection marks 203 provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 are measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where each of the overlay inspection marks 203 can be detected by the detection optical system 107. Then, using the detection optical system 107, each of the overlay inspection marks 203 provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is detected, and the position of each of the overlay inspection marks 203 is measured.

[0060] In S405, the relative positions of the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203 are calculated based on the position of the alignment mark 202 measured in S403 and the position of the overlay inspection mark 203 measured in S404. The calculation of the relative positions of the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203 may be performed by the control unit 108 or by the detection optical system 107 (a calculation unit including a CPU and the like).

[0061] The processing of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Specifically, the processing of aligning the substrate 4 to a target position and exposing the substrate 4 will be described using the relative positions of the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203 obtained by the measurement apparatus 100. Note that S501, S502, S503, S506, S507, and S508 shown in Fig. 14 are similar to S301, S302, S303, S306, S307, and S308 described with reference to Fig. 10, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0062] In S504, the position of the alignment mark 202 provided in the sample region of the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 6 is driven to a position where the alignment mark 202 can be detected by the detection optical system 7. Then, the detection optical system 7 is used to detect the alignment mark 202 provided in the sample region of the substrate 4, and the position of the alignment mark 202 is measured.

[0063] In S505, the position of the overlay inspection mark 203 provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is calculated. Specifically, the position of each of the overlay inspection marks 203 is calculated based on the relative positions of the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203 acquired in S502 and the position of the alignment mark 202 measured in S504. The calculation of the position of the overlay inspection mark 203 is performed by the control unit CU.

[0064] As described above, in this embodiment, the position of the alignment mark 202 is measured instead of the overlay inspection mark 203, which cannot be detected with high accuracy by the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000. Then, the position of the overlay inspection mark 203 is obtained from the relative positions of the alignment mark 202 and the overlay inspection mark 203 measured by the measurement apparatus 100, and the position of the alignment mark 202. This makes it possible for the exposure apparatus 1000 to align and expose the substrate 4 to a target position based on the position of the overlay inspection mark 203, without measuring the position of the overlay inspection mark 203.

[0065] <Third embodiment> In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the relative positions between an alignment mark and a device pattern are measured, and the substrate is aligned and exposed using the relative positions. Specifically, the relative positions between an alignment mark provided on a target layer of the substrate 4 and a device pattern provided on a layer different from the target layer are measured using a high-precision detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100. This makes it possible to perform alignment using the alignment mark as a reference (target) in the exposure apparatus 1000, without measuring the position of the alignment mark provided on the target layer of the substrate 4.

[0066] In this embodiment, the configuration of the measurement apparatus 100 is similar to that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the exposure apparatus 1000 and the configuration of the mark provided on the substrate 4 are different.

[0067] In this embodiment, the exposure apparatus 1000 has a detection optical system 7A instead of the detection optical system 7, as shown in FIG. 15. The detection optical system 7A is a detection optical system that can capture an image of a structure provided on the substrate 4, in this embodiment, a device pattern, and obtain an image including information about the position of the device pattern. Also, as shown in FIG. 16, an alignment mark 200A (first structure) and a device pattern 205 (second structure) are provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4. The alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 are provided in different layers on the substrate 4. The alignment mark 200A is provided in a target layer on the substrate 4, and the device pattern 205 is provided in a layer different from the target layer on the substrate 4.

[0068] In this embodiment, instead of an alignment mark provided on a layer different from the target layer on the substrate 4, a device pattern provided on a layer different from the target layer that can be detected by the detection optical system 7A is used as a substitute mark. When it is difficult to detect the alignment mark 200A provided on the target layer with high contrast, the only structure that can be detected with high contrast may be a device pattern provided on a layer different from the target layer. In such a case, this embodiment is useful. When measuring the position of a device pattern having an arbitrary shape, shape information on the shape of the device pattern may be obtained in advance, and a technique such as template matching or phase correlation based on the shape information may be used.

[0069] Regarding the measurement processing in the measurement apparatus 100 and the processing of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000, detailed explanations will be omitted here since it is sufficient to replace the second alignment mark 201 described in the first embodiment (Figures 9 and 10) with the device pattern 205.

[0070] In this manner, in this embodiment, instead of the alignment mark 200A which cannot be detected with high accuracy by the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000, the position of the device pattern 205 provided on a layer different from the target layer is measured. Then, the position of the alignment mark 200A is obtained from the relative positions of the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 measured by the measurement apparatus 100, and the position of the device pattern 205. This makes it possible for the exposure apparatus 1000 to align and expose the substrate 4 to the target position based on the position of the alignment mark 200A, without measuring the position of the alignment mark 200A provided on the target layer.

[0071] <Fourth embodiment> In this embodiment, when detecting a device pattern provided in a layer other than a target layer on a substrate, the high-precision detection optical system 107 of the measurement device 100 is used to search for (select) a device pattern that can be detected with high contrast.

[0072] In this embodiment, the configuration of the processing system 1 (the measurement apparatus 100 and the exposure apparatus 1000) is similar to that of the third embodiment, but the configuration of the marks provided on the substrate 4 is different. As shown in FIG. 17, an alignment mark 200A (first structure) and a plurality of device patterns 205 and 206 as candidates for substitute marks and an alignment mark 202 (second structure) are provided in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4. The alignment mark 200A and the plurality of device patterns 205 and 206 are provided in different layers on the substrate 4. The alignment mark 200A is provided in a target layer on the substrate 4. The plurality of device patterns 205 and 206 are detectable by the detection optical system 7A and are provided in a layer different from the target layer on the substrate 4. In this embodiment, a device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A is selected while comparing the contrasts in the portions corresponding to the plurality of device patterns 205 and 206 included in the image acquired by the detection optical system 107.

[0073] 18, the measurement process in the measuring apparatus 100, specifically, the measurement process for measuring the relative position between the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 or 206, will be described. Note that S601, S602, S603 to S608 shown in Fig. 18 are similar to S201, S202, S206 to S208 described with reference to Fig. 9, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here. However, in S603 and S604, the first alignment mark 200 and the second alignment mark 201 described in the first embodiment (Fig. 9) are replaced with the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 or 206, respectively.

[0074] In S602-1, the device patterns 205 and 206 existing around the alignment mark 200A provided on the target layer of the substrate 4 are imaged to obtain an image including the device patterns 205 and 206.

[0075] In S602-2, based on the image acquired in S602-1, a device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A is selected from the multiple device patterns 205 and 206. Specifically, the contrast in the portions corresponding to the device patterns 205 and 206 included in the image acquired in S602-1 is calculated, and the device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A is selected based on the contrast. In this embodiment, the contrast in the portions corresponding to the device patterns 205 and 206 is compared, and the device pattern 205 corresponding to the portion with the highest contrast is selected as the device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A. Such calculation of contrast and selection of the device pattern corresponding to the portion with the highest contrast are performed, for example, by the control unit 108 (the control unit 108 functions as a selection unit that selects the device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A).

[0076] In S602-3, the image acquired in S602-1 and position information indicating the position of the device pattern 205 selected in S602-2 are output to the exposure apparatus 1000. The image acquired in S602-1 and the position of the device pattern 205 selected in S602-2 respectively become a reference image and a reference position when measuring the position of the device pattern 205 in the exposure apparatus 1000. Such output of the image and position information is performed by, for example, the control unit 108 (the control unit 108 functions as an output unit that outputs the image and position information).

[0077] The processing of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000 will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Specifically, the processing of aligning the substrate 4 to a target position and exposing the substrate 4 will be described using the relative positions of the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 obtained by the measurement apparatus 100. Note that S701, S703, and S706 to S708 shown in Fig. 19 are similar to S301, S303, and S306 to S308 described with reference to Fig. 10, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0078] In S702, position information is acquired that indicates the relative position between the alignment mark 200 and the device pattern 205, an image including the device pattern 205, and the position of the device pattern 205, which are output from the measurement device 100. In this embodiment, in addition to the relative position between the alignment mark 200 and the device pattern 205, the image including the device pattern 205 and the position information that indicates the position of the device pattern 205 are also acquired.

[0079] In S704, the position of the device pattern 205 provided on a layer different from the target layer in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured based on the image including the device pattern 205 acquired in S702 and position information indicating the position of the device pattern 205. Specifically, the device pattern 205 selected in S602-2 is imaged according to the position information acquired in S702. Then, the position of the device pattern 205 is obtained based on the image including information regarding the position of the device pattern 205 and the image including the device pattern 205 acquired in S702.

[0080] In S705, the position of the alignment mark 200A provided on the target layer in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is calculated. Specifically, the position of the alignment mark 200A is calculated based on the relative positions of the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 acquired in S702 and the position of the device pattern 205 measured in S704.

[0081] In this manner, in this embodiment, instead of the alignment mark 200A that cannot be detected with high accuracy by the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000, the position of the device pattern 205 provided on a layer different from the target layer is measured. At this time, from the multiple device patterns 205 and 206, the device pattern 205 that can be detected with high contrast by the detection optical system 7A is automatically selected as the device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A. Then, the position of the alignment mark 200A is obtained from the relative positions of the alignment mark 200A and the device pattern 205 measured by the measurement apparatus 100 and the position of the device pattern 205. This makes it possible to align and expose the substrate 4 to the target position based on the position of the alignment mark 200A without measuring the position of the alignment mark 200A provided on the target layer in the exposure apparatus 1000. The device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A may be selected for each divided area of ​​the substrate 4.

[0082] <Fifth embodiment> In this embodiment, correction is performed taking into consideration the difference in distortion (influence of aberration) between the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100 and the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000. The configuration of the processing system 1 (measurement apparatus 100 and exposure apparatus 1000) is similar to that of the fourth embodiment.

[0083] The measurement process in the measurement apparatus 100 and the process of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000 are basically the same as those in the fourth embodiment (FIGS. 18 and 19). However, the amount of correction of distortion caused by the aberration of the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100 and the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000 is acquired in advance. Then, in S602-3, the measurement apparatus 100 performs distortion correction on the image acquired in S602-1 to generate a corrected image in which the influence of the distortion of the detection optical system 107 has been removed. Also, in S704, the exposure apparatus 1000 performs distortion correction on the image acquired by imaging the device pattern 205 to remove the influence of the distortion of the detection optical system 7A, and then determines the position of the device pattern 205.

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, in the measurement apparatus 100, the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 107 is removed from the image acquired by the detection optical system 107 to generate a corrected image (the control unit 108 is made to function as a generating unit). Then, in the exposure apparatus 1000, the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 7A is removed from the image acquired by the detection optical system 7A, and the position of the device pattern 205 is obtained based on this image and the corrected image. This makes it possible to measure the position of the device pattern 205 while reducing the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 7A.

[0085] Sixth embodiment In this embodiment, high-speed processing is possible when taking into consideration and correcting the difference in distortion (influence of aberration) between the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100 and the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000. The configuration of the processing system 1 (measurement apparatus 100 and exposure apparatus 1000) is the same as in the fourth embodiment.

[0086] The measurement process in the measurement apparatus 100 and the process of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000 are basically the same as those in the fourth embodiment (FIGS. 18 and 19). However, the amount of correction of distortion caused by the aberration of the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100 and the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000 is acquired in advance. In this embodiment, in S602-3, the distortion correction of the detection optical system 107 is performed on the image acquired in S602-1, and then the inverse correction of the distortion of the detection optical system 7A is performed to generate a corrected image. As a result, when the position of the device pattern 205 is measured in the exposure apparatus 1000, the image (corrected image) including the distortion of the detection optical system 7A becomes a reference, so that it is not necessary to perform the distortion correction in the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0087] As described above, in this embodiment, in the measurement apparatus 100, the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 107 is removed from the image acquired by the detection optical system 107, and the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 7A is added to generate a corrected image. Then, in the exposure apparatus 1000, the position of the device pattern 205 is obtained based on the image acquired by the detection optical system 7A and the corrected image. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of the aberration of the detection optical system 7A and measure the position of the device pattern 205. Furthermore, although distortion correction usually requires time, by performing distortion correction in the measurement apparatus 100, the influence on the throughput of the exposure apparatus 1000 can be reduced, enabling high-speed processing in the exposure apparatus 1000.

[0088] Seventh embodiment In this embodiment, when detecting a device pattern using the high-precision detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100, a device pattern that can be detected with high contrast by the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000 is searched for (selected). Note that the configuration of the processing system 1 (the measurement apparatus 100 and the exposure apparatus 1000) is the same as in the fourth embodiment.

[0089] The measurement process in the measurement apparatus 100 and the process of the substrate 4 in the exposure apparatus 1000 are basically the same as those in the fourth embodiment (FIGS. 18 and 19). However, in S602-1, when capturing an image of the device patterns 205 and 206, the detection conditions of the detection optical system 107 of the measurement apparatus 100 are changed (set) so as to match the detection conditions of the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000. For example, the wavelengths of the light illuminating the alignment mark 200A and the device patterns 205 and 206, the numerical aperture of the optical system, and the like are made to match between the detection optical system 107 and the detection optical system 7A. Note that the detection optical system 107 has a configuration that allows the setting of such detection conditions to be variable.

[0090] Thus, in this embodiment, the detection optical system 107 detects the alignment mark 200A and the device patterns 205 and 206 under the same detection conditions as those used when the detection optical system 7A detects the device pattern 205 or 206. This makes it possible to select a device pattern that can be detected with the highest contrast by the detection optical system 7A of the exposure apparatus 1000 as the device pattern to be measured by the detection optical system 7A.

[0091] Eighth embodiment In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the relative position between an alignment mark provided on a target layer below the opaque layer and a substitute mark is measured, and the substrate is aligned and exposed using the relative position. Specifically, the relative position between an alignment mark provided on a target layer below the opaque layer and a substitute mark is measured using a first measuring device having a special function and a highly accurate second measuring device possessed by the measuring device 100. This makes it possible to perform alignment using the alignment mark as a reference (target) in the exposure device 1000 without measuring the position of the alignment mark provided on the target layer of the substrate 4.

[0092] In this embodiment, the configuration of the exposure apparatus 1000 is similar to that of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the measurement apparatus 100 is different. FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the measurement apparatus 100 in this embodiment. The measurement apparatus 100 includes a special detection optical system 507 having a special function in addition to the substrate chuck 105, the substrate stage 106, the detection optical system 107, and the control unit 108. The special detection optical system 507 functions as a first measuring instrument that detects a first structure provided on the substrate 4 and measures the position of the first structure, and the detection optical system 107 functions as a second measuring instrument that detects a second structure provided on the substrate 4 and measures the position of the second structure. The special function is, for example, a function for detecting an alignment mark provided on a layer below an opaque layer, which is difficult to detect with normal light, using infrared light, X-rays, ultrasonic waves, etc. In addition, a reference mark 508 is arranged on the substrate stage 106 to manage the relative positions of the detection optical system 107 and the special detection optical system 507 and perform calibration.

[0093] With reference to FIG. 21, the measurement process in the measuring device 100, specifically, the measurement process for measuring the relative position between an alignment mark provided in a target layer of the substrate 4 and a substitute mark provided in a layer other than the target layer, will be described.

[0094] In S801, the substrate 4 is carried into the measuring device 100.

[0095] In S801-1, calibration is performed. Specifically, the detection optical system 107 and the special detection optical system 507 each detect a reference mark 508 arranged on the substrate stage 106, and the relative positions of the detection optical system 107 and the special detection optical system 507 are managed.

[0096] In S802, pre-alignment is performed. Specifically, the alignment marks 11 for pre-alignment provided on the substrate 4 are detected by the detection optical system 107, and the position of the substrate 4 is obtained with a rough accuracy. At this time, the detection of the alignment marks 11 is performed for a plurality of partitioned regions of the substrate 4, and the overall shift and first-order linear components (magnification and rotation) of the substrate 4 are obtained.

[0097] In S803, the position of the alignment mark provided on the target layer in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where the alignment mark can be detected by the special detection optical system 507. Then, the alignment mark provided on the target layer in the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is detected using the special detection optical system 507, and the position of the alignment mark is measured.

[0098] In S804, the position of the substitute mark provided on a layer different from the target layer of the sample area of ​​the substrate 4 is measured. Specifically, based on the result of the pre-alignment, the substrate stage 106 is driven to a position where the substitute mark can be detected by the detection optical system 107. Then, the detection optical system 107 is used to detect the substitute mark provided on the layer different from the target layer of the sample area of ​​the substrate 4, and the position of the substitute mark is measured.

[0099] In S805, the relative positions of the alignment mark and the alternative mark are calculated based on the position of the alignment mark measured in S803 and the position of the alternative mark measured in S804. At this time, the relative positions of the alignment mark and the alternative mark are calculated taking into account the calibration performed in S801-1.

[0100] In S806, it is determined whether the relative positions between the alignment marks and the alternative marks have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4. If the relative positions between the alignment marks and the alternative marks have not been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S803 to obtain the relative positions in the next sample area. On the other hand, if the relative positions between the alignment marks and the alternative marks have been obtained for all sample areas on the substrate 4, the process proceeds to S807.

[0101] In S807, the relative positions between the alignment mark and the alternative mark obtained in S805 are output to exposure tool 1000.

[0102] In S808, the substrate 4 is removed from the measuring device 100.

[0103] As for the processing of substrate 4 in exposure apparatus 1000, it is sufficient to replace second alignment mark 201 described in the first embodiment (FIGS. 9 and 10) with a substitute mark, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0104] In this manner, in this embodiment, instead of an alignment mark provided on a target layer under an opaque layer that cannot be detected by the detection optical system 7 of the exposure apparatus 1000, the position of a substitute mark provided on a layer different from the target layer is measured. Then, the position of the alignment mark is obtained from the relative position between the alignment mark and the substitute mark measured by the measurement apparatus 100 and the position of the substitute mark. This makes it possible to align and expose the substrate 4 to the target position based on the position of the alignment mark provided on the target layer without measuring the position of the alignment mark in the exposure apparatus 1000. Note that in this embodiment, the detection optical system 107 detects the substitute mark in the measurement apparatus 100, but if the special detection optical system 507 can detect the substitute mark, the special detection optical system 507 may detect the substitute mark.

[0105] <Ninth embodiment> In this embodiment, when there is no alignment mark, overlay inspection mark, device pattern, or the like that can be detected as a substitute mark, the unique texture of the substrate 4 may be detected instead of the substitute mark. Fig. 22 is a diagram showing an image including the unique texture of the substrate 4. The unique texture of the substrate 4 includes, for example, polishing marks, grain boundaries, edges, or notches of the substrate 4. The position of the unique texture of the substrate 4 can be measured using a measurement method such as phase correlation, similar to the alignment mark or device pattern.

[0106] Tenth embodiment The method for manufacturing an article in the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article such as a device (semiconductor element, magnetic storage medium, liquid crystal display element, etc.). The manufacturing method includes a step of forming a pattern on a substrate using a processing system 1 (exposure apparatus 1000), a step of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed, and a step of manufacturing an article from the processed substrate. The manufacturing method may also include other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article in the present embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional methods.

[0107] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the following claims are appended to apprise the public of the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1: Processing system 100: Measurement device 107: Detection optical system 1000: Exposure device 7: Detection optical system CU: Control unit

Claims

1. A processing system for processing a substrate, comprising a first apparatus and a second apparatus, The first device is a first measurement unit that detects a first measurement target and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target provided on the substrate and measures a relative position between the first measurement target and the second measurement target, The second device is an acquisition unit that acquires the relative position measured by the first measurement unit; a second measurement unit that detects the second measurement target and measures a position of the second measurement target; a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and the position of the second measurement target measured by the second measurement unit; having the second measurement unit captures an image of the second measurement target to obtain an image including information on a position of the second measurement target; the first measurement target includes an alignment mark provided on a target layer to be aligned on the substrate; the second measurement object includes a device pattern provided in a layer on the substrate different from the target layer, the first measurement unit captures an image of the first measurement target and a plurality of second measurement targets provided in the different layer and present around the first measurement target, and acquires images; the first device further includes a selection unit that selects a second measurement target to be measured by the second measurement unit from the second measurement targets based on contrasts in portions corresponding to the second measurement targets included in the image acquired by the first measurement unit, the acquisition unit acquires position information indicating a position of the second measurement target selected by the selection unit and the image acquired by the first measurement unit; a processing system characterized in that the second measurement unit images a second measurement object selected by the selection unit in accordance with the position information acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines the position of the second measurement object selected by the selection unit based on an image including information about the position of the second measurement object and the image acquired by the first measurement unit.

2. 2 . The processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing section performs control to align the substrate to a target position in accordance with the position of the first measurement target and process the substrate.

3. The processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the selection unit compares contrasts in portions corresponding to each of the multiple second measurement targets included in the image acquired by the first measurement unit, and selects the second measurement target corresponding to the portion with the highest contrast as the second measurement target to be measured by the second measurement unit.

4. the first device further includes a generation unit configured to remove an influence of aberration of the first measurement unit from the image acquired by the first measurement unit to generate a corrected image, The acquisition unit acquires the corrected image generated by the generation unit as the image acquired by the first measurement unit, The processing system according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that the second measurement unit images a second measurement target selected by the selection unit in accordance with the position information acquired by the acquisition unit, and determines the position of the second measurement target selected by the selection unit based on an image in which the influence of aberration of the second measurement unit is removed from an image containing information regarding the position of the second measurement target, and the corrected image.

5. the first device further includes a generation unit that generates a corrected image by removing an influence of an aberration of the first measurement unit from the image acquired by the first measurement unit and adding an influence of an aberration of the second measurement unit to the image acquired by the first measurement unit, 4. The processing system according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires the corrected image generated by the generation unit as the image acquired by the first measurement unit.

6. A processing system for processing a substrate, comprising a first device and a second device, The first device is a first measurement unit that detects a first measurement target and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target provided on the substrate and measures a relative position between the first measurement target and the second measurement target, The second device is an acquisition unit that acquires the relative position measured by the first measurement unit; a second measurement unit that detects the second measurement target and measures a position of the second measurement target; a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and the position of the second measurement target measured by the second measurement unit; having A processing system, characterized in that the first measurement unit detects the first measurement object and the second measurement object under the same detection conditions as those used when the second measurement unit detects the second measurement object.

7. A processing system for processing a substrate, comprising a first device and a second device, The first device is a first measurement unit that detects a first measurement target and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target provided on the substrate and measures a relative position between the first measurement target and the second measurement target, The second device is an acquisition unit that acquires the relative position measured by the first measurement unit; a second measurement unit that detects the second measurement target and measures a position of the second measurement target; a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and the position of the second measurement target measured by the second measurement unit; having The first measurement unit is a first measuring device that detects the first measurement object and measures a position of the first measurement object; a second measuring device that detects the second measurement object and measures a position of the second measurement object; A processing system comprising:

8. 8. The processing system according to claim 7, wherein the first measuring instrument detects the first measurement object by using infrared light, X-rays or ultrasonic waves.

9. 9. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the second measurement target comprises a unique texture of the substrate.

10. 10. The processing system of claim 9, wherein the unique texture comprises a polishing mark, a grain boundary, an edge, or a notch.

11. a measurement unit that captures an image of a first measurement target and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target provided on a substrate, detects the first measurement target and the second measurement target, and measures a relative position between the first measurement target and the second measurement target; a selection unit that selects the second measurement targets to be measured by the measurement unit from among the second measurement targets based on contrasts in portions corresponding to the second measurement targets included in the image acquired by the measurement unit; an output unit that outputs the relative position measured by the measurement unit to the substrate processing apparatus; A measuring device comprising:

12. If the relative distance between the first measurement target and the second measurement target is L and the size of the second measurement target is S, then L / S>3 The measuring device according to claim 11, characterized in that the following is satisfied.

13. The measurement apparatus according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the measurement unit acquires an image of the second measurement object by applying the same conditions as those used when a second measurement unit of the substrate processing apparatus acquires an image of the second measurement object.

14. The substrate processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit that acquires the relative position output from the output unit; a measurement unit that detects the second measurement target and measures a position of the second measurement target; a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and a position of the second measurement target measured by the measurement unit of the substrate processing apparatus; The measuring device according to claim 11 or 12, further comprising:

15. 15. The measurement apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising an interface for a user to specify the first measurement target and the second measurement target to be detected by the measurement unit.

16. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, an acquisition unit that acquires a relative position between a first measurement target and a second measurement target different from the first measurement target, the relative position being measured by an external measurement device; A measurement unit that measures a position of the second measurement target; a processing unit that determines a position of the first measurement target based on the relative position acquired by the acquisition unit and the position of the second measurement target measured by the measurement unit; having the acquisition unit acquires information on the second measurement target to be measured by the measurement unit among the plurality of second measurement targets; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the measurement unit measures a position of the second measurement target selected based on information of the second measurement target acquired by the acquisition unit.

17. forming a pattern on a substrate using a processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10; manufacturing an article from the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; A method for producing an article, comprising the steps of:

Images