Substrate processing system, exposure apparatus, processing method, exposure method, and electronic device manufacturing method

Abstract

This substrate processing system comprises: a substrate information acquisition unit that acquires substrate information including position information pertaining to a structure formed on a first substrate; and a determination unit that determines, on the basis of the acquired substrate information, exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate that is to be bonded to the first substrate.

Description

Substrate processing system, arithmetic device, exposure apparatus, arithmetic method, exposure method, and manufacturing method of electronic device

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system, a computing apparatus, an exposure apparatus, a computing method, an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing an electronic device. This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-012405, filed in Japan on January 31, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a technique for manufacturing a laminated substrate by bonding the surfaces of substrates together (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, the conventional technique described above has a problem in that even if the substrates are aligned during bonding, they may not be bonded.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-74369

[0004] The substrate processing system of the present invention includes a substrate information acquisition unit that acquires substrate information including positional information of structures formed on a first substrate, and a determination unit that determines exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information.

[0005] The calculation device of the present invention includes a substrate information acquisition unit that acquires substrate information including positional information of structures formed on a first substrate, and a determination unit that determines exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information.

[0006] The exposure apparatus of the present invention includes an exposure control unit that exposes a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on exposure conditions determined based on substrate information including positional information of structures formed on the first substrate.

[0007] The calculation method of the present invention includes a substrate information acquisition step of acquiring substrate information including positional information of structures formed on a first substrate, and a determination step of determining exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information.

[0008] The exposure method of the present invention includes an exposure control step of exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on exposure conditions determined based on substrate information including positional information of structures formed on the first substrate.

[0009] The method for manufacturing an electronic device of the present invention includes a substrate information acquisition process for acquiring substrate information including positional information of structures formed on a first substrate; a determination process for determining exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information; an exposure control process for exposing the second substrate based on the determined exposure conditions; and a stacking process for superimposing the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a multilayer wiring structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a laminated substrate after bonding according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is an example of a functional configuration diagram of an exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations of a substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate exposed by the exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a problem to be solved by a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of operations of an exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate exposed by the exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations of a substrate processing system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations of a substrate processing system according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining an interposer wafer according to the fourth embodiment.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and the embodiments to which the present invention is applied are not limited to the following embodiments.

[0012] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the functional configuration of a substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. An example of the functional configuration of a substrate processing system 10 will be described with reference to the same figure. The substrate processing system 10 forms a desired structure on one or more substrates (wafers) P, and permanently bonds the substrate P on which the structure has been formed with another substrate P that forms a pair by overlapping them, thereby manufacturing a multilayer substrate. The substrate processing system 10 includes an exposure apparatus 100, a measurement apparatus 200, and a stacking apparatus 300.

[0013] The exposure apparatus 100 performs an exposure process on the substrate P. A photosensitive material (e.g., photoresist) is applied to the surface of the substrate P in advance by a predetermined processing apparatus. The exposure apparatus 100 exposes a desired pattern onto the surface of the substrate P by irradiating a light pattern onto the photosensitive surface on which the photosensitive material has been applied. The exposure apparatus 100 forms a latent image corresponding to the desired pattern by exposing the desired pattern onto the surface of the substrate P. The substrate P on which the latent image has been formed is developed by a processing apparatus (not shown), thereby forming a structure on the surface of the substrate P. The structure formed on the surface of the substrate P may be, for example, a circuit element, a circuit network, a connection terminal, etc.

[0014] The exposure apparatus 100 may expose one or more alignment marks AM in addition to the desired pattern. The alignment marks AM may be included as structures formed on the surface of the substrate P. On the surface of the substrate P, one or more alignment marks AM are formed in association with the pattern areas, along with a plurality of pattern areas (shot areas) in which patterns are formed. The alignment marks AM are measured by at least one of the exposure apparatus 100, the measurement apparatus 200, or the stacking apparatus 300. The measured alignment marks AM are used as reference positions when overlaying the exposed substrate P with another substrate. The alignment marks AM may be measured by the exposure apparatus 100 and used as reference positions during exposure.

[0015] The measuring apparatus 200 measures positional information of structures formed on the substrate P as a result of exposure by the exposure apparatus 100. Distortions such as magnification distortion, orthogonal distortion, and nonlinear distortion may occur on the substrate P during the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 100 or during processing by other processing apparatuses (e.g., film-forming apparatuses such as sputtering apparatuses and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatuses, coating apparatuses that apply photosensitive materials such as photoresist, exposure apparatuses, developing apparatuses, etching apparatuses, heat treatment apparatuses such as annealing apparatuses, etc.). The measuring apparatus 200 measures information related to various distortions that have occurred on the substrate P, as will be described later. In this way, the measuring apparatus 200 actually measures positional information of structures formed on the substrate P that has been unloaded from the exposure apparatus 100, and information related to various distortions that have occurred on the substrate P. The measurement control unit of the measuring apparatus 200, the exposure apparatus 100, and the lamination apparatus 300 are connected to each other via a local area network (LAN) and communicate with each other. A control device that controls the entire substrate processing system 10 is connected to the LAN.

[0016] The measuring apparatus 200 measures a plurality of alignment marks AM on the substrate P to actually measure the distortion of the substrate P. The measuring apparatus 200 detects at least one alignment mark AM for each of a plurality of shot areas divided on the substrate, for example. In this embodiment, the measuring apparatus 200 may measure the positions of all alignment marks AM provided on the substrate P. The measuring apparatus 200 calculates position information of each alignment mark AM based on the measurement information, and performs EGA (Enhanced Global Alignment) calculation using the position information of the alignment marks AM. The EGA calculation refers to a statistical calculation that, after measuring the alignment marks AM, calculates parameters of a model formula that expresses the correction amount of the position coordinates of the alignment marks AM using a statistical calculation such as the least squares method based on information about the difference between the design value and the actual measurement value of the position coordinates of the alignment marks AM.

[0017] By calculating the results of the EGA calculation using statistical calculations such as the least squares method, the linear and nonlinear components of the initial distortion of the substrate P can be accurately calculated. The measuring device 200 transmits information on the calculated linear and nonlinear components of the initial distortion of the substrate P to the calculation device 1000, which will be described later. The measuring device 200 may transmit only information on the nonlinear component of the initial distortion of the substrate P to the calculation device 1000. The measuring device 200 may have a reference coordinate system and measure the absolute coordinates of the alignment mark AM of the substrate P in that reference coordinate system. The measuring device 200 may detect the absolute coordinates of other marks on the substrate P in addition to the alignment mark AM. The measuring device 200 may measure the absolute coordinates of the alignment mark AM of the substrate P and transmit the calculated position information of the alignment mark AM to an exposure device that exposes a pattern onto the substrate. In this case, the exposure device sets exposure conditions based on the received position information and uses them when exposing a substrate other than the substrate P. When the measurement target is a stack, the measuring apparatus 200 may calculate position information by measuring the absolute coordinates of the alignment mark AM of at least one substrate P (e.g., the top substrate) among the multiple substrates P that make up the stack. The measuring apparatus 200 may measure an overlay mark used to measure the relative position between, for example, two substrates P, rather than at least one of the multiple substrates P that make up the stack. In this case, the overlay mark may be included as a structure. The measuring apparatus 200 may send the calculated position information of the alignment mark AM to an exposure apparatus that exposes a pattern onto at least one substrate that makes up the stack. The exposure apparatus sets exposure conditions based on the received position information and uses them when exposing a pattern onto at least one new substrate that makes up the stack. The measuring apparatus 200 may measure not only the positions of all alignment marks AM provided on the substrate P, but also a pattern or part of a pattern within a shot area instead of the alignment marks. Furthermore, the measuring device 200 may increase the number of measurement points in the outer periphery region of the substrate P compared to the number of measurement points in the central region of the substrate P, and measure the distortion of the substrate P in the outer periphery region of the substrate P accurately.In this embodiment, the positions of all alignment marks AM provided on the substrate P are measured, and therefore portions of the patterns in multiple shot areas are also measured in the peripheral region of the substrate P. The number of measurement points can be increased by measuring portions of the patterns in multiple shot areas in the peripheral region of the substrate P. When increasing the number of measurement points in the peripheral region of the substrate P, overlay marks in the peripheral region of the substrate P may also be measured. The overlay marks may be measured together with portions of the patterns in the shot areas. Similarly, the measuring apparatus 200 may measure not only the alignment marks AM but also portions of the patterns in multiple shot areas in regions of the substrate P where the reproducibility of distortion is high or regions where the distortion of the substrate P is steep. Furthermore, the measuring apparatus 200 may measure the warpage of the substrate P after exposure by the exposure apparatus 100 and use the measurement results to estimate the amount of distortion of the laminated substrate after the lamination apparatus 300 bonds two substrates P.

[0018] The lamination device 300 bonds two substrates P by overlapping a substrate P exposed by the exposure device 100 and measured by the measurement device 200 with another substrate P. More specifically, the lamination device 300 bonds two substrates P to each other by overlapping a substrate P having a structure formed on its surface with another substrate P having a structure formed on its surface that is to be overlapped with the structure formed on the surface of the substrate P. The structures to be overlapped may be conductors such as circuit elements, circuit networks, and connection terminals. The base material of the substrate P on which the structures are formed may be a silicon wafer, a compound semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate, or the like. The substrate P to be bonded by the lamination device 300 may itself already have a layered structure formed by stacking multiple substrates.

[0019] The alignment mark AM is an example of a structure formed on the surface of the substrate P. In this embodiment, the stacking device 300 uses the alignment mark AM as a reference position when bonding two substrates P. The stacking device 300 is equipped with, for example, two microscopes (not shown) to detect the alignment mark AM provided on each of the two substrates P to be bonded. The relative positions of the two substrates P to be bonded are identified by detecting the alignment mark AM on each of the substrates P using the two microscopes whose relative positions are known. The stacking device 300 bonds the two substrates P to be bonded based on the identified relative positions.

[0020] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a multilayer wiring structure according to the first embodiment. An example of the multilayer wiring structure of the substrate P will be described with reference to the same figure. The same figure shows an example in which the substrate P has a nine-layer copper wiring structure.

[0021] The gate portion shown at the bottom of the figure is a silicon wafer. The layer formed directly above the gate portion is referred to as the first layer L1, and the layers formed thereon are referred to in order from the lowest layer as the second layer L2, ..., ninth layer L9. Each layer from the first layer L1 to the ninth layer L9 is insulated by an interlayer insulating film. When connecting copper wiring formed on each layer across layers, via holes (contact holes) Via are formed in the interlayer insulating film to connect the elements formed on each layer.

[0022] The substrate processing system 10 aligns a structure formed on the top layer of a substrate P (in the example of Figure 9, the ninth layer L9) with a structure formed on the corresponding top layer of a substrate P, and bonds the substrates together.

[0023] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a laminated substrate after bonding according to the first embodiment. An example of a wiring structure when the substrates P are bonded will be described with reference to the same figure. In the example shown in the same figure, a first substrate P1 and a second substrate P2 are bonded at their respective uppermost layers. The lamination device 300 aligns the uppermost layer of the first substrate P1 with the uppermost layer of the second substrate P2, and bonds them using intermolecular forces at the bonding surfaces.

[0024] In the following description, the first substrate P1 may be referred to as the lower wafer, and the second substrate P2 may be referred to as the upper wafer. The names lower wafer and upper wafer are not used to distinguish between the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 based on their functions, etc. In other words, one of the substrates P bonded by the stacking device 300 is simply referred to as the lower wafer, and the other substrate P is simply referred to as the upper wafer. Either the lower wafer or the upper wafer may be manufactured first, but for convenience, the wafer manufactured first may be referred to as the upper wafer.

[0025] Here, the two substrates P bonded by the substrate processing system 10 may have different functions. For example, if it is desired to manufacture a single semiconductor having two different functions, it may be better to manufacture a substrate P for each function and then bond them together after manufacturing. The two functions may be, for example, one being a logic circuit and the other being a memory circuit. Alternatively, one may be a photodiode and the other a logic circuit. According to the substrate processing system 10, in order to bond substrates P having two different functions, each substrate P can be manufactured using a manufacturing process suitable for each function, and then the substrates can be bonded together into a single substrate.

[0026] 4 is an example of a functional configuration diagram of an exposure apparatus according to the first embodiment. An example of the functional configuration of exposure apparatus 100 will be described with reference to the same figure. Exposure apparatus 100 exposes substrate P based on substrate information SI. In this example, substrate information SI is position information measured by measurement apparatus 200.

[0027] The exposure apparatus 100 has a functional configuration including a substrate information acquisition unit 110, an exposure pattern acquisition unit 120, a determination unit 130, and an exposure control unit 140. The exposure apparatus 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) (not shown), a storage device such as a read only memory (ROM) or a random access memory (RAM), etc., which are connected via a bus, and functions as an apparatus including the substrate information acquisition unit 110, the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120, the determination unit 130, and the exposure control unit 140 by executing an exposure program. Note that all or part of the functions of the exposure apparatus 100 may be realized using hardware such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (PLD), or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). In the following description, the substrate information acquisition unit 110, the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120, and the determination unit 130 will also be referred to as an arithmetic device 1000.

[0028] The substrate information acquisition unit 110 acquires substrate information SI. The substrate information SI is position information used to form structures on the second substrate P2, which is to be bonded to the first substrate P1, and includes position information of the structures formed on the first substrate P1. The substrate information SI may also include position information of alignment marks AM, position information of patterns or portions of patterns within shot areas, position information of overlay marks, distortion information within the surface of the substrate P, and distortion (e.g., warpage) information in a direction intersecting the surface of the substrate P. The substrate information SI is obtained by measuring the surface of the first substrate P1 using the measurement apparatus 200. The exposure apparatus 100 corrects the exposure pattern EP based on the acquired substrate information SI and forms structures on the second substrate P2 based on the corrected post-correction exposure pattern REP. That is, the exposure apparatus 100 sets exposure conditions for exposing the second substrate P2 based on the substrate information S1. The substrate information SI includes position information used to form structures on the second substrate P2. In other words, the substrate information SI includes information for correcting the exposure pattern EP when the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the second substrate P2.

[0029] It should be noted that the first exposure apparatus 100 that exposes the first substrate P1 and the exposure apparatus 100 that exposes the second substrate may be different exposure apparatuses. In this case, the substrate information SI is information obtained by measuring the structure of the first substrate P1 formed by the first exposure apparatus using the measurement apparatus 200. In the following description, the first exposure apparatus 100A that exposes the first substrate P1 and the second exposure apparatus 100B that exposes the second substrate P2 are described as different exposure apparatuses 100, but they may be the same exposure apparatus. This is because even when substrates are exposed using the same exposure apparatus, variations may occur between individual substrates. Furthermore, it is expected that variations in distortion between individual substrates will increase if they have undergone processes such as film formation.

[0030] The exposure pattern acquisition unit (pre-correction exposure pattern acquisition unit) 120 acquires an exposure pattern EP. The exposure pattern EP includes information on the desired pattern that the exposure apparatus 100 will expose onto the substrate P. The exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 acquires the exposure pattern EP, which is a preset pre-correction exposure pattern. The exposure pattern EP acquired by the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 includes information on the light pattern (projected pattern image) on the wafer. The exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 acquires the exposure pattern EP from, for example, an input device (not shown). The pre-correction exposure pattern may be an exposure pattern that does not include distortion information.

[0031] The determination unit 130 determines the exposure pattern to be used to expose the second substrate P2, in other words, the exposure conditions for exposing the second substrate P2, based on the acquired substrate information SI. Specifically, the determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern EP, which is the acquired pre-correction exposure pattern, based on the acquired substrate information SI. The determination unit 130 determines the post-correction exposure pattern REP by correcting the pre-correction exposure pattern. Specifically, the determination unit 130 may perform the correction using information regarding the distortion of the first substrate P1 included in the substrate information SI (individual measurement values ​​associated with points on the substrate surface). Furthermore, the determination unit 130 may correct the exposure pattern EP by applying the information regarding the distortion of the first substrate P1 included in the substrate information SI to a predetermined approximation formula. If the first exposure apparatus 100A that exposes the first substrate P1 and the second exposure apparatus 100B that exposes the second substrate P2 are different exposure apparatuses 100, the determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern EP for exposing the second substrate P2 in the second exposure apparatus 100B, based on substrate information SI obtained as a result of measuring the first substrate P1 after it has been exposed by the first exposure apparatus 100A. Note that if the first exposure apparatus 100A that exposes the first substrate P1 and the second exposure apparatus 100B that exposes the second substrate P2 are different apparatuses, or if the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 are each exposed in different factories, the determination unit 130 may determine the exposure position, i.e., the exposure pattern EP, taking into account deformation of the substrate due to differences in the manufacturing environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, etc.) of each exposure apparatus or factory.

[0032] Here, the determination of the exposure pattern EP (in other words, the correction of the exposure pattern) performed by the determination unit 130 will be described in detail. In this embodiment, the correction of the exposure pattern includes adjusting the position and shape of the exposure pattern. The position of the exposure pattern is the position at which the exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure on the second substrate P2. The correction of the position of the exposure pattern includes, for example, shifting the exposure pattern or rotating the exposure pattern. Furthermore, the correction of the position of the exposure pattern may include, for example, a combination of shifting the exposure pattern and rotating the exposure pattern. The shape of the exposure pattern is the shape of the pattern at which the exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure on the second substrate P2. The correction of the shape of the exposure pattern may include, for example, enlargement, reduction, deformation, etc. Furthermore, the correction of the shape of the exposure pattern may include, for example, a combination of enlargement, reduction, deformation, etc.

[0033] The determination unit 130 may correct the exposure pattern EP on a shot-by-shot basis or on a chip-by-chip basis. That is, the corrected exposure pattern REP corrected by the determination unit 130 may be on a shot-by-shot basis or on a chip-by-chip basis. A shot-by-shot basis is the range that the exposure apparatus 100 can instantaneously expose. For example, when the exposure apparatus 100 performs maskless exposure using a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) (not shown), a shot-by-shot basis is the unit of a pattern that can be instantaneously projected by the DMD. A chip-by-chip basis is the unit of the semiconductor device when multiple semiconductor devices are manufactured on the surface of the substrate P. Note that the determination unit 130 may correct the exposure pattern EP on a wafer-by-wafer basis (substrate P-by-substrate P basis). That is, the corrected exposure pattern REP may be on a wafer-by-wafer basis.

[0034] The determination unit 130 may correct the exposure pattern EP by combining shot-by-shot correction and chip-by-chip correction. In this case, the determination unit 130 corrects both the pattern for exposing one shot and the pattern for exposing one chip.

[0035] When the determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern EP, different correction methods may be used depending on whether the exposure apparatus 100 performs the correction using a mask or whether the exposure apparatus 100 performs the correction without using a mask (i.e., a maskless case). Specifically, when the exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure using a mask, correction of the position of the exposure pattern may include adjusting the stage position during exposure, adjusting the mask position, or replacing the mask. Adjustment of the stage position includes shifting or rotating the stage position. Furthermore, when the exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure using a mask, correction of the pattern shape may include enlargement and reduction by changing the magnification of the lens, adjustment of the relative position of the stage and mask during scan exposure, pattern deformation by adjusting and controlling the magnification of the lens, rotation of the pattern (shot), rotation of the mask, enlargement and reduction of the mask, mask deformation, and combinations thereof.

[0036] Furthermore, when exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure without using a mask, correction of the position of the exposure pattern may include inputting information on the corrected pattern position, or adjusting the stage position or mask position during exposure, etc. Furthermore, when exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure without using a mask, correction of the shape of the pattern may include inputting information on the corrected pattern position, or adjusting the pattern generation device or exposure optical system, etc.

[0037] The exposure control unit 140 performs control to expose the second substrate P2 based on the corrected exposure pattern REP, which is the corrected exposure pattern EP. The corrected exposure pattern EP is the exposure pattern determined by the determination unit 130, i.e., the corrected exposure pattern REP. In other words, the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the second substrate P2 based on the exposure pattern determined by the determination unit 130. When the first exposure apparatus 100A that exposes the first substrate P1 and the second exposure apparatus 100B that exposes the second substrate P2 are different exposure apparatuses, the exposure control unit 140 performs control to expose the second substrate P2, which is different from the first substrate P1.

[0038] When the exposure apparatus 100 performs maskless exposure using a DMD, the exposure control unit 140 controls the light source that irradiates the DMD, controls the tilt of the micromirrors provided on the DMD, and controls the movement of the stage on which the second substrate P2 is placed. In particular, the exposure control unit 140 controls the tilt of each micromirror provided on the DMD based on the corrected exposure pattern REP. Note that while the example shown in FIG. 4 illustrates a case in which the arithmetic unit 1000 is incorporated into the exposure apparatus 100, the arithmetic unit 1000 may be a device separate from the exposure apparatus 100. When the arithmetic unit 1000 is a device separate from the exposure apparatus 100, the arithmetic unit 1000 may be included in the substrate processing system 10 and connected to at least one of the exposure apparatus 100, the measurement apparatus 200, and the stacking apparatus 300. When the calculation device 1000 is a device separate from the exposure apparatus 100, the calculation device 1000 may receive measurement results from the measurement device 200 and send the exposure pattern determined by the determination unit 130 to the exposure apparatus 100. In this way, the calculation device 1000 may function as a control device that controls the entire substrate processing system 10. Furthermore, in the example shown in the figure, the calculation device 1000 includes the substrate information acquisition unit 110, the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120, and the determination unit 130, but it is sufficient that the calculation device 1000 includes the substrate information acquisition unit 110 and the determination unit 130.

[0039] FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a series of operations of the substrate processing system according to the first embodiment. A series of operations of the substrate processing system 10 will be described with reference to the same figure. In this embodiment, either the first substrate P1, which is the target of the first exposure, or the second substrate P2, which is the target of the second exposure, may be a laminated substrate. For convenience, the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 will be described as being exposed by a common exposure apparatus 100, but the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 may also be exposed by different exposure apparatuses 100. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the substrate processing system 10 measures positional information of the uppermost layer of the first substrate P1 after manufacturing the first substrate P1, and exposes the uppermost layer of the second substrate P2.

[0040] (Step S11) The exposure apparatus 100 performs a first exposure on the first substrate P1. After a latent image is formed on the first substrate P1 by the first exposure by the exposure apparatus 100, a structure is formed on the surface of the substrate by developing the image by a processing apparatus (not shown). (Step S12) The first substrate P1, on whose surface the structure has been formed, is transported to the measurement apparatus 200 by a predetermined method.

[0041] (Step S13) The measuring apparatus 200 measures position information of structures formed on the substrate surface of the transported first substrate P1. The position information of the substrate surface measured by the measuring apparatus 200 includes distortions that occurred during exposure by the exposure apparatus 100 and distortions that occurred during development, etc. by other processing apparatuses. (Step S14) The measuring apparatus 200 transfers substrate information SI that includes the results of measuring the position information of the substrate surface of the first substrate P1 to the exposure apparatus 100. In addition to the measurement results, the substrate information SI may also include identification information that identifies the first substrate P1 and information about treatments that have been performed on the first substrate P1.

[0042] (Step S15) Exposure apparatus 100 acquires substrate information SI including the results of measuring the positional information of the substrate surface of first substrate P1 from measurement apparatus 200. Exposure apparatus 100 performs a second exposure on second substrate P2 based on the acquired information.

[0043] If the first substrate P1 is distorted, the bonding positions of the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 may not align when they are bonded together, resulting in a bonding failure. A bonding failure may occur, for example, when bonding conductors formed on the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2, due to misalignment, resulting in an unintended open circuit. A bonding failure may also occur when a conductor bonded to the first substrate P1 unintendedly contacts a conductor bonded to the second substrate P2, resulting in a short circuit. The exposure apparatus 100 corrects the positions of the structures formed on the second substrate P2 in accordance with the positional information of the structures formed on the first substrate P1, thereby preventing bonding failure. When exposing the second substrate P2, the exposure apparatus 100 may also apply information about the first substrate P1, which is paired with the second substrate P2, to the second substrate P2 using a predetermined method.

[0044] The exposure apparatus 100 may estimate at least one of the amount of deformation, misalignment, and distortion that will occur in the first substrate P1 during bonding, based on positional information of the structures formed on the first substrate P1. In this case, the exposure apparatus 100 may estimate the amount of misalignment that will result from bonding the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 based on the estimated amount, and determine the exposure pattern for the second substrate P2 so that the estimated amount of misalignment is reduced. In this case, it is preferable that positional information of the top layer of the first substrate P1 is used as the positional information of the structures formed on the first substrate P1. Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 100 may measure in advance the amount of misalignment between the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 after bonding using the measurement apparatus 200, an IR measurement apparatus, or the like, and use the measurement results to determine the exposure pattern for at least one of the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 to be bonded next so that the amount of misalignment is reduced. Furthermore, if the exposure apparatus 100 knows the distortion that will occur in the first substrate P1 or the second substrate P2 during bonding, it may determine the exposure pattern for both or one of the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2, taking into account the amount of correction to correct the misalignment caused by the distortion.

[0045] (Step S16) The second substrate P2 on whose surface the structure is formed is transported to the measuring device 200 by a predetermined method.

[0046] (Step S17) The measuring device 200 measures positional information of structures formed on the substrate surface of the transported second substrate P2. The positional information of the substrate surface measured by the measuring device 200 includes distortions that occurred during exposure by the exposure device 100 and distortions that occurred during development, etc. by other processing devices. (Step S18) The measuring device 200 transfers substrate information SI, which includes the results of measuring the positional information of the substrate surface of the second substrate P2, to the stacking device 300. In addition to the measurement results, the substrate information SI may also include identification information that identifies the second substrate P2 and information about treatments applied to the second substrate P2. The substrate information SI may also include information about the results of measuring the positional information of the substrate surface of the first substrate P1 that is paired with the second substrate P2.

[0047] (Step S19) The first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 are transported to the stacking device 300. The stacking device 300 joins the transported first substrate P1 and second substrate P2 by overlapping them with each other. The stacking device 300 may obtain information about the substrates that will be paired when joined from the substrate information SI, or may obtain the information by some other method.

[0048]

[0033] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate exposed by the exposure apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. The effect of performing exposure using the corrected exposure pattern REP by the exposure apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6(A) to 6(C). Figure 6(A) shows a case where a first substrate P1A as an example of a first substrate P1 and a second substrate P2A as an example of a second substrate P2 are bonded together, Figure 6(B) shows a case where a first substrate P1B as an example of a first substrate P1 and a second substrate P2B as an example of a second substrate P2 are bonded together, and Figure 6(C) shows a case where a first substrate P1C as an example of a first substrate P1 and a second substrate P2C as an example of a second substrate P2 are bonded together.

[0049] In one example described with reference to Figure 6, the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 each have a first layer L1 and a second layer L2, with the second layer L2 being the uppermost layer in both cases. The first substrate P1 has a plurality of conductor portions C111 on the first layer L1 and a plurality of conductor portions C121 on the second layer L2. The conductor portions C111 on the first layer L1 and the conductor portions C121 on the second layer L2 are connected via contact holes V11. The second substrate P2 has a plurality of conductor portions C211 on the first layer L1 and a plurality of conductor portions C221 on the second layer L2. The first layer L1 and the second layer L2 are connected via contact holes V21.

[0050] The conductors C121 and C221 of the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2 are joined to each other on the second layer L2, which is the uppermost layer of each substrate.

[0051] 6A is a schematic diagram illustrating a case where no distortion occurs in either the first substrate P1A or the second substrate P2A. In this case, both the first substrate P1A and the second substrate P2A are positioned according to the reference, and therefore the two substrates can be bonded to each other without using the corrected exposure pattern REP according to this embodiment. Note that even if no distortion occurs in either the first substrate P1A or the second substrate P2A, distortion may occur when these substrates are bonded. Therefore, even if no distortion occurs in the substrates, if distortion occurs during bonding, bonding can be more effectively achieved by using the bonding method according to this embodiment.

[0052] FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating problems with the prior art. The example shown in the figure is a schematic diagram of a case in which distortion occurs in the first substrate P1B, resulting in a poor bond. As is clear from the figure, distortion occurs in the first substrate P1B. Specifically, although conductors C121 and C221 are bonded to each other on the left side of the figure, misalignment between conductors C121 and C221 accumulates toward the right side of the figure, and conductors C121 and C122 are separated from each other at points A1 and A2. In this state, when attempting to bond the first substrate P1B and the second substrate P2B, the positions of conductors C121 and C221 do not align at points A1 and A2, resulting in a poor bond. Therefore, the exposure apparatus 100 according to this embodiment corrects the exposure pattern EP of the top layer of the second substrate P2 to eliminate the poor bond.

[0053] FIG. 6C is a schematic diagram of the exposure apparatus 100 according to this embodiment exposing the top layer of the second substrate P2C with the corrected exposure pattern REP. As is clear from the figure, the first layer L1, which is the top layer of the second substrate P2C, has been corrected. Specifically, the conductor C221 is extended to the right in the figure and thereby joined to the conductor C122. In particular, even at the points indicated by symbols A1 and A2 where the conductors C121 and C122 were spaced apart in the example of FIG. 6B, the conductor C221 is extended to the right in the figure and thus joined to the conductor C122 in the example of FIG. 6C. That is, according to this embodiment, the second substrate L2 includes multiple layers, and the exposure control unit 140 controls the exposure of the top layer (uppermost layer) of the second substrate P2.

[0054] [Summary of First Embodiment] As described above, according to this embodiment, the exposure apparatus 100 is equipped with the substrate information acquisition unit 110 to acquire substrate information SI, which is position information used to form structures on the substrate P; the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 to acquire information about the desired exposure pattern EP; and the determination unit 130 to generate a corrected exposure pattern REP based on the acquired substrate information SI and exposure pattern EP, and to perform control for exposing the substrate P based on the generated corrected exposure pattern REP. Here, the substrate information SI is information that is acquired before exposing the substrate P. Therefore, the exposure apparatus 100 can correct the position at which the structures are to be formed before exposing the substrate P. Therefore, the substrate processing system 10 can accurately and suitably bond the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, substrate information SI is information obtained as a result of measuring structures formed on a first substrate P1 that has been exposed by a first exposure apparatus different from exposure apparatus 100. In other words, exposure apparatus 100 exposes a second substrate P2 that is a different substrate from the first substrate P1 that has been exposed by an exposure apparatus different from exposure apparatus 100 itself. That is, according to this embodiment, the exposure apparatus that exposes first substrate P1 and the exposure apparatus that exposes second substrate P2 are different apparatuses. Therefore, according to this embodiment, substrates that have been subjected to distortions with different characteristics by exposure apparatuses with different properties can be bonded together with high precision and in an appropriate manner.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the exposure apparatus 100 uses substrate information SI, which is information obtained by measuring the positional information of structures formed on the surface of the substrate P after the final layer has already been exposed. In other words, the substrate information SI is information obtained as a result of measurement after the first substrate P1 has been exposed by the first exposure apparatus. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to correct the exposure pattern EP of one substrate P to be bonded in accordance with the distortion of the other substrate P. Therefore, according to this embodiment, bonding can be performed accurately and favorably.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, in the exposure apparatus 100, the second substrate P2 has multiple layers. The exposure apparatus 100 exposes the uppermost layer of the multiple layers that the second substrate P2 has. Therefore, according to this embodiment, joint misalignment can be eliminated by correcting the exposure of only the uppermost layer, so the exposure pattern EP can be easily corrected. Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, because the uppermost layer of the multiple layers that the second substrate P2 has is exposed, correction is not required for the intermediate layers. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the substrate P can be easily manufactured.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the exposure apparatus 100 corrects the exposure pattern EP based on a predetermined approximation formula. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the exposure pattern EP can be easily corrected based on the substrate information SI.

[0059] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 to 9. In the second embodiment, the exposure apparatus 100 differs from the first embodiment in that it performs correction not only on the top layer but also on one or more intermediate layers. Configurations that have already been described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0060] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the problem to be solved by the second embodiment. The problem to be solved by the second embodiment will be explained with reference to the same figure. The example shown in FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example in which distortion cannot be eliminated by performing correction only on the top layer. As shown in the figure, when correction is performed only on the top layer, the fifth layer L5, the corrected fifth layer L5 and the pattern on the lower layer, the fourth layer L4, may become separated from each other. In particular, the positions of the conductor C211 and the conductor CL51 are not aligned at the point indicated by the symbol A10, resulting in poor bonding.

[0061] In addition to the example where the patterns of the fifth layer L5 and the fourth layer L4 become separated from each other, there is also the possibility of an unintended short circuit being formed. As described above, in the first embodiment, since correction was performed only on the top layer, when the distortion was large, it was sometimes not possible to perform the correction completely. The second embodiment aims to solve such a problem.

[0062] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a series of operations of the exposure apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment. An example of a series of operations of the exposure apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. The operations described with reference to FIG. 8 are detailed explanations of step S15 described in FIG. 5. Note that the example described with reference to FIG. 8 assumes that a pattern has already been formed on the lowest layer of the second substrate P2. If a pattern has already been formed on the second substrate P2, significant changes cannot be made, so corrections are made incrementally on each layer. Furthermore, if no pattern has been formed on the lowest layer, there is no limit to the amount of correction, so significant changes can be made on the lowest layer. However, even for the lowest layer, there may be limitations on the amount of correction depending on the amount of correction by the exposure machine and the load on the exposure machine corresponding to the amount of correction by the exposure machine.

[0063] (Step S151) The determination unit 130 calculates correction values ​​for each layer based on the substrate information SI. In other words, the determination unit 130 generates a corrected exposure pattern REP for each layer. The substrate information SI may be, for example, the result of measuring positional information of structures formed on the surface of the first substrate P1 using the measurement device 200. In this embodiment, in order to perform corrections that cannot be fully performed by correcting the final layer alone, the required correction amount is divided among each layer, and corrections are performed gradually. In other words, the determination unit 130 calculates correction values ​​for each layer so that the final layer is positioned so that it can be suitably bonded to other substrates.

[0064] The determination unit 130 may further include a comparison unit (not shown) that compares the wiring information included in the exposure pattern EP with a predetermined threshold value, and based on the comparison result, identifies a layer to be corrected from among the multiple layers of the second substrate P2. The determination unit 130 corrects the identified layer, thereby determining the exposure pattern EP, which is the corrected exposure pattern.

[0065] (Step S153) The exposure control unit 140 exposes a target layer of a second substrate P2, which is different from the first substrate P1, based on the corrected exposure pattern REP calculated by the determination unit 130. In this embodiment, the second substrate P2 includes multiple layers, and the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the multiple layers included in the second substrate P2 starting from the lower layers. In other words, the exposure control unit 140 performs control to expose the lower layers of the second substrate P2.

[0066] (Step S155) If the exposure of the final layer is not complete (i.e., step S153: NO), the exposure control unit 140 proceeds to step S151. That is, the exposure apparatus 100 repeats steps S151 to S155, and the exposure control unit 140 controls the exposure of the multiple layers of the second substrate P2. Note that repeating steps S151 to S155 does not necessarily mean repeating only the exposure process, but also means repeating processes such as resist coating, exposure, development, insulating film deposition, etching, metal deposition, and CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing). When calculating the correction value of step S151 while repeating these processes, it is preferable to measure not only the information of the first substrate P1 but also the exposed top layer of the second substrate P2 and take that information into account when calculating the correction value. If the exposure of the final layer is complete (i.e., step S153: YES), the exposure control unit 140 ends the process.

[0067] Here, among the multiple layers of the substrate P, the pattern width of the lower layer may be narrower, and the pattern width may be wider as one moves toward the upper layer. The pattern of each layer corrected by the determination unit 130 may be corrected by a larger amount for the upper layer than for the lower layer. That is, the determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern to be exposed on the first layer L1 (first layer) of the multiple layers of the second substrate P2 and the exposure pattern to be exposed on the second layer L2 (second layer) above the first layer L1. Furthermore, the correction value for the second layer L2 may be larger than the correction value for the first layer L1.

[0068] Furthermore, among the multiple layers provided on the substrate P, some layers may have densely packed patterns, while others may have sparsely packed patterns. In such cases, correction may be performed on the layer with the sparsely patterned pattern. In this case, the degree of freedom in correction is high and correction can be performed appropriately. Furthermore, among the multiple layers provided on the substrate P, the design rules may differ depending on the layer, and there may be layers with strict design rules and layers with loose design rules. In such cases, correction may be performed on the layer with loose design rules. In this case, the degree of freedom in correction is high and correction can be performed appropriately.

[0069] Because the degree of freedom for correction may differ depending on the layer, the determination unit 130 may include a comparison unit (not shown) to determine the layer to be corrected based on whether the wiring information included in the exposure pattern EP is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. In this case, the comparison unit compares the wiring information included in the exposure pattern EP with the predetermined threshold. Based on the comparison results obtained by the determination unit 130 and the comparison unit, correction is made to a specific layer among the multiple layers of the second substrate P2.

[0070] Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a substrate exposed by the exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment. The effect of exposure using the corrected exposure pattern REP by the exposure apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a substrate P1G when correction has been performed in a distributed manner on each layer.

[0071] 9 , the substrate P1G has five layers, a first layer L1 to a fifth layer L5. The substrate P1G has a plurality of conductor portions CL11 on the first layer L1, a plurality of conductor portions CL21 on the second layer L2, a plurality of conductor portions CL31 on the third layer L3, a plurality of conductor portions CL41 on the fourth layer L4, and a plurality of conductor portions CL51 on the fifth layer L5. The first layer L1 and the second layer L2 are connected via a contact hole V11, the second layer L2 and the third layer L3 are connected via a contact hole V21, the third layer L3 and the fourth layer L4 are connected via a contact hole V31, and the fourth layer L4 and the fifth layer L5 are connected via a contact hole V41.

[0072] 9, the necessary correction amount is divided among the first layer L1 to the fifth layer L5, which are the lowest layers, and correction is performed accordingly. Therefore, the conductor portions CL51 and CL52 in the fifth layer are not separated from each other and no short circuit is formed. In other words, a suitable correction is performed. In this way, in the second embodiment, by dividing the necessary correction amount among the layers and performing correction, correction that cannot be performed by the top layer alone can be performed.

[0073] [Summary of Second Embodiment] As described above, according to this embodiment, exposure apparatus 100 performs control to expose the lowest layer of the multiple layers that substrate P has. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even distortion that cannot be corrected by the top layer alone can be preferably corrected with high accuracy.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, exposure apparatus 100 performs control to expose not only the uppermost layer but multiple layers out of the multiple layers that substrate P has. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to gradually correct the pattern position using multiple layers, and even distortions that cannot be corrected by the uppermost layer alone can be preferably corrected with high accuracy.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the exposure apparatus 100 applies a larger correction value to an upper layer than to a lower layer among the multiple layers of the substrate P. That is, according to the embodiment, the determination unit 130 generates the corrected exposure pattern REP so that the amount of correction gradually increases, starting from the lower layer. Here, in semiconductor production technology, the pattern width may be narrow in the lower layers and may become wider as the pattern width increases toward the upper layers. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the exposure apparatus 100 can perform a suitable correction by applying a larger correction to the upper layers, which have a wider pattern width, than to the lower layers, which have a narrower pattern width.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the exposure apparatus 100 includes a comparison unit (not shown) that compares the wiring information included in the exposure pattern EP with a predetermined threshold. The determination unit 130 performs correction on a specific layer among the multiple layers of the substrate P based on the results of the comparison by the comparison unit. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to identify a layer that is suitable for correction, and perform correction on the identified layer.

[0077] The layer identified by the comparison by the comparison unit may have a correction amount determined based on the difference from a predetermined threshold.

[0078] Furthermore, in the case where the distortion of the substrate P is large and difficult to correct, the exposure apparatus 100 may add a correction layer for making the correction.

[0079] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . The third embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that the substrate information SI includes information regarding the position of a reference grating RG formed on a reference substrate or reference wafer. This reference grating RG may be included in the structure of the above-described embodiments. The reference grating RG is a grating that serves as a reference for the exposure pattern in the exposure apparatus 100 and is information used by the exposure apparatus 100 to correct the exposure pattern. The reference grating RG may not be a reference grating of a reference substrate or reference wafer, but may be a grating of a substrate P whose distortion, etc. has been calibrated. Furthermore, in the illustrated example, the reference grating RG may be a grating that has distortion that cancels out distortions predicted to occur in subsequent processes (e.g., bonding processes using the stacking apparatus 300), or a portion of such distortions. In the description of this embodiment, the upper wafer may be referred to as the fourth substrate P4, and the lower wafer may be referred to as the fifth substrate P5. The fourth substrate P4 and the fifth substrate P5 each include multiple layers. Configurations already described in the above-described embodiments may be denoted by the same reference symbols, and their description may be omitted.

[0080] Information about the reference grating RG is determined by determining the shot arrangement on the wafer. Specifically, when the mask layout design is completed, the shot size and shot pitch are determined, and the shot arrangement on the wafer is then determined, thereby determining the reference grating RG on the wafer.

[0081] Information about the reference grating RG may be registered in a server device (not shown), for example, together with recipe information for each product type. Information about the reference grating RG may be acquired as substrate information SI when an exposure recipe is sent from the server device to exposure apparatus 100. Exposure apparatus 100 performs a correction calculation based on the acquired information about the reference grating RG. Furthermore, after the correction calculation is performed in the server device, an exposure recipe including the correction information may be sent to exposure apparatus 100.

[0082] When setting the reference grating RG with distortion that cancels out distortion predicted to occur in a later process (e.g., a bonding process) or a portion of that distortion, the exposure apparatus 100 (or the server device) may set the reference grating RG using additional information such as those described below. First, it is possible to use bonding distortion information from previously stacked laminated wafers (laminate substrates). In this case, it is also possible to reference laminated wafers of a similar product type. It is also possible to bond a test substrate or the like once, confirm the actual bonding distortion, and then use that information to modify the reference grating RG. Second, it is possible to set the reference grating RG to an arrangement that cancels out wafer distortion caused by stress during the wafer manufacturing process in advance at the exposure stage, so that the shape of the shot area on the substrate P immediately before bonding is substantially identical to the reference grating RG. In this case, as with bonding distortion, it is possible to modify the reference grating RG using stress and distortion information from the wafer manufacturing process obtained from previously stacked laminated wafers, or information obtained by actually fabricating a wafer. Thirdly, when the reference grating RG is set to be intentionally distorted to match the bonding distortion or distortion caused by the wafer manufacturing process as described above, it is possible to use a reference grating RG for the upper wafer and a reference grating RG for the lower wafer separately and independently.

[0083] The information about the reference grating RG may be changed, for example, when the type or pattern of the wafer changes. In cases where the reference grating RG of the same type is corrected in accordance with information obtained during the actual wafer manufacturing process (e.g., bonding distortion or distortion due to stress during the manufacturing process) rather than changing the reference grating RG for a different type of device, as described above, the exposure pattern may be adjusted to match the corrected reference grating RG without changing the mask, for example, based on the functions of the exposure apparatus 100 described above, including lens magnification control.

[0084] The measurement apparatus 200 measures the error from the reference grating RG each time the exposure apparatus 100 exposes a layer, and corrects it when the next layer is exposed. In this embodiment, by correcting the difference from the reference grating RG for each layer, problems that can occur when making large corrections in the final layer (such as shorts between conductors) are prevented. Furthermore, because the fourth substrate P4 and the fifth substrate P5 are corrected based on the reference grating RG, no uncorrectable positional misalignment occurs when they are joined together.

[0085] Here, the reference grating RG for the upper wafer and the reference grating RG for the lower wafer may be different. The reference grating RG for the upper wafer is also referred to as the first reference grating RG1, and the reference grating RG for the lower wafer is also referred to as the second reference grating RG2. That is, the reference grating RG includes a first reference grating RG1 for correcting the exposure pattern EP to be exposed on the fourth substrate P4 and a second reference grating RG2 for correcting the exposure pattern EP to be exposed on the fifth substrate P5. Here, the first reference grating RG1 and the second reference grating RG2 have a predetermined correspondence relationship. The predetermined correspondence relationship is, for example, a mirror image relationship. That is, the second reference grating RG2 may be a mirror image of the first reference grating RG1. When the first exposure apparatus used to expose the upper wafer and the second exposure apparatus used to expose the lower wafer are different, or when the upper wafer and the lower wafer are exposed in different factories, different reference gratings RG may be used in each exposure apparatus or factory.

[0086] 10 is a sequence diagram for explaining an example of a series of operations of the substrate processing system 10 according to the third embodiment. A series of operations of the substrate processing system 10 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the same figure. In this embodiment, the stacking device 300 bonds the fourth substrate P4 and the fifth substrate P5. The fourth substrate P4 and the fifth substrate P5 are both manufactured by the same process. An example of a process for manufacturing the fourth substrate P4 will be described with reference to the same figure. The fifth substrate P5 is also manufactured by the same process.

[0087] (Step S31) Exposure apparatus 100 performs a first exposure on fourth substrate P4. After a latent image is formed on fourth substrate P4 by the first exposure using exposure apparatus 100, structures are formed on the substrate surface by developing or the like using a processing device (not shown). (Step S32) The fourth substrate P4, on whose surface the structures have been formed, is transported to measuring apparatus 200 using a predetermined method. (Step S33) Measuring apparatus 200 measures position information of the structures formed on the surface of the transported fourth substrate P4. Here, measuring apparatus 200 measures the difference between the distortion occurring in fourth substrate P4 and the reference grating RG. (Step S34) Measuring apparatus 200 transfers the measurement results to exposure apparatus 100 as substrate information SI.

[0088] The processing from step S31 to step S34 is also referred to as step S30. Step S30 is processing for forming one of the multiple layers provided on the fourth substrate P4. In other words, step S30 is repeated the same number of times as the number of layers provided on the fourth substrate P4.

[0089] The exposure of the second layer and subsequent layers reflects the results of measurement by the measurement apparatus 200 after the immediately preceding exposure. That is, in this embodiment, the measurement apparatus 200 measures the difference from the reference grating RG each time a layer is exposed, and the exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure after making corrections so that deviations from the reference grating RG do not accumulate.

[0090] A specific operation of the exposure apparatus 100 for performing exposure after making corrections so that deviations from the reference grating RG do not accumulate will be described. The exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 acquires the exposure pattern EP to be exposed onto the fourth substrate P4. The determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern EP to be exposed onto the fourth substrate P4 based on the reference grating RG. The exposure control unit 140 performs control for exposing the fourth substrate P4 based on the corrected exposure pattern EP to be exposed onto the fourth substrate P4. The exposure control unit 140 performs control for exposing the multiple layers of the fourth substrate P4.

[0091] Since the processing of the intermediate layers involves repeating step S30 described above, the explanation will be omitted and only the processing after the exposure of the final layer will be explained. (Step S35) The exposure apparatus 100 exposes the fourth substrate P4 to light for the final layer. The exposure apparatus 100 performs exposure based on an exposure pattern EP that has been corrected based on the measurement results for the layer one layer below the final layer. The fourth substrate P4 is exposed by the exposure apparatus 100 to form a latent image, and then developed by a processing apparatus (not shown), thereby forming a structure on the substrate surface.

[0092] (Step S36) The fourth substrate P4, on whose surface the structures have been formed, is transported to the measuring device 200 by a predetermined method. (Step S37) The measuring device 200 measures the position information of the structures formed on the surface of the transported fourth substrate P4. Specifically, the measuring device 200 measures the difference between the distortion occurring in the fourth substrate P4 and the reference grating RG. (Step S38) The measuring device 200 transfers the measurement results to the stacking device 300 as substrate information SI. (Step S39) The fourth substrate P4 is transported to the stacking device 300. The stacking device 300 overlaps the transported fourth substrate P4 with the fifth substrate P5, thereby bonding the two together.

[0093] The fifth substrate P5 may be exposed by the exposure apparatus 100 that exposed the fourth substrate P4. In this case, the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the fifth substrate P5, which is a substrate to be bonded to the fourth substrate P4. The fifth substrate P5 is different from the fourth substrate P4. Specifically, the exposure pattern acquisition unit 120 acquires an exposure pattern EP to be exposed on the fifth substrate P5, which is different from the fourth substrate P4. The determination unit 130 corrects the exposure pattern EP to be exposed on the fifth substrate P5 based on the second reference grid RG2. The exposure control unit 140 performs control to expose the fifth substrate P5 based on the corrected exposure pattern EP to be exposed on the fifth substrate P5. The exposure control unit 140 performs control to expose the multiple layers of the fifth substrate P5.

[0094] [Summary of the Third Embodiment] As described above, according to this embodiment, the exposure apparatus 100 corrects the exposure pattern EP based on substrate information SI, which is information obtained by measuring the difference from the reference grating RG. Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 100 corrects the exposure pattern EP for each layer so as to cancel the difference from the reference grating RG. Therefore, according to this embodiment, distortion is canceled based on the reference grating RG, so there is no significant positional deviation from other substrates to be bonded. Therefore, according to this embodiment, substrates can be bonded in an appropriate manner.

[0095] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the reference grating RG includes a first reference grating RG1 for correcting one of the substrates to be bonded, and a second reference grating RG2 for correcting the other substrate. The first reference grating RG1 and the second reference grating RG2 are mirror images. Therefore, the surfaces of two substrates P corrected based on the reference grating RG can be bonded together. The reference grating RG is a grating that has distortion that cancels out distortions that are expected to occur in subsequent processes. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the substrates are not ideal gratings, the surfaces of two substrates P can be bonded together.

[0096] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, correction is performed on multiple layers based on the reference grating RG. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if the substrate P has multiple layers, distortion does not accumulate and there is no significant positional deviation from other substrates to be bonded. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the substrates can be bonded in an appropriate manner.

[0097] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the substrate P to be bonded is manufactured based on the reference grating RG, so manufacturing can begin without waiting for the completion of the other substrate P to be bonded. Here, manufacturing the substrate P may take several weeks to several months. Therefore, according to this embodiment, manufacturing of the upper wafer and the lower wafer can begin simultaneously without waiting for a period of several weeks to several months.

[0098] Note that the exposure apparatus 100 may use the method in the third embodiment to perform correction based on the reference grating RG for at least one of the multiple layers provided on the substrate P, and may use the method in the first embodiment to perform correction based on position information (including the difference between the measurement results and the reference grating RG) of the other substrate P to be bonded for at least one remaining layer. For example, the method in the third embodiment is used for the middle layer, and the method in the first embodiment is used for the top layer. The substrate processing system 10 can perform bonding with greater accuracy by performing correction only on the top layer based on position information of the other substrate P to be bonded.

[0099] Furthermore, exposure apparatus 100 may perform correction based on position information of the counterpart substrate P to be bonded, not only for the top layer but also for a specific layer among the intermediate layers. This configuration allows substrates to be manufactured that are tailored to the counterpart to be bonded, enabling more accurate bonding. In this case, alignment marks AM on a specific layer among the top layer or intermediate layers of fourth substrate P4 are measured by measurement apparatus 200 to determine the difference from the reference grating RG, and alignment marks AM on a specific layer among the top layer or intermediate layers of fifth substrate P5 are measured by measurement apparatus 200 to determine the difference from the reference grating RG. By comparing the respective measurement results and differences, the exposure position of fifth substrate P5 may be corrected based on the measurement results of fourth substrate P4, or the exposure position of fourth substrate P4 may be corrected based on the measurement results of fifth substrate P5.

[0100] Furthermore, exposure apparatus 100 may perform correction based on reference grating RG for layers with loose design rules, and may perform exposure based on the layer directly below for layers with strict design rules. By configuring exposure apparatus 100 in this manner, it is possible for exposure apparatus 100 to expose layers that require strict design rules.

[0101] In the above-described embodiment, an example of correcting the exposure pattern EP for each layer to cancel the difference from the reference grating RG has been described. According to this example, distortion occurring during intermediate processes can be canceled for each layer. However, this embodiment is not limited to this example. For example, an average value of distortion occurring during intermediate processes may be allowed, and distortion that varies from wafer to wafer may be corrected for each layer. In other words, distortion occurring during intermediate processes may be corrected in advance during exposure of the first layer, and variations between wafers may be corrected for each layer. When variations between wafers are corrected for each layer, a different reference grating may be used for each layer.

[0102] Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 . The fourth embodiment differs from the above-described embodiments in that, instead of directly bonding the surfaces of the first substrate P1 and the second substrate P2, they are bonded via an interposer wafer IPW. The interposer wafer IPW is a substrate inserted between two substrates to be bonded. Here, bonding may be difficult if the two substrates to be bonded are significantly distorted or if the two substrates have already been exposed to the final layer. In this embodiment, even when bonding is difficult, the interposer wafer IPW is inserted between the substrates to achieve favorable bonding. In the following description, the upper wafer may be referred to as the first substrate P1, the lower wafer as the third substrate P3, and the interposer wafer IPW inserted between the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 as the second substrate P2. The interposer wafer IPW may also be simply referred to as an interposer.

[0103] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a series of operations of a substrate processing system 10 according to the fourth embodiment. A series of operations of the substrate processing system 10 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the same figure. In this embodiment, the stacking device 300 bonds the first substrate P1 to one side of the second substrate P2, which is an interposer wafer IPW, and bonds the third substrate P3 to the other side of the second substrate P2, thereby bonding the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3. The first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 may be manufactured using the same exposure apparatus 100, or may be manufactured using different exposure apparatuses. The first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 may also be manufactured in different factories. In this embodiment, the first substrate P1 will be described as having been exposed using the first exposure apparatus, and the second substrate P2 will be described as having been exposed using the second exposure apparatus.

[0104] (Step S41) The measuring apparatus 200 measures position information of structures formed on the surface of the first substrate P1. (Step S42) The measuring apparatus 200 measures position information of structures formed on the surface of the third substrate P3. (Step S43) The measuring apparatus 200 transfers the measurement results to the exposure apparatus 100 as substrate information SI.

[0105] (Step S44) Exposure apparatus 100 acquires substrate information SI including the results of measurement by measurement apparatus 200. Specifically, substrate information acquisition unit 110 acquires first substrate information SI1 obtained as a result of measuring structures formed on first substrate P1 exposed by the first exposure apparatus. Exposure apparatus 100 exposes first surface S1 of interposer wafer IPW based on the acquired substrate information SI. Specifically, exposure apparatus 100 performs control to expose one surface (first surface S1) of interposer wafer IPW based on position information of structures formed on the substrate surface of first substrate P1 included in the substrate information SI.

[0106] (Step S45) After the first surface S1 of the interposer wafer IPW is exposed, it is subjected to processes such as development, insulating film deposition, etching, metal deposition, and CMP. The interposer wafer IPW is then transferred to the measuring device 200 by a predetermined method. (Step S46) The measuring device 200 measures positional information of structures formed on the substrate surface of the first surface S1 of the interposer wafer IPW. (Step S47) The first substrate P1 and the interposer wafer IPW are transferred to the stacking device 300 by a predetermined method. (Step S48) The stacking device 300 bonds the interposer wafer IPW and the first substrate P1 together. Specifically, the stacking device 300 bonds the first substrate P1 and the first surface S1 of the interposer wafer IPW together. (Step S49) After being bonded together, the first substrate P1 and the interposer wafer IPW are transferred to the measuring device 200.

[0107] (Step S50) The measuring device 200 measures positional information of structures formed on the surface of the third surface S3 of the substrate to which the interposer wafer IPW and the first substrate P1 are bonded. The third surface S3 is the back surface of the first surface S1. (Step S51) The substrate to which the interposer wafer IPW and the first substrate P1 are bonded is transported to the measuring device 200.

[0108] (Step S52) Exposure apparatus 100 acquires substrate information SI including the results of measurement by measuring apparatus 200. Specifically, substrate information acquisition unit 110 acquires substrate information of the substrate to which interposer wafer IPW and first substrate P1 are bonded, and third substrate information SI2, which is substrate information of third substrate P3. The third substrate information SI2 is information obtained as a result of measuring structures formed on third substrate P3. The third substrate P3 may be exposed by a second exposure apparatus different from the first exposure apparatus, or may be exposed by the same exposure apparatus.

[0109] The exposure apparatus 100 exposes the third surface S3 of the interposer wafer IPW based on the acquired substrate information SI. Specifically, the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the other surface (third surface S3) of the interposer wafer IPW based on positional information of structures formed on the front surface of the third substrate P3, which is included in the third substrate information SI2. That is, the exposure control unit 140 controls the exposure of the third surface S3, which is the rear surface SI1 of the first surface, with a pattern based on the third substrate information SI2. (Step S53) More specifically, the positions of the TSVs (Through-Silicon Vias) and bonding electrodes are readjusted by exposure correction using an insulating film deposition process to fit the third substrate P3. Then, the TSVs are opened by etching and metal is embedded. The interposer wafer IPW is then transported to the measurement apparatus 200 using a predetermined method.

[0110] (Step S54) The measuring device 200 measures positional information of structures formed on the substrate surface of the third surface S3 of the interposer wafer IPW. (Step S55) The third substrate P3 and the interposer wafer IPW bonded to the first substrate P1 are transported to the stacking device 300 using a predetermined method. (Step S56) The stacking device 300 bonds the interposer wafer IPW bonded to the first substrate P1 to the third substrate P3. Specifically, the stacking device 300 bonds the third substrate P3 to the third surface S3 of the interposer wafer IPW.

[0111] Here, the interposer wafer IPW will be described in more detail. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining an interposer wafer according to the fourth embodiment. With reference to the same figure, the interposer wafer IPW will be described in more detail. The interposer wafer IPW is inserted between the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3.

[0112] For example, when directly bonding the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3, there are cases where the bonding cannot be performed properly depending on the positions of the structures formed on the surfaces of the respective substrates. Even in such cases, the interposer wafer IPW is used to bond the substrates to each other.

[0113] A pattern based on the positions of structures formed on the surface of the first substrate P1 is formed on the first surface S1, which is one surface of the interposer wafer IPW. In the example shown in Figure 12, a pattern corresponding to the conductor portion CP11 is formed as the conductor portion CIP11, and a pattern corresponding to the conductor portion CP12 is formed as the conductor portion CIP12. Furthermore, a pattern based on the positions of structures formed on the surface of the third substrate P3 is formed on the third surface S3, which is the other surface of the interposer wafer IPW. In the example shown in the same figure, a pattern corresponding to the conductor portion CP31 is formed as the conductor portion CIP31, and a pattern corresponding to the conductor portion CP32 is formed as the conductor portion CIP32.

[0114] Corresponding patterns formed on the first surface S1 and corresponding patterns formed on the third surface S3 are connected by TSVs. In the example shown in Figure 12, conductor portion CIP11 and conductor portion CIP31 are connected by TSV1, and conductor portion CIP12 and conductor portion CIP32 are connected by TSV2. By forming the interposer wafer IPW in this manner, even if the positions of the structures formed on the surfaces of the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 are misaligned due to distortion and cannot be bonded to each other, the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 can be bonded to each other preferably via the interposer wafer IPW.

[0115] [Summary of Fourth Embodiment] As described above, according to this embodiment, the substrate information acquisition unit 110 acquires positional information on the surfaces of two already manufactured substrates P. The exposure control unit 140 controls exposure based on the acquired positional information on the surfaces of the substrates P. In other words, according to this embodiment, even if the positional accuracy of the two substrates to be joined does not match, the stacking device 300 can preferably join the substrates.

[0116] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the second substrate P2 is an interposer wafer IPW. That is, the exposure apparatus 100 exposes the interposer wafer IPW based on positional information on the surface of the already manufactured substrate P. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the substrate processing system 10 can bond two substrates, even if the positional accuracy on the substrate surfaces does not match, by using the interposer wafer IPW, using the stacking apparatus 300. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the substrates can be bonded in an appropriate manner.

[0117] Here, the first substrate P1 and the third substrate P3 may be substrates manufactured by exposure using any of the exposure apparatuses 100 described in the first to third embodiments. That is, if distortion occurs that cannot be completely corrected using the techniques described in the first to third embodiments, the interposer wafer IPW described in the fourth embodiment may be used. By using the techniques described in the first to third embodiments on the premise that the interposer wafer IPW is used, it is possible to relax the positional accuracy required when exposing the upper and lower wafers.

[0118] In the above-described embodiment, an example of bonding wafers together has been described, but the present embodiment is not limited to this example. For example, the lower wafer may be diced after exposure and then bonded to the corresponding chips on the upper wafer. By bonding after dicing, alignment of the entire wafer is not required, and even if alignment of the entire wafer is difficult, bonding can be performed on a chip-by-chip basis.

[0119] In addition, all or part of the functions of each unit of the substrate processing system 10 in the above-described embodiment may be realized by recording a program for realizing these functions on a computer-readable recording medium, and reading and executing the program recorded on the recording medium into a computer system. Note that the term "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0120] Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, as well as storage units such as hard disks built into computer systems. Furthermore, "computer-readable recording media" may also include devices that dynamically store programs for a short period of time, such as communication lines used when transmitting programs over networks like the Internet or communication lines like telephone lines, or devices that store programs for a fixed period of time, such as volatile memory within computer systems that serve as servers or clients in such cases. Furthermore, the above-mentioned programs may be programs that realize some of the aforementioned functions, or may be programs that can realize the aforementioned functions in combination with programs already stored in the computer system.

[0121] One embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to that described above, and various design changes and the like can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0122] According to the present invention, a plurality of substrates can be bonded together in an appropriate manner.

[0123] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10...substrate processing system, 100...exposure apparatus, 200...measuring apparatus, 300...stacking apparatus, 110...substrate information acquisition unit, 120...exposure pattern acquisition unit, 130...determination unit, 140...exposure control unit, P...substrate, AM...alignment mark, SI...substrate information, EP...exposure pattern, REP...corrected exposure pattern, RG...reference grating, IPW...interposer wafer

Claims

1. a substrate information acquisition unit that acquires substrate information including position information of structures located on the surface of the first substrate; a determination unit that determines exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information; A substrate processing system comprising:

2. a computing device having the substrate information acquisition unit and the determination unit; The substrate processing system of claim 1 .

3. Further, a measuring device for measuring position information of the structure is provided, The substrate information acquisition unit acquires the substrate information including the position information measured by the measuring device.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

4. a first exposure apparatus that exposes the first substrate; The measurement device measures position information of the structure formed by the first exposure device exposing a photosensitive material layer provided above the surface of the first substrate. The substrate processing system according to claim 3 .

5. a second exposure apparatus that exposes the second substrate and is different from the first exposure apparatus; The second exposure apparatus exposes the second substrate based on the substrate information including position information of the structure. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 .

6. the second substrate comprises a plurality of layers; The determination unit determines the exposure conditions for exposing the uppermost layer of the second substrate.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

7. the second substrate comprises a plurality of layers; The determination unit determines the exposure conditions for exposing the lowermost layer of the second substrate.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

8. The determination unit determines a plurality of exposure conditions for exposing a plurality of layers included in the second substrate. The substrate processing system according to claim 6 .

9. a pre-correction exposure pattern acquisition unit that acquires preset pre-correction exposure patterns of the first substrate and the second substrate; The determination unit determines a post-correction exposure pattern by correcting the pre-correction exposure pattern based on the substrate information.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

10. a comparison unit that compares wiring information included in the exposure conditions with a predetermined threshold value; The determination unit identifies a layer to be corrected from among a plurality of layers included in the second substrate based on the result of the comparison by the comparison unit, and determines the post-correction exposure pattern to be formed on the identified layer. The substrate processing system of claim 9 .

11. the determination unit determines the exposure conditions for exposing a first layer of a plurality of layers included in the second substrate and the exposure conditions for exposing a second layer above the first layer; The correction value for the second layer is greater than the correction value for the first layer. The substrate processing system of claim 8 .

12. the substrate information acquisition unit acquires first substrate information including position information of the structure and third substrate information including position information of a structure formed on a third substrate different from the first substrate; The determination unit determines exposure conditions for a first surface of the second substrate based on the first substrate information, and determines exposure conditions for a second surface that is the reverse side of the first surface based on the third substrate information. The substrate processing system of claim 1 .

13. The second substrate is an interposer that joins the first substrate and the third substrate. The substrate processing system of claim 12 .

14. a pre-correction exposure pattern acquisition unit that acquires a pre-correction first exposure pattern that is a preset exposure pattern for the first substrate and a pre-correction second exposure pattern that is a preset exposure pattern for the second substrate, the structure includes a reference grating formed on a reference substrate; The determination unit determines a first corrected exposure pattern by correcting the first pre-correction exposure pattern based on the reference grid, and determines a second corrected exposure pattern by correcting the second pre-correction exposure pattern based on the reference grid. The substrate processing system of claim 1 .

15. the reference grating includes a first reference grating for correcting the exposure conditions for exposing the first substrate, and a second reference grating for correcting the exposure conditions for exposing the second substrate, The second reference grating is a mirror image of the first reference grating. The substrate processing system of claim 14.

16. the first substrate and the second substrate comprise a plurality of layers; The determination unit performs control for exposing a plurality of layers included in the first substrate and a plurality of layers included in the second substrate. The substrate processing system according to claim 14 or 15.

17. The determining unit determines the exposure conditions further based on a predetermined approximation formula.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

18. a lamination device for laminating the first substrate and the second substrate together 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1.

19. an exposure control unit that exposes a second substrate to light based on substrate information including positional information of structures located above a surface of the first substrate; An exposure apparatus comprising:

20. acquiring substrate information including position information of a structure located above a surface of a first substrate; determining exposure conditions for exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the acquired substrate information; A processing method comprising:

21. Exposing a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate based on the exposure conditions determined by the processing method according to claim 20. An exposure method comprising:

22. An exposure method according to claim 21; superimposing the first substrate and the second substrate; A method for manufacturing an electronic device having the above structure.