Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for repetitively projecting a mask pattern on a substrate, using a time-saving height measurement

US6208407A · kind A · utility

546Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 13, 1998
Grant dateMar 27, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 13, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F9/7003
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

In a lithographic projection apparatus, a time-saving height measurement method is used. While in a projection station (105,108,111) the pattern of a mask (129) is projected on the fields of a first substrate (120), the height of the fields of a second substrate (121) is measured in a measuring station (133). In the measuring station, the height of the substrate fields and the height of the substrate holder (113) are measured by a first height sensor (150) and a second height sensor (160), respectively, and the value of the height of the substrate holder associated with the ideal height of the substrate field is determined for each substrate field. In the projection station, only the height of the substrate holder (111) is controlled by a third height sensor (180). The second and third height sensors are preferably part of a composite XY interferometer system extended with a Z measuring axis.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.