Patent · US Active

Lithographic apparatus, alignment system, and device manufacturing method

US7440079B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
3References
50Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 22, 2005
Grant dateOct 21, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 12, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03F9/7092
  • WIPO fieldOptics
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A lithographic apparatus according to one embodiment includes an alignment system for aligning a substrate. The alignment system comprises an illuminator system configured to illuminate an alignment mark on the substrate with an illumination spot, the alignment mark comprising a plurality of lines and spaces. The system also includes a combiner system configured to transfer two images of the illuminated alignment mark without spatial filtering of the images, rotate the images 180° relatively to each other, and combine the two images; and a detection system configured to detect an alignment signal from the combined images and to determine a unique alignment position by selecting a specific one of extreme values in the detected alignment signal.

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