Apparatus and method for measuring alignment accuracy, as well as method and system for manufacturing semiconductor device

1. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy for measuring an alignment accuracy between alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer formed to each of alignment mark portions on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on a substrate to be measured, comprising:

an XY stage running in a direction x and in a direction y while mounting the substrate;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the alignment mark portions in a state where the XY stage runs in a direction x which is a direction of arranging the chips;

a detecting optical system having an objective lens for collecting a reflection light in the running state obtained from the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer on each of the alignment mark portions irradiated by the illumination optical system, a focusing optical system for focusing reflection light in the running state obtained by collecting the reflection light from the objective lens, a scanning optical system for scanning reflection light image in the running state focused by the focusing optical system in a direction opposite to that of the running and a linear image sensor receiving reflection light image substantially in a static state being scanned in the opposite direction by the scanning optical system and converting them into image signal;, and

an alignment accuracy calculation device for measuring alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer at least for a direction perpendicular to the running direction based on the image signal converted by the linear image sensor of the detecting optical system.

2. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the linear image sensor of the detecting optical system comprises a 2-dimensional image sensor.

3. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the linear image sensor of the detecting optical system comprises a TDI image sensor.

4. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the linear image sensor of the detecting optical system comprises plural channels.

5. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination optical system is constituted for vertical illumination through the objective lens.

6. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination optical system has an optical source filter forming a secondary optical source.

7. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 1 , wherein the detecting optical system has a focusing filter for shutting or decreasing 0-order diffraction reflection light obtained from the alignment mark portions.

8. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy for measuring alignment accuracy between alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer formed to each of alignment mark portions on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on a substrate to be measured, by at least two mode, comprising:

an XY stage running in a direction x and in a direction y while mounting the substrate;

an illumination optical system for illuminating a first alignment mark portion in a state where the XY stage runs in a direction x which is a direction of arranging the chips and for illuminating a second alignment mark portion in a static state;

a detecting optical system having an objective lens for collecting a first reflection light in the running state and a second reflection light in the static state obtained from alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer on each of the first and second alignment mark portions irradiated by the illumination optical system, a focusing optical system for focusing the first reflection light in the running state and the second reflection light in the static state obtained by collecting light from the objective lens, a switching optical system for switching the first reflection light in the running state and the second reflection light in the static state obtained by collecting light from the objective lens, a scanning optical system for scanning a first reflection light image in the running state being switched by the switching optical system and focused by the focusing optical system in a direction opposite to said scanning direction, a first linear image sensor receiving a first reflection light image substantially in a static state being scanned in the opposite direction by the scanning optical system and converting the same into first image signal, and a second linear image sensor for receiving a second reflection light image in the static state being switched by the switching optical system and focused by the focusing optical system and converting the same into second image signal; and

a calculation device for alignment accuracy for measuring a first alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer on at least in a direction perpendicular to the running direction based on the first image signal converted by the first linear image sensor and measuring a second alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer based on the second image signals converted by the second linear image sensor.

9. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the switching optical system in the detecting optical system is constituted with a branching optical system.

10. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the switching optical system in the detecting optical system is constituted by advancing and retracting the scanning optical system in the detecting optical system.

11. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the second linear image sensor in the detecting optical system comprises a 2-dimensional image sensor.

12. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the first linear image sensor in the detecting optical system comprises a TDI image sensor.

13. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the first linear image sensor in the detecting optical system comprises plural channels.

14. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the illumination optical system is constituted for vertical illumination through the objective lens.

15. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the illumination optical system has an optical source filter forming a secondary optical source.

16. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy according to claim 8 , wherein the detecting optical system has a focusing filter for shutting or decreasing 0-order diffraction reflection light obtained from the aligned mark portions.

17. An apparatus for measuring alignment accuracy for measuring an alignment accuracy between alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer formed to each of alignment mark portions on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on a substrate to be measured, comprising:

an XY stage running in a direction x and in a direction y while mounting the substrate;

an illumination optical system for illuminating the alignment mark portions;

a detecting optical system having an objective lens for collecting reflection light obtained from alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer on each of the alignment mark portions illuminated by the illumination optical system, a branching optical system for branching reflection light obtained by collection from the objective lens, a focusing optical system for focusing first and second reflection lights branched in the branching optical system, a 1-dimensional linear image sensor for receiving first reflection light image branched by the branching optical system and focused by the focusing optical system and converting the same into focus image signal, and a 2-dimensional linear image sensor for receiving a second reflection light image branched in the branching optical system and focused in the focusing optical system and converting the same into 2-dimensional image signal for detecting misalignment;

a focus control device for controlling the focused state of the substrate to be measured relative to the optical lens to an optimal state based on the focus image signal converted in the 1-dimensional linear sensor of the detecting optical system; and

an accuracy calculation device for measuring the alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer based on the 2-dimensional image signal obtained from the 2-dimensional image sensor in the detecting optical system when the focused state is optimized by the focus control device.

18. A method for measuring alignment accuracy for measuring an alignment accuracy between alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer formed to each of alignment mark portions on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on a substrate to be measured, comprising:

an illumination step of illuminating the alignment mark portion by an illumination optical system in a state where running the XY stage that runs in a direction x and in a direction y while mounting the substrate in a direction x which is a direction of arranging the chips;

a detection step of collecting a reflection light in the running state obtained from alignment mark of the lower layer and alignment mark of the upper layer on each of the illuminated alignment mark portions by an objective lens, focusing the reflection light in the running state obtained by collecting light by a focusing optical system, scanning focused reflection light image in the running state focused by a scanning system in a direction opposite to that of the running, and receiving the reflection light image substantially in a static state being scanned in the opposite direction by a linear image sensor and converting the same into image signals; and

an alignment accuracy calculation step of measuring the alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer at least for a direction perpendicular to the running direction based on the image signals obtained from the linear image sensor.

19. A system for manufacturing semiconductor devices including:

an exposure/development device of coating a resist to a substrate to be measured, arranging circuit patterns also including alignment marks on the exposure units successively to the substrate coated with the resist, exposing the same, and then developing the substrate arranged and exposed the circuit patterns successively to remove the resist pattern;

an alignment accuracy measuring device for measuring alignment accuracy between mark of the lower layer and the mark of the upper layer formed to each of the alignment mark portions on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on the substrate by the exposure/development device; and

a control unit for calculating alignment accuracy decomposed into error components based on the alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer measured by the alignment accuracy measuring device on substrate units or lot units, setting an alignment accuracy reference value on every error components at which degree of effect on yield is started to be decreased on the substrate units or the lot units, and controlling alignment accuracy to the exposure/development device by the progress of number for chip units or number for the exposure units in which the calculated alignment accuracy on every error components exceeds the alignment accuracy reference value set on every error components.

20. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices comprising:

an exposure/development step of coating a resist to a substrate to be measured, successively arranging and exposing circuit patterns also including alignment mark on exposure units to the substrate coated with the resist and developing the substrate which have been arranged and exposed the circuit patterns successively to remove the resist pattern;

an alignment accuracy measuring step of measuring the alignment accuracy on every plural chip units or exposure units arranged on the substrate by the exposure/development step between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer formed to each of alignment mark portions, and

a control step of calculating alignment accuracy decomposed into error components based on the alignment accuracy between the alignment mark of the lower layer and the alignment mark of the upper layer measured by the alignment accuracy measuring step, setting an alignment accuracy reference value on every error components at which degree of effect on yield is started to be decreased on substrate units or lot units, and controlling alignment accuracy to the exposure/development device depending on the progress of number for chip units or number for exposure units in which the calculated alignment accuracy on every error components exceeds the alignment accuracy reference value on every error components.

21. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices according to claim 20 , wherein the degree of effect on the yield in the control step is calculated based on result of checking judgment in an operation test on the chip units or on the exposure units.