Lithography system for processing a target, such as a wafer, and a method for operating a lithography system for processing a target, such as a wafer

1. Lithography system for processing a target ( 23 ), the target comprising a target surface ( 12 ), the lithography system comprising:

a beam source ( 802 ) arranged for providing a charged particle patterning beam ( 18 );

a final projection system ( 11 ) arranged for projecting a pattern on the target surface ( 12 ) with said patterning beam;

a chuck ( 13 ) arranged for supporting the target, wherein the chuck comprises a beam measurement sensor ( 21 ) arranged on the chuck and a chuck surface provided with at least one position mark in the form of a chuck position mark thereon, the beam measurement sensor being arranged for measuring beam properties of the patterning beam incident on said beam measurement sensor, the beam properties comprising a spatial distribution of an intensity of the patterning beam;

an actuator system ( 818 , 819 ) arranged for moving the chuck ( 13 ) in at least one dimension with respect to the final projection system ( 11 );

a chuck position sensor system ( 15 ), arranged for measuring the position of the chuck with respect to the final projection system ( 11 ) in chuck position coordinates; and,

a mark position system ( 17 ) connected to the final projection system ( 11 ) and arranged for detecting a position mark ( 22 ; 24 ; 73 ) on a surface ( 12 ),

a support ( 63 ) supporting and connected to the mark position system and the final projection system, wherein the mark position system ( 17 ) is connected to the final projection system ( 11 ) via said support,

a frame ( 71 ) and at least three flexures ( 72 ), wherein the support ( 63 ) is connected to the frame via said at least three flexures and is suspended from said frame with the at least three flexures.

2. Lithography system according to claim 1 , wherein said support is a support ring ( 63 ) supporting both the final projection system ( 11 ) and the mark position system ( 17 ).

3. Lithography system according to claim 1 , wherein a distance between a centre of the beam measurement sensor ( 21 ) and the chuck position mark ( 22 ) corresponds to a distance (d) between the beam axis ( 64 ) of the mark position system and the beam axis ( 65 ) of the final projection system ( 11 ).

4. Lithography system according to claim 1 , wherein

the beam measurement sensor ( 21 ) is further arranged for providing beam properties information based on the measured beam properties of the patterning beam ( 19 );

the chuck position sensor system ( 15 ) is further arranged for providing chuck position information based on a measured position of the chuck ( 13 );

the mark position system ( 17 ) is further arranged for providing mark detection information based on a detected mark ( 22 ; 24 ; 73 ); and,

the lithography system further comprises a processing unit arranged for:

controlling the actuator system ( 818 , 819 );

receiving the mark detection information, chuck position information and beam properties information;

determining the position of the at least one chuck position mark ( 22 ) in chuck coordinates;

determining a spatial distribution of beam properties in chuck coordinates; and,

determining a spatial distribution of beam properties with respect to the position of the at least one chuck position mark ( 22 ).

5. Lithography system according to claim 4 , wherein target surface ( 12 ) is provided with at least one position mark in the form of a target position mark ( 24 ) thereon, and the mark position system ( 17 ) is further arranged for detecting the at least one target position mark ( 24 ) on the target surface ( 12 ),

wherein the processing unit is further arranged for:

determining the position of the at least one target position mark ( 24 ) in chuck coordinates;

determining a spatial distribution of beam properties with respect to the position of the at least one target position mark ( 24 ) using the spatial distribution of beam properties with respect to the position of the at least one chuck position mark ( 22 ); and,

controlling the projecting of the pattern on the surface ( 12 ) using the spatial distribution of beam properties with respect to the position of the at least one target position mark ( 24 ).

6. Lithography system according to claim 1 , wherein the target surface ( 12 ) is provided with at least one position mark in the form of a target position mark ( 24 ) thereon, and the mark position system ( 17 ) is further arranged for detecting the at least one target position mark ( 24 ) on the target surface ( 12 ).

7. Lithography system according to claim 6 , further comprising said target ( 23 ).

8. Lithography system according claim 1 , wherein the patterning beam ( 18 ) comprises at least two separate patterning beamlets and wherein the beam properties comprises a spatial distribution of the at least two patterning beamlets.

9. Lithography system according claim 1 , wherein the at least one chuck position mark comprises four chuck position marks ( 22 ).

10. Lithography system according to claim 1 , 6 , 7 or 5 , wherein the mark position system comprises at least one alignment sensor, the alignment sensor being arranged for providing an alignment light beam ( 403 ), and for measuring a light intensity of a reflected alignment light beam ( 409 ), wherein the reflected alignment light beam is generated by reflection on the surface.

11. Lithography system according to claim 10 , wherein the surface is the surface of the at least one chuck position mark, wherein the chuck position mark ( 22 ) and/or the target position mark comprises at least a first and a second reflective area, wherein the first reflective area has a higher reflection coefficient than the second reflective area.

12. Lithography system according to claim 11 , wherein the alignment sensor is arranged for providing the alignment light beam with a wavelength and at least one of the first and second reflective area comprises structures with dimensions smaller than said wavelength.