Lithography apparatus, lithography method, decision method, storage medium, and article manufacturing method

1. A lithography apparatus that forms patterns on substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate following the first substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect marks respectively provided in a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate and the second substrate;

a processing unit configured to perform pre-alignment with respect to the second substrate following fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate; and

a control unit configured to:

obtain a first layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate based on detection values of marks in sample shot regions on the first substrate, the detection values of the marks in the sample shot regions being obtained in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate,

generate a plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate of which the detection unit has detected the marks in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, each of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions being constituted by at least two sample shot regions, and

decide, based on the first layout, sample shot regions to be used as sample shot regions on the second substrate where the detection unit is to detect marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the decided sample shot regions corresponding to one of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to obtain evaluation values of the first layout with respect to a second layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate, which have been obtained in the pre-alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, and to decide sample shot regions included in a combination, among the generated plurality of different combinations, falling within an allowable range of the obtained evaluation values as the sample shot regions on the second substrate where the detection unit is to detect the marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to obtain correlation degrees between the first layout and a second layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate which have been obtained in the pre-alignment performed with respect to the first substrate from each of the generated plurality of combinations, and to decide sample shot regions included in a combination, among the generated plurality of different combinations, exhibiting the highest correlation degree as the sample shot regions on the second substrate where the detection unit is to detect the marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a stage configured to hold and move the substrate,

wherein the control unit is further configured to decide the sample shot regions where the detection unit is to detect the marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate based on a moving time or a moving distance of the stage which is required to detect the marks in the sample shot regions in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to decide the sample shot regions where the detection unit is to detect the marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, such that a first sample shot region where the detection unit detects the marks in the fine alignment with respect to the second substrate is a last sample shot region where the detection unit detects the marks in the pre-alignment with respect to the second substrate.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection unit is configured to detect the marks at a first magnification in the pre-alignment, and to detect the marks at a second magnification higher than the first magnification in the fine alignment.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the number of sample shot regions where the detection unit detects the marks in the pre-alignment is not less than two, and

the number of sample shot regions where the detection unit detects the marks in the fine alignment is not less than the number of sample shot regions where the detection unit detects the marks in the pre-alignment.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a projection optical system configured to project a pattern of a reticle onto the substrate.

9. A lithography method of forming patterns on substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate following the first substrate, the method comprising:

performing pre-alignment and fine alignment following the pre-alignment with respect to each of the first substrate and the second substrate;

obtaining a first layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate based on detection values of marks in sample shot regions on the first substrate, the detection values of the marks in the sample shot regions being obtained in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate;

generating a plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate of which the marks have been detected in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate before the pre-alignment is performed with respect to the second substrate, each of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions being constituted by at least two sample shot regions; and

deciding, based on the first layout, sample shot regions to be used as sample shot regions on the second substrate where the marks are to be detected in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the decided sample shot regions corresponding to one of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate.

10. A decision method of deciding, when performing pre-alignment and fine alignment following the pre-alignment with respect to each of a first substrate and a second substrate following the first substrate, a sample shot region where a mark is to be detected in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the method comprising:

obtaining a first layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate based on detection values of marks in sample shot regions on the first substrate, the detection values of the marks in the sample shot regions being obtained in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate;

generating a plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate of which the marks have been detected in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, each of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions being constituted by at least two sample shot regions; and

deciding, based on the first layout, sample shot regions to be used as sample shot regions on the second substrate where the marks are to be detected in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the decided sample shot regions corresponding to one of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a decision method of deciding, when performing pre-alignment and fine alignment following the pre-alignment with respect to each of a first substrate and a second substrate following the first substrate, a sample shot region where a mark is to be detected in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the program causing the computer to execute:

obtaining a first layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate based on detection values of marks in sample shot regions on the first substrate, the detection values of the marks in the sample shot regions being obtained in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate;

generating a plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate of which the marks have been detected in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, each of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions being constituted by at least two sample shot regions; and

deciding, based on the first layout, sample shot regions to be used as sample shot regions on the second substrate where the marks are to be detected in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the decided sample shot regions corresponding to one of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate.

12. An article manufacturing method comprising:

forming a pattern on a substrate by using a lithography apparatus;

processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed in the forming; and

manufacturing an article from the processed substrate,

wherein the lithography apparatus forms patterns on the substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate following the first substrate, and includes:

a detection unit configured to detect marks respectively provided in a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate and the second substrate,

a processing unit configured to perform pre-alignment with respect to the second substrate following fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, and

a control unit configured to:

obtain a first layout of a plurality of shot regions on the first substrate based on detection values of marks in sample shot regions on the first substrate, the detection values of the marks in the sample shot regions being obtained in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate,

generate a plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate of which the detection unit has detected the marks in the fine alignment performed with respect to the first substrate, each of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions being constituted by at least two sample shot regions, and

decide, based on the first layout, sample shot regions to be used as sample shot regions on the second substrate where the detection unit is to detect marks in the pre-alignment to be performed with respect to the second substrate, the decided sample shot regions corresponding to one of the generated plurality of different combinations of the sample shot regions on the first substrate.