Granted Patent B2

US 12,339,595 · App. 18/062,080 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Inventors: Satoru Jimbo (Tochigi, JP); Kazuhiko Mishima (Tochigi, JP)

Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

G03F9/7088G03F9/7023G06T7/001G06T7/74G06T2207/20081G06T2207/30148G06T2207/30204

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A measurement apparatus that measures position information of a measurement target, the apparatus comprising:

a scope configured to generate an image by capturing an image of the measurement target; and

a processor configured to obtain position information of the measurement target based on the image,

wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a plurality of image components using a statistical technique from a plurality of images generated by the scope;

output the plurality of generated image components;

perform processing for determining a component related to a measurement error based on the plurality of generated image components; and

determine the position information based on the generated image of the measurement target by the scope and the component related to the measurement error.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to output the plurality of image components to a display device.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing includes the processor:

generating the plurality of image components and information indicating a magnitude of each of the plurality of image components from the plurality of images using the statistical technique;

calculating a correlation coefficient between the magnitude of each of the plurality of image components and a value related to the measurement error; and

evaluating, based on the correlation coefficient, an influence which each of the plurality of image components exerts on the measurement error.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the evaluating includes specifying an image component, of the plurality of image components, which has a correlation coefficient higher than a predetermined value as an image component including a noise component influencing the measurement error.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to:

obtain provisional position information of the measurement target based on the image; and

determine the position information by correcting the provisional position information by a correction value based on the value related to the measurement error.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a model configured to obtain the value related to the measurement error based on a feature value of the image.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a machine learning device configured to generate the model by machine learning.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the machine learning device is configured to perform machine learning using the feature value as input data of a model and using, as training data, a difference between position information of a measurement target measured by an external inspection apparatus and position information determined by the processor.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an adjustment parameter for adjusting the measurement apparatus based on the magnitude of each of the plurality of image components.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the adjustment parameter includes at least one of a position and orientation of the measurement target, a wavelength of illumination light generated by the scope, an illumination σ value, a numerical aperture (NA), or a position and orientation of an optical part constituting the scope.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the statistical technique is one of principal component analysis, an autoencoder, or independent component analysis.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement target is a mark.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the measurement target is moiré fringes formed by a first mark of a first member and a second mark of a second member, and

the position information is relative position information between the first mark and the second mark.

14. A measurement apparatus that measures position information of a measurement target, the apparatus comprising:

a scope configured to generate an image by capturing an image of the measurement target; and

a processor configured to obtain position information of the measurement target based on a signal waveform obtained from the image,

wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a plurality of signal waveform components using a statistical technique from a plurality of signal waveforms obtained from a plurality of images generated by the scope;

output the plurality of generated signal waveform components;

perform processing for determining a component related to a measurement error based on the plurality of generated signal waveform components; and

determine the position information based on the image generated image of the measurement target by the scope and the component related to the measurement error.

15. A lithography apparatus that transfers a pattern of an original onto a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

a measurement apparatus that measures position information of a measurement target, the apparatus comprising:

a scope configured to generate an image by capturing an image of the measurement target; and

a processor configured to obtain position information of the measurement target based on the image,

wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a plurality of image components using a statistical technique from a plurality of images generated by the scope;

output the plurality of generated image components;

perform processing for determining a component related to a measurement error based on the plurality of generated image components; and

determine the position information based on the generated image of the measurement target by the scope and the component related to the measurement error,

wherein alignment between the substrate and the original is executed based on an output from the measurement apparatus.

16. An article manufacturing method comprising:

transferring a pattern onto a substrate using a lithography apparatus defined in claim 15 ; and

processing the substrate having undergone the transferring, and

obtaining an article from the substrate having undergone the processing.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (12)