Mark for position detection and mark detecting method and apparatus

(12) United States Patent

Shiraishi et al.

US006356343B1

(io) Patent No.: US 6,356,343 Bl (45) Date of Patent: *Mar. 12,2002

(54) MARK FOR POSITION DETECTION AND MARK DETECTING METHOD AND APPARATUS

(75) Inventors: Naomasa Shiraishi, Saitama-ken;

Nobutaka Magome, Kanagawa-ken,
both of (JP)

(73) Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Tokyo (JP)

( * ) Notice: This patent issued on a continued prosecution application filed under 37 CFR 1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year patent term provisions of 35 U.S.C. 154(a)(2).

Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 09/366,565

(22) Filed: Aug. 4, 1999

Related U.S. Application Data

(62) Division of application No. 08/966,371, filed on Nov. 7, 1997, now Pat. No. 5,966,201.

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Nov. 7, 1996 (JP) 8-311410

(51) Int. CI.7 G03B 27/42; G03B 27/32

(52) U.S. CI 355/77; 355/53

(58) Field of Search 355/52, 53, 77;

356/399^100; 250/548; 430/5, 22, 30, 311

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,251,160 A 2/1981 Bouwhuis et al 357/401

4,423,127 A 12/1983 Fujimura 430/22

5,521,036 A 5/1996 Iwamoto et al 430/22

5,615,006 A 3/1997 Hirakawa et al 356/124

5,640,243 A 6/1997 Koitabashi et al 356/401

5,682,243 A 10/1997 Nishi 356/401

5,721,607 A 2/1998 Ota 355/53

5,751,428 A 5/1998 Kataoka et al 356/401

5,783,833 A 7/1998 Sugaya et al 250/548

5,795,687 A * 8/1998 Yasuda 430/22

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

EP 0 701 174 Al 3/1996

JP 48-12550 4/1973

JP 53-32759 9/1976

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Abstract of Japanese Publication No. 63-3416 issued on Jan. 8, 1998.

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Russell Adams

Assistant Examiner—Hung Henry Nguyen

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Armstrong, Westerman,

Hattori, McLeland & Naughton, LLP

(57) ABSTRACT

A mark for position detection formed on a substrate has a first pattern disposed near the center of the mark and having periodicity in a Y-axis direction, and second patterns respectively disposed near both sides of the first pattern in an X-axis direction and each having periodicity in the X-axis direction. The position of the first pattern is detected by aligning the detection center of a detecting optical system, that is, the minimal aberration point of the detecting optical system, with the center of the first pattern. The positions of the second patterns are detected at respective points symmetric with respect to the minimal aberration point, and the detected values for the positions of the second patterns are averaged. An apparatus for detecting the mark for position detection detects the first and second patterns by image processing when the mark is in a stationary state.

38 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets