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

Abstract

A method for operating a target processing system for processing a target (23) on a chuck (13), the method comprising providing at least a first chuck position mark (27) and a second chuck position mark (28) on the chuck (13); providing an alignment sensing system (17) arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks (27, 28), the alignment sensing system (17) comprising at least a first alignment sensor (61) and a second alignment sensor (62); moving the chuck (13) to a first position based on at least one measurement of the alignment sensing system (17); and measuring at least one value related to the first position of the chuck.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for operating a target processing system for processing a target on a chuck, the method comprising:
 providing at least a first chuck position mark and a second chuck position mark on the chuck;   providing an alignment sensing system comprising at least a first alignment sensor and a second alignment sensor arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks respectively;   providing a chuck position measurement system comprising at least two differential interferometers arranged to measure the position of the chuck with respect to a final projection system of said target processing system;   providing a level sensing system comprising a plurality of level sensors, and providing a reference surface on the chuck;   moving the chuck to a first position based on at least one measurement of the alignment sensing system, said moving the chuck comprising moving the chuck to align the first and second chuck position marks with the first and second alignment sensors and reading the first and second chuck position marks by the first and second alignment sensor;   measuring at least one value relating to the orientation of the reference surface with respect to the level sensors, and moving the chuck to align the reference surface with a level sensor plane of the plurality of level sensors, such that in the first position the first and second chuck position marks are aligned with the first and second alignment sensors and the reference surface is aligned with the level sensor plane;   measuring at least one value related to the first position of the chuck, wherein measuring at least one value related to the first position of the chuck comprises measuring an output of each of the differential interferometers; and   initializing each of the differential interferometers with the chuck located at the first position, based on said measuring of said at least one value related to the first position of the chuck.   
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the relative position of the first chuck position mark with respect to the second chuck position mark is substantially the same as the relative position of the first alignment sensor with respect to the second alignment sensor. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a final projection system arranged to project a patterning beam onto the target, and wherein the first alignment sensor is arranged at a distance from the final projection system in a first direction (y-axis) and the second alignment sensor is arranged at distance from the final projection system in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising projecting a patterning beam onto the target to form a beam grid on the target, wherein the first alignment sensor is arranged for detecting a position mark at a distance from the beam grid in a first direction (y-axis) and the second alignment sensor is arranged for detecting a position mark at a distance from the beam grid in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of moving the chuck to align the chuck position marks with the alignment sensors comprises moving the chuck in two horizontal axes (x, y-axis) and rotating the chuck about a vertical axis (Rz direction) as necessary to achieve the alignment. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving the chuck to align the reference surface with a level sensor plane of the level sensors prior to measuring at least one value relating to orientation of the beam grid. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the level sensing system comprises at least a first level sensor arranged at a distance from the final projection system in a first direction (y-axis) and a second level sensor arranged at distance from the final projection system in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       8. A target processing system for processing a target on a chuck, the system comprising:
 a moveable chuck including at least a first chuck position mark and a second chuck position mark; 
 an alignment sensing system comprising at least a first alignment sensor and a second alignment sensor arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks respectively, 
 a level sensing system comprising a plurality of level sensors, and a reference surface on the chuck, said level sensing system arranged for measuring at least one value relating to the orientation of the reference surface with respect to the level sensors; 
 an actuator system arranged for moving the chuck; 
 a chuck position measurement system arranged for measuring a position of the chuck, the chuck position measurement system comprising at least two differential interferometers arranged to measure the position of the chuck with respect to a final projection system of said target processing apparatus, 
 
       wherein said target processing system is configured to initialize said differential interferometers by:
 using said actuator system, moving the chuck to align the first and second chuck position marks with the first and second alignment sensors, respectively, while reading the first and second chuck position marks by the first and second alignment sensor and moving the chuck such that the reference surface coincides with a level sensor plane; 
 
       wherein the position where the first and second chuck position marks are aligned with the first and second alignment sensors, respectively, and the reference surface on the chuck coincides with the level sensor plane is referred to as a first position of the chuck,
 using said chuck position measurement system measuring at least one value related to the first position of the chuck, wherein said measuring said at least one value related to the first position of the chuck comprises measuring an output of the differential interferometers, and 
 initializing the differential interferometers with the chuck located at the first position based on said measuring said at least one value related to the first position of the chuck. 
 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the relative position of the first chuck position mark with respect to the second chuck position mark is substantially the same as the relative position of the first alignment sensor with respect to the second alignment sensor. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a final projection system arranged to project a patterning beam onto the target, and wherein the first alignment sensor is arranged at a distance from the final projection system in a first direction (y-axis) and the second alignment sensor is arranged at distance from the final projection system in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a final projection system for projecting a patterning beam onto the target to form a beam grid on the target, wherein the first alignment sensor is arranged for detecting a position mark at a distance from the beam grid in a first direction (y-axis) and the second alignment sensor is arranged for detecting a position mark at a distance from the beam grid in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 8 , wherein, the measurement system is arranged for measuring at least one value related to the current position of the chuck. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a final projection system arranged to project a patterning beam onto the target, wherein the level sensing system comprises at least a first level sensor arranged at a distance from the final projection system in a first direction and a second level sensor arranged at distance from the final projection system in a second direction (x-axis). 
     
     
       14. A target processing system for processing a target on a chuck, the system comprising:
 a final projection system arranged to project a patterning beam plurality of charged particle beams onto the target to form a beam grid on the target; 
 a moveable chuck including at least a first chuck position mark and a second chuck position mark provided on a surface of said chuck; 
 an actuator system arranged for moving the chuck; 
 an alignment sensing system comprising at least a first alignment sensor and a second alignment sensor arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks respectively, 
 a level sensing system comprising a plurality of level sensors arranged on a bottom surface of the final projection system in close proximity to the beam grid and in a fixed spatial relation to the final projection system; 
 a reference surface provided on a surface of said chuck, said level sensing system arranged for measuring at least one value relating to distance and/or orientation of the reference surface with respect to said level sensors; 
 a chuck position measurement system arranged for measuring a position of the chuck, the chuck position measurement system comprising at least two differential interferometers arranged to measure the position of the chuck with respect to the final projection system of said target processing apparatus. 
 
     
     
       15. The target processing system according to  claim 14 , wherein the chuck is provided with a reference plate comprising the reference surface and the first and second chuck position marks. 
     
     
       16. The target processing system according to  claim 14 , wherein an origin of the chuck has a fixed spatial relationship to the first and second chuck position marks and the reference surface. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the level sensing system further comprises a second plurality of level sensors, wherein the first alignment sensor and a first of said second plurality of level sensors are arranged at a distance from the final projection system in a first direction and the second alignment sensor and a second of said second plurality of level sensors are arranged at distance from the final projection system in a second direction. 
     
     
       18. A target processing system for processing a target on a chuck, the system comprising:
 a moveable chuck including at least a first chuck position mark and a second chuck position mark;   an alignment sensing system arranged for detecting the first and second chuck position marks respectively;   a level sensing system comprising a plurality of level sensors, and a reference surface on the chuck, said level sensing system arranged for measuring at least one value relating to the orientation of the reference surface with respect to the level sensors;   an actuator system arranged for moving the chuck; and   a chuck position measurement system arranged for measuring a position of the chuck, the chuck position measurement system comprising at least two interferometers arranged to measure the position of the chuck with respect to a final projection system of said target processing apparatus,   wherein said target processing system is configured to initialize said interferometers by: using said actuator system to move the chuck to align the first and second chuck position marks with the alignment sensing system, while the first and second chuck position marks are read by the alignment sensing system and the chuck is moved such that the reference surface coincides with a level sensor plane,   wherein the position where the first and second chuck position marks are aligned with the alignment sensing system, and the reference surface on the chuck coincides with the level sensor plane is referred to as a first position of the chuck, wherein said chuck position measurement system is configured to measure at least one value related to the first position of the chuck, and wherein said measurement of said at least one value related to the first position of the chuck comprises a measurement of an output of the interferometers and an initialization of the interferometers with the chuck located at the first position based on said measurement of said at least one value related to the first position of the chuck.   
     
     
       19. A target processing system for processing a target on a chuck, the system comprising:
 a projection system configured to project a plurality of charged particle beams onto the target to form a beam grid on the target;   a moveable chuck including at least a first chuck position mark and a second chuck position mark provided on a surface of the chuck;   an actuator system configured to move the chuck;   an alignment sensing system comprising at least a first alignment sensor and a second alignment sensor configured to detect the first and second chuck position marks;   a level sensing system comprising a plurality of level sensors having a fixed spatial relationship with the projection system;   a reference surface provided on the chuck, the level sensing system configured to measure at least one value relating to distance and/or orientation of the reference surface with respect to the level sensors;   a chuck position measurement system configured to measure a position of the chuck, the chuck position measurement system comprising at least two interferometers configured to measure the position of the chuck with respect to the projection system; and   a beam measurement unit provided on the chuck and configured to detect the charged particle beams to determine positions of the charged particle beams relative to the chuck.   
     
     
       20. The target processing system according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of level sensors are provided on a bottom surface of the projection system. 
     
     
       21. The target processing system according to claim 19, wherein the at least two interferometers are configured to measure the position of the chuck in at least two different respective directions in a plane across the charged particle beams. 
     
     
       22. The target processing system according to claim 19, further comprising a vacuum chamber comprising the projection system, the chuck, the actuator system, the alignment sensing system, the level sensing system, the chuck position measurement system, and the beam measurement unit. 
     
     
       23. The target processing system according to claim 19, wherein the beam measurement unit includes a beam measurement sensor comprising chuck position marks. 
     
     
       24. The target processing system according to claim 19, wherein the beam measurement unit includes a beam measurement sensor comprising a two-dimensional pattern of charged particle beam blocking structures. 
     
     
       25. The target processing system according to claim 23, wherein the beam measurement sensor comprises a two-dimensional pattern of charged particle beam blocking structures, the pattern having a pre-determined spatial relationship with the chuck position marks. 
     
     
       26. The target processing system according to claim 23, wherein the chuck position marks are arranged in at least two different directions. 
     
     
       27. The target processing system according to claim 26, wherein the chuck position marks are configured as gratings.