Charged particle lithography system with alignment sensor and beam measurement sensor

Abstract

A multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet lithography system for transferring a pattern to a surface of a substrate. The system comprises a projection system ( 311 ) for projecting a plurality of charged particle beamlets ( 7 ) onto the surface of the substrate; a chuck ( 313 ) moveable with respect to the projection system; a beamlet measurement sensor (i.a. i.e., 505, 511 ) for determining one or more characteristics of one or more of the charged particle beamlets, the beamlet measurement sensor having a surface ( 501 ) for receiving one or more of the charged particle beamlets; and a position mark measurement system for measuring a position of a position mark ( 610, 620, 635 ), the position mark measurement system comprising an alignment sensor ( 361, 362 ). The chuck comprises a substrate support portion for supporting the substrate, a beamlet measurement sensor portion ( 460 ) for accommodating the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor, and a position mark portion ( 470 ) for accommodating the position mark.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet lithography system for transferring a pattern to a surface of a substrate, the system comprising:
 a projection system for projecting a plurality of charged particle beamlets onto the surface of the substrate; 
 a chuck moveable with respect to the projection system; 
 a beamlet measurement sensor for determining one or more characteristics of one or more of the charged particle beamlets, the beamlet measurement sensor having a surface for receiving one or more of the charged particle beamlets, wherein the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor comprises a converter element for receiving charged particles and generating photons in response; and 
 a position mark measurement system for measuring a position of the chuck, the position mark measurement system comprising a position mark and an alignment sensor; 
 wherein the chuck comprises a substrate support portion for supporting the substrate, a beamlet measurement sensor portion for accommodating the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor, and a position mark portion for accommodating the position mark. 
 
     
     
       2. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor is characterised by at least one of:
 having a predetermined spatial relationship with the position mark; 
 having a predetermined spatial relationship with the position mark and being combined with the position mark into a single structure; 
 having a predetermined spatial relationship with the position mark and being combined with the position mark into a single structure, wherein the position mark is formed on the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor; and 
 being fixed to a surface of the chuck, the position mark also fixed to the surface of the chuck. 
 
     
     
       3. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the alignment sensor comprises a light source for illuminating the position mark and a detector for detecting light that has interacted by reflection with the position mark. 
     
     
       4. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor is characterised by at least one of:
 being provided with a predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forming one or more knife edges at transitions between blocking and non-blocking regions; 
 being provided with a predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forming one or more knife edges at transitions between blocking and non-blocking regions, wherein the predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures has a predetermined spatial relationship with the position mark; 
 being provided with a predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forming one or more knife edges at transitions between blocking and non-blocking regions and further being provided with a predetermined pattern of light blocking structures forming the position mark; 
 being provided with a predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forming one or more knife edges at transitions between blocking and non-blocking regions, wherein the predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forms the position mark; and  
 being provided with a predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures forming one or more knife edges at transitions between blocking and non-blocking regions, wherein the predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures comprises a plurality of blocking structures positioned at a pitch corresponding to an expected distance between adjacent charged particle beamlets at the substrate surface. 
 
     
     
       5. System according to  claim 4 , wherein a geometric center of the predetermined pattern of one or more charged particle blocking structures coincides with the center of the position mark. 
     
     
       6. System according to  claim 4 , wherein the one or more charged particle blocking structures are substantially circular blocking structures. 
     
     
       7. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the position mark measurement system comprises a first alignment sensor for determining a position of the position mark in a first direction and a second alignment sensor for determining a position of the position mark in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
       8. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the position mark comprises a periodic structure in a first direction, and a periodic structure in a second direction, the second direction being substantially perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
       9. System according to  claim 8 , wherein the periodic structures are formed by periodically spaced elevated structures. 
     
     
       10. System according to  claim 8 , wherein the periodic structures are formed by regions with a first reflectivity coefficient alternating with regions with a second reflectivity coefficient, the second reflectivity coefficient being different from the first reflectivity coefficient. 
     
     
       11. System according to  claim 1 , wherein the projection system comprises a beamlet generator for generating the plurality of charged particle beamlets, and a modulation system for modulating the charged particle beamlets in accordance with a pattern to be transferred to the surface of the substrate, wherein the projection system is arranged for projecting the modulated beamlets onto the surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       12. System according to  claim 1 , further comprising a chuck position measuring system and a control unit, the control unit comprising a processor and a data storage, wherein:
 the control unit is arranged to control the chuck to be moved to a first position at which one or more of the charged particle beamlets are received by the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor; 
 the control unit is arranged to receive information about measurement of one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets received by the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor; 
 the chuck position measuring system is arranged to measure position of the chuck in the first position to determine a first measured chuck position; 
 the control unit is arranged to control the chuck to be moved to a second position at which the position mark is aligned with the alignment sensor; 
 the chuck position measuring system is arranged to measure position of the chuck in the second position to determine a second measured chuck position; and 
 the control unit is arranged to calculate a relative position between the one or more charged particle beamlets and the alignment sensor on the basis of the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets, the first measured chuck position, and the second measured chuck position. 
 
     
     
       13. System according to  claim 12 , wherein:
 the control unit is further arranged to control the chuck to be moved, the chuck having a substrate placed on the substrate supporting portion of the chuck, to a third position at which a substrate position mark on the substrate is aligned with the alignment sensor; and 
 the chuck position measuring system is further arranged to measure position of the chuck in the third position to determine a third measured chuck position. 
 
     
     
       14. System according to  claim 13 , wherein the control unit is further arranged to control the chuck to be moved to a fourth position at which one or more of the charged particle beamlets expose a desired portion of the substrate to be exposed, the fourth position being determined on the basis of the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets and the first, second and third measured chuck positions. 
     
     
       15. A method for operating a multi-beam charged particle lithography system for transferring a pattern to a surface of a substrate, the method comprising:
 moving a chuck, which is moveable with respect to a projection system of the lithography system and comprising a substrate support portion for supporting the substrate, a beamlet measurement sensor portion for accommodating a surface of a beamlet measurement sensor, and a position mark portion for accommodating a position mark, to a first position at which one or more charged particle beamlets projected from the projection system are received by the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor; 
 measuring one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets received by the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor, the surface of the beamlet measurement sensor comprising a converter element for receiving charged particles and generating photons in response; 
 measuring, using a position mark measurement system of the lithography system, position of the chuck in the first position to determine a first measured chuck position, the position mark measurement system comprising the position mark and an alignment sensor; 
 moving the chuck to a second position at which the position mark is aligned with the alignment sensor; 
 measuring, using the position mark measurement system, the position of the chuck in the second position to determine a second measured chuck position; and 
 calculating a relative position between the one or more charged particle beamlets and the alignment sensor on the basis of the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets, the first measured chuck position, and the second measured chuck position. 
 
     
     
       16. Method according to  claim 15 , wherein calculating the relative position between the one or more charged particle beamlets and the alignment sensor comprises calculating a vector distance between a reference point of the one or more charged particle beamlets and a reference point of the alignment sensor. 
     
     
       17. Method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 placing a substrate on the substrate supporting portion of the chuck; 
 moving the chuck to a third position at which a substrate position mark on the substrate is aligned with the alignment sensor; and 
 measuring the position of the chuck in the third position to determine a third measured chuck position. 
 
     
     
       18. Method according to  claim 17 , further comprising moving the chuck to a fourth position at which one or more of the charged particle beamlets expose a desired portion of the substrate to be exposed, the fourth position being determined on the basis of the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets and the first, second and third measured chuck positions. 
     
     
       19. A multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system comprising:
 a projection system configured to project a plurality of charged particle beamlets onto a surface of a substrate;   a chuck moveable with respect to the projection system and configured to support a substrate, the chuck comprising a beamlet measurement sensor configured to determine one or more characteristics of one or more of the charged particle beamlets, the beamlet measurement sensor configured to receive one or more of the charged particle beamlets; and   a position mark measurement system configured to measure a position of a position mark relative to the chuck, the position mark measurement system comprising an alignment sensor.    
     
     
       20. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 19 further comprising a chuck position measurement system configured to determine a position of the chuck with respect to the projection system.  
     
     
       21. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 20, wherein the chuck position measurement system comprises one or more interferometers.  
     
     
       22. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 19, wherein the beamlet measurement sensor comprises a converter element configured to receive charged particles and to generate photons in response.  
     
     
       23. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 19, wherein the chuck comprises the position mark.  
     
     
       24. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 19, wherein the position mark measurement system is further configured to measure the position of the position mark positioned on the substrate.  
     
     
       25. The multi-beamlet charged particle beamlet exposure system of claim 19, wherein the position mark comprises a first position mark and a second position mark.  
     
     
       26. A method for operating a multi-beam charged particle exposure system comprising a projection system, a position mark measurement system, and a chuck, the chuck configured to support a substrate and comprising a beamlet measurement sensor, the method comprising:
 moving the chuck, which is moveable with respect to the projection system of the exposure system, to a first position at which one or more charged particle beamlets projected from the projection system are received by the beamlet measurement sensor;   measuring, using the beamlet measurement sensor, one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets;   determining a first measured chuck position by measuring, using the position mark measurement system, a position of a position mark relative to the chuck in the first position;   moving the chuck to a second position at which the position mark is aligned with an alignment sensor of the position mark measurement system;   determining a second measured chuck position by measuring, using the position mark measurement system, a position of the position mark relative to the chuck in the second position; and   determining a relative position between the one or more charged particle beamlets and the alignment sensor based on the measurement of the one or more characteristics of the one or more charged particle beamlets, the first measured chuck position, and the second measured chuck position.    
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, further comprising measuring, using a chuck position measurement system, a position of the chuck to assist with determining the first measured chuck position.  
     
     
       28. The method of claim 26, further comprising measuring, using a chuck position measurement system, a position of the chuck to assist with determining the second measured chuck position.  
     
     
       29. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the first measured chuck position by measuring the position of the position mark relative to the chuck comprises:
 measuring, using the position mark measurement system, the position of the position mark positioned on the substrate.    
     
     
       30. The method of claim 26, wherein determining the first measured chuck position by measuring the position of the position mark relative to the chuck comprises:
 measuring, using the position mark measurement system, the position of the position mark positioned on the chuck.