Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Satoru Oishi

Hideki Ina

Takehiko Suzuki

Koichi Sentoku

Takahiro Matsumoto

Masato Muraki

Yuichi Iwasaki

Hiromi Kinebuchi

An image generating apparatus includes an obtaining unit configured to obtain plural pieces of tomographic image data, in which each piece of tomographic image data indicates a cross section of substantially the same position of a subject, a calculation unit configured to calculate a motion contrast value based on the plural pieces of tomographic image data and a comparison result of a representative value of the plural pieces of tomographic image data indicating a signal intensity and a threshold, a generation unit configured to generate a motion contrast image of the subject based on the motion contrast value, and a change unit configured to change the threshold.

Image generating apparatus, image generating method, and storage medium

The present invention provides a lithography apparatus including a plurality of detectors each configured to detect a mark on the substrate, and a controller configured to control a patterning so that a first operation and a second operation are alternately performed, the first operation irradiating the substrate with a beam while scan movement of the substrate is performed in a first direction, the second operation performing step movement of the substrate in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein the controller is configured to cause, in the first operation, at least one of the plurality of detectors to detect the mark, and the plurality of detectors are arranged, in the second direction, at an interval which is a positive integer multiple of a distance of the step movement.

Lithography apparatus, and method of manufacturing article

A drawing apparatus performs drawing on a first partial region and a second partial region. The first and second partial regions having an overlap region in which the first and second partial regions overlap each other. The apparatus includes a transformation device configured to transform first pattern data for the first partial region into first quantized pattern data in accordance with a first transformation rule, and to transform second pattern data for the second partial region into second quantized pattern data in accordance with a second transformation rule different from the first transformation rule, and a controller configured to control the drawing on the first partial region based on the first quantized pattern data, and to control the drawing on the second partial region based on the second quantized pattern data.

Drawing apparatus, data processing method, and method of manufacturing article that transform partially overlapping regions using different transformation rules

A method and an apparatus are provided to measure a position of a mark with a less measurement error caused by a variation in a wafer process condition. The mark is illuminated with light and an image of the mark is formed, via an optical system, in a light receiving surface of a sensor. The image of the mark is sensed and image data thereof is acquired by the sensor. Correction data of a fundamental frequency and a high harmonic of the image data is set based on information associated with a shape of the mark, an imaging magnification of the optical system, and an imaging area of the sensor. The image data is corrected using the correction data, and the position of the mark is calculated using the corrected image data.

Method of measuring mark position and measuring apparatus

A method detects a position of a mark based on an image signal of the mark. The method includes steps of obtaining a first position of the mark by performing a first process for the image signal, extracting plural feature values from the image signal based on the first position, and detecting the position of the mark by obtaining an offset value for the first position based on the plural feature values.

Position detecting method

An alignment method is provided in which a substrate including first and second layers is aligned in forming a second pattern in the second layer. The method includes storing first alignment measurement data to be used in alignment performed in forming a first pattern and a second alignment mark in the second layer, the first alignment measurement data obtained by measuring a first alignment mark provided in the first layer; obtaining second alignment measurement data by measuring the second alignment mark through a resist applied over the second layer; obtaining third alignment measurement data by measuring the first alignment mark through the resist; and performing alignment of the substrate in accordance with a first difference between the first and second alignment measurement data, or in accordance with the first difference and a second difference between the first and third alignment measurement data.

Alignment method, exposure method, pattern forming method, and exposure apparatus

The present invention provides a position detection apparatus including a first obtaining unit configured to obtain imaging characteristics of an imaging optical system for a plurality of light beams, having different wavelength with each other, of the light having the wavelength width, a second obtaining unit configured to obtain optical images of a target object for the plurality of light beams, a restoration unit configured to restore optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams by correcting, deterioration in the obtained optical images of the target object attributed to the imaging optical system, based on the obtained imaging characteristics of the imaging optical system, and a generation unit configured to generate an optical image of the target object for light including the plurality of light beams by synthesizing the restored optical images of the target object for the plurality of light beams.

Position detection apparatus, position detection method, exposure apparatus, and device fabrication method

A surface shape measurement apparatus is configured to measure a surface shape of an object to be measured, and includes a beam splitter configured to split white light from a light source into two light beams, a pair of prisms each configured to increase an incident angle of each light beam that has been split by the beam splitter and directed to the object or a reference surface, each prism having an antireflection part that is formed at a period of a wavelength of the white light or smaller and has a moth-eye shape, a superimposition unit configured to superimpose object light from the object with reference light from the reference surface and has passed the second prism, and to generate white interference light, and a Lyot filter configured to discretely separate the white interference light for each of a plurality of wavelengths.

Surface shape measurement apparatus and exposure apparatus

Disclosed is a method and apparatus which are arranged to detect magnitude of correlation between (i) an explanatory variable corresponding to operation data related to an operation made by an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, and (ii) a response variable corresponding to inspection data related to a result of inspection made to the substrate after the same is exposed, the magnitude of correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable being detected with respect to each of different combinations of operation data pieces, and also arranged to specify, on the basis of detected correlation magnitudes and with respect to one of the different combinations of operation data pieces, a category of the operation data and the correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable.

Apparatus and method for specifying correlation, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method

A position detecting method includes the steps of forming an image of a mark on a sensor, performing a first process that processes a raw signal obtained from the sensor with plural parameters, performing a second process that determines an edge of a signal processed by the first process for each parameter, determining a parameter from a result of the second process obtained for each parameter, and calculating a position of the mark based on a determined parameter.

Position detecting method and apparatus

A measurement apparatus includes a measurement unit configured to execute first measurement at each of a plurality of measurement points on a substrate, which are juxtaposed in one of a direction perpendicular to a scanning direction and an oblique direction with respect to the scanning direction, and to execute a second measurement at each of the plurality of measurement points, while the substrate is shifted in a direction different from the scanning direction and a processing unit configured to select some measurement points from the plurality of measurement points on the basis of a change in a measurement value at each measurement point, which is obtained by the first measurement and the second measurement.

Scanning exposure apparatus and device manufacturing method

A transfer characteristic calculation apparatus for calculating a transfer characteristic of an imaging optical system includes a light source, a generation unit which generates a second signal by converting a first signal obtained by stretching an impulse signal on a space axis into a positive value using a light from the light source, a sensor which obtains an image that is output from the imaging optical system as an output signal when a light intensity distribution is inputted as the second signal, and a calculation unit which calculates the transfer characteristic of the imaging optical system by convolution of a third signal with the forth signal that is obtained by canceling a bias component of the output signal obtained by the sensor, the third being an impulse signal upon convolution with the first signal.

Transfer characteristic calculation apparatus, transfer characteristic calculation method, and exposure apparatus

An exposure apparatus performs AGA measurement by using a predetermined sample shot group formed on a wafer, and decides an alignment parameter. The exposure apparatus executes wafer alignment processing and exposure processing by using the alignment parameter. The exposure apparatus notifies a central processing unit of AGA measurement results and the alignment parameter. An overlay inspection apparatus measures an actual exposure position on the exposed wafer, and notifies the central processing unit of the measurement result. The central processing unit optimizes alignment processing on the basis of the AGA measurement results, alignment parameter, and actually measured exposure position.

Management system, apparatus, and method, exposure apparatus, and control method therefor

A management apparatus which manages a parameter for an industrial device acquires AGA measurement results obtained by operating the industrial device with an operation job parameter value and non-operation job parameter value. An inspection apparatus acquires an 'inspection result' obtained by inspecting the result of operating the industrial device in the operation job. A change in inspection result upon a change in parameter value is estimated on the basis of the AGA measurement result and inspection result. A variable which minimizes (extreme) both or at least one of the sensitivity (slope) of the inspection result upon a change in parameter value and variations (3&#x3c3;) in inspection result between objects to be processed (e.g., wafers) is set as an optimal parameter.

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Tochigi, Japan

Satoru Oishi