Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yasuyoshi Yamada

Naoki Ayata

Ryozo Hiraga

Takashi Nakamura

Shigeki Nakano

Satoshi Kyotoku

A network type exposure unit connected via a communication network to other exposure units or to an information processor determines whether or not exposure work information of the instructed kind of exposure work is in the storage thereof. When the instructed exposure work information is determined to be non-existent, the unit inquires of the other exposure units or a host equipment whether or not there is therein the exposure work information, and decides executability of the exposure work requested to be started from the result thereof. The exposure work information can be transferred between arbitrary units, thereby alleviating complexity of maintenance and management of the exposure work information.

Exposure unit, exposure system and device manufacturing method

A mask aligner includes a TV image pick-up device having a wide field angle and picking up the image of a wafer detection pattern on an image pick-up station to generate TV signals at the output, a fine alignment device for detecting a positional deviation of the wafer relative to a mask in an exposure station with the detected result being used to align the wafer with the mask, a transport stage for carrying and transporting the wafer from the image pick-up station to the exposure station, a processing device for determining the positional deviation of the wafer relative to the reference position on the image pick-up stage in accordance with the TV signals, and a drive for moving the transport stage so as to remove the positional deviation of the wafer relative to the reference position of the exposure station.

Mask aligner with a wafer position detecting device

A mask aligner includes a photo-mask having a plurality of first marks used to align the photo-mask with a wafer and a plurality of second marks used to align the photo-mask with the mask aligner, the number of the second marks being equal to that of the first marks; a wafer having a plurality of third marks associated with the first marks; a mark providing section having a plurality of fourth marks associated with the second marks; and a detector for detecting an error in alignment between the first and third marks and also an error in alignment between the second and fourth marks, the detector including a plurality of sensors for sensing various marks in different positions, a basic form produced when the first and third marks are placed one above another being substantially the same as that produced when the second and fourth marks are placed one above another.

Mask aligner having a photo-mask setting device

Disclosed is a position detection signal processing apparatus to be used with a first body having a first pattern for alignment and a second body having a second pattern. The apparatus includes a pattern detecting device for detecting the first and second patterns and producing a detection signal stream, an expectation pulse forming circuit for forming an expectation pulse signal for specifying the portion of the detection signal stream in which the probability with which signals corresponding to the first and second patterns exist is high, and a true signal forming circuit for forming true signal streams corresponding to the first and second patterns from the detection signal stream and the expectation pulse signal.

Position detection signal processing apparatus

Two objects each having mark elements which extend in different directions are aligned. The mark elements are scanned by a linear slit-like illumination area, and the light reflected by the mark elements are used for the alignment. The direction or inclination of the linear-slit-like illumination area is changed, during one scanning deflection, to be in conformity with the mark elements.

Method and apparatus for automatic alignment

An apparatus for processing a signal for aligning a first object having at least one standard mark thereon with a second object having at least one reference mark thereon, includes a first sensor for sensing the standard mark, second sensor for sensing the reference mark through the first object, an illumination source for illuminating the standard mark and the reference mark, a first extracting circuit for extracting a signal concerning the standard mark from the signal stream of the first sensor, a second extracting circuit for extracting a signal concerning the reference mark from the signal stream of the second sensor, and a signal composing circuit for composing the signal concerning the standard mark and the signal concerning the reference mark.

Apparatus for processing a signal for aligning

An apparatus for processing a signal for aligning a mask having at least one standard mark thereon with a wafer having at least one reference mark thereon, includes a first sensor for sensing the standard mark, a second sensor for sensing the reference mark through the mask, a threshold value determining circuit for detecting a peak value from a signal stream put out by the first sensor and determining a first threshold value and for detecting a peak value from a signal stream put out by the second sensor and determining a second threshold value, a signal converting circuit for converting a signal of a higher level than the first threshold value from the signal stream put out by the first sensor into a first digital signal and for converting a signal of a higher level than the second threshold value from the signal stream put out by the second sensor into a second digital signal, and a composing circuit for composing the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yasuyoshi Yamada