Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Yoichi Kuroki

Ryozo Hiraga

Yukihiro Yoshinari

Ruri Onoda

Bunei Hamasaki

Gen Nakamura

Hiroki Suzukawa

Kenichi Kawai

Takahiro Senda

In editing of a job parameter in a semiconductor exposure apparatus controlled by the job parameter, which is a collection of parameters, a first parameter set independent of the model of the semiconductor exposure apparatus and a second parameter set dependent upon the model are edited and saved independently. This makes it possible to improve operability of parameter editing and management in the semiconductor exposure apparatus, ease of maintenance thereof and the ability to use job parameters among various models of apparatus.

Parameter editing method and semiconductor exposure system

An alignment device usable in the processes for manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits, for bringing a mask and a semiconductor wafer into a predetermined positional relation by use of alignment marks, prior to effecting transfer of an integrated circuit pattern of the mask onto a photosensitive layer of the wafer. The alignment device is provided with a function of searching a mark signal included in a detection signal for the wafer, on the basis of the dimension of the alignment mark. By this, the alignment mark signal can be accurately detected irrespective of the fact that a noise component might be included in the detection signal for the wafer due to effects of the existence of the photosensitive layer or the like. In another aspect, the alignment device is operable in an operation mode including the mark signal searching step and in another operation mode not including the signal searching step. The selection of the operation mode is determined in accordance with the magnitude of the noise component included in the detection signal for the wafer, whereby an unpreferable decrease in the throughput is prevented. In a further aspect, signals from alignment marks of the mask and the wafer are processed in a parallel fashion whereby substantial reduction in the signal processing time is assured.

Alignment device

A system for photoelectrically detecting a light reflected from an object, such as a semiconductor wafer, irradiated by a light beam supplied from a light source, wherein the amount of irradiation is controlled so as to obtain an optimum photoelectrically-converted signal. According to another aspect of the invention, the amount of irradiation is controlled automatically on the basis of a reflectance of the object which has been detected preparatively. According to another preferred form of the invention, the amount of irradiation is controlled in a time-sharing fashion so as to obtain optimum photoelectrically-converted signals from different portions of the object.

System for photoelectric detection

An alignment apparatus for aligning a mask having a first mark comprising first mark elements and a wafer having a second mark comprising second mark elements different in width from the first mark elements, comprises a moving mechanism for moving the wafer, a sensor for detecting the first and second marks and putting out a detection signal stream, a signal processing circuit for receiving the detection signal stream, discriminating between the first mark elements and the second mark elements in accordance with their respective pulse widths and creating a discrimination signal and creating a spacing signal regarding a plurality of spacings between the first mark elements and the second mark elements, and a drive circuit for driving the moving mechanism in response to the discrimination signal and the spacing signal. When the first and second mark elements overlap each other or come close to each other and the signals of the two elements cannot be separated, the wafer is moved by a predetermined amount, whereafter detection of the marks is again effected.

Device for and method of aligning two bodies

Alignment is effected between a mask having a plurality of first alignment marks, a wafer having a plurality of second alignment marks, alignment marks for another step juxtaposed with respect to the second alignment marks and a reference mark indicating the boundary between the second alignment marks and the alignment marks for another step. Alignment is effected by detecting device for detecting the first and second alignment marks and the reference mark and putting out a signal stream, and an electrical circuit for effecting the introduction of signals from the signal stream in accordance with a predetermined timing, extracting from the signal stream a signal regarding the reference mark and effecting the introduction of signals from the again detected signal stream at a timing changed in accordance with the signal regarding the reference mark.

Alignment mark detecting apparatus and method

Disclosed is a system to be used with a wafer provided with at least one first alignment mark and a mask provided with a plurality of second alignment marks and which is provided with a detecting device for sensing the first and second alignment marks and putting out detection signals, a signal producing circuit producing a comparison signal, and a signal comparing and producing circuit for comparing the pulse width of the comparison signal with the pulse width of the detection signals and producing a plurality of substitute signals when the pulse width of the detection signal is greater than the pulse width of the comparison signal and wherein when the first and second alignment marks have come close to each other or partly overlapped each other, the respective alignment marks are discriminated.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yoichi Kuroki