Mark, method for forming same, and exposure apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US10236259B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Mark, method for forming same, and exposure apparatus",
  "abstract": "A mark forming method includes: forming recessed portion on a mark formation area of a substrate; coating the recessed portion with a polymer layer containing a block copolymer, allowing the polymer layer in the recessed portion to form a self-assembled area; selectively removing a portion of the self-assembled area; and forming a positioning mark by using the self-assembled area from which the portion thereof has been removed.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for producing a device comprising: setting a mark formation area and a device production area different from the mark formation area on a substrate; coating the mark formation area and the device production area with a polymer layer containing a block copolymer; allowing the polymer layer to form a self-assembled area; selectively removing a portion of the self-assembled area; forming an alignment mark in the mark formation area by using the self-assembled area from which the portion of the self-assembled area has been removed.",
    "2. The method for producing the device according to claim 1, wherein the mark formation area includes a first area and a second area, and the forming of the alignment mark in the mark formation area by using the self-assembled area from which the portion of the self-assembled area has been removed includes forming a first structure in the first area and forming a second structure different from the first structure in the second area.",
    "3. The method for producing the device according to claim 2, wherein the first structure includes a first periodic pattern having a periodic direction in a first direction, and the second structure includes a second periodic pattern having a periodic direction in a second direction different from the first direction.",
    "4. The method for producing the device according to claim 2, further comprising: forming a first guide pattern in the first area of the mark formation area; and forming a second guide pattern in the second area of the mark formation area.",
    "5. The method for producing the device according to claim 4, wherein the allowing of the polymer layer to form the self-assembled area includes allowing the polymer layer in the first area to form the self-assembled area having a periodic direction in a first direction and allowing the polymer layer in the second area to form the self-assembled area having a periodic direction in a second direction different from the first direction.",
    "6. The method for producing the device according to claim 2, wherein the first structure includes a hole pattern array.",
    "7. The method for producing the device according to claim 6, wherein the second structure includes a random pattern.",
    "8. The method for producing the device according to claim 1, further comprising: detecting a position of the substrate by using the alignment mark, and processing the substrate of which position has been detected.",
    "9. The method for producing the device according to claim 8, wherein the processing of the substrate includes exposing the substrate.",
    "10. A method for producing a device comprising: setting a mark formation area including a first area and a second area on a substrate; coating the mark formation area with a polymer layer containing a block copolymer; allowing the polymer layer to form a self-assembled area; selectively removing a portion of the self-assembled area; forming a first structure in the first area of the mark formation area and forming a second structure different from the first structure in the second area of the mark formation area, by using the self-assembled area from which the portion of the self-assembled area has been removed; and detecting a position of the substrate by using at least one of the first and second structures.",
    "11. The method for producing the device according to claim 10, wherein the first structure includes a first periodic pattern having a periodic direction in a first direction, and the second structure includes a second periodic pattern having a periodic direction in a second direction different from the first direction.",
    "12. The method for producing the device according to claim 10, further comprising: forming a first guide pattern in the first area of the mark formation area; and forming a second guide pattern in the second area of the mark formation area.",
    "13. The method for producing the device according to claim 12, wherein the allowing of the polymer layer to form the self-assembled area includes allowing the polymer layer in the first area to form the self-assembled area having a periodic direction in a first direction and allowing the polymer layer in the second area to form the self-assembled area having a periodic direction in a second direction different from the first direction.",
    "14. The method for producing the device according to claim 10, wherein the first structure includes a hole pattern array.",
    "15. The method for producing the device according to claim 14, wherein the second structure includes a random pattern.",
    "16. The method for producing the device according to claim 10, further comprising processing the substrate of which position has been detected.",
    "17. The method for producing the device according to claim 16, wherein the processing of the substrate includes exposing the substrate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention relates to a mark formed in a mark formation area of a substrate, a mark forming method for forming the mark, an exposure apparatus using the mark, and a method for producing device using the exposure apparatus.\n\nA semiconductor device typically includes a plurality of layers of circuit patterns formed on a substrate, and a positioning mark or alignment mark is formed in a mark formation area of a predetermined layer of the substrate so as to accurately align the circuit patterns of the plurality of layers relative to each other, in a production step of the semiconductor device. In a case that the substrate is a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to simply as “wafer”), the alignment mark is referred to also as a “wafer mark”.\n\nConventionally, the minutest circuit pattern of the semiconductor device is formed, for example, with a dry or liquid immersion lithography step using a dry or liquid immersion exposure apparatus of which exposure wavelength is 193 nm. It is expected that formation of a circuit pattern more minute, for example, than a 22 mm node is difficult even by combining the conventional photolithography and the double-patterning process which has been recently developed.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10W 46/00",
    "B82Y 40/00",
    "G03F 9/708",
    "H01L 21/3086",
    "H01L 21/76224",
    "H01L 2223/5442",
    "H01L 2223/54426",
    "H01L 2223/5446",
    "H01L 23/544",
    "H01L 2924/00",
    "H01L 2924/0002",
    "H10P 50/695",
    "H10W 10/014",
    "H10W 10/17",
    "H10W 46/101",
    "H10W 46/301",
    "H10W 46/503"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G03F 9/00",
    "H01L 21/308",
    "H01L 21/762",
    "H10W 46/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Nikon Corp"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Yuji Shiba",
    "Tomoharu Fujiwara",
    "Nobutaka Magome"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-03-07",
  "publication_date": "2019-03-19",
  "grant_date": "2019-03-19",
  "priority_date": "2012-07-10",
  "application_number": "US-201815914193-A",
  "family_id": "49916045",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "JPH06224104A",
    "US6118516A",
    "JPH0936015A",
    "US20030025890A1",
    "US20020149122A1",
    "US20070242247A1",
    "US7687925B2",
    "JP2008311571A",
    "US20090153825A1",
    "JP2009147317A",
    "US20110204484A1",
    "US20100297847A1",
    "JP2010269304A",
    "US20120312501A1",
    "US20130078576A1"
  ]
}