1. A registration detection system, comprising:
a first detection apparatus that is installed on a pathway to a collection in a transport container of substrates that are taken out of said transport container, after passing at least through an exposure process and a development process, and performs registration detection of a resist pattern and a base pattern of said substrates after passing through said development process, at multiple points of said substrates;
a second detection apparatus situated outside of said pathway, and performing registration detection of the resist pattern and the base pattern of said substrates at more points of said substrates than said first detection apparatus;
a generation unit that generates compensation data for said exposure process based on results of the registration detection performed by said first detection apparatus and results of the registration detection performed by said second detection apparatus, and
a controller coupled to said first detection apparatus and said second detection apparatus;
wherein said first detection apparatus comprises:
a first optical device for forming optical images on said substrates;
a first image capturing device for generating first image signals from said optical images; and
a first image processing unit for processing said first image signals and calculating a first detection result;
wherein said second detection apparatus comprises:
a second optical device for forming optical images on said substrates;
a second image capturing device for generating second image signals; and
a second image processing unit for processing said second image signals and calculating a second detection result; and
wherein said controller:
generates a first-order component from said first detection result;
generates a second-order component from said second detection result; and
calculates correction data from said first-order component and said second order component.
2. The registration detection system in claim 1,
wherein said generation unit generates a lower-order component of said compensation data based on the results of the registration detection performed by said first detection apparatus, and generates a higher-order component of said compensation data based on the results of the registration detection performed by said second detection apparatus.
3. The registration detection system in claim 2,
wherein said generation unit first generates said lower-order component and afterward calculates the respective components of said compensation data based the results of the registration detection performed by said second detection apparatus, with said lower-order component being removed from the respective components to generate said higher-order component.
4. The registration detection system in claim 1,
wherein said first detection apparatus is placed inside an applicationdevelopment apparatus that applies resist prior to said exposure process and develops said resist after said exposure process, and
wherein said second detection apparatus is placed outside said applicationdevelopment apparatus.
5. A system, comprising:
a lithography system for performing a lithography process on a substrate;
a first apparatus in the lithography system for performing registration detection of said substrate to generate a first detection result;
a second apparatus outside of said lithography system for performing registration detection of said substrate to generate a second detection result; and
a controller coupled to said first apparatus and said second apparatus, said controller generating a correction data for improving said lithography process,
wherein said first apparatus comprises:
a first optical device for forming optical images on said substrate;
a first image capturing device for generating first image signals from said optical images; and
a first image processing unit for processing said first image signals and calculating a first detection result;
wherein said second apparatus comprises:
a second optical device for forming optical images on said substrate;
a second image capturing device for generating second image signals; and
a second image processing unit for processing said second image signals and calculating a second detection result; and
wherein said controller:
generates a first-order component from said first detection result;
generates a second-order component from said second detection result; and
calculates said correction data from said first-order component and said second-order component.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein said lithography system further comprises an exposure device, said correction data is used to offset said exposure device.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein said first apparatus is configured to:
position a plurality of measurement points in accordance with a predetermined recipe;
obtain images from said plurality of measurement points; and
calculate a registration discrepancy for each of said plurality of measurement points to generate said first detection result.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein said calculate comprises applying a linear model to said registration discrepancies to obtain a first component of said correction data.
9. The system of claim 5, wherein said second apparatus is configured to:
position a plurality of measurement points in accordance with a predetermined recipe;
obtain images from said plurality of measurement points; and
calculate a registration discrepancy for each of said plurality of measurement points to generate said second detection result.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein said calculate comprises applying a linear model to said registration discrepancies to obtain a second component of said correction data.
11. The system of claim 5, wherein said correction data is used to correct said lithography process for a subsequent substrate in the same lot of substrates.
12. The system of claim 5, wherein said correction data is used to correct said lithography process for a subsequent lot of substrates.
13. A registration detection system, comprising:
a first registration detection device in a lithography system for detecting registration of a first resist pattern formed on a substrate to a first reference pattern;
a second registration detection device outside of said lithography system for detecting registration of said resist pattern to a second reference pattern;
a memory device coupled to said first registration detection device and said second registration detection device for storing recipes for reference patterns; and
a controller coupled to said first registration detection device and said second registration detection device;
wherein said first registration detection device comprises:
a first optical device for forming optical images on said substrate;
a first image capturing device for generating first image signals from said optical images; and
a first image processing unit for processing said first image signals and calculating a first detection result;
wherein said second registration detection device comprises:
a second optical device for forming optical images on said substrate;
a second image capturing device for generating second image signals; and
a second image processing unit for processing said second image signals and calculating a second detection result; and
wherein said controller:
generates a first-order component from said first detection result;
generates a second-order component from said second detection result; and
calculates correction data from said first-order component and said second order component.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing capability of said first registration detection device is less than the processing capability of said second registration detection device.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein said first registration detection device prioritizes processing speed over registration detection precision.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein said second registration detection device prioritizes registration detection precision over processing speed.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein said recipe comprises at least one of location data, index elements, and scan direction for a plurality of measurement points on said substrate, each recipe referencing a predetermined identification data.
18. The system of claim 13, wherein said memory device stores correction data generated by said first registration detection device andor said second registration detection device.
19. A registration detection system, comprising:
a first overlay measurement device in a substrate treatment system for generating a first data for correcting exposure process for substrates in a first lot;
a second overlay measurement device outside the substrate treatment system for generating a second data for correcting exposure process for substrates in a second lot; and
a controller coupled to said first overlay measurement device and said second overlay measurement device;
wherein said first overlay measurement device comprises:
a first optical device for forming optical images on said substrates;
a first image capturing device for generating first image signals from said optical images; and
a first image processing unit for processing said first image signals and calculating a first detection result;
wherein said second overlay measurement device comprises:
a second optical device for forming optical images on said substrates;
a second image capturing device for generating second image signals; and
a second image processing unit for processing said second image signals and calculating a second detection result; and
wherein said controller:
generates a first-order component from said first detection result;
generates a second-order component from said second detection result; and
calculates correction data from said first-order component and said second order component.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein measurement data from a plurality of substrates within said first lot are averaged to generate said first data.
21. The system of claim 19, wherein measurement data from one substrate within said first lot is used to generate said first data for correcting exposure process for a subsequent substrate in said first lot.
22. The system of claim 19, wherein said second data comprises projected value.
23. A method of measuring registration, comprising:
performing registration detection on a substrate using a first apparatus, said first apparatus being in a lithography system;
generating a first component from a first detection result by said first apparatus;
performing registration detection on said substrate using a second apparatus, said second apparatus being outside the lithography system;
generating a second component from a second detection result by said second apparatus;
calculating a correction data from said first detection result andor said second detection result;
forming optical images on said substrate via a first optical device of the first apparatus;
generating first image signals from said optical images via a first image capturing device of the first apparatus;
processing said first image signals and calculating a first detection result via a first image processing unit of the first apparatus;
forming optical images on said substrate via a second optical device of the second apparatus;
generating second image signals via a second image capturing device of the second apparatus;
processing said second image signals and calculating a second detection result via a second image processing unit of the second apparatus;
generating a first-order component from said first detection result;
generating a second-order component from said second detection result; and
calculating correction data from said first-order component and said second order component.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:
transporting said substrate to said lithography system;
applying a resist to said substrate;
exposing said resist to form an image on said resist; and
developing said resist to form said image on said substrate.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:
calculating an offset between said image and a base pattern using said first detection result; and
performing a correction using a said offset to said image prior to said exposing.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein said performing comprises:
taking measurements at a first plurality of locations on said substrate;
wherein each of said first plurality of locations comprises a first resist mark indicating a reference position in a first resist pattern and a first base mark indicating a reference position in a first base pattern.
27. The method of claim 26, further comprising calculating a first relative discrepancy between said first resist mark and said first base mark for each of said first plurality of locations.
28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:
taking measurements at a second plurality of locations on said substrate;
wherein each of said second plurality locations comprises a second resist mark indicating a reference position in a second resist pattern and a second base mark indicating a reference position in a second base pattern.
29. The method of claim 28, further comprising calculating a relative discrepancy between said second resist mark and said second base mark for each of said second plurality of locations.
30. The method of claim 28, wherein the number of said first plurality of locations differs from the number of said second plurality of locations.
31. The method of claim 23, further comprising offsetting an exposure device using said correction data.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A collapsible structure adapted to be supported on a surface and comprising:
a module having:
at least two panels, including a first panel, each panel having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material covering portions of the frame member to form the panel, the fabric material assuming the unfolded orientation of the frame member, each panel further including a first side, a second side and a top side, with the first side of one panel coupled to the second side of an adjacent panel; and
an upper panel coupled to the module, the upper panel having a bottom side removably coupled to the top side of the first panel, the upper panel having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material covering portions of the frame member of the upper panel to form the upper panel when the frame member of the upper panel is in the unfolded orientation, the fabric material of the upper panel assuming the unfolded orientation of the frame member of the upper panel;
wherein the first and upper panels are generally vertical and co-planar with each other when the structure is deployed in use; and
wherein with the frame member of the first panel is collapsible to the folded orientation by twisting and folding to form a plurality of concentric rings.
2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the module is a first module and has at least three panels, with the first side of one panel coupled to the second side of an adjacent panel, and further including a second module having:
at least two panels, which includes the upper panel, each panel of the second module having a foldable frame member having a folded and an unfolded orientation, with a fabric material substantially covering the corresponding frame member to form the corresponding panel when the corresponding frame member is in the unfolded orientation, the fabric material assuming the unfolded orientation of the corresponding frame member, each panel of the second module further including a first side, a second side and a bottom side, with the first side of one panel of the second module coupled to the second side of an adjacent panel of the second module; and
wherein the bottom sides of each panel of the second module are removably coupled to corresponding top sides of each panel of the first module.
3. The structure of claim 2, further including detachable connectors for coupling the bottom sides of each panel of the second module to corresponding top sides of each panel of the first module.
4. The structure of claim 2, wherein the structure further includes detachable connectors for coupling the first side of each panel of the second module to the second side of adjacent panels of the second module.
5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the upper panel is a first upper panel and further includes a top side, the structure further including a second upper panel having a bottom side coupled to the top side of the first upper panel.
6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the frame member of the first panel is a continuous frame member.