A measuring device includes an illumination system configured to radiate light to a measuring target object located on an object plane, an image formation system configured to form a conjugate plane optically conjugate with the object plane, a diffracted light restricting part configured to restrict at least some of a plurality of rays of diffracted light from the measuring target object and to pass a first diffracted light and a second diffracted light different from the first diffracted light among the plurality of rays of diffracted light, and an imaging part disposed on the conjugate plane and configured to image a periodic light and dark pattern formed by the first diffracted light and the second diffracted light.

A method of pattern alignment is provided. The method includes identifying a reference pattern positioned below a working surface of a wafer. The wafer is exposed to a first pattern of actinic radiation. The first pattern is a first component of a composite pattern. The first pattern of actinic radiation is aligned using the reference pattern. The wafer is exposed to a second pattern of actinic radiation. The second pattern is a second component of the composite pattern and exposed adjacent to the first pattern. The second pattern of actinic radiation is aligned with the first pattern of actinic radiation using the reference pattern.

An apparatus for measuring a position of a mark on a substrate, the apparatus comprising: an illumination system configured to condition at least one radiation beam to form a plurality of illumination spots spatially distributed in series such that during scanning of the substrate the plurality of illumination spots are incident on the mark sequentially, and a projection system configured to project radiation diffracted by the mark from the substrate, the diffracted radiation being produced by diffraction of the plurality of illumination spots by the mark; wherein the projection system is further configured to modulate the diffracted radiation and project the modulated radiation onto a detecting system configured to produce signals corresponding to each of the plurality of illumination spots, the signals being combined to determine the position of the mark.

A semiconductor structure includes a device area that includes a first structure in a first layer having a top surface above a top surface of the first layer, and a second structure in a second layer on top of the first layer, where the first structure is pinned in the second structure; an overlay metrology area for optically evaluating an overlay error between the second and first structure, including: a third structure in the first layer, having a top surface above the top surface of the first layer, a fourth structure in the second layer, where the combination of the third and fourth structures mimics the combination of the first structure and the second structures, and a fifth structure in the first layer, for use as a reference structure.

A method for aligning and bringing a first substrate into contact with a second substrate as well as a corresponding device with at least four detection units wherein: at least two first detection units can move at least in the X-direction and in the Y-direction, and at least two second detection units can move exclusively in the Z-direction.

According to one embodiment, an exposure device includes a stage, a measurement device, and a control device. For exposing a substrate, the control device calculates a first coefficient corresponding to a magnification positional misalignment in a first direction and a second coefficient corresponding to a magnification positional misalignment in a second direction based on measurement of at least three alignment marks. The control device can use the first coefficient to correct the magnification positional misalignment in the first direction and a third coefficient set based on the first correction coefficient to correct the magnification positional misalignment in the second direction. The control device can use a fourth coefficient set based on the second coefficient to correct the magnification positional misalignment in the first direction and the second coefficient to correct the magnification positional misalignment in the second direction.

The present invention provides a detection apparatus for detecting a position of a detection target including a diffraction grating pattern, comprising: an illuminator configured to illuminate the detection target with illumination light including a plurality of wavelengths; a wavelength selector including an incident surface on which diffracted light from the detection target is incident, and configured to select light of a specific wavelength from the diffracted light; and a detector configured to receive the light of the specific wavelength selected by the wavelength selector and detect the position of the detection target, wherein positions on the incident surface where light components of the plurality of wavelengths included in the illumination light are incident are different from each other, and wherein the wavelength selector controls each of the plurality of elements in accordance with the position on the incident surface.

A mark field, having at least two location marks with information for the location of the respective location mark in the mark field, and at least one position mark, which is or can be assigned to one of the location marks. Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for determining X-Y positions of structural features of structures arranged on a substrate, wherein the X-Y positions relative to the mark field, which is fixed with respect to the substrate, can be determined. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding method.

A position determining device includes a first lighting unit configured to emit light to an edge portion of a rotating substrate and a second lighting unit configured to emit light to at least one mark on a surface of the substrate. The alignment device further includes a light receiving unit disposed on a side corresponding to the surface of the substrate and configured to receive light that is emitted from the first lighting unit and then passes through a region outside the substrate and to receive light that is emitted from the second lighting unit and then reflected from the at least one mark. The position of the substrate is determined based on a result of light reception by the light receiving unit.

The present invention provides a lithography apparatus for performing a process of transferring a pattern of an original to each of shot regions two-dimensionally arrayed on a substrate, including a stage that moves while holding one of the substrate and the original, a measurement unit configured to measure, when performing the process, a positional shift amount between a mark provided on the original and a mark provided in each of the shot regions, and a control unit configured to control the process for the shot region so that after the process is performed successively for a plurality of first shot regions included in a first row, the process is performed successively for a plurality of second shot regions included in a second row adjacent to the first row.