The instant disclosure includes an alignment system. The alignment system includes a first set of alignment marks, a second set of alignment marks, and a third set of alignment marks. The first, second and third alignment marks correspondingly includes a plurality of segments separated into groups. Each of the group being symmetric to a respective other group. The third set of alignment marks are diagonal to the first set of alignment marks and the second set of alignment marks.

In a method of controlling a lithographic apparatus, historical performance measurements are used to calculate a process model relating to a lithographic process. Current positions of a plurality of alignment marks provided on a current substrate are measured and used to calculate a substrate model relating to a current substrate. Additionally, historical position measurements obtained at the time of processing the prior substrates are used with the historical performance measurements to calculate a model mapping. The model mapping is applied to modify the substrate model. The lithographic apparatus is controlled using the process model and the modified substrate model together. Overlay performance is improved by avoiding over- or under-correction of correlated components of the process model and the substrate model. The model mapping may be a subspace mapping, and dimensionality of the model mapping may be reduced, before it is used.

Disclosed is a silicon wafer processing device; a pre-aligned optical assembly and an edge exposure assembly are provided on a synchronous bi-directional motion module, reducing the occupied space of the device and saving the installation cost; and furthermore, a synchronous bi-directional motion module, a rotation unit and a position compensation unit on a bottom plate are controlled by means of a control assembly, so as to reduce the operational complexity; and moreover, the synchronous bi-directional motion module is controlled to drive the pre-aligned optical assembly and the edge exposure assembly to simultaneously move, so that the operations of pre-aligning and edge exposure can be performed on silicon wafers of different sizes, thereby saving the switching time and increasing the work efficiency. Further disclosed is a method for processing a silicon wafer using a silicon wafer processing device.

Provided is a lithography apparatus capable of detecting the abnormal holding of an original in a shorter period of time. The lithography apparatus is configured to form a pattern on a substrate through use of the original, and includes: a holding unit configured to hold the original on which a first mark is formed; a measuring unit configured to pick up an image of the first mark; and a control unit configured to: cause the measuring unit to obtain the image of the first mark on the original held by the holding unit with a focus position of the measuring unit being adjusted to a reference position; and determine that the original is being abnormally held by the holding unit when a change in a first contrast, which is a contrast of the image of the first mark with respect to a reference contrast, falls out of an allowable range.

The invention relates to a method for detecting the position of a mask holder for photolithographic masks, said method including the following steps: positioning the mask holder with the mask on a measuring table of a measurement apparatus, measuring the mask holder by use of an algorithm, storing the absolute position of the mask holder on the measuring table, and recording and storing at least one reference image.

A wafer alignment apparatus includes a light source, a light detection device, and a rotation device configured to rotate a wafer. The light source is configured to provide a light directed to the wafer. The light detection device is configured to detect reflected light intensity from the wafer to locate at least one wafer alignment mark of wafer alignment marks separated by a plurality of angles. At least two of those angles are equal.

A lithographic technique that involves obtaining values of parameters of a substrate deformation model, wherein the values are based on positional data obtained from an alignment system for a lithographic apparatus; modifying the values using a mapping operation, wherein the mapping operation is based on a correlation found between the parameters and overlay data for a previous set of substrates; and generating, based on the modified values, electronic data adapted to configure the lithographic apparatus.

An edge exposure apparatus and method are disclosed. The edge exposure apparatus includes: a base frame (1); an edge exposure unit (2) mounted on the base frame and configured to perform an edge exposure process on a wafer; a pre-alignment unit (3) for centering and orienting the wafer and cooperating with the edge exposure unit (2) in the edge exposure process; a cassette unit (4) for storing and detecting the wafer; a robotic arm (5) for transferring the wafer; and a master control unit (6) for controlling the above components of the edge exposure apparatus. The edge exposure unit (2) and the pre-alignment unit (3) share a common worktable, resulting in structural compactness. Alternatively, two pre-alignment units (3) and two edge exposure units (2) may be included in order to increase processing efficiency.

The invention relates to an alignment apparatus for aligning a substrate, and a substrate processing system comprising such alignment apparatus. The alignment apparatus comprises an alignment base for supporting said substrate and/or a substrate support member, and a force generating device for applying a contact force on said substrate. The force generating device comprises: an arm comprising a rigid proximal end a rigid distal end provided with a contact section for contacting an edge of said substrate, and an elastically deformable arm section extending between the rigid proximal and distal ends, a connection part connecting said rigid proximal end to said alignment base, said arm being movable with respect to said alignment base via said connection part, and an actuator for acting on and causing a displacement of said rigid proximal end,
whereby said contact force, defined by said elastically deformable arm section, is applied to said substrate by said contact section.

A lithographic process includes clamping a substrate onto a substrate support, measuring positions across the clamped substrate, and applying a pattern to the clamped substrate using the positions measured. A correction is applied to the positioning of the applied pattern in localized regions of the substrate, based on recognition of a warp-induced characteristic in the positions measured across the substrate. The correction may be generated by inferring one or more shape characteristics of the warped substrate using the measured positions and other information. Based on the one or more inferred shape characteristics, a clamping model is applied to simulate deformation of the warped substrate in response to clamping. A correction is calculated based on the simulated deformation.