Claims
- 1. An alignment apparatus comprising:
- an alignment mark including projections and recesses formed on an article under test along an alignment direction;
- an illumination optical system for irradiating a position detection light to said alignment mark;
- a width of the recess of said alignment mark along the alignment direction being selected to be smaller than three times of a wavelength of the position detection light; and
- a detection optical system for detecting a light produced from said alignment mark by the irradiation of the light.
- 2. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said alignment mark includes a plurality of patterns each having projections and recesses arranged at a first pitch along said alignment direction, and said patterns are arranged at a second pitch larger than the first pitch along said alignment direction.
- 3. An alignment apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said article under test includes a metal film deposited on the surface thereof, and said alignment mark is formed on said metal film.
- 4. An alignment apparatus comprising:
- an alignment mark having projections and recesses arranged iteratively on an article along an alignment direction;
- an illumination optical system for irradiating linearly polarized light for position detection to said alignment mark;
- a width of the recess of said alignment mark along the alignment direction being selected to be smaller than three times of a wavelength of said light for position detection; and
- a photosensitive optical system for sensing the light produced from said alignment mark by the irradiation of the light.
- 5. An alignment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said linearly polarized light for position detection is so controlled that a direction of the linear polarization on said alignment mark coincides with a predetermined direction determined depending on an iteration direction of said alignment mark.
- 6. An alignment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said linearly polarized light for position detection is so controlled that a direction of an electric vector on said alignment mark is orthogonal to the iteration direction of said alignment mark.
- 7. An alignment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said linearly polarized light for position detection is so controlled that a direction of an electric vector on said alignment mark is coincident with the iteration direction of said alignment mark.
- 8. An alignment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said illumination optical system comprises an adjusting device for use in changing the directions of the linear polarization on said alignment mark.
- 9. An alignment apparatus comprising:
- an alignment mark having projections and recesses arranged iteratively on an article along an alignment direction;
- an illumination optical system for irradiating linearly polarized light for position detection to said alignment mark, said linearly polarized light for position detection being so controlled that a direction of an electric vector on said alignment mark is orthogonal to said alignment direction; and
- a photosensitive optical system for sensing light produced from said alignment mark by the irradiation of the light.
- 10. An alignment apparatus comprising:
- an alignment mark having projections and recesses arranged iteratively on an article along an alignment direction;
- an illumination optical system for irradiating linearly polarized light for position detection to said alignment mark, said linearly polarized light for position detection being so controlled that a direction of an electric vector on said alignment mark is coincident with said alignment direction; and
- a photosensitive optical system for sensing light produced from said alignment mark by the irradiation of the light.
- 11. An alignment apparatus comprising:
- an alignment mark having projections and recesses arranged iteratively on an article along an alignment direction;
- an illumination optical system for irradiating linearly polarized light for position detection to said alignment mark, said linearly polarized light for position detection being so controlled that a direction of an electric vector on said alignment mark is orthogonal to said alignment direction; and
- said illumination optical system including an adjusting device for changing direction of the linear polarization on said alignment mark between a first direction in which an electric vector on said alignment mark is orthogonal to said alignment direction and a second direction in which the electric vector on said alignment mark is coincident with said alignment direction; and
- a photosensitive optical system for sensing light produced from said alignment mark by the irradiation of the light.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
4-085916 |
Mar 1992 |
JPX |
|
4-284370 |
Oct 1992 |
JPX |
|
5-012188 |
Jan 1993 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/187,493 filed Jan. 28, 1994, which is a continuation-in-part of the application Ser. No. 08/026,575 filed Mar. 5, 1993, both abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
4962318 |
Nishi |
Oct 1990 |
|
5151750 |
Magome et al. |
Sep 1992 |
|
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
187493 |
Jan 1994 |
|
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
26575 |
Mar 1993 |
|