Method and apparatus for performing alignment using reference board

摘要

An alignment method for the of patterning a work piece in a direct write machine, wherein a reference board provided with board reference features is used to coordinate calibration of a measurement station and a writing station against a common reference. An adjusted pattern is for writing on the work piece is calculated relative to the position of the reference board.

主权项

1. A method of patterning a layer of a workpiece in a write machine, the write machine including,
a pattern writing station having a write machine coordinate system, and a measurement station having a measurement coordinate system, the measurement station being configured to measure objects on the workpiece associated with reference features of the workpiece, the workpiece being placed on a carrier stage, and the write machine being configured to move the carrier stage between the measurement station and the pattern writing station, the method comprising: a. providing a reference board attached to the carrier stage, the reference board having board reference features at nominal positions; b. measuring at least once, in the measurement station, a position of at least one of the reference features of the workpiece relative the reference board; c. calculating a transformation dependent on both the measured position(s) and nominal position(s) of the at least one of the reference feature(s) of the workpiece, the transformation describing a deviation of the measured position(s) from the nominal position(s); c1. compensating for misalignment of a pattern on the workpiece by adjusting pattern data for writing the pattern on the workpiece according to the transformation; d. moving the carrier stage with the reference board from the measurement station to the pattern writing station; and e. writing the pattern on the workpiece according to the adjusted pattern data.