Moiré fringe alignment using composite circular-line gratings for proximity lithography

We explore the feasibility of a controllable and easy-to-implement moiré-based composite circular-line gratings imaging scheme for optical alignment in proximity lithography. One circular grating and four line gratings located on both the mask alignment mark and wafer alignment mark are used to realize the coarse alignment and fine alignment respectively. The fundamental derivation of coarse alignment employing circular gratings and fine alignment employing line gratings are given. Any displacement of misalignment that occurs at the surface of two overlapped gratings can be sensed and determined through subsequent fringe phase analysis without the influence of the gap between the mask and the wafer or wafer process. The design and manufacture process of the alignment marks are presented. The experimental results validate and demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.