JP2003028673A - Optical encoder, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, device manufacturing method, semiconductor manufacturing plant and maintaining method for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the read error of an encoder signal caused from contamination or the like adhered when detecting a position with an optical encoder and improve an operation rate to then reduce production of a defective element. SOLUTION: The optical encoder comprises a scale 115 placed at either a fixed part or a movable part relatively activated to the fixed part and a detecting part 114 optically detecting a scale placed on the other part, and then measures the position of the movable part from the detection result of the detecting part 114. A plurality of air nozzles 122 to eliminate the dirt adhered at a near area to the scale 115 and the detecting part 114 are placed. The nozzle at the top end in a progressive direction is selected from among a plurality of air nozzles 122 a, b placed at the detecting part 114 and then air is ejected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an optical encoder, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and device manufacturing for projecting and exposing a semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing pattern on a reticle onto a semiconductor wafer through the projection optical system using the optical encoder. The present invention relates to a method, a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus maintenance method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, circuit patterns are becoming finer in accordance with the higher integration of VLSI, and in order to burn the fine pattern of the stepper accordingly, zoom driving of the illuminating lens and superposition of fine patterns are performed. High precision is also required for the drive precision of the movable part such as the positioning drive of the wafer stage and the positioning drive of the reticle stage which influence the precision. In current semiconductor exposure equipment, laser interferometers are used especially in parts requiring high accuracy, but laser interferometers are extremely expensive and require a large installation space. Optical encoders are often used as means.

However, as described above, the required accuracy of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is increased, so that the optical encoder has high accuracy.
Higher resolution has been demanded. Currently, the pitch of scales used in optical encoders extends to the micron to sub-micron level, and it is necessary to pay close attention to the handling of optical encoders.

[0004]

In optical encoders of recent years, glass and resin materials are often used for the scale and the detection section due to the effects of cost, accuracy, productivity, etc. However, due to the characteristics of the materials, Contamination in the atmosphere is likely to adhere due to charging and the like. As described in the above-mentioned conventional example, due to the high precision and high resolution of the optical encoder, the pitch of the scale is becoming extremely small. Therefore, minute contamination existing in the atmosphere and sliding parts of mechanical parts are present. If the contamination from the above adheres to the scale and the detection unit of the optical encoder, the scale cannot be discriminated or erroneous detection is caused, and a measurement error or a measurement value is fooled.

As a result, in an exposure apparatus that uses a large number of optical encoders, if an error occurs during operation, the operating rate of the apparatus will decrease, and problems such as manufacturing defective elements due to erroneous detection of position measurement will occur. .

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an optical system is provided to prevent contamination from entering by preventing the scale from entering the contaminants by making the scale and the detecting portion of the optical encoder a closed space. The method of is also considered. However, with a relatively compact structure such as a rotary encoder, it is relatively easy to make it a closed space, but with a linear encoder, if you try to make the scale and the surroundings of the detection unit a closed space, the encoder will be structurally large. It gets complicated. Even if the optical system has a structure that is less susceptible to contamination, it may exceed the allowable range of the optical system depending on the size of contamination and the degree of adhesion of contamination, resulting in a detection error.

The present invention solves the above problems of the prior art,
An object of the present invention is to eliminate an encoder signal reading error caused by adhesion of contaminants when position detection is performed by an optical encoder. Furthermore, it is an object to improve the operating rate and reduce the production of defective elements when manufacturing semiconductor devices.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a scale provided on either one of a fixed portion and a movable portion that moves relative to the fixed portion, and a scale provided on the other. In the optical encoder that has a detection unit that optically detects the position of the movable portion based on the detection result, and a plurality of dust removal mechanisms for removing dust adhering to the vicinity of the scale and the detection unit. It is characterized by having.

As a concrete structure of the dust removing mechanism, when an air supply means is provided, the scale portion and the detection portion are
The air ejected from an air nozzle that serves as an air supply unit is attached so as to be blown toward the surfaces of the scale and the detection unit. Then, when the scale of the encoder is detected by the detection unit, the supply air is blown from the cleaning air nozzle unit to blow away the contaminants attached to the scale and the detection unit.

Further, in the optical encoder of the present invention, it is preferable to add a state control function for controlling the operating state of the dust removing mechanism depending on the operating state of the movable portion. For example,
By providing a plurality of air nozzles and controlling the amount of air jetted from the air nozzles, it is possible to supply the required amount of air when necessary and reduce the operating cost. It is desirable to use clean dry air as the supply air, and the components of the supply air are preferably nitrogen gas, ionized nitrogen gas and the like.

Further, in the optical encoder of the present invention, it is preferable to provide a selection function for selecting a dust removing mechanism to be used from a plurality of dust removing mechanisms. For example, when the dust removing mechanism is provided at the tip of each movable direction of the detection unit, the dust removing mechanism provided at the tip of the moving direction is selected, and air is blown out to adjust the scale on the scale. It is possible to always remove the dust in the portion that the detection unit attempts to detect.

When the movable part and the fixed part move relatively uniaxially, the detecting part measures the position of the moving part in the moving axis direction by optically detecting the scale marked on a straight line while moving. be able to.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate detection errors and erroneous detections due to contamination in the specification environment of the optical encoder. As a result, even in an apparatus that requires extremely high positioning accuracy such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a decrease in the operation rate of the apparatus due to a measurement error due to the influence of contamination of the optical encoder, manufacturing of defective elements, etc. The problem can be reduced.

Further, according to the present invention, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device through a process of exposing a pattern of an original plate onto a substrate, the optical encoder of the present invention described above is used to position the original plate or the substrate. It is characterized by performing.

As a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, an exposure apparatus, a resist processing apparatus, an etching apparatus, a heat treatment apparatus, a film forming apparatus, a flattening apparatus, an assembling apparatus, an inspection apparatus, etc. are used. In particular, it is preferably applied to an exposure device that requires precise positioning. Specifically, in an exposure apparatus, a reticle stage or a wafer stage that mounts an original plate or a substrate and positions it on the optical axis of exposure light is a movable part, and a structure holding these stages is a fixed part, or When the stage is a structure in which a plurality of stages are combined, such as an X stage and a Y stage, the present invention may be applied by regarding one stage as a movable part and the other as a fixed part.

The manufacturing apparatus further includes a display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network software.
The maintenance information of the manufacturing apparatus may be data-communicable via a computer network. The network software preferably provides a user interface on the display for connecting to the external network of the factory where the manufacturing equipment is installed and providing a user interface for accessing the maintenance database provided by the manufacturing equipment vendor or user, and connecting the external network to the external network. It is possible to get information from the database through.

The semiconductor device manufacturing method of the present invention comprises a step of installing a manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using this manufacturing apparatus group. And a step of manufacturing. At that time, information relating to at least one of the manufacturing apparatus groups may be data-communicated between the step of connecting the manufacturing apparatus groups by the local area network and the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory. The database provided by the vendor of the manufacturing equipment or the user is accessed via the external network to obtain the maintenance information of the manufacturing equipment through the data communication, or the external network is established between the semiconductor manufacturing factory and another semiconductor manufacturing factory. You may carry out data communication via and may perform production control.

The semiconductor manufacturing plant of the present invention includes a manufacturing device group for various processes including the manufacturing device of the present invention, a local area network connecting this manufacturing device group, and an external network outside the factory from this local area network. It has an accessible gateway and enables data communication of information regarding at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group.

The maintenance method of the device manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is
A method of maintaining a manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, comprising: a manufacturing apparatus vendor or a user providing a maintenance database connected to an external network of the semiconductor manufacturing factory; The method is characterized by including a step of permitting access to the maintenance database via an external network and a step of transmitting the maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing factory side via the external network.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example in which an optical encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention is used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus positions a lamp unit 101, which is a light source, an illumination system 102 that shapes light from the lamp unit 101 as exposure light, and a reticle 104, which is an original plate of exposure, on an optical axis. Reticle stage 1
05, a reduction projection lens 107 for projecting the image of the reticle 104, a wafer stage 106 for mounting a wafer 108 for printing the image of the reticle 104 and positioning it on the optical axis, and a structure 103 for supporting the respective structures. It consists of

The reticle stage 105 is composed of an X stage that moves in the x-axis direction and a Y stage that moves in the y-axis direction. The coordinates of the reticle stage 105 are
The x and y axes are set to coordinates that are orthogonal to each other,
By driving the reticle stage 105, the position of the reticle 104 is moved and positioned in the optical axis AX direction of the reduction projection lens 107 and a direction along a plane orthogonal to the optical axis AX.

The wafer stage 106 moves X in the x-axis direction.
It is composed of a stage, a Y stage that moves in the y-axis direction, and a tilt stage that rotates around an axis parallel to the z-axis direction and each of the x, y, and z-axis directions. The coordinates of the wafer stage 106 are set such that the x, y, and z axes are orthogonal to each other, and the wafer stage 106 is driven to move the position of the wafer 108 to the optical axis AX of the reduction projection lens 107. Direction and the positioning operation of moving in the direction along the plane orthogonal to the optical axis AX, and the tilt plane with respect to the circuit pattern image is also adjusted and operated.

FIG. 2 shows the detailed structure of a reticle X stage equipped with the optical encoder of the present invention, where B--A in the drawing shows the direction of the x axis. Further, the reticle Y stage and the wafer X stage and Y stage have the same structure, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 111 denotes an X stage (movable part) formed in the reticle stage 105 shown in FIG.
Is. The X stage 111 is supported by a linear guide 112, which is a fixed portion, and is driven by a motor 113. Reference numeral 114 is a detection unit 114 provided with air supply means of the optical encoder of the present invention. The detection unit 114 sends an encoder signal obtained by converting the pattern of the scale (scale) 115 to an electric signal to the preamplifier 116, and the encoder signal amplified and shaped by the preamplifier 116 is input to the controller 117. The controller 117 reads the encoder signal received from the preamplifier 116, recognizes the current position of the X stage 111, calculates drive data up to the target position of the X stage 111, and sends the drive data to the motor driver 118. Further, the controller 117 has a state control function of determining the operating status of the stage and sending a control signal to the pneumatic control circuit 119 to control the clean dry air supply amount of the encoder detection unit 114. The motor driver 118 drives the motor 113 according to the drive data from the controller 117 to move the X stage 111 to the target position.

3A and 3B show the structure of the detection unit having the air supply means of the optical encoder of this embodiment. FIG. 3A is a front view, FIG. 3B is a bottom view, and FIG. 3C is a side view. Show each.
The lower surface shown in FIG. 3B is the surface facing the scale 115.

The high-pressure clean dry air supplied from the pneumatic control circuit 119 is supplied to the flexible pipe 121a,
Nozzle A122 that is supplied to the detection unit 114 through b and is provided in the traveling direction of the detection unit (the tip in the movable direction).
a, jetted from the nozzle B122b. As a result, the surfaces of the LED light emitting portion 123 and the light detecting portion 124 built in the encoder scale 115 and the detecting portion 114 are blown with air, so that contamination can be prevented. The clean dry air to the nozzles A122a and B122b is supplied from the pneumatic control circuit 119. The supply amount from the air pressure control circuit 119 is controlled by the controller 117. The above configuration is the same for the reticle Y stage.

The operation of the present invention will be described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. From FIG. 1, when exposing a semiconductor pattern on the wafer 108 in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, first,
A reticle 104, which is an original plate of a semiconductor pattern, is set on a reticle stage 105 of the apparatus. Further, the wafer 108 is supplied onto the wafer stage 106 including the X and Y stages. The wafer 108 and the reticle 104 are set on the apparatus and ready for exposure. When the apparatus is ready for exposure, the shutter operates in the light source device, and the exposure light is output from the lamp unit 101. The exposure light output from the lamp unit 101 of the light source device is optically shaped by the illumination system 102 of the device so as to uniformly illuminate the surface of the reticle 104, and is guided to the reticle 104. The pattern of the reticle 104 is reduced by the reduction projection lens 107 and is exposed on the wafer 108. When the exposure is completed, the wafer stage 106 moves and another shot is exposed again. This exposure operation is performed on the entire surface of the wafer 108 to complete the exposure of one wafer.

The air blow sequence of the optical encoder of this embodiment concerning this exposure operation will be described in detail using the reticle X stage 111. Since the sequence of the reticle Y stage and the like is similar, the description thereof will be omitted.

The reticle 104 is the reticle stage 105.
When installed in the controller 1, a drive command is issued from the operation controller (not shown) to the controller 117. The controller 117 has a selection function, and when the drive command is the direction A, the controller 117 determines that the moving direction of the X stage 111 is the direction A, and causes the nozzle A122a to ionize the nitrogen gas and ionize the pneumatic control circuit 119. Send a command to supply clean dry air such as nitrogen gas. On the other hand, when the driving direction of the reticle X stage 111 is the B direction, the nozzle B122b is selected. The pneumatic control circuit 119 supplies clean dry air to the nozzle A 122a corresponding to the moving direction of the X stage 111, and blows air toward the encoder scale 115. Next, the controller 117 sends drive data to the motor driver 118 based on the drive command for the X stage 111, drives the motor 113, and drives the X stage 111. During the driving of the X stage 111, the controller 117 constantly monitors the encoder signal to calculate the motor control data so that the driving of the X stage 111 is suitable for the set speed-position profile, and outputs the driving data to the motor driver 118. Have been updated. When the X stage 111 reaches the target position, the controller 117 sends motor drive stop data to the motor driver 118 to stop the motor 113. Next, the controller 117 sends a command to stop the supply of clean dry air to the pneumatic control circuit 119, and the air blow sequence of the reticle X stage 111 ends.
The above operation is shown in the sequence flowchart of FIG.
The operation will be described below with reference to FIG.

(Control Cycle) In step 1, a start command for adjusting the position of the reticle 104 is issued. In step 2, the controller 117 causes the air pressure control circuit 11 to
A command to supply clean dry air corresponding to the driving direction to 9 is issued. In step 3, the controller 117
Drive data is sent from the motor driver 118 to the motor driver 118 to start driving the X stage 111. In step 4, while the motor 113 is being driven, the controller 117 monitors the encoder signal amplified and waveform-shaped by the encoder preamplifier 116, and the motor driver 118 so that the X stage 111 is driven with a predetermined drive profile. Send the driving data to. In step 5, controller 117
Monitors the encoder signal from the encoder preamplifier 116 and determines the end of the position adjustment of the reticle 104. If the position adjustment of the reticle 104 is completed, step 6
If not, the process returns to step 4. Step 6
After the position adjustment of reticle 104 is completed, controller 117 issues a drive stop instruction to motor driver 118 to stop motor 113. In step 7, it is confirmed that the motor 113 has stopped, and the air pressure control circuit 11
9 Stop the supply of clean air to clean the reticle X
The start command for the stage reticle position adjustment ends.

The above operation is carried out also for the reticle Y stage, and is carried out simultaneously with the reticle X stage.

In the present embodiment, the reticle X stage 111 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the same configuration and sequence are applied to the X and Y stages of the wafer stage 106, for example. It is possible.

<Example of Semiconductor Production System> Next, an example of a production system of semiconductor devices (semiconductor chips such as IC and LSI, liquid crystal panels, CCDs, thin film magnetic heads, micromachines, etc.) will be described. This is for maintenance services such as troubleshooting and regular maintenance of manufacturing equipment installed in semiconductor manufacturing plants, or software provision.
This is done using a computer network outside the manufacturing plant.

FIG. 5 shows the entire system cut out from a certain angle. In the figure, 301 is a vendor that provides semiconductor device manufacturing equipment (equipment supplier)
It is a business office of. As an example of the manufacturing apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for various processes used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, for example, pre-process equipment (exposure apparatus, resist processing apparatus, lithography apparatus such as etching apparatus, heat treatment apparatus, film forming apparatus, planarization apparatus) Equipment) and post-process equipment (assembling equipment, inspection equipment, etc.). In the business office 301, a host management system 3 that provides a maintenance database for manufacturing equipment
08, a plurality of operation terminal computers 310, and a local area network (LAN) 309 that connects these to construct an intranet. Host management system 3
08 is provided with a gateway for connecting the LAN 309 to the Internet 305, which is an external network of the office, and a security function for restricting access from the outside.

On the other hand, 302 to 304 are manufacturing factories of semiconductor manufacturing manufacturers who are users of manufacturing equipment. The manufacturing factories 302 to 304 may be factories belonging to different manufacturers or may be factories belonging to the same manufacturer (for example, a factory for pre-process, a factory for post-process, etc.). In each of the factories 302 to 304, a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 306 and a local area network (LAN) 311 that connects them and constructs an intranet, respectively.
And a host management system 307 as a monitoring device for monitoring the operating status of each manufacturing device 306. Host management system 3 provided in each factory 302-304
07 includes a gateway for connecting the LAN 311 in each factory to the Internet 305, which is an external network of the factory. As a result, the host management system 308 on the vendor 301 side can be accessed from the LAN 311 of each factory via the Internet 305, and only the limited user is permitted to access due to the security function of the host management system 308. Specifically, each manufacturing device 3 is connected via the Internet 305.
In addition to notifying the vendor of the status information indicating the operating status of 06 (for example, a symptom of a manufacturing apparatus in which a trouble has occurred) from the factory side, response information corresponding to the notification (for example,
It is possible to receive maintenance information such as information instructing how to deal with troubles, software and data for dealing with troubles, latest software, and help information from the vendor side. A communication protocol (TCP / IP) generally used on the Internet is used for data communication between each factory 302 to 304 and the vendor 301 and data communication on the LAN 311 in each factory. Instead of using the Internet as an external network outside the factory, it is also possible to use a leased line network (ISDN or the like) which is highly secure without being accessed by a third party. Further, the host management system is not limited to the one provided by the vendor, and a user may construct a database and place it on an external network so that the user can access the database from a plurality of factories.

Now, FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the entire system of this embodiment cut out from an angle different from that shown in FIG. In the above example, a plurality of user factories each provided with a manufacturing apparatus and a management system of the vendor of the manufacturing apparatus are connected by an external network, and production management of each factory or at least one unit of the factory is performed via the external network. The information of the manufacturing apparatus was data-communicated. On the other hand, in this example,
A factory equipped with manufacturing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors and a management system of a vendor of each of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses are connected by an external network outside the factory, and maintenance information of each manufacturing apparatus is data-communicated. In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a manufacturing plant of a manufacturing device user (semiconductor device manufacturing maker), and a manufacturing device for performing various processes on a manufacturing line of the factory, here, as an example, an exposure device 202, a resist processing device 203, a film forming processing device. 204 has been introduced. Although only one manufacturing factory 201 is shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of factories are actually networked in the same manner. The respective devices in the factory are connected by a LAN 206 to form an intranet, and the host management system 205 manages the operation of the manufacturing line. Meanwhile, the exposure apparatus manufacturer 210,
Resist processing equipment manufacturer 220, film deposition equipment manufacturer 2
Each of the business establishments of vendors (device supply manufacturers) such as 30 is provided with host management systems 211, 221, and 231 for performing remote maintenance of the supplied equipment, respectively. These are maintenance databases and gateways of external networks as described above. Equipped with. The host management system 205 that manages each device in the user's manufacturing plant and the vendor management systems 211, 221, 231 of each device are
The external network 200 is connected to the Internet or a leased line network. In this system, if a trouble occurs in any of the series of manufacturing equipment on the manufacturing line, the operation of the manufacturing line is suspended, but the vendor of the equipment in trouble receives remote maintenance via the Internet 200. This enables quick response and minimizes production line downtime.

Each manufacturing apparatus installed in the semiconductor manufacturing factory has a display, a network interface, and a computer for executing the network access software and the apparatus operation software stored in the storage device. The storage device is a built-in memory, a hard disk, or a network file server. The network access software includes a dedicated or general-purpose web browser, and provides a user interface having a screen as shown in FIG. 7 on the display. The operator who manages the manufacturing apparatus at each factory refers to the screen, and the manufacturing apparatus model (401), serial number (402), trouble subject (403), date of occurrence (404), urgency (4)
05), symptom (406), coping method (407), progress (4)
08) etc. is input to the input items on the screen. The input information is transmitted to the maintenance database via the Internet, and the appropriate maintenance information as a result is returned from the maintenance database and presented on the display. The user interface provided by the web browser is a hyperlink function (410-412) as shown in the figure.
The operator can access more detailed information on each item, pull out the latest version of software used in the manufacturing equipment from the software library provided by the vendor, and use the operation guide (help information for the factory operator's reference). ) Can be withdrawn.

Next, a semiconductor device manufacturing process using the above-described production system will be described. FIG. 8 shows a flow of the whole manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. In step 11 (circuit design), a semiconductor device circuit is designed. In step 12 (mask production), a mask having the designed circuit pattern is produced. On the other hand, in step 13 (wafer manufacturing), a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon. Step 14 (wafer process) is called a pre-process, and using the mask and wafer prepared above,
The actual circuit is formed on the wafer by lithography. The next step 15 (assembly) is called a post process,
This is a process of forming a semiconductor chip using the wafer manufactured in step 14, and includes an assembly process such as an assembly process (dicing, bonding) and a packaging process (chip encapsulation). In step 16 (inspection), the semiconductor device manufactured in step 15 undergoes inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test. Through these steps, semiconductor devices are completed and shipped (step 1
7) Do. The front-end process and the back-end process are performed in separate dedicated factories, and maintenance is performed for each of these factories by the remote maintenance system described above. Information for production management and device maintenance is also data-communicated between the front-end factory and the back-end factory via the Internet or the leased line network.

FIG. 9 shows a detailed flow of the wafer process. In step 21 (oxidation), the surface of the wafer is oxidized. In step 22 (CVD), an insulating film is formed on the wafer surface. In step 23 (electrode formation), electrodes are formed on the wafer by vapor deposition. In step 24 (ion implantation), ions are implanted in the wafer. Step 25
In (resist processing), a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer. In step 26 (exposure), the circuit pattern of the mask is printed and exposed on the wafer by the above-described exposure apparatus. In step 27 (development), the exposed wafer is developed. In step 28 (etching), parts other than the developed resist image are scraped off. In step 29 (resist stripping), the resist that is no longer needed after etching is removed. By repeating these steps, multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer. Since the manufacturing apparatus used in each step uses the optical encoder described above where precise positioning of the wafer or resist is required, the yield in semiconductor device manufacturing can be improved. In addition, since each manufacturing equipment is maintained by the remote maintenance system described above, troubles can be prevented in advance, and even if a trouble occurs, quick recovery can be performed, and the productivity of semiconductor devices can be improved compared to the past. Can be improved.

[0040]

According to the present invention, the scale and the detecting portion can be cleaned when the position is detected by the optical encoder. As a result, it is possible to eliminate the read error of the encoder signal due to the adhesion of contaminants. In addition, when a semiconductor device is manufactured using the optical encoder, it is possible to improve the operating rate and reduce the manufacturing of defective elements.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial schematic diagram showing a device configuration of a reticle X stage having the features of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a detection unit of an optical linear encoder to which an air supply unit is attached.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the optical linear encoder according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual view of a semiconductor device production system viewed from an angle.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual view of the semiconductor device production system viewed from another angle.

FIG. 7 is a specific example of a user interface.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a device manufacturing process.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a wafer process.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: lamp part, 102: illumination system, 103: structure, 104: reticle, 105: reticle stage, 1
06: wafer stage, 107: reduction projection lens, 10
8: Wafer, 111: Reticle X stage, 112: Stage guide, 113: Motor, 114: Optical encoder detector, 115: Optical encoder scale, 11
6: Encoder preamplifier, 117: Controller, 1
18: motor driver, 119: pneumatic control circuit, 121
a: pipe A, 121b: pipe B, 122a: nozzle A,
122b: Nozzle B, 123: LED light emitting part, 124:
Light detector.

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A scale provided on any one of a fixed part and a movable part driven relative to the fixed part, and a detection part provided on the other side for optically detecting the scale. In the optical encoder for measuring the position of the movable portion based on the detection result, an optical encoder having a plurality of dust removing mechanisms for removing dust adhering to the vicinity of the scale and the detecting portion. Encoder. 2. The optical encoder according to claim 1, further comprising a state control function for controlling an operating state of the dust removing mechanism according to a driving state of the movable portion. 3. The optical encoder according to claim 1, further comprising a selection function of selecting a dust removing mechanism to be used from the plurality of dust removing mechanisms. 4. The optical encoder according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing mechanism is provided at a tip end in each movable direction of the detection unit. 5. The selection function is for selecting a dust removal mechanism at a tip end in a direction in which the detection unit advances when the movable unit is driven to activate the dust removal mechanism. 4. The optical encoder according to item 4. 6. The optical encoder according to claim 1, wherein the movable portion and the fixed portion move uniaxially relative to each other. 7. The optical encoder according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing mechanism is an air supply unit that removes the dust by air blow. 8. The optical encoder according to claim 7, wherein the state control function controls the amount of air jetted from the air supply means according to the driving state of the movable portion. 9. The optical encoder according to claim 7, wherein clean dry air is used as the supply air for the air blow. 10. The optical encoder according to claim 7, wherein nitrogen gas is used as the supply air. 11. The optical encoder according to claim 7, wherein ionized nitrogen gas is used as the supply air. 12. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus used when manufacturing a semiconductor device through various processes including a process of exposing a pattern of an original plate on a substrate, wherein:
A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus characterized by using the optical encoder according to claim 1 to position the original plate or the substrate. 13. A step of installing a manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12 in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and a step of manufacturing a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using the manufacturing apparatus group. A device manufacturing method comprising: 14. Data communication of information relating to at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group between a step of connecting the manufacturing apparatus group by a local area network and between the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory. 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: 15. A database provided by a vendor or a user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is accessed through the external network to obtain maintenance information of the manufacturing apparatus by data communication, or a semiconductor manufacturing different from the semiconductor manufacturing factory. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein production control is performed by data communication with a factory via the external network. 16. A manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, a local area network connecting the manufacturing apparatus group, and an external network outside the factory accessible from the local area network. A semiconductor manufacturing factory having a gateway for enabling data communication of information regarding at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group. 17. The method according to claim 1, which is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
2. The method for maintaining a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to 2, wherein a vendor or a user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provides a maintenance database connected to an external network of a semiconductor manufacturing factory, Semiconductor manufacturing, comprising: a step of permitting access to the maintenance database via a network; and a step of transmitting maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to a semiconductor manufacturing factory side via the external network. How to maintain the equipment. 18. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network software, and data communication of the maintenance information of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus via a computer network. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment that has made it possible. 19. The network software comprises:
Provided on the display is a user interface for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or a user of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, which is connected to an external network of a factory in which the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed.
19. The device according to claim 18, enabling information to be obtained from the database via the external network.