JP2002107137A - Method for controlling inspection stage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To constitute an apparatus which ensures high positional accuracy for an inspection stage used in an inspecting apparatus, a repairing apparatus or the like, and which is low cost and superior in maintenability. SOLUTION: A movement correction amount, corresponding to moving amount from a stage home position of the inspection stage 12, with a substrate 10 loaded, is stored in a storage device 19 as a recipe to be used, when the substrate 10 is moved. The movement correction amount, corresponding to designated coordinate data, is read out from the storage device 19 for substrates 10 of the same identical kind and is added to the coordinate data. The substrates 10 are moved, in accordance with the coordinate data with the movement correction amount added thereto.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an inspection stage used in an inspection device or a repair device used in a semiconductor production line or a liquid crystal panel production line, and more particularly to an inspection stage capable of highly accurate coordinate movement. And a positioning control method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various inspection apparatuses and repair apparatuses used in semiconductor production lines and liquid crystal panel production lines. In recent years, the number of production lines has been increased and the size of masks has been reduced, and the specifications required for these devices have been becoming stricter year by year. Among them, the inspection stage, which is indispensable for automation and high throughput, is required to have high positional accuracy. Not only the stage movement by the conventional pulse motor etc., but also the one using linear gauge, Such as one with a mold stage
Various innovations have been made to achieve high accuracy.

[0003]

In such an inspection stage, various mechanisms are attached to achieve high accuracy, and as a result, it is expensive. In particular, a stone surface plate or the like alone costs tens of millions of yen, and in some cases, the cost of an inspection device is equal to that of a manufacturing device. Further, there is a disadvantage that the inspection stage itself becomes large and maintenance performance is deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method of controlling an inspection stage which can secure a high positional accuracy without using a linear gauge or a stone surface plate, and can configure an apparatus which is inexpensive and excellent in maintenance. Is to do.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a moving mechanism for moving a test object in an X direction and a Y direction on a plane in accordance with designated coordinate data. And controlling the inspection stage to move in the X and Y directions of the designated coordinate data in accordance with the amount of movement of the inspection stage from the stage origin. Is the way.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the entire movable range of the inspection stage is made to correspond to a matrix plane divided into a plurality of rectangular regions, and the movement in the X and Y directions set for each rectangular region. The correction amount is added to the designated coordinate data.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the inspection object is placed on the inspection stage such that the center on the inspection stage, the center of the inspection object, and the center of the matrix plane coincide with each other. In the placed state, the target point set on the inspection object is moved to the center of the matrix plane according to the coordinate data of the target point, and the center of the inspection stage is located on the matrix plane at that time. And the first coordinate data indicating the center of the inspection stage is read, and the target point matches the center of the matrix plane while the target point does not match the center of the matrix plane. When the position is corrected so as to perform, the second coordinate data indicating the center of the inspection stage at that time is read, and the second coordinate data is read. The difference value between the coordinate data and the second coordinate data is calculated, and the value is set as the movement correction amount of the rectangular area on the matrix plane containing the center of the inspection stage. A process of storing the identifiers of the rectangular areas in association with each other is performed for all the rectangular areas on the matrix plane, and the inspection target of the same type as the inspection target is placed on an inspection stage. When moving the target point on the inspection object to the center of the matrix plane, the movement specifies the identifier of the rectangular area in which the center of the inspection stage falls, and the movement correction amount associated with the specified identifier. The inspection object is moved in accordance with the coordinate data to which is added.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the type of the inspection object, the division interval of the rectangular area on the matrix plane, and the movement correction amount obtained for the inspection object are stored in association with each other. It is characterized by the following.

According to the control method of the first to fourth aspects,
The movement correction amount according to the movement amount of the inspection stage from the stage origin is added to the coordinate data, and the inspection stage moves according to the coordinate data to which the movement correction amount has been added. The error in the Y direction is offset by the movement correction amount, and the inspection stage moves to an accurate position according to the designated coordinate data.

In particular, in claim 4, since the coordinate data is corrected for each type of the inspection object, it is not necessary to calculate the movement correction amount every time the type of the inspection object is changed.
The work efficiency when handling a plurality of inspection objects can be improved.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a method for controlling an inspection stage according to the present invention is applied to a repair device for a substrate constituting a liquid crystal panel will be described below.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a repair device according to this embodiment. In the repair device 1, a microscope unit 13 is disposed above an inspection stage 12 controlled by a stage controller 11, and an image of pixels on the substrate 10 projected by the microscope unit 13 and the light source 14 is displayed in a lens barrel. CCD provided at the tip of 15
The image is captured by the camera 16 as image data. This image data is sent to the control PC 17 and displayed on the monitor device 18 after image processing. Programs and data necessary for control by the control PC 17 are stored in the storage device 19. Control P
The C17 is connected to an input unit (not shown) that receives an input of data or a command from the operator or an external device.

The repair apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a laser irradiation unit for irradiating a defective pixel with laser light, and an operator applies laser light to the defective pixel (repair location) on the substrate while watching a monitor screen. Irradiation and repair,
Since these operations are performed after the positioning of the inspection stage 12, the illustration is omitted in this embodiment.

The stage controller 11, the control PC 17, the monitor device 18, the storage device 19, and the input unit (not shown) constitute a system control unit 20. The system control unit 20 includes, for example, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse or a flexible disk device, or a dedicated line such as a LAN, a CPU serving as a processor unit for executing various arithmetic processes, and instructions for arithmetic processes executed by the CPU. It is composed of a normal computer system including a storage device such as a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic disk or the like for storing data and data, and an output device such as a display device or a printer device.

In the control PC 17, data and instructions for arithmetic processing and control are read from the storage device 19 by the CPU as necessary, and arithmetic processing is executed in accordance with a predetermined program, and generated at each arithmetic step. Data and the like are stored in the storage device 19.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the substrate 10, the inspection stage 12, and the matrix plane.

A fixing pin and a positioning pin (not shown) are arranged on the inspection stage 12, and the substrate 10 to be inspected is fixed at a fixed position by these pins.
Further, the inspection stage 12 includes the substrate 10 fixed at a fixed position.
Is provided in the X direction and the Y direction.

When coordinate data is externally input to the system control unit 20, the coordinate data is sent from the control PC 17 to the stage controller 11, and the stage controller 11 moves the inspection stage 12 according to the given coordinate data. In this embodiment, when the coordinate data of a specific pixel on the substrate 10 is given, the inspection stage 12 moves the specific pixel at the position of the given coordinate data to a stage origin 100 described later.

The stage controller 11 can be operated manually, and the operator can finely adjust (finely adjust) the position of the inspection stage 12 by moving the inspection stage 12 finely while watching the monitor screen. .

The inspection stage 12 has a stage origin 100
Can be moved in the X direction and the Y direction around the center, and the range shown by the broken line is the movable range of the inspection stage 12. A matrix plane 110 divided into a plurality of rectangular areas is planarly associated with the entire movable range.

The stage origin 100 is the inspection stage 1
2 are reference points (coordinates 0, 0). In this embodiment, the stage origin 100 and the center A of the matrix plane 110 coincide with each other in a plane. The stage coordinates are coordinates from the reference position of the inspection stage 12, and the coordinate values are represented by the movement amounts in the X and Y directions from the stage origin 100.

The matrix plane 110 has, for example, a stroke of the inspection stage 12 in the X direction and the Y direction of ± 200 mm from the stage origin 100 and a division interval of 50 m.
Assuming that m, the entire movable range is divided into 8 × 8 rectangular areas. A serial number (hereinafter, referred to as a matrix number) is assigned to each of the divided rectangular regions in order from 1. The rules for assigning the matrix numbers are the same irrespective of the division interval of the rectangular area.

The division interval of the matrix plane 110 can be appropriately set according to the size of the substrate 10, the possible range of the inspection stage 12, the stage accuracy, and the like. For example, when the stage accuracy is low, it can be dealt with by reducing the division interval (distance) and increasing the number of divisions.

Although not shown, in the monitor device 15, an index (for example, a cross-hair or a circular frame) for positioning is shown at the center of the monitor screen. In this embodiment, in the state of FIG. 2, the index on the monitor screen matches the stage origin 100. Then, when the coordinate data of the specific pixel on the substrate 10 is given from the outside, the inspection stage 12 moves so that the specific pixel matches the index on the monitor screen.

At this time, if the inspection stage moves according to the given coordinate data, any pixel on the substrate always coincides with the index on the monitor screen. , There are many cases where the designated pixel does not match the index on the monitor screen. If the repair is performed in this state, there is a possibility that a normal pixel that is not a repair target may be irradiated with laser light, and the position correction by the operator is required. Therefore, as described above, under the current situation where the number of production lines is increasing and the size of masks is being advanced, it is necessary to control the positioning of the inspection stage in order to improve work efficiency and yield.

Next, a description will be given of a processing procedure when the positioning control of the inspection stage 12 is performed in the repair apparatus 1 configured as described above.

First, a processing procedure for registering the movement correction amount of the inspection stage 12 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the operator places a substrate 10 of the same type as the inspection object on the inspection stage 12, and fixes the substrate 10 at a fixed position on the inspection stage 12. By the way, substrate 1
Each pixel of 0 is accurately arranged in a unit of a micron in the panel, and the position of each pixel is also accurately obtained. After fixing the substrate 10 at a fixed position, the operator inputs coordinate data of a specific pixel on the substrate 10.

When the operator inputs coordinate data of a specific pixel, the control PC 17 acquires the input coordinate data of the specific pixel and sends it to the stage controller 11 (step 101). Stage controller 11
Moves the inspection stage 12 according to the coordinate data (step 102). As a result, the specific pixel is located on the stage origin 100. Control PC
17 reads the stage coordinates at that time and the matrix number of the rectangular area containing the specific pixel, and stores them in the storage device 19 (step 103). The stage coordinates and the matrix number are also displayed on the monitor screen.

Here, the operator checks whether or not the specific pixel matches the index on the monitor screen. If the two do not match, the operator manually operates the stage controller 11 to correct the position of the inspection stage 12 so that the specific pixel matches the index on the monitor screen.

The control PC 17 has an inspection stage 1
When the position is corrected by the manual operation 2 (or when a correction instruction is input by the operator) (Yes in step 104), the corrected stage coordinates are read and stored in the storage device 19 ( Step 105).

Subsequently, the control PC 17 calculates a difference value (a correction amount in the X direction and the Y direction) between the stage coordinates read in step 103 and the stage coordinates read in step 105, and the value is stored in the specific pixel. (Step 10)
6). Then, the obtained movement correction amount is stored in the storage device 19 in association with the matrix number of the rectangular area (step 107).

In step 104, when the position of the inspection stage 12 is not corrected by manual operation (or when the operator inputs an instruction without correction), the correction amount in the X and Y directions is 0. Is set as the movement correction amount (step 108), and the process proceeds to step 107.

Next, when the movement correction amounts have not been obtained for all the rectangular areas on the matrix plane 110 (No in step 109), the process returns to step 101 and waits until an instruction is input by the operator.

When the movement correction amounts are obtained for all the rectangular areas by repeating the processing of steps 101 to 108 (Yes in step 109).
s) The data (including the matrix number) relating to the movement correction amount is stored in the storage device 19 in association with the type and division interval of the substrate 10 to be inspected (step 1).
10).

As a result, the substrate 10 to be inspected is
That is, when inspecting a board of the same type as that described above, data relating to the movement correction amount for controlling the positioning of the inspection stage 12 is registered in the storage device 19 as a recipe. By performing such operations on other substrates of different types, a recipe can be registered for each type.

FIG. 4 shows a processing procedure for controlling the positioning of the inspection stage 12 in the actual repair work.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a board of the same type that has already been registered is represented by reference numeral 10 '.

First, the operator selects a recipe for the type of board 10 'to be inspected. When the operator selects the recipe of the type, the control PC 17 reads the recipe of the selected type from the storage device 19 (step 2).
01).

After this (or before selecting the type of recipe), the operator fixes the substrate 10 ′ to be inspected at a fixed position on the inspection stage 12.

Subsequently, the operator inputs the coordinates of the defective pixel to the control PC 17. As the coordinates of the defective pixel, CAD data when inspected by a defect inspection device (not shown) is used. The coordinate data of the defective pixel may be input through an input unit (not shown), data read from a flexible disk may be read, or data received through a LAN or the like may be used.

The control PC 17 obtains the input coordinate data of the defective pixel (step 202), and when the defective pixel is moved to the stage origin 100, calculates the matrix number of the rectangular area in which the center of the inspection stage 12 enters. (Step 203). Then, the data of the movement correction amount corresponding to the determined matrix number is added to the previously input coordinate data of the defective pixel and sent to the stage controller 11 (step 204). The stage controller 11 moves the inspection stage 12 according to the coordinate data to which the movement correction amount has been added (Step 205).

By the above-described positioning control, in the repair device 1, it is possible to move the defective pixel on the substrate 10 'with high positional accuracy so as to match the index on the monitor screen.

The inspection stage 1 shown in this embodiment
In 2, the expensive linear gauge and stone surface plate are not required.
The repair device can be configured at low cost. Furthermore, there is no need to install complicated mechanisms to obtain high accuracy,
Since the size can be made the same as that of the existing device, it is possible to configure a repair device excellent in maintainability.

Further, the type of the board to be inspected is
The storage device 19 associates the division intervals of the matrix plane 110 with data relating to the movement correction amount obtained for each substrate.
The coordinate data can be corrected for each board type. For this reason, it is not necessary to calculate the movement correction amount every time the type of substrate is changed, and it is possible to improve the work efficiency when handling a plurality of substrates.

The method of controlling the inspection stage according to the present invention is not limited to the repair apparatus as in this embodiment,
In addition to a defect inspection device, the present invention can be applied to general devices requiring high-precision alignment.

The object to be inspected is not limited to the liquid crystal panel substrate, but may be a liquid crystal panel assembled using this substrate.

[0047]

As described above, according to the inspection stage control method according to the present invention, the movement correction according to the amount of movement of the inspection stage from the stage origin in the X direction and the Y direction of the designated coordinate data. Since the amount is added, errors in the X and Y directions that occur when the inspection stage moves are offset by the movement correction amount, and the inspection stage moves to an accurate position according to the designated coordinate data. . Therefore, the inspection stage can be moved with high positional accuracy without using a linear gauge, a stone surface plate, or the like. In addition, since the existing inspection stage can be used, an inexpensive device configuration can be achieved as compared with a case where an expensive linear gauge, a stone surface plate, or the like is used. Furthermore, there is no need to attach a complicated mechanism for obtaining high accuracy, and the size can be made the same as that of the existing one, so that it is possible to configure an apparatus having excellent maintainability.

In particular, when the type of the inspection object, the division interval of the rectangular area, and the movement correction amount obtained for the inspection object are stored in association with each other, the coordinate data for each type of the inspection object is stored. Can be corrected, so that it is not necessary to calculate the movement correction amount every time the type of the inspection target is changed, and it is possible to improve the working efficiency when handling a plurality of inspection targets.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a repair device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship among a substrate, an inspection stage, and a matrix plane.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when registering a movement correction amount of an inspection stage.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure when positioning control of an inspection stage is performed.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Repair apparatus, 10 ... Substrate, 11 ... Stage controller, 12 ... Inspection stage, 17 ... Control PC,
18 monitor device, 19 storage device, 20 system control unit, 100 stage origin, 110 matrix plane

Continued on the front page F-term (reference) 2F065 AA03 CC17 DD02 FF04 FF27 JJ26 PP12 QQ23 TT02 UU04 2F069 AA17 BB13 BB15 CC06 DD12 DD15 FF01 GG07 GG45 GG72 MM24 MM34 PP02 2H088 FA11 FA14 FA30 4M106 DB04

Claims (4)

[Claims] A moving mechanism for moving the inspection object in the X direction and the Y direction on a plane;
In the inspection stage moving in the direction and the Y direction, a movement correction amount according to the movement amount of the inspection stage from the stage origin is added in the X direction and the Y direction of the designated coordinate data. Control method. 2. The movable range of the inspection stage is made to correspond to a matrix plane divided into a plurality of rectangular regions, and the X- and Y-direction movement correction amounts set for each rectangular region are added to the designated coordinate data. The method for controlling an inspection stage according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The inspection stage is moved so that a target point set on the inspection object is positioned at the center of the matrix plane, with the inspection object being placed at a fixed position on the inspection stage. And reading an identifier of a rectangular area on the matrix plane containing the target point and first coordinate data indicating a center position of the inspection stage at that time, wherein the target point is a rectangular area on the matrix plane. When the position of the inspection stage is corrected such that the target point is aligned with the center of the rectangular area on the matrix plane in a state where the center does not coincide with the center of the inspection stage, the corrected center position of the inspection stage is changed. The second coordinate data is read, and a difference value between the first coordinate data and the second coordinate data is calculated. Performing a process of storing the movement correction amount and the identifier of the rectangular region in association with each other as the movement correction amount of the rectangular region on the matrix plane for all the rectangular regions on the matrix plane; In a state where the inspection object of the same type as the object is placed at a fixed position on the inspection stage, the identifier of the rectangular area on the matrix plane containing the target point on the inspection object is specified, The inspection stage control method according to claim 2, wherein the inspection stage is moved according to coordinate data to which a movement correction amount associated with the specified identifier is added. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a type of the inspection object, a division interval of a rectangular area on a matrix plane, and a movement correction amount obtained for the inspection object are stored in association with each other. Inspection stage control method.