JP2002341560A - Processing method for substrate material in aligner and controller for aligner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a processing time by an alignment operation in the case that there is an error, to prevent unprocessed substrate materials from being successively carried away and to improve productivity. SOLUTION: The positions of a film mark and a substrate mark, etc., are detected in steps S601-S607 and an alignment position is computed in a step S608 from the positions of the film mark and the substrate mark. A pitch error between the film mark and the substrate mark is computed in a step S610 from the alignment position data. When the pitch error is within a set error range, it is defined that the alignment operation is possible and steps S611-S616 are executed. When the pitch error is out of the range, the substrate material is discharged in a step S617 without being exposed. Also, in the case that the pitch error is repeated, an error message is outputted in a step S620. In such a manner, since the alignment operation is not performed at the time of the pitch error, the processing time is reduced and the productivity is improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of processing a substrate material and a film in an exposure machine for determining the processing of an exposure film and a substrate material in the next step from an error between a film mark position and a substrate mark position. It relates to a control device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An exposure film (mask) 2 having the same exposure pattern as a required conductor pattern (circuit pattern) is brought into close contact with a printed circuit board material 1 supplied to the exposure apparatus in an exposure apparatus main body. When exposing the conductive pattern to the exposed surface of the substrate 1 via the film 2, it is necessary to align the printed substrate 1 with the exposure film 2 at an appropriate exposure position. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a substrate mark (substrate hole) 3 and a film mark 4 provided on a substrate material 1 and an exposure film 2, respectively, are taken by an image pickup device (CCD).
(Camera) 5 to detect the film mark position and the substrate mark position. Based on the detection result, an alignment position is calculated so that the centers of the substrate mark 3 and the film mark 4 coincide with each other, and the substrate material 1 and the film 2 are relatively moved (aligned). With the film 2 and the substrate material 1 overlapped, the positions of the marks 3 and 4 are detected again by the imaging device 5 (FIG. 5), and it is determined whether the error between the film mark 4 and the substrate mark 3 is within a predetermined error range. Judgment is made, and based on the result, an exposure operation or a substrate unloading operation is performed without exposure.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of processing a printed circuit board material in a conventional exposure machine. The conventional process will be described with reference to this flowchart.
First, in steps S701 to S707, the film mark 4 and the substrate mark 3 are detected. For example, on the exposure film 2, a plurality (two) of film marks 4 are provided on a straight line passing through the centers of the upper and lower ends of the exposure film 2 as shown in FIG. Similarly, the substrate material 1 is provided with a plurality (two) of substrate marks (substrate holes) 3 as shown in FIG. In step S701, the two shapes (image information) of the substrate mark 3 and the film mark 4 provided on the printed board material 1 and the exposure film 2, respectively, are registered in the exposure machine. Next, the film mark 4 of the exposure film 2 attached to the alignment table 6 of the alignment device of the exposure device (not shown) is read by the CCD camera 5 by the mark detection means for detecting the film mark in step S702 (FIG. 1), and The position of the upper left corner of the imaging range of the CCD camera 5 can be determined by a simple position measurement method (for example, a method of obtaining the center of gravity of the figure by binarization, a method of capturing the edge of the hole edge and graphically determining the center of the hole therefrom). To the center of the film mark (dC1, dD1), (dC1
2, dD2) and the shape are calculated, estimated and stored. Here, the imaging range is the CCD camera 5 in FIGS.
Is the same range as the rectangle that indicates Next, in step S703, it is determined whether the shape of the film mark 4 captured by the CCD camera 5 is the same as the shape of the film mark registered in step S701, and if NO, the exposure film 2 is reattached. If YES, the process proceeds to step S705.

In step S705, the substrate material 1 is
Is supplied, and the substrate material 1 held on the substrate holding table 7 is supplied.
And the exposure film 2 face each other and are superimposed on each other in a close contact state (FIG. 3). At this time, the film 2 and the substrate material 1 are not accurately aligned. In this state, step S
Proceeding to 706, the substrate mark 3 is detected by the CCD camera 5, and based on the two-dimensional image data detected by the CCD camera 5, the substrate mark from the upper left end position of the imaging range is obtained by an appropriate position measurement method as described above. Position (center position of substrate mark) (dA1, dB1), (dA2, dB2)
And the shape are calculated, estimated and stored. This step S
Reference numeral 706 denotes mark detection means for detecting a substrate mark position. Next, in step S707, it is determined whether the shape of the board mark 3 captured by the CCD camera 5 is the same as the board mark shape registered in step S701.
In step S716, only the substrate material 1 is discharged from the exposing machine without being exposed in step S716, and the process returns to step S705 via step S717 described later. In the case of YES, step S7
Proceed to 08.

In the alignment position calculating means in step S708, first, the two film mark positions (dC1, dD1), (dC2,
dD2) to film middle point C between film marks 4 and 4
2 and the two substrate mark positions (dA1, dB1), (d) determined in step S706.
A2, dB2) to the substrate midpoint C1 between the substrate marks 3, 3
Is calculated, the midpoint position of the film and the midpoint position of the substrate are compared, and the relative X direction (lateral direction) and Y position are calculated.
The shift amounts dx1 and dy1 in the direction (vertical direction) and the inclination dθ1 of the line segments L1 and L2 connecting the two marks are calculated (alignment position calculation, see FIG. 3). The calculation of the film midpoint position in the subsequent step S708 is performed in step S7 when the film 2 is not replaced.
The one detected in step S702 is used, and when the film is exchanged, the one newly detected in step S702 is used. Next, the film 2 and the substrate material 1 adhered in step S709 are separated.

Next, steps S710 to S715 are performed, and the circuit pattern of the exposure film 2 is printed on the substrate material 1. Step S710 is an alignment command means, which is the alignment position data d in step S708.
The alignment table 6 is moved based on x1, dy1, and dθ1, and the exposure film 2 is bonded to the substrate 1 again in step S711 as shown in FIG. Next, by the mark detecting means for detecting the substrate mark 3 and the film mark 4 in step S712, the film mark positions (dC3, dD3), (dC4) in the close contact state again as in steps S702 and S705. , DD
4) and substrate mark positions (dA3, dB3), (dA4,
dB4) and the shape are detected and stored. next,
In step S713, it is determined again whether the shape of each of the marks 3 and 4 stored in step S712 is the same as the shape of each of the marks registered in step S701, and if NO, the process proceeds to step S716 and the substrate material 1 Is discharged from the exposing machine, and the process proceeds to step S717 through step S717 described later.
5 or step S702, and again from step S702 or step S705 to step S71.
3 is repeated, and in the case of YES, the process proceeds to step S714. In step S714, the film mark positions (dC3, dD3) detected in step S712,
(DC4, dD4) and the substrate mark position (dA3, dB)
3) and (dA4, dB4), the corresponding film mark position (dC3, dD3) and substrate mark position (d
A3, dB3), film mark position (dC4, dD
4) and pitch errors (pitch accuracy) (Px1, Py1), (Px), which are deviation amounts of the substrate mark positions (dA4, dB4).
x2, Py2) is calculated, and the film center position between the film marks (dC3, dD3) and (dC4, dD4) and the film marks 4 and 4, and the substrate mark positions (dA3, dB3), ( dA4, dB4), the position of the substrate midpoint between the substrate marks 3, 3 is newly calculated, and the relative X, Y direction and inclination shift amounts of the position of the film midpoint C2 and the position of the substrate midpoint C1 are calculated. The apportioning accuracy (alignment error: whether the film has moved to a predetermined position with respect to the substrate) dx2, dy2, dθ2 is calculated, and the apportioning accuracy dx2, dy2, dθ2 is within the set apportioning accuracy error range, And the pitch error (Px1, Py)
If 1), (Px2, Py2) are within the set pitch error range (in the case of YES), exposure is performed from the film 2 side in step S715, and the circuit pattern of the film 2 is changed to the exposed surface of the substrate material 1. It is baked in. Step S
715 is an exposure command unit.

Next, in step S716, the substrate material 1 on which the circuit pattern has been exposed is carried out. Then, the process returns to step S702 or step S705 via step S717 as described later. In step S714, the pitch accuracy (P
x1, Py1), (Px2, Py2) and the distribution accuracy dx
If at least one of 2, 2, dy2, and dθ2 falls outside the respective error ranges (in the case of NO), the process proceeds to step S718, where the number of NOs (the number of retries) is counted, and the count value is set to a predetermined number of times ( If it is less than (for example, twice), the process returns to step S708, and step S708
Steps S714 to S714 are repeated. If the number of times is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, retry over is performed in step S719, the substrate material 1 is carried out without being exposed, and the process proceeds to step S717.
In step S717, the number of times the substrate is unloaded is counted,
If the number of times of unloading the substrate has not reached the set number of times, the process returns to step S705.
Are exchanged, and the process returns to step S702.

[0008]

In the above-mentioned conventional printed board processing step, an exposure machine detects a film mark position of an exposure film and a substrate mark position of a substrate material, respectively. An alignment operation is calculated from the above, and based on the calculation result, an alignment operation (alignment operation) for relatively moving and bringing the film and the substrate material into close contact with each other is performed. Judge whether the apportioning accuracy and the positional accuracy of the film and the substrate material are within the set range, and if they are out of the range, repeat the matching operation for the set number of times. I am carrying it out. At this time, even if the film moves relative to the substrate material according to the calculated alignment position, the pitch error deviates from a predetermined setting range due to a deviation during hole processing of the substrate material or a positional deviation of the film mark. In
Due to the pitch error, it is not possible to expose just by repeating the alignment operation, but the film and the substrate material are actually relatively moved, so that the unnecessary alignment operation is repeated a plurality of times. There is a problem of wasting long. Also, even if there is an error cause such that the pitch error is out of the range, such as a film mark position being largely shifted due to an excessive amount of expansion and contraction, the film is not replaced until the substrate material is carried out a predetermined number of times. Even if there is no problem, there is a problem in that the alignment operation is repeated and a large number of normal substrate materials are unloaded one after another, and there is a problem that the operator does not notice an error until the unloading of the set number of substrate materials is completed. These problems lead to reduced productivity. An object of the present invention is to reduce the processing time due to the alignment operation when there is an error, and to prevent the unprocessed substrate material from being unloaded one after another, thereby improving the productivity of the exposure apparatus. And a control device for the exposure machine.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention detects the film mark position of a film mark provided on an exposure film and the substrate mark position of a substrate mark provided on a substrate material, respectively, in an exposure machine. The relative alignment position of the substrate material and the film is calculated from the film mark position and the substrate mark position, and the amount of deviation between the film mark position and the substrate mark position of the substrate material and the film after alignment based on the calculation result. Determining whether or not is within a predetermined error range, and performing an exposure operation or a substrate material unloading operation without performing exposure based on the determination. Prior to the process, the position of the film mark and the position of the substrate mark are determined by using the obtained alignment position data. When the calculated pitch error is a pitch error that does not fall within a preset error range, the substrate material is discharged without exposure, and when the pitch error continues, an error message is output. Is output, and when the calculated pitch error is within a preset error range, the operation after the alignment operation of the film and the substrate material is performed (claim 1). According to this, prior to the alignment operation, it is determined whether or not to perform the alignment operation based on the pitch error calculated based on the data of the alignment position, and when the calculated pitch error is outside the set error range, the alignment operation is performed. When a pitch error is present in the calculation, the actual alignment operation is not performed, so that the processing speeds up and the processing time can be shortened. it can. Further, when the pitch error is continuous, an error message is output when the pitch error is counted a predetermined number of times, so that it is possible to prevent a large number of problem-free substrate materials from being carried out without performing exposure, which is preferable. And these can improve productivity.

Further, mark detecting means for detecting a film mark of an exposure film and a substrate mark of a substrate material, alignment position calculating means for calculating an alignment position from the film mark position and the substrate mark position detected by the mark detecting means, In an exposure apparatus control device including an alignment command unit for aligning a film and a substrate material and an exposure command unit for performing exposure, prior to the alignment operation by the alignment command unit, the calculation result of the alignment position calculation unit is used. And calculating a pitch error between mark positions corresponding to each other in an alignment state of the film and the substrate material, and determining whether alignment is possible or impossible based on the pitch error. According to this, it is possible to determine whether or not to perform an alignment operation prior to the alignment command means, since the control device of the exposure apparatus is provided with alignment inability determining means for determining whether alignment is possible or impossible.
It is suitable.

When the alignment inability determining means determines that alignment is impossible, an inability counting means for counting the number of times the alignment is impossible, and an error message for outputting an error message when the inability numbering means continuously counts the number of times impossible. Message output means (claim 3). According to this, since the error message output means is provided, it is preferable that the operator does not easily notice the error in the exposure apparatus.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described. A circuit pattern (not shown) is formed on the transparent exposure film (mask film) 2 shown in FIG.
The exposure film 2 is provided with a plurality of film marks 4. In the embodiment of the present invention, the exposure film 2 is located on a straight line passing through the center of the upper and lower ends of the exposure film 2 and is located from the left and right ends, similarly to the conventional technique. Opaque film marks 4 and 4 are provided at predetermined positions. For example, the film mark 4 is a circular mark having a predetermined radius. This exposure film 2 is attached to an alignment table 6 of an alignment device of an exposure machine. As shown in FIG. 2, a printed circuit board material (work) 1 is provided with a board mark 3 as a circular mark formed of a through hole so that the film mark 4 is located inside when the film 2 is correctly overlapped with the film 2. The substrate material 1 is mounted on a substrate holding table 7 of an exposure machine. Reference numeral 5 denotes an image pickup device (CCD camera), which detects a substrate mark 3 by detecting light (passing light) from a light projecting means (not shown) installed on the opposite side with the substrate material 1 and the film 2 interposed therebetween.
And an image of the film mark 4.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the substrate material 1 of the present invention. The description of the same steps as those in the flowchart of the conventional technique will be omitted. Steps S601 to S609 are the same as steps S701 to S707 and steps S708 and S709 described in the above-described conventional technique.
After detecting the substrate mark 3 and the film mark 4 in S607, the position of the film midpoint C2, the position of the substrate midpoint C1, and the alignment position (shift amounts dx1, dy1, and inclination dθ1) are calculated by the alignment position calculating means in step S608.
Is calculated, and the film 2 and the substrate material 1 that have been in close contact in step S609 are separated from each other.

Next, proceeding to step S610,
Step 610 is performed by the alignment inability determining means 610.
The film mark position detected at 602 (dC1, dD
1), (dC2, dD2) and the substrate mark positions (dA1, dB1), (dA2, d) detected in step S606.
B2) and the alignment positions dx1, dy1, and dθ1 calculated in step S608, when the midpoint position of the film and the midpoint position of the substrate are ideally matched as shown in FIG. 4 (when there is no alignment error). Pitch error P
x3 is calculated. When this pitch error Px3 is within a predetermined pitch error range set in advance (in the case of NO),
Steps S611 to S616 and steps S617, S618, S621, and S622 are executed with the alignment enabled. Steps S611 to S616 are the same as steps S710 to S715 of the conventional technique, and are steps S617, S618, S621, and S622.
Is the same process as steps S716 to S719 of the conventional technique.

When the pitch error Px3 calculated in step S610 is out of the predetermined pitch error range (in the case of YES), it is determined that alignment is impossible, and step S6 is performed.
Proceed to 619. Step S619 is an impossible counting means, which counts the number of times alignment is impossible, and if the counted value is smaller than a predetermined number of times (in the case of NO), the substrate material 1 is not exposed in step S617. Unloading, via step S618, step S6
02 or returns to step S605. Step S
When the count value reaches the predetermined number in 619 (in the case of YES), the process proceeds to step S620 as a film defect. Step S620 is an error message output means, which displays a film exchange message as an error message on a message display device (not shown) of the exposure machine, prompts an operator to exchange the film, and the operator exchanges the film. If the calculated pitch error Px3 is out of the set error range, the exposure process of steps S611 to S616, that is, unloading of the substrate material 1 or replacement of the film 2 is performed without performing the actual alignment operation. The relative movement of the substrate material 2 and the substrate material 1 and the subsequent re-detection of the apportioning precision and the pitch precision are not required, and the processing speed is increased and the time can be reduced. In addition, by counting the number of times the exposure is impossible by the impossible counting means, an error message is displayed if the case where the exposure is impossible continues, and the operator replaces the film 2. When a pitch error of
It is possible to prevent a large number of unexposed substrate materials 1 from being repeatedly unloaded from the exposure machine. At this time, by displaying the film exchange message, the operator can easily notice the error of the exposure machine. And these improve productivity.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, after the calculation of the alignment position, prior to the alignment operation, the pitch error between the film mark position and the substrate mark position is determined by the alignment impossible determining means using the obtained alignment position data. When the pitch error exceeds the set error range and is determined to be a pitch error, the alignment operation is not performed, the substrate material is discharged without exposing, or the film is exchanged, so the actual alignment operation is performed. Is not performed, and the processing time can be reduced. In addition, when the pitch error is continuous, the pitch error is counted by the impossible counting means, and the exposure film is exchanged when the predetermined number of times is reached, so if the film is defective due to a displacement of the film mark position due to expansion and contraction or the like. This has the effect of eliminating waste of carrying out a large number of substrate materials without exposing them. These improve productivity. Further, if the pitch error continues by the error message output means, an error message is output, so that the operator can notice abnormally early.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an exposure film.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a substrate material.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which an exposure film and a substrate material are stacked.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which an exposure film and a substrate material are overlapped and are arithmetically aligned.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state where an exposure film and a substrate material are overlapped and aligned.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a process of processing a printed circuit board material in the exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a process of processing a printed circuit board material in a conventional exposure machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 substrate 2 exposure film 3 substrate mark 4 film mark

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yoshitada Furuya 6-1 Sun Park 109, Kasukago-go, Oji-machi, Kaifu-gun, Aichi Prefecture F-term (Reference) 2H097 KA03 KA12 KA13 KA20 KA29 5B057 AA03 BA02 CH08 CH18 DA07 DA15 DC02 DC08 DC36

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An exposure device detects a film mark position of a film mark provided on an exposure film and a substrate mark position of a substrate mark provided on a substrate material, respectively, and determines a substrate material from the film mark position and the substrate mark position. Calculate the relative alignment position of the film, determine whether the amount of deviation between the substrate material and the film mark position of the film and the substrate mark position after alignment based on the calculation result is within a predetermined error range, In a method of processing a substrate material in an exposure machine that performs an exposure operation or a substrate material unloading operation without performing exposure based on the determination, after calculating the alignment position, using the obtained alignment position data prior to the alignment operation. Calculates the pitch error between the film mark position and the substrate mark position, and calculates the calculated pitch error. If the pitch error does not fall within the set error range, the substrate material is discharged without exposure,
Further, when the pitch error is continuous, an error message is output, and when the calculated pitch error is within a predetermined error range, the alignment operation between the film and the substrate is performed. Of a substrate material in an exposing machine. 2. A mark detecting means for detecting a film mark of an exposure film and a substrate mark of a substrate material, and an alignment position calculating means for calculating an alignment position from the film mark position and the substrate mark position detected by the mark detecting means. In an exposure apparatus control device including an alignment command unit for aligning a film and a substrate material and an exposure command unit for performing exposure, prior to the alignment operation by the alignment command unit, the calculation result of the alignment position calculation unit is used. A controller for calculating the pitch error between the mark positions corresponding to each other in the alignment state of the film and the substrate material, and determining whether alignment is possible or not based on the pitch error. 3. An inability counting means for counting the number of times the alignment is impossible when the alignment inability determining means determines that the alignment is impossible, and outputting an error message when the number of times the inability is counted by the inability counting means continuously for a predetermined number of times. 3. The control device for an exposure machine according to claim 2, further comprising an error message output unit.