JP2002353115A - Rotation retaining apparatus, position adjustment apparatus, proximity projection aligner, and mask retaining apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a rotation retaining apparatus used for a proximity projection aligner, which can increase the positioning accuracy, miniaturize the apparatus, and can improve throughput. SOLUTION: The bearing consists of a fixing member 20 and a movable member 21. The movable member 21 is rotatably retained to the fixing member 20 with an Z axis as the center. A first actuator 23 is mounted on the movable member 21 of a bearing for displacing an operation point 24, in a direction parallel to the Z axis. A retention stag 25 retains an object 16, and a force is applied from the operation point 24 of the first actuator 23 for displacing in the Z axis direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rotation holding device, a position adjustment device, and a proximity exposure device, and more particularly to a rotation holding device, a position adjustment device suitable for use in a proximity exposure device, and a proximity exposure using the same. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B (J. Vac. Sci. Techno)
l. B) Second Series, Vol. 10, No. 6, 1992
(November / December), pages 3235-3238, synchrotron radiation (S
R) stepper is disclosed. This stepper
The mask stage and the wafer stage hold the mask and the wafer, respectively.

An XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the surface of the wafer is an XY plane and the normal direction of the surface is the Z axis is considered. Mask stage, XY.theta. _Z-direction fine movement stage, and a mask Z
It has three actuators that displace in the axial direction. 3
By controlling the two actuators, the tilt angle and tilt direction of the mask with respect to the Z axis can be controlled. The wafer stage is a coarse movement stage in the XYZ axis direction,
XY.theta. _Z direction fine movement stage, and has three actuators for displacing the wafer in the Z-axis direction.

[0004] Both the mask stage and the wafer stage
It has XYθ _Z fine movement stage. The overlap of the movement axis is
This causes a reduction in mechanical rigidity and an increase in the size of the device. Further, when replacing the wafer mounted on the wafer stage, the XYZ coarse movement stage is moved in the Z-axis direction.
Since the heavy coarse movement stage is moved, it is difficult to reduce the time for wafer exchange.

[0005] Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.) No. 38
Vol. (1999), pp. 7059-7064, discloses an X-ray stepper for next-generation lithography.
In this X-ray stepper, when a wafer is transferred to a wafer chuck, the wafer holding surface of the wafer chuck is once made horizontal, and after the wafer is transferred, the wafer holding surface is returned to a vertical position. Therefore, it takes a long time to transfer the wafer.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.) No. 38
Vol. (1999), pages 7065 to 7070, discloses an X-ray stepper. In this X-ray stepper, a mask is stored in a mask changer in a horizontal state. When mounting the mask on the mask stage, it is necessary to change the posture of the mask so that the mask stands upright. Therefore, it takes a long time to replace the mask.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a proximity exposure apparatus capable of reducing the size of the apparatus, improving alignment accuracy and improving throughput.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotation holding device and a position adjustment device applicable to this proximity exposure apparatus.

[0009]

According to one aspect of the present invention, a stationary member and a movable member are included, and the movable member is held rotatably about the Z axis with respect to the stationary member. Bearing, a first actuator attached to a movable member of the bearing, for displacing an action point in a direction parallel to the Z-axis, holding a holding object, and receiving a force from the action point of the first actuator. And a holding stage displaced in the Z-axis direction.

The holding stage loads the first actuator, and the bearing does not load the first actuator. For this reason, the load on the first actuator can be reduced.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a bearing including a fixed member and a movable member, wherein the movable member is held rotatably about the Z axis with respect to the fixed member. A holding stage attached to a movable member of the bearing and holding an object; and a first direction such that the movable member rotates around the Z axis at a force point of the movable member deviating from the Z axis. A coarse motion actuator that applies a force in a first direction to a force point of the movable member, and the coarse motion actuator is translated in the first direction. A linear guide that is held as possible, the position resolution is higher than the position resolution of the coarse motion actuator, and the maximum stroke is shorter than the maximum stroke of the coarse motion actuator; A fine actuator for displacing the direction, rotating the holding device is provided with a position sensor for measuring a physical quantity corresponding to a displacement amount of the coarse actuator.

By operating the coarse actuator, the holding stage can be rotationally moved within a relatively wide angle range. By operating the fine movement actuator, the holding stage can be positioned with high accuracy in the rotation direction. By measuring a physical amount corresponding to the displacement amount of the coarse movement actuator, it is possible to detect a minute rotation movement angle of the holding stage caused by operating the fine movement actuator.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotation mechanism for rotating a movable section with respect to a fixed section about a Z axis, and a rotation mechanism attached to the movable section of the rotation mechanism to be parallel to the Z axis. Actuator for displacing the point of action in any direction, and Z
A first XY stage displaced in the axial direction, wherein the UV is defined by a U-axis and a V-axis that are orthogonal to the Z-axis and are orthogonal to each other and fixedly defined with respect to the movable part of the rotary moving mechanism;
A first XY stage that translates a movable stage in a direction parallel to a plane and holds an object on the movable stage; and a first XY stage that is orthogonal to the Z axis and fixed to a fixed part of the rotary moving mechanism. Position detecting means for detecting the position of the object held on the movable stage with respect to directions parallel to the mutually orthogonally defined X axis and Y axis, and the direction of the X axis and the direction of the U axis. A target movement amount in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction based on the position of the target object detected by the cross-talk detection means for detecting the displacement of the target object in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. And a control unit for driving the first XY stage based on the converted amounts of movement in the U-axis direction and the V-axis direction. Provided.

Although the first XY stage is loaded on the actuator, the rotary movement mechanism is not loaded on the actuator. For this reason, the load on the actuator can be reduced. When the rotation mechanism is operated, the first XY
The stage rotates and moves. Therefore, the direction of the U axis is shifted from the X axis. The control means converts the target movement amounts in the X-axis and Y-axis directions into the movement amounts in the U-axis and V-axis directions, and drives the first XY stage based on the conversion results. Can be moved.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, an XY coarse moving stage for translating the movable portion in a two-dimensional direction perpendicular to the Z axis, and a rotary moving portion attached to the movable portion of the XY coarse moving stage. A rotating mechanism for rotating the Z-axis as a center, an actuator attached to a rotating section of the rotating mechanism, for displacing an action point in a direction parallel to the Z-axis, and a force from the action point of the actuator. And an XY fine movement stage for displacing the movable stage in a direction parallel to an XY plane orthogonal to the Z axis, and displacing the movable stage, and holding an exposure target on the movable stage. A mask holding mechanism for holding a mask so as to face the exposure surface of the exposure object held on the movable stage with a small gap, and a system for controlling the operation of the actuator. Means for moving the movable stage of the XY fine movement stage closer to the mask at the time of exposure to form a first gap between the exposure object and the mask, and separating the movable stage from the mask at the time of exchanging the exposure object. The control means having a second gap wider than the first gap between the exposure object and the mask, and a movable stage of the XY fine movement stage being at a position at the time of exchanging the exposure object. And a handling arm for transferring an object to be exposed to and from the movable stage.

By moving the XY fine movement stage without moving the XY coarse movement stage in the Z-axis direction,
Delivery of the object to be exposed can be performed. For this reason,
The delivery time can be shortened.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, a mask is fixedly held on a holding surface perpendicular to the Z axis, and positioning pins provided on the holding surface are provided at edges of the mask. A mask chuck for positioning in a rotational movement direction about an axis parallel to the Z-axis by engaging the cuts, and a plurality of masks are held such that the mask surface is orthogonal to the Z-axis. Includes a positioning member whose position in a rotational movement direction about an axis parallel to the Z axis is specified by engagement of a notch provided at each edge of the mask, wherein the notch of the mask is applied to the positioning member. A mask holder for storing a plurality of masks in a contracted state, and one of the masks stored in the mask holder
The sheet is taken out and transported onto the holding surface of the mask chuck while keeping the mask surface perpendicular to the Z-axis, and the mask is cut so that the notch of the mask contacts the positioning pin on the holding surface. A mask holding device having a mask handling arm for transferring a mask to a chuck is provided.

When the mask is transported, the mask surface is always orthogonal to the Z axis. Therefore, the transfer time can be reduced as compared with the case where the direction of the mask surface is changed. The position in the rotation direction about the axis parallel to the Z axis is determined by the positioning member of the mask holder, the positioning pin of the mask chuck, and the cut of the mask. Therefore, when the mask is transferred from the mask holder to the mask chuck, positioning in the rotational direction on the mask chuck can be easily performed.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows X according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1 shows an exploded perspective view of a line proximity exposure apparatus. The X-ray proximity exposure apparatus includes a mask stage system 10 and a wafer stage system 50. The mask stage system 10 and the wafer stage system 50 are fixed on a common base 1. Consider an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which the X-ray travel direction is the Z axis, the horizontal direction is the X axis, and the vertical direction is the Y axis.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the mask stage system 10 will be described. The mask stage 12 is attached to a wall surface of the helium chamber 11 on the side of the wafer stage system 50. The mask stage 12 holding the mask by the mask chuck, theta _Z-direction (rotational movement around an axis parallel to the Z axis), (rotational movement around the axis parallel to the X axis) theta _X direction, and The mask can be slightly rotated in the θ _Y direction (rotational movement about an axis parallel to the Y axis).

A positioning optical system 13 is provided in the helium chamber 11. The alignment optical system 13
A mask held by the mask stage 12, the gap between the wafer held by the wafer chuck 55 which will be described later, X-direction, for detecting the Y-direction, and theta _Z direction misalignment. As the positioning optical system 13, for example, Japanese Patent No. 2955668
And the oblique detection optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3048895 can be used.

A mask transport device 14 and a mask holder 15 are mounted on the helium chamber 11.
The handling arm 14A of the mask transfer device 14 transfers the mask 16 stored in the mask holder 15 to the position of the mask chuck of the mask stage 12, and transfers the mask held by the mask chuck to the mask holder 1.
5 to the storage location. Since the mask transport device 14 and the mask holder 15 are arranged on the helium chamber 11, an increase in foot print (floor area occupied by the device) can be suppressed.

Next, the configuration of the wafer stage system 50 will be described. A rotation movement mechanism 52 is attached to the XY coarse movement stage 51. XY coarse movement stage 51
Can translate in a two-dimensional direction parallel to the XY plane. Rotational movement mechanism 52, the rotational movement section, can be rotated moving in the theta _Z direction around the axis parallel to the Z axis. Three linear actuators 53 are attached to the rotation moving part of the rotation moving mechanism 52. Each of the linear actuators 53 displaces its action point in the Z-axis direction.

At the point of action of the linear actuator 53, X
A Y fine movement stage 54 is attached. The XY fine movement stage 54 can translate in a two-dimensional direction parallel to the XY plane. A wafer chuck 55 and an L-shaped mirror 56 are fixed to the XY fine movement stage 54. The wafer chuck 55 vacuum-adsorbs a wafer to be exposed. The L-type mirror 56 has a reflecting surface 56Y substantially perpendicular to the Y axis and a reflecting surface 56X substantially perpendicular to the X axis, and is used as a reflecting mirror for a laser interferometer.

The laser head 57 and the optical unit 58 constitute a laser interferometer. Laser head 5
Numeral 7 is fixed to the lower surface of the base 1, and its laser beam emitting portion projects outside the edge of the base 1.
The laser beam emitted from the laser head 57 is
Incident on an optical unit 58 fixed to the upper surface of the laser beam, and is split into two laser beams. One beam is a mirror 56
X and the other beam enters the reflecting mirror 56Y.
With this laser interferometer, the displacement of the wafer chuck 55 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction can be measured.

The base 1 is made of, for example, granite (granite) having a low thermal conductivity, and the laser head 57 is mounted below the base 1. Therefore, heat generated by the laser head 57 is not easily transmitted to the optical unit 58. Thus, it is possible to prevent the measurement accuracy of the laser interferometer from decreasing due to heat. The optical unit 58
Are configured such that necessary optical components are fixed to one L-shaped member. For this reason, once the optical path of the laser beam is adjusted on the L-shaped member, the wafer stage system 5
Even when 0 is moved, only the position adjustment of the L-shaped member may be performed, and it is not necessary to readjust the optical axis between the plurality of optical components fixed to the L-shaped member.

The mask stage system 10 and the wafer stage system 50 are controlled by the control unit 2. At the time of exposure, the wafer held by the wafer chuck 55 and the mask held by the mask stage 12 face each other with a small interval (proximity gap). X-rays propagating in a direction parallel to the Z axis irradiate the wafer surface through the mask. Thereby, the mask pattern formed on the mask is transferred onto the surface of the wafer.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the mask stage 12. An annular rotor 21 is arranged via a rolling bearing 22 in the opening of the fixed plate 20 provided with a circular opening. The rotor 21 is rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z axis. The rolling bearing 22 has a configuration in which a pair of four-point contact bearings are arranged on the back. As a result, the radial play and the axial play become substantially zero.

The rotor 21 is provided with three linear actuators 23A to 23C. The linear actuators 23A to 23C are arranged so as to be located at the vertices of an equilateral triangle when viewed with a line of sight parallel to the Z axis.
The linear actuator 23B does not appear in FIG. 2, but appears only in FIG. Linear actuator 23
Each of A to 23C displaces each action point 24A to 24C in a direction parallel to the Z axis.

Mask chuck 25 having through hole at center
Are respectively applied to the linear actuators 23A to 23C via the elastic hinges 26A to 26C.
It is attached to C. Elastic hinges 24A to 24C
Are the action points 24A to 24C and the mask chuck 2 respectively.
5 in the Z-axis direction and the mask chuck 2
5 allows movement in a direction (θ _X and θ _Y directions) inclined with respect to the Z axis.

The mask 16 is vacuum-sucked on the surface of the mask chuck 25 on the wafer stage system 50 side. X-rays enter the mask 16 through the opening of the rotor 21 and the through hole of the mask chuck 25.

A lever 29 extending in the radial direction is attached near the outer periphery of the rotor 21. The drive mechanism 27 attached to the fixed plate 20 moves the lever 29 to Z
A circumferential tangential force about the axis is applied, and the spring plunger 28 applies a reaction force to the lever 29. When the drive mechanism 27 displaces the lever 29 in the circumferential direction, the rotor 21 can be slightly rotated.

Unlike the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when the fixed plate 20 is attached to the action points of the linear actuators 23A to 23C, the loads of the fixed plate 20, the rotor 21, and the mask chuck 25 are applied to the linear actuators 23A to 23C. . For this reason, the falling moment increases and the moment rigidity decreases. On the other hand, in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a load of only the mask chuck 25 is applied to the linear actuators 23A to 23C. For this reason, moment rigidity can be increased.

In the mask stage 12 shown in FIG.
The rotor 21 is fixed to the fixed plate 20 by the rolling bearing 22.
Is held. Therefore, the rotor 21 is rotated 360 °.
Can be adjusted for easy adjustment during device assembly.
It can be carried out. Also, the alignment between the mask and the wafer
The rotational movement angle of the rotor 21 is at most 1 × 10 ^-3
mrad. In the case of such a small angle rotation
In order to minimize the fluctuation of the rotation center of the rotor 21,
Can be.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed configuration of the drive mechanism 27 shown in FIG. The housing 30 is fixed to the fixing plate 20 shown in FIG. A linear guide 31 fixed to the housing 30 guides the tables 32 and 33 in a direction parallel to the X axis. The lever 29 is arranged on the positive side of the X axis with respect to the drive mechanism 27. A coarse movement actuator 35 is housed in a housing 34 fixed to the table 32, and a fine movement actuator 37 is housed in a housing 36 fixed to the table 33. The maximum stroke of the coarse actuator 35 is, for example, 10 mm,
The resolution is, for example, 0.25 μm. The fine movement actuator 37 is configured to include a piezoelectric element, the maximum stroke is, for example, 15 μm, and the resolution is, for example, 1n.
m.

The coarse actuator 35 and the fine actuator 37 displace the action points 35A and 37A, respectively, in a direction parallel to the X axis. The point of action 35A is the lever 29
, And the action point 37A is in contact with the housing 34. The spring plunger 28 contacts the lever 29 at the point of action 28A, and applies a force in the negative direction of the X axis to the lever 29.

The stopper 38 attached to the housing 30 contacts the housing 36 at the point of action 38A, and inhibits the movement of the housing 36 in the negative direction of the X axis. Action points 28A, 35A, 37A, and 38
A is located on one straight line parallel to the X axis. That is, the force by which the stopper 38 pushes the housing 36, the force by which the action point 37A pushes the housing 34, the force by which the action point 35A pushes the lever 29, and the reaction force applied by the action point 28A to the lever 29 are formed on one straight line. To position. Thus, the Abbe error can be made substantially zero.

Position sensor 3 fixed to housing 30
9 measures the distance to the housing 34. The position sensor 39 is configured by a capacitance sensor, and its distance detection range is, for example, 30 μm, and its resolution is, for example, 1 nm. Since the movement of the housing 36 and the fine movement actuator 37 in the negative direction of the X-axis is prohibited by the stopper 38, the fluctuation of the distance detected by the position sensor 39 changes the displacement amount of the action point 37A of the fine movement actuator 37,
That is, it corresponds to the displacement amount of the coarse actuator 35.

By driving the coarse movement actuator 35, the rotor 21 to which the lever 29 is attached can be rotated. Further, by driving the fine movement actuator 37, the rotor 2 is moved in the _θZ direction.
1 can be positioned with high accuracy. Position sensor 3
The feedback control of the fine movement actuator 37 can be performed by monitoring the result of the position detection by the control unit 9.

The coarse actuator 35 in the X-axis direction
Consider a configuration in which the positions of the micro-actuator 37 and the micro-movement actuator 37 are switched. In this configuration, the distance detection range of the position sensor 39 needs to be longer than the stroke of the coarse actuator 35. When the distance detection range of the position sensor is increased, the resolution generally decreases. Further, the position sensor is attached to the housing of the fine movement actuator 37,
A configuration for measuring a change in the interval between the fine movement actuator 37 and the lever 29 is also conceivable. However, the lever 29 does not strictly translate in a direction parallel to the X axis, but makes a circular motion about the rotation axis of the rotor 21. For this reason,
It is difficult to measure the variation in the distance between the fine movement actuator 37 and the lever 29 with high accuracy.

[0041] By the configuration shown in FIG. 3, in the coarse actuator 35, with a relatively large ensuring extent possible rotational movement of the rotor 21, by the fine actuator 37 and the position sensor 39, theta _Z direction Highly accurate positioning can be performed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view of the wafer stage system 50. A rotary movement mechanism 52 is attached to the XY coarse movement stage 51. The rotation moving mechanism 52 includes a fixed portion 52A, a rotation moving portion 52B, and a rolling bearing 52C. The fixed part 52A is an XY coarse movement stage 5.
Fixed to 1. The rotary moving unit 52B is rotatable about an axis parallel to the Z axis. This rotational movement is performed by a similar mechanism such as the drive mechanism 27 and the lever 29 shown in FIGS.

[0043] Three linear actuators 53 are attached to the rotary moving section 52B. The linear actuator 53 is arranged outside the rolling bearing 52C. X is applied to the action point 53A of the linear actuator 53.
A Y fine movement stage 54 is attached. The three linear actuators 53 move the XY fine movement stage 54
It can be moved in the axial direction, the θ _X and θ _Y directions. X
The Y fine movement stage 54 translates the wafer chuck 55 and the L-shaped mirror 56 shown in FIG. 1 in a direction parallel to the XY plane.

The load on the XY fine movement stage 54 is only the wafer chuck 55 and the L-shaped mirror 56. For this reason,
It is possible to reduce the weight, size, and increase the rigidity of the XY fine movement stage 54. The XY fine movement stage 54
Is reduced, the moment load applied to the linear actuator 53 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size, weight, and rigidity of the linear actuator 53. Instead, the load of the rotation moving mechanism 52 increases, but a relatively high rigidity can be easily obtained as the rotation moving mechanism 52.

X acting as a load on the linear actuator 53
The entire center of gravity of the Y fine movement stage 54, the wafer chuck 55, and the L-shaped mirror 56 is located closer to the rotational movement mechanism 52 than the action point 53A of the linear actuator 53. Further, the linear actuator 53 is disposed outside the rolling bearing 52C and the XY fine movement stage 54 in the radial direction around the Z axis. With such a configuration, the falling moment applied to the linear actuator 53 can be further reduced.

In the wafer stage shown in FIG. 4, the XY fine movement stage 54 is
B attached. For this reason, the two mutually orthogonal translational directions of the XY fine movement stage 54 are not always parallel to the X axis and the Y axis. The axis corresponding to the X axis of the two translation directions of the XY fine movement stage 54 is represented by U
An axis corresponding to the Y axis is defined as a V axis. Rotary moving part 5
When 2B rotates, the U axis and the V axis also rotate by the same angle. For example, when the direction of the U axis is shifted from the X axis, if the wafer chuck 55 is translated in the U axis direction, the wafer chuck 55 will move not only in the X axis direction but also in the Y axis direction. That is, crosstalk occurs. Hereinafter, a crosstalk compensation method will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 5A shows that the wafer 5 is
9 shows a front view of a state immediately after 9 is adsorbed. At this time, U
The axis is parallel to the X axis and the V axis is parallel to the Y axis. The reflecting surface 56X of the L-type mirror 56 is perpendicular to the U axis, and the reflecting surface 56Y is perpendicular to the V axis. The x-axis and the y-axis are defined on the exposure surface of the wafer 59 by the orientation of the orientation flat. Wafer 5
Simply vacuum-adhering the wafer 9 to the wafer chuck 55 does not always make the x-axis defined in the wafer 59 parallel to the X-axis of the exposure apparatus. For this reason, it is necessary to rotate the wafer chuck 55 so that the x-axis in the wafer 59 and the X-axis of the exposure apparatus are substantially parallel. Incidentally, the final fine adjustment of theta _Z direction is performed by the mask stage 12 side.

FIG. 5B is a front view showing a state after the wafer chuck 55 has been rotated so that the x-axis in the wafer 59 and the X-axis of the exposure apparatus are parallel. Since the wafer chuck 55 is rotated, the direction of the U axis is shifted from the X axis. The alignment optical system 13 shown in FIG. 1 detects a displacement between the mask and the wafer in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. From this displacement, desired movement amounts of the wafer chuck 55 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are obtained.

Next, a method of controlling the XY fine movement stage 54 will be described. First, the wafer chuck 55 is translated by a certain distance in the U-axis direction. At this time, a movement amount ΔX in the X-axis direction and a movement amount ΔY in the Y-axis direction are detected. The movement amounts ΔX and ΔY are determined by the laser head 57 shown in FIG.
And the optical unit 58 can be used for detection. When the angle between the U axis and the X axis is θ,

[0050]

Tan θ = ΔY / ΔX

When the desired movement amount in the X-axis direction is ΔX ₁ , the movement amounts ΔU ₁ and ΔV ₁ of the wafer chuck 55 in the U-axis direction and the V-axis direction are expressed as:

[0052]

ΔU ₁ = ΔX ₁ cos θ ΔV ₁ = −ΔX ₁ sin θ

Similarly, the desired movement amount in the Y-axis direction is ΔY ₁
, The movement amounts ΔU ₁ and ΔV ₁ of the wafer chuck 55 in the U-axis direction and the V-axis direction are

[0054]

ΔU ₁ = ΔY ₁ sin θ ΔV ₁ = ΔY ₁ cos θ

Next, a description will be given of a wafer transfer mechanism and a transfer method with reference to FIG.

FIG. 6A is a partial front view of the wafer stage system when a wafer is transferred to the wafer chuck 55. A wafer loading device (loader) 60 is disposed at a position where the XY coarse movement stage 51 is moved in the negative direction of the X axis from the position at the time of exposure. The loader 60
Handling arm 60 for holding and transferring wafers
A. The handling arm 60A holds the wafer,
The exposure surface is held so as to be perpendicular to the Z axis.

When the wafer is transferred to the wafer chuck 55, the actuator 53 shown in FIG. 4 is driven to move the wafer chuck 55 in the positive direction of the Z axis, and is held on the mask stage 12 shown in FIG. The distance between the mask and the wafer chuck 55 is widened. Z of wafer chuck 55
The axial displacement is, for example, 10 mm or less. By moving the XY coarse movement stage 51 in the negative direction of the X axis, the wafer chuck 55 is moved to the vicinity of the loader 60. The moving distance of the XY coarse movement stage 51 in the X-axis direction is, for example, 110 mm.

In this state, the wafer held by the handling arm 60A is transferred to the wafer chuck 55. When the wafer is attracted to the wafer chuck 55, XY
The coarse movement stage 51 is translated in the positive direction of the X axis,
The wafer is placed at the position at the time of exposure.

FIG. 6B is a partial front view of the wafer stage system when receiving a wafer from the wafer chuck 55. A wafer unloading device (unloader) 61 is arranged at a position where the XY coarse movement stage 51 is moved in the positive direction of the X axis from the position at the time of exposure. The unloader 61 has a handling arm 61A for holding and transferring the wafer. Handling arm 61A
Holds the wafer such that its exposure surface is perpendicular to the Z axis.

When the wafer is received from the wafer chuck 55, the distance between the mask and the wafer chuck 55 is widened as in the case of the transfer shown in FIG. The wafer chuck 55 is moved to the vicinity of the unloader 61 by translating the XY coarse movement stage 51 in the positive direction of the X axis. In this state, the handling arm 61A
Receives the wafer held by the wafer chuck 55.

As described above, the movement of the XY coarse movement stage 51 at the time of transferring and receiving the wafer is performed by one movement in the X-axis direction.
Only dimensions. The movement of the wafer chuck 55 in the Z-axis direction is performed by moving the XY fine movement stage 54 in the Z-axis direction without moving the XY coarse movement stage 51 in the Z-axis direction. Further, the posture change such that the wafer chuck 55 is arranged horizontally is not performed. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the time for transferring and receiving the wafer.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, a description will be given of a mask delivery mechanism and a delivery method.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the mask stage 12. Mask stage 12 in front of helium chamber 11
Is attached. The mask chuck 25 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the mask stage 12. A mask transport device 14 and a mask holder 15 are mounted on the upper surface of the helium chamber 11. The mask transfer device 14 has a handling arm 14A. The handling arm 14A is able to translate in a direction parallel to the Z-axis when its support shaft 14B is displaced in the Z-axis direction. A plurality of masks 16 are stored in the mask holder 15.

The mask 16 has a disk shape in which the periphery of a thin film mask pattern is supported by an annular support member. Mask 16 stored in mask holder 15
Are arranged so that each mask pattern surface is perpendicular to the Z axis, and are arranged in the Z axis direction. One notch 16A is provided on the outer periphery of each of the masks 16.
The mask holder 15 is provided with positioning pins 15A. The position of the mask 16 in the rotation direction about an axis parallel to the Z-axis is determined by fitting the notch 16A into the positioning pin 15A.

The handling arm 14 A of the mask transfer device 14 translates in the Z-axis direction, holds a desired one of the masks 16 stored in the mask holder 15, and transfers the mask 16 to the mask chuck 25. For the mask chuck 25,
A positioning pin 25A is provided, and when the notch 16A of the mask 16 is fitted into the positioning pin 25A, positioning in the rotation direction about the Z axis is performed. The mask 16 held by the mask chuck 25 is returned into the mask holder 15 by the handling arm 14A.

In the above-described mask delivery mechanism,
The transfer is performed with the mask 16 standing almost vertically. The attitude change of the mask 16 during transport is only a rotational movement about an axis parallel to the Z axis. Since there is no rotational movement (floating) about an axis parallel to the X-axis or the Y-axis, it is possible to reduce the mask transport time.

In the above embodiment, the proximity exposure apparatus using X-rays has been described. However, it is also possible to use ultraviolet rays or electron beams instead of X-rays as exposure light.

When a synchrotron is used as an X-ray source, X-rays are emitted in a substantially horizontal direction. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1, the mask and the wafer are arranged almost vertically. When ultraviolet rays or electron beams are used as the exposure light, it is not necessary to raise the mask or wafer vertically. For example, the arrangement may be such that the XY plane shown in FIG. 1 is horizontal.

The present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments.
The present invention is not limited to these. For example, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, improvements, combinations, and the like can be made.

[0070]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In the proximity exposure apparatus, it is possible to reduce the transport time of a wafer or a mask and to reduce the size and the rigidity of the apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a proximity exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a mask stage used in the proximity exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a driving mechanism for rotating and moving a mask stage of the proximity exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a wafer stage used in the proximity exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the wafer XY fine movement stage for explaining a method of compensating for crosstalk when the wafer stage is translated in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a wafer stage, a loader, and an unloader for explaining a method of delivering a wafer to a wafer chuck and receiving a wafer from the wafer chuck.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a mask chuck and a transfer mechanism of the mask.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 2 Control device 10 Mask stage system 11 Helium chamber 12 Mask stage 13 Positioning optical system 14 Mask transport device 15 Mask holder 16 Mask 20 Fixing plate 21 Rotor 22 Rolling bearing 23A to 23C Linear actuator 24A to 24C Action point 25 Mask chuck 26A-26C Elastic hinge 27 Drive mechanism 28 Spring plunger 29 Lever 30, 34, 36 Housing 31 Linear guide 32, 33 Table 35 Coarse actuator 35A, 37A, 38A Action point 37 Fine actuator 38 Stopper 39 Position Sensor 50 Wafer stage system 51 XY coarse movement stage 52 Rotary movement mechanism 53 Linear actuator 54 XY fine movement stage 55 Wafer chuck 56 Type mirror 57 the laser head 58 optical unit 59 wafer 60 loader 61 unloader

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H01L 21/30 503A F-term (Reference) 2F078 CA02 CA08 CB13 2H095 BA03 BA06 BA10 BB29 BB34 5F031 CA02 CA07 FA04 FA07 FA18 GA08 GA09 GA45 HA13 HA53 JA02 JA06 JA07 JA17 JA28 JA34 KA06 KA07 KA08 LA08 LA10 LA15 MA27 PA02 PA04 5F046 BA02 CC01 CC02 CC03 CC06 CC08 CC09 CC10 CC16 CC18 CD01 CD04 GA02 GA12

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A bearing comprising a fixed member and a movable member, wherein the movable member is held rotatably about the Z-axis with respect to the fixed member, and attached to the movable member of the bearing. , A first actuator for displacing an action point in a direction parallel to the Z-axis, and a holding stage for holding an object to be held and displacing in the Z-axis direction by receiving a force from the action point of the first actuator. Rotation holding device. 2. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a second member mounted on the movable member of the bearing for displacing the action point in a direction parallel to the Z axis.
And an elastic hinge for connecting each of the action points of the first to third actuators to the holding stage, wherein each of the elastic hinges is an action point of the first to third actuators. 2. The rotation holding device according to claim 1, further comprising the elastic hinge that restricts a relative position of each of the holding stages and the holding stage in the Z-axis direction and allows the holding stage to move in a direction in which the holding stage is inclined with respect to the Z axis. 3. A bearing comprising a fixed member and a movable member, wherein the movable member is held rotatably about the Z axis with respect to the fixed member; A holding stage that is attached and holds an object; and a driving mechanism that applies a force in a first direction to a force point of the movable member that deviates from the Z axis so that the movable member rotates around the Z axis. And a driving mechanism comprising: a coarse actuator that applies a force in a first direction to a force point of the movable member; and a linear guide that holds the coarse actuator in a translational manner in the first direction. A fine movement actuator whose position resolution is higher than the position resolution of the coarse movement actuator and which displaces the coarse movement actuator in the first direction; and a physical amount corresponding to the displacement amount of the coarse movement actuator. Rotating the holding device having a position sensor for constant. 4. The fine movement actuator is held by the linear guide so as to be able to translate in the first direction, and comes into contact with the fine movement actuator to constrain the position of the fine movement actuator in the first direction. And a force in the first direction applied by the coarse movement actuator to a force point of the movable member, and a force in the first direction applied by the fine movement actuator to the coarse movement actuator on a single straight line. The rotation holding device according to claim 3, wherein the coarse movement actuator and the fine movement actuator are disposed so as to be located. 5. A rotating mechanism for rotating a movable section about a Z-axis with respect to a fixed section, and is attached to the movable section of the rotating mechanism, and displaces an action point in a direction parallel to the Z-axis. An actuator, a first XY stage that is displaced in a Z-axis direction by receiving a force from an action point of the actuator, and is orthogonal to the Z-axis;
The movable stage is translated in a direction parallel to a UV plane defined by mutually orthogonal U-axis and V-axis fixedly defined with respect to the movable portion of the rotary moving mechanism, and the object is moved on the movable stage. The first XY stage for holding an object, with respect to a direction orthogonal to the Z axis and parallel to the mutually orthogonal X axis and Y axis fixedly defined with respect to the fixed portion of the rotary movement mechanism, Position detection means for detecting the position of the object held by the movable stage; crosstalk detection means for detecting a deviation between the X-axis direction and the U-axis direction; and an object detected by the position detection means. Based on the location of the object,
The target movement amounts in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are obtained, and the target movement amounts in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are converted into the movement amounts in the U-axis direction and the V-axis direction. Control means for driving the first XY stage based on the amount of movement of the first XY stage. 6. The position adjusting device according to claim 5, wherein a center of gravity of the first XY stage is located closer to the rotation moving mechanism than an action point of the actuator in the Z-axis direction. 7. The position adjusting device according to claim 5, further comprising a second XY stage that holds a fixed portion of the rotation moving mechanism and translates the translation unit in a two-dimensional direction perpendicular to the Z axis. 8. An XY coarse movement stage that translates a movable portion in a two-dimensional direction perpendicular to the Z axis, and is attached to the movable portion of the XY coarse movement stage, and displaces an action point in a direction parallel to the Z axis. And an actuator to be displaced in a Z-axis direction by receiving a force from an action point of the actuator, and a movable stage is translated in a direction parallel to an XY plane orthogonal to the Z-axis. Holding the first member of one of the object and the mask, and the movable distance of the movable stage in the X and Y directions is shorter than the movable distance of the movable part of the XY coarse movement stage.
The second fine member of the exposure object and the mask is held so as to face a Y fine movement stage and a first member held on a movable stage of the XY fine movement stage with a small gap therebetween. A holding mechanism, and control means for controlling the operation of the actuator, wherein a movable stage of the XY fine movement stage is brought closer to the second member at the time of exposure to make a first gap between the exposure object and the mask; The control means for moving the movable stage away from the second member to make the gap between the exposure object and the mask a second gap wider than the first gap when exchanging the exposure object; A proximity exposure apparatus, comprising: a handling arm that transfers the object to be exposed when a movable stage of the stage is at a position at the time of exchanging the object to be exposed. 9. The proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first member is an object to be exposed, and the second member is a mask. 10. A rotary moving mechanism attached to a movable part of the XY coarse movement stage, for rotating the rotary moving part about a Z axis, wherein the actuator is a rotary moving part of the rotary moving mechanism. The proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the proximity exposure apparatus is attached to a device. 11. A mask is fixedly held on a holding surface perpendicular to the Z-axis, and a positioning pin provided on the holding surface is engaged with a notch provided on an edge of the mask. A mask chuck for positioning in a rotational movement direction about an axis parallel to the Z-axis; and a plurality of masks which are held on each edge of the mask so that the mask surface is orthogonal to the Z-axis. When the notch that has been engaged includes a positioning member whose position in the rotational movement direction about an axis parallel to the Z-axis is specified, a plurality of masks are cut in a state where the notch of the mask is engaged with the positioning member. A mask holder to be stored, and one of the masks stored in the mask holder is taken out, and the mask surface is maintained above the holding surface of the mask chuck while maintaining a state where the mask surface is perpendicular to the Z axis. Feeding to the mask holding device and a handling arm mask pass mask to the mask chuck as slits of said mask, to engage the positioning pins on the retaining surface.