JP2004294770A - Exposure method and exposure system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an exposure method and an exposure system for minimizing the size of an aligner to expose a multi-face substrate. <P>SOLUTION: In the exposure method for sequentially exposing exposure regions 101 on a CF substrate 100, aligners 12A to 12C each having a photomask 33 and a stage 31 are disposed, each aligner driving the stage 31 mounting the CF substrate 100 and aligning the photomask 33 to at least one of the exposure regions 101 to expose. The exposure regions 101 are assigned to one of the aligners 12A to 12C so that the exposure process in the exposure regions 101 is shared among the aligners 12A to 12C. Since the exposure process on one substrate is shared by a plurality of aligners, each aligner has only to drive the stage in the range where it can align the photomask to the assigned exposure region. This decreases the space necessary as the moving range of the stage in each aligner and minimizes each aligner. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an exposure method and an exposure system for sequentially aligning and exposing a photomask to a plurality of exposure regions on a multi-faced substrate, and more particularly to an exposure method and an exposure system suitable for exposing a large substrate.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a technique for forming a pattern on a substrate such as a color filter, there is known a multi-face mounting in which a number of patterns corresponding to a plurality of devices are formed on one substrate. Further, as an exposure apparatus for a multi-faced substrate, there is known an exposure apparatus in which a stage on which a substrate is mounted is driven with respect to a photomask, and a plurality of exposure regions are sequentially aligned and exposed.
[0003]
Although not related to the multi-surface application, after exposing the entire surface of the substrate at once by an exposure mechanism having a photomask partially masked, another exposure mechanism is applied to an area not exposed by the masking. An exposure apparatus is known (see Patent Document 1).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-267294 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described technology, the size of the exposure apparatus increases with the increase in the size of the substrate, which causes various inconveniences. For example, if the width of the exposure apparatus is larger than the road, the exposure apparatus must be disassembled, transported from the manufacturing factory of the exposure apparatus to the factory of the supplier, and assembled at the factory of the supplier. The necessity of the assembling work at the factory of the supplier leads to a decrease in accuracy, a delay in delivery, and an increase in cost.
[0006]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure method and an exposure system that can reduce the size of an exposure apparatus that exposes a multi-faced substrate.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described. In addition, in order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference numerals in the accompanying drawings are added in parentheses, but the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment.
[0008]
An exposure method according to the present invention is an exposure method for sequentially exposing a plurality of exposure regions (101) of a multi-faced substrate (100), comprising a photomask (33) and a stage (31), wherein the substrate is placed. An exposure apparatus (12A to 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C or 15A to 15C) for driving the stage to align and expose the photomask to at least one of the plurality of exposure areas. By arranging a plurality of exposure areas and allocating each of the plurality of exposure areas to one of the plurality of exposure apparatuses and performing exposure on the plurality of exposure areas in a shared manner among the plurality of exposure apparatuses, the above-described problem is solved. Resolve.
[0009]
According to the exposure method of the present invention, since exposure of one substrate is performed in a shared manner among a plurality of exposure apparatuses, each exposure apparatus is capable of aligning a photomask with an exposure area assigned to itself. It is only necessary that the stage can be driven. For this reason, the space that must be ensured as the movement range of the stage in each exposure apparatus is reduced, and each exposure apparatus is downsized. This eliminates the necessity of assembling the exposure apparatus in a factory where the exposure apparatus is operated, thereby improving the accuracy of the exposure apparatus, shortening the time required for delivery, and reducing costs. In addition, since a single substrate is exposed by a plurality of exposure devices, it is possible to form a plurality of types of patterns on a single substrate, thereby preventing imposition loss of the substrate, and in various circumstances. It is also possible to carry out mixed production according to the requirements.
[0010]
The alignment between the photomask and the exposure area in each exposure apparatus may be performed by various methods, and an appropriate method may be selected according to the accuracy required for the relative position between the exposure areas. For example, before each exposure apparatus exposes, an alignment mark for specifying the position of each of the plurality of exposure areas is provided, and each exposure apparatus detects the alignment mark, thereby aligning the photomask with the exposure area. You may. The first exposure device detects the stage position by laser measurement to position the photomask, and the subsequent exposure devices detect the position of the exposure area exposed by the first exposure device, and a predetermined amount based on that position. The photomask may be positioned by moving the stage. In each exposure apparatus, the photomask may be positioned by placing the substrate on a pin provided on the stage by pressing the substrate and detecting the stage position by laser measurement.
[0011]
In the exposure method according to the aspect of the invention, the substrate may be one in which a pattern of a plurality of layers functioning as a part of a device is exposed in each of the plurality of exposure regions, and the plurality of exposure apparatuses may include, among the plurality of layers, Exposing at least one layer of the pattern; forming a plurality of alignment marks (53) on the substrate before exposing a first one of the plurality of layers; The photomask may be positioned at an exposure area allocated to the photomask based on a relative position between the mark and an alignment mark provided on the photomask. For example, in exposing a substrate to be bonded to another substrate, a plurality of exposure regions and a plurality of opposing regions of the other substrate need to be matched, so that a relative position between the plurality of exposure regions is set to a predetermined relative position. Must be accurately matched to For this reason, in the conventional method of exposing using a laser length measuring system, when exposing only a part of the plurality of exposure regions, the substrate is moved to another exposure apparatus. However, the position of the already exposed exposure area cannot be specified accurately, and it has been difficult to accurately position the photomask with respect to the remaining exposure area. Therefore, all the exposure areas have to be exposed by one exposure apparatus. However, in the above embodiment, the alignment mark is formed before the first layer is exposed, and the relative position between the plurality of exposure regions is specified based on the alignment mark. After exposing the area, the photomask can be moved to another exposure apparatus and the photomask can be accurately positioned with respect to the remaining exposure area.
[0012]
In the exposure method of the present invention, the substrate is bonded to another substrate (200) having a plurality of opposing regions (201) bonded to each of the plurality of exposure regions. When forming an alignment mark, the arrangement of the plurality of opposing regions including the influence of an error of an apparatus for forming the pattern of the opposing region, and the arrangement of the plurality of exposure regions, so as to match the arrangement of the plurality of exposure regions. May be formed. Even if the alignment mark is formed at a preset position, there is a possibility that the opposing region and the exposure region may not be accurately matched due to a positional shift of the opposing region based on the peculiarity of the device for forming the pattern of the opposing region. is there. However, according to the above aspect of the present invention, since the alignment mark is formed in consideration of the error of the apparatus for forming the pattern of the facing region, the accuracy of the alignment between the exposure region and the facing region is improved. The arrangement of the opposing region including the influence of the error may be obtained by measuring the position of the opposing region of the opposing substrate on which the pattern is formed with a marking device, or may be obtained by measuring the operating characteristics of the device for forming the pattern. It may be obtained by grasping the habit of the device by some method such as a test.
[0013]
An exposure system according to the present invention is an exposure system (1) for sequentially exposing a plurality of exposure areas (101) of a multi-faced substrate (100), wherein an exposure apparatus provided with a photomask (33) and a stage (31) is provided. (12A to 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C, or 15A to 15C), and each of the plurality of exposure devices drives the stage on which the substrate is mounted, and The above-mentioned problem is solved by aligning and exposing the photomask to an exposure area assigned to the self.
[0014]
According to the exposure system of the present invention, since each exposure apparatus performs exposure on the exposure area assigned to itself, the exposure for a plurality of exposure areas is performed among the exposure apparatuses in a shared manner. An exposure method can be realized.
[0015]
In the exposure system of the present invention, a marking device (11) for forming a plurality of alignment marks on the substrate is provided separately from the plurality of exposure devices, and each of the plurality of exposure devices is associated with the plurality of alignment marks and its own. The photomask may be positioned at an exposure area assigned to the photomask based on a relative position with respect to an alignment mark provided on the photomask. In this case, the alignment mark can be formed on the substrate by the marking device before the substrate is exposed, and each exposure device positions its own photomask based on the position of the alignment mark. The preferred embodiment of the exposure method of the present invention described above can be realized.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an exposure system 1 of the present invention. The exposure system 1 is configured as a system that performs exposure on the CF substrate 100 (see FIG. 9).
[0017]
The CF substrate 100 is made of, for example, a glass substrate and has a thickness of 1 mm and an area of 4 m ² . The CF substrate 100 is bonded to the TFT substrate 200 (see FIG. 8A) by the bonding device 2 after forming a pattern such as a black matrix layer, an R layer, a G layer, and a B layer. From one set of CF substrate 100 and TFT substrate 200, six liquid crystal display devices are manufactured. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the exposure system 1 exposes six exposure areas 101... 101 on the CF substrate 100.
[0018]
The exposure system 1 of FIG. 1 includes a marking device 11 for forming alignment marks 53... 53 (see FIG. 9) on a CF substrate 100 and a plurality of exposure devices 12A to 12C for exposing the CF substrate 100. , 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C, and 15A to 15C. For example, each of the exposure devices 12A to 12C exposes the black matrix layer, the exposure devices 13A to 13C expose the R layer, the exposure devices 14A to 14C expose the G layer, and the exposure devices 15A to 15C expose the B layer. It is provided as. In each of the exposure apparatuses, the one with the letter A (for example, the exposure apparatus 12A) corresponds to the exposure areas 101, 101 of the group 102A ((1) and (2) in FIG. )), The symbol B is assigned to the exposure areas 101 and 101 of the group 102B ((3) and (4) in FIG. 9), and the symbol C is assigned to the group 102C. Are provided as exposure devices for the exposure regions 101, 101 ((5) and (6) in FIG. 9). Therefore, for example, in the exposure to the black matrix layer, the exposure to the exposure regions 101... 101 is set to be shared among the exposure apparatuses 12A to 12C.
[0019]
FIG. 2A is a side view illustrating the configuration of the marking device 11. The marking device 11 includes a stage 21 on which the CF substrate 100 is mounted, an optical system 24 for marking the CF substrate 100, a camera 25 for capturing an image on the stage 21, and a horizontal direction of the optical system 24 and the camera 25. And a controller 26 for measuring the relative position between the optical system 24 and the stage 21, and a controller 26.
[0020]
On the upper surface of the stage 21, an electrostatic chuck 21a for attracting and holding the CF substrate 100 by electrostatic force is provided. The electrostatic chuck 21a is the same as the electrostatic chuck 42a of the bonding device 2 (see FIG. 3B). Various known techniques can be used for the electrostatic chuck 21a. The electrostatic chuck 21a includes, for example, an insulator (not shown) and an electrode (not shown) embedded in the insulator. A surface type electrode may be embedded in the insulator, a bipolar electrode may be embedded, or a number of electrodes may be embedded in the insulator.
[0021]
The optical system 24 includes, for example, a laser 27 and an objective lens 28. As shown in FIG. 2B, the laser light L output from the laser 27 is applied to the irradiation position H while being collected by the objective lens 28. When the layer 150 made of, for example, chromium or resin is formed on the CF substrate 100, a hole is formed in the irradiation position H by the laser beam L. Therefore, the alignment mark 53 is formed on the CF substrate 100 by scanning the laser beam L on the CF substrate 100 on which a photosensitive resin or a chromium film in which a pigment for a black matrix layer is dispersed is formed. The scanning of the laser beam L may be performed by driving the entire optical system 24 on the stage 21 by the driving device 22, or may be performed by driving a lens or a mirror included in the optical system 24. Is also good. For example, a pulse laser may be used as the laser 27 and marking may be performed by connecting dots.
[0022]
The camera 25 is configured as, for example, a CCD camera, and outputs a video signal based on a captured image to the control device 26. The camera 25 is provided so as to be able to move integrally with the optical system 24 on the stage 21 and is provided so as to be able to image a range irradiated with the laser light L. The control device 26 is configured as a computer including, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an external storage device, and according to a program or the like recorded in the external storage device, various types of the electrostatic chuck 21a, the driving device 22, the laser 27, and the like. Control the operation of the device. The driving device 22 includes, for example, an electric motor, and its operation is controlled by the control device 26. The laser length measuring system 23 irradiates a laser beam to, for example, a reflecting mirror (not shown) that moves integrally with the optical system 24, receives the reflected laser beam, and measures the distance to the reflecting mirror. And a laser interferometer (not shown). The laser interferometer outputs a signal corresponding to the measured distance to the control device 26.
[0023]
FIG. 3A is a side view showing the configuration of the exposure apparatus 12A. The exposure apparatuses 12B, 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C, and 15A to 15C have substantially the same configuration. The exposure apparatus 12A includes a stage 31 on which the CF substrate 100 is mounted, a driving device 32 for driving the stage 31 in the horizontal direction, a photomask 33 disposed above the stage 31, and a stage 2 from above the photomask 33. Cameras 34 and 34 for imaging the upper part and a control device 35 are provided. In addition, the exposure apparatus 12A further includes various devices such as an illumination device for irradiating the photomask 33 with a light beam, but the description is omitted because it is not the gist of the present invention.
[0024]
As shown in FIG. 4A, the stage 31 is configured to be movable within a range in which the photomask 33 can be positioned only in the exposure regions 101 and 101 of the group 102A (a range of L1 × L2). Therefore, as in the conventional exposure apparatus shown in FIG. 4B, the stage 31 is positioned within a range (L1 × L3) where the photomask 33 can be aligned with respect to all the exposure regions 101... The exposure apparatus 12A is smaller in size as compared with the case where the light source is movable. Similarly, the exposure apparatuses 12B, 12C, 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C, and 15A to 15C are also configured so that the photomask 33 can be positioned only in the exposure areas 101 and 101 of the group assigned to them.
[0025]
On the upper surface of the stage 31, a vacuum chuck 31a is provided. The drive device 32 includes, for example, an electric motor, and is controlled by the control device 35. The photomask 33 has a size to cover one exposure area 101 as shown in FIG. The photomask 33 has alignment marks 51, 51 at positions outside an area corresponding to the exposure area 101. The cameras 34, 34 are provided at positions where the alignment marks 51, 51 can be imaged, and output a video signal based on the captured image to the control device 35. The control device 35 is configured as a computer, for example, like the control device 26, and controls the operation of various devices such as the drive device 32 according to programs and the like recorded in an external storage device.
[0026]
FIG. 3B is a side view illustrating the configuration of the bonding device 2. The bonding device 2 is configured as a device in which the CF substrate 100 and the TFT substrate 200 are vertically opposed to each other, a liquid crystal is dropped on the lower substrate, and then the CF substrate 100 and the TFT substrate 200 are bonded in a vacuum. ing.
[0027]
The bonding apparatus 2 includes a chamber 41 whose inside can be maintained in a reduced pressure state, and surface plates 42 and 43 provided inside the chamber 41 and facing vertically. In addition, the bonding apparatus 2 further includes a driving device that drives the platens 42 and 43 up and down so as to approach or separate from each other, but the description is omitted because it is not the gist of the present invention. The platens 42 and 43 include electrostatic chucks 42a and 43a for holding the CF substrate 100 and the TFT substrate 200 by electrostatic force, respectively. The CF substrate 100 and the TFT substrate 200 are held on the electrostatic chucks 42a and 43a, respectively. It is stuck in the state where it was done.
[0028]
The operation of the exposure system 1 having the above configuration will be described.
[0029]
The exposure system 1 learns the positions of the opposing regions 201... 201 of the TFT substrate 200 by the marking device 11 before exposing the CF substrate 100. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of the position measurement process executed by the control device 26 of the marking device 11 at the time of the learning. This process is executed, for example, when the user performs a predetermined input operation on the control device 26. This process is based on the premise that the TFT substrate 200 is mounted on the stage 21 as shown in FIG.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 8A, the TFT substrate 200 has opposing regions 201 to 201 to be bonded to the exposure regions 101 to 101 of the CF substrate 100, respectively. Exposure has already been performed by an exposure system different from the exposure system 1. The TFT substrate 200 has a plurality of sets of alignment marks 52 around the opposing regions 201. The alignment marks 52 indicate the positions of the opposing areas 201... 201. For example, when the opposing area 201 is exposed, the pattern of the alignment marks 52 is also exposed and formed at the same time.
[0031]
The TFT substrate 200 is placed on the stage 21 with the surface (film surface) to be bonded to the CF substrate 100 facing downward. The mounting of the TFT substrate 200 on the stage 21 may be performed manually by a user, or may be performed by a transfer device (not shown) of the marking device 11 for mounting the CF substrate 100 on the stage 21. Is also good.
[0032]
In step S1 of FIG. 5, the control device 26 controls the operation of the drive device 22 to move the optical system 24 and the camera 25 so that one of the alignment marks 52... Move. This control is performed based on, for example, a control amount recorded in the control device 26 in advance.
[0033]
Next, the controller 26 determines the alignment mark 52 based on the position of the alignment mark 52 with respect to the camera 25 measured by the camera 25 and the position of the optical system 24 (camera 25) measured by the laser measurement system 23. The position is specified (step S2). In step S3, it is determined whether or not the measurement has been completed for all the alignment marks 52... 52. If it is determined that the measurement has not been completed, steps S1 and S2 are repeatedly executed, and the remaining alignment marks 52. Measure the position sequentially. If it is determined that the processing has been completed, the processing ends. Incidentally, if the offset between the position of the camera 25 and the irradiation position H is specified in advance by, for example, marking the test substrate with the optical system 24, the irradiation position H is set at the position of the alignment marks 52. The position of the optical system 24 at the time of matching is specified.
[0034]
After learning of the opposing regions 201... 201 of the TFT substrate 200, the exposure system 1 receives the CF substrate 100 on the surface of which chromium, resin, or resist, which is to be a black matrix layer, is formed. A process for forming an alignment mark 53 on the substrate 100 is performed.
[0035]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a marking process performed by the control device 26 of the marking device 11. This process is started, for example, when the CF substrate 100 is placed on the stage 21. While this process is being performed, the CF substrate 100 is suction-held by the electrostatic chuck 21a.
[0036]
In step S11, the control device 26 controls the optical system 24 to be measured by the laser length measurement system 23 so that the irradiation position H matches one of the positions of the alignment mark 52 measured in the position measurement process (see FIG. 5). The optical system 24 is moved by controlling the operation of the drive device 22 while referring to the position. Next, the laser 27 is driven to form an alignment mark 53 on the CF substrate 100. In step S13, it is determined whether or not alignment marks 53... 53 are formed corresponding to all of the alignment marks 52... 52 of the TFT substrate 200. If it is determined that alignment marks 53 are not formed, steps S11 and S12 are performed. Execute repeatedly. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, alignment marks 53... 53 of the CF substrate 100 are sequentially formed in the same arrangement as the alignment marks 52.
[0037]
After the formation of the alignment marks 53 ... 53, the exposure system 1 transports the CF substrate 100 by the transport device (not shown) in the order of the exposure devices 12A, 12B and 12C, and exposes the black matrix layer by each of the exposure devices 12A to 12C. Perform
[0038]
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of an exposure process performed by the control device 35 of the exposure apparatus 12A. This process is started when the CF substrate 100 is placed on the stage 31, as shown in FIG. 9, for example. While this process is being performed, the CF substrate 100 is suction-held by the vacuum chuck 31a.
[0039]
First, the control device 35 controls the operation of the driving device 32 so as to position any one of the exposure regions 101, 101 of the group 102A below the photomask 33 (step S21). This control is performed, for example, based on a control amount recorded in the control device 35 in advance. Next, the camera 7 captures an image of the alignment mark 51 of the photomask 33 and the alignment mark 53 of the CF substrate 100 (Step S22), and specifies the positional deviation between the alignment mark 51 and the alignment mark 53 (Step S23). Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the photomask 33 and the exposure region 101 are aligned based on the positional deviation (step S24). Thereafter, in step S25, an illumination device (not shown) is driven to perform exposure. In step S15, it is determined whether or not exposure has been completed for all of the exposure areas 101, 101 of the group 102A. If it is determined that exposure has not been completed, steps S21 to S25 are repeatedly executed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the exposure areas 101, 101 of the group 102A are sequentially exposed.
[0040]
In the exposure devices 12B and 12C, the same processing is executed by the control device provided in each exposure device, and the exposure regions 101... 101 of the groups 102B and 102C are sequentially exposed.
[0041]
After the exposure of the black matrix layer, the CF substrate 100 is transported to various devices such as a developing device (not shown). Then, similarly to the black matrix layer, the R layer, the G layer, and the B layer are coated with a resist or the like by a coater (not shown), and then exposed to each of the layers by the exposure devices 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C, and 15A to 15C. Is executed. Also in these exposure apparatuses, the position of the photomask 33 is adjusted with reference to the alignment marks 53... 53 formed by the marking apparatus 11 before exposing the black matrix layer.
[0042]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and may be implemented in various forms as long as the technical idea of the present invention is substantially the same.
[0043]
Various methods may be used for position measurement of the opposing regions 201... 201 of the TFT substrate 200. The measurement may be performed by a device different from the marking device 11, and data of the measurement result may be input to the marking device 11. The position of the alignment area 52 is not limited to the one that measures the position of the alignment mark 52. For example, the position of the opposite area 201 may be directly measured based on the pattern of the opposite area 201.
[0044]
In the marking device 11, the CF substrate 100 is held by an electrostatic chuck, but the CF substrate 100 may be held by a vacuum chuck.
[0045]
The alignment mark 53 of the substrate to be exposed may be formed by various methods. For example, if the light transmittance of the layer formed on the substrate is high, laser light is focused inside the glass substrate, and marking is performed by changing the optical properties of the glass substrate at the focal point, so-called inner glass. Marking (IGM) may be used. In the case of marking with the IGM, for example, a bubble may be generated inside the glass by a laser beam, and the optical property may be changed so that the light is scattered at the focal point. The substrate may be scanned with laser light, or the substrate may be irradiated with laser light via a photomask having an alignment mark pattern to change the optical properties of the substrate. The marking may be performed by attaching another material such as by depositing a chromium film.
[0046]
As shown in FIG. 10A, the exposure regions 101 of the groups 102A to 102C may have different patterns. As shown in FIG. 10B, the sizes of the exposure regions 101 of the groups 102A to 102C may be different from each other. The number and arrangement of the groups and the number and arrangement of the exposure regions 101 in each group may be set as appropriate.
[0047]
The exposure apparatus may perform exposure on a plurality of layers. For example, a photomask for a black matrix layer, an R layer, a G layer, and a B layer is mounted on each of the exposure devices 12A to 12C, and each layer is exposed by the exposure devices 12A to 12C, and the exposure devices 13A to 13C, 14A to 14C and 15A to 15C may be omitted.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the exposure method of the present invention, since exposure of a single substrate is performed in a shared manner among a plurality of exposure apparatuses, each exposure apparatus uses a photomask in an exposure area assigned to itself. It is only necessary that the stage can be driven within a range in which can be adjusted. For this reason, the space that must be ensured as the movement range of the stage in each exposure apparatus is reduced, and each exposure apparatus is downsized. This eliminates the necessity of assembling the exposure apparatus in a factory where the exposure apparatus is operated, thereby improving the accuracy of the exposure apparatus, shortening the time required for delivery, and reducing costs. In addition, since a single substrate is exposed by a plurality of exposure devices, it is possible to form a plurality of types of patterns on a single substrate, thereby preventing imposition loss of the substrate, and in various circumstances. It is also possible to carry out mixed production according to the requirements.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an exposure system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a marking device included in the exposure system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an exposure apparatus and a bonding apparatus included in the exposure system of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a movement range of a stage of the exposure apparatus in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a position measurement process executed by a control device of the marking device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a marking process performed by a control device of the marking device of FIG. 2;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure of an exposure process executed by a control device of the exposure apparatus of FIG. 3;
8 is a diagram showing a state of the marking device of FIG. 2 when the position measurement process of FIG. 5 and the marking process of FIG. 6 are being executed.
9 is a diagram illustrating a state of the exposure apparatus of FIG. 3 when the exposure processing of FIG. 7 is being performed.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modification of imposition of a substrate to be exposed.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Exposure system 11 Marking apparatus 12A-12C, 13A-13C Exposure apparatus 14A-14C, 15A-15C Exposure apparatus 31 Stage 33 Photomask 55 Alignment mark 100 CF substrate 101 Exposure area 200 TFT substrate 201 Counter substrate

Claims (5)

In an exposure method for sequentially exposing a plurality of exposure regions of a multi-faced substrate,
A photomask and a stage are provided, and a plurality of exposure apparatuses are provided for driving the stage on which the substrate is mounted and aligning and exposing the photomask to at least one of the plurality of exposure regions. And
An exposure method, wherein each of the plurality of exposure regions is assigned to one of the plurality of exposure devices, and exposure to the plurality of exposure regions is performed in a shared manner among the plurality of exposure devices. The substrate is one in which a pattern of a plurality of layers functioning as a part of a device is exposed to each of the plurality of exposure regions,
The plurality of exposure devices are for exposing at least one pattern of the plurality of layers,
Forming a plurality of alignment marks on the substrate before exposing the first layer of the plurality of layers,
Each of the plurality of exposure apparatuses aligns its own photomask with an exposure area assigned to itself based on a relative position between the plurality of alignment marks and an alignment mark provided on its own photomask. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate is bonded to another substrate having a plurality of opposing regions bonded to each of the plurality of exposure regions,
When forming the plurality of alignment marks, the arrangement of the plurality of opposing regions including the influence of an error of an apparatus for forming the pattern of the opposing region and the arrangement of the plurality of exposure regions may be matched. 3. The exposure method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of alignment marks are formed. In an exposure system for sequentially exposing a plurality of exposure regions on a multi-surface substrate,
A plurality of exposure devices provided with a photomask and a stage are provided.
Each of the plurality of exposure devices drives the stage on which the substrate is mounted, and aligns and exposes the photomask to an exposure region assigned to itself among the plurality of exposure regions. Characteristic exposure system. A marking device for forming a plurality of alignment marks on the substrate is provided separately from the plurality of exposure devices,
Each of the plurality of exposure apparatuses aligns its own photomask with an exposure area assigned to itself based on a relative position between the plurality of alignment marks and an alignment mark provided on its own photomask. The exposure system according to claim 4, wherein:

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