JP2004347846A - Pattern plotting apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To plot a pattern at high speed with high resolution by irradiating a photosensitive material formed on a substrate with light. <P>SOLUTION: The pattern plotting apparatus 1 is equipped with a stage 32 holding a substrate 9, a stage moving mechanism 2 to move the stage 32, a light emitting part 5 to emit light to the substrate 9, a mask part 52 having a first mask 53 and a second mask 54 formed with a plurality of apertures, and an optical unit 58 to enlarge or reduce the irradiation region on the substrate 9 to be irradiated with the light passing through the mask part 52. In the pattern plotting apparatus 1, the overlapped part of the apertures in the first mask 53 and the second mask 54, and the magnification of the optical unit 58 are varied. Thereby, the width and the pitch of the pattern to be plotted can be easily varied, and a stripe pattern can be plotted at high speed with high resolution on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for drawing a pattern by irradiating a photosensitive material on a substrate with light.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a pattern is formed by irradiating light to a photosensitive material formed on a semiconductor substrate, a printed substrate, a plasma display device, a liquid crystal display device, a glass substrate for a photomask (hereinafter, referred to as a “substrate”). As a drawing method, a method of transferring a mask pattern onto a photosensitive material such as a proximity exposure method or a step exposure method is known.
[0003]
In the proximity exposure method, a mask having an opening corresponding to a pattern to be drawn and having a size equal to that of the substrate is radiated to the substrate in proximity to the substrate, and the pattern is collectively transferred to a photosensitive material on the substrate. In the step exposure method, pattern writing is performed on the entire substrate by alternately repeating projection of the mask pattern and movement of the mask pattern.
[0004]
On the other hand, as a drawing method without using a mask, a method of directly irradiating a modulated light beam while scanning it on a photosensitive material to directly draw a pattern (hereinafter, referred to as a “direct drawing method”) as disclosed in Patent Document 1 ") Has also been proposed.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-5-150175
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the market for manufacturing devices such as panels for flat panel display devices and color filters, there is a strong demand for higher definition of patterns drawn on a substrate and for larger substrates. In the proximity exposure method, in which the mask pattern is batch-transferred to the photosensitive material, the mask and the substrate are brought close to each other to irradiate light, so the mask is expensive in order to cope with higher definition of the pattern and enlargement of the substrate. turn into. In addition, the proximity exposure method and the step exposure method have a disadvantage that it is not possible to flexibly respond to changes in the pitch and width of a pattern to be drawn.
[0007]
In the direct drawing method, a raster method is generally used, in which a pattern is expressed as a set of minute dots (pixels) and the pattern is drawn in dot units. (That is, to reduce the area of one dot), which increases the time required to draw a pattern on the entire large substrate.
[0008]
As a method of shortening the drawing time, measures to increase the number of light beams scanned and the number of dots to be drawn at the same time can be considered, but the light irradiation mechanism increases in size with the increase in the number of light beams, and the cost of the manufacturing apparatus increases. Will rise. In particular, it becomes physically difficult to arrange a required number of heads as the pattern becomes finer and more precise.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to draw a pattern with high resolution at high speed.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The invention according to claim 1 is a pattern drawing apparatus that draws a pattern on a photosensitive material on a substrate, wherein the light source, a holding unit that holds a substrate to which light from the light source is guided, and light from the light source. A first mask formed by arranging in a predetermined direction a plurality of first light passage areas through which the light passes, and optically superimposed on the first mask, A second mask in which a plurality of second light passage areas respectively corresponding to the plurality of first light passage areas are formed, and the first mask is moved with respect to the second mask in the predetermined direction. A mask moving mechanism that moves relatively, a plurality of light irradiation areas on a photosensitive material to which light sequentially passing through the plurality of first light passage areas and the plurality of second light passage areas is irradiated, The scanning direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the light irradiation area And a irradiation area moving mechanism moves relative to the optical material.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 2 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of light irradiation areas have the same width in the predetermined direction, and an interval between the plurality of light irradiation areas. Is constant.
[0012]
The invention according to claim 3 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a detection unit that detects a width of each of the plurality of light irradiation regions in the predetermined direction.
[0013]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the pattern drawing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the driving unit drives the mask moving mechanism, and the mask moving unit controls the driving unit based on a detection result by the detecting unit. And a control unit.
[0014]
The invention according to claim 5 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the magnification is arranged between the second mask and the holding unit to enlarge or reduce the plurality of light irradiation areas. A change mechanism is further provided.
[0015]
The invention according to claim 6 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a detection unit that detects an interval between the plurality of light irradiation regions.
[0016]
The invention according to claim 7 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the driving unit drives the magnification changing mechanism, and the magnification control controls the driving unit based on a detection result by the detection unit. And a unit.
[0017]
The invention according to claim 8 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising a mechanism for changing a distance between the holding unit and the magnification changing mechanism.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 9 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the first mask and the second mask is replaced with another mask. The exchange mechanism is further provided.
[0019]
An invention according to claim 10 is the pattern drawing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first mask and the second mask are replaced with another first mask and another one. An exchange mechanism for exchanging the two masks is further provided.
[0020]
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the pattern writing apparatus according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, wherein ON / OFF of light irradiation on the photosensitive material is synchronized with movement of the plurality of light irradiation areas. And a light irradiation control unit for controlling the light irradiation.
[0021]
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the pattern drawing apparatus according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the holding unit is rotated about an axis perpendicular to a surface on the substrate held by the holding unit. And a mechanism for changing the scanning direction relative to the photosensitive material.
[0022]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a pattern drawing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The pattern drawing apparatus 1 irradiates light onto a glass substrate 9 for a liquid crystal display device (hereinafter, simply referred to as “substrate 9”), so that a plurality of photosensitive materials (color resist in the present embodiment) on the substrate 9 are formed. This is a device for drawing a stripe pattern. The substrate 9 on which the pattern is drawn finally passes through another process and eventually becomes a color filter which is an assembly part of the liquid crystal display device.
[0023]
In the pattern drawing apparatus 1, a stage moving mechanism 2 is provided on a base 11, and the stage unit 3 holding the substrate 9 can be moved in the X direction in FIG. 1 along the main surface of the substrate 9 by the stage moving mechanism 2. It is said. A frame 12 is fixed to the base 11 so as to straddle the stage unit 3, and the head unit 5 and the mask changer 6 are attached to the frame 12.
[0024]
The stage moving mechanism 2 has a structure in which a ball screw 22 is connected to a motor 21, and a nut 23 fixed to the stage unit 3 is attached to the ball screw 22. A guide rail 24 is fixed above the ball screw 22, and when the motor 21 rotates, the stage unit 3 moves smoothly in the X direction along the guide rail 24 together with the nut 23.
[0025]
The stage unit 3 includes a stage 32 for directly holding the substrate 9, a stage rotation mechanism 33 for rotating the stage 32 about an axis perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate 9, a support plate 34 for rotatably supporting the stage 32, FIG. It has a stage elevating mechanism 35 that moves the support plate 34 in the middle Z direction, and a base plate 36 that holds the stage elevating mechanism 35, and the nut 23 is directly fixed to the base plate 36. Further, on the support plate 34, a camera 4 that receives light emitted from the head unit 5 by an imaging device which is a light receiving element group arranged two-dimensionally is provided. The imaging surface of the camera 4 is adjusted in advance to the same height as the surface of the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.
[0026]
The head unit 5 includes a head support unit 50 that supports the head unit 5, and a head unit that moves the head unit 5 in the Y direction in FIG. The moving mechanism 501, the light emitting unit 51 that emits light toward the substrate 9, and two masks formed by arranging a plurality of openings (hereinafter, the first mask 53 and the second mask 53 are arranged from the side closer to the light emitting unit 51). A mask unit 52 having a mask 54), an optical unit 58 for enlarging or reducing an irradiation area of light irradiated on the substrate 9 through the mask unit 52, and an optical unit driving unit for driving the optical unit 58 581. The head section moving mechanism 501 moves the head section 5 in the Y direction along the guide rail 503 when the motor 502 drives the ball screw mechanism.
[0027]
The light emitting unit 51 is connected to a mercury lamp 513 via an optical fiber 511 and a shutter 512 for turning on / off light irradiation on the photosensitive material. The light from the mercury lamp 513 is emitted from the light emitting unit 51 and disposed on the optical path with the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 (hereinafter, when the first mask and the second mask are referred to as a pair, It passes through the openings of the “mask set”) in order and is guided to the substrate 9 via the optical unit 58.
[0028]
The mask changer 6 stores a mask stored in the mask storage unit 61 with respect to the mask storage unit 61 that stores a plurality of masks, a storage unit elevating mechanism 62 that moves the mask storage unit 61 in the Z direction, and a mask unit 52. It has two insertion / removal mechanisms 63 for mounting and removing the mask mounted on the mask section 52.
[0029]
The stage moving mechanism 2, the stage unit 3, the camera 4, the shutter 512, the head moving mechanism 501, the mask unit 52, the optical unit 58, and the mask changer 6 are connected to the control unit 7, and their configurations are controlled by the control unit 7. Thus, the pattern drawing apparatus 1 draws a pattern on the substrate 9. The input unit 8 is connected to the control unit 7, and the width of each of the plurality of light irradiation regions on the substrate 9 in the Y direction (that is, the width in the direction in which the openings of the first mask 53 are arranged. , Simply referred to as “width”), and the distance between the plurality of light irradiation regions (that is, the distance from the center of each light irradiation region to the center of an adjacent light irradiation region; hereinafter, referred to as “pitch”). The set value is input to the control unit 7 via the input unit 8 by the operator.
[0030]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the first mask 53, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the second mask 54, respectively. In the first mask 53, first openings 531 that are a plurality of light passing areas through which light passes are formed so as to be arranged in the Y direction in FIG. In the second mask 54, a plurality of second openings 541, which are a plurality of light passage areas respectively corresponding to the plurality of first openings 531, are formed. The shape of the first opening 531 and the second opening 541 is rectangular, and the length (that is, the dimension in the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the first opening 531 and the second opening 541) and the width (that is, the first opening) The width in the direction in which the 531 and the second openings 541 are arranged) is larger in the first opening 531 than in the second opening 541. The widths of the first openings 531 are the same, and the pitch (that is, the distance from the center of each first opening 531 to the center of the adjacent first opening 531) is also constant. Similarly, each of the second openings 541 has the same width and pitch, and the pitch of the second openings 541 is equal to the pitch of the first openings 531.
[0031]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of the mask unit 52. The mask unit 52 includes a first mask holding unit 55 that holds the first mask 53, a second mask holding unit 56 that holds the second mask 54, and the Y direction in FIG. 4 (that is, the first opening 531 and the second mask 5). A mask slide mechanism 57 that moves the first mask 53 in the direction in which the two openings 541 are arranged). In FIG. 4, the first mask holder 55 and the first opening 531 are indicated by thick lines.
[0032]
The first mask 53 and the second mask 54 are respectively moved from the (+ X) side shown in FIG. It is mounted in the (-X) direction.
[0033]
The second mask 54 contacts the first mask 53 such that each second opening 541 overlaps the corresponding first opening 531. As a result, the overlapping area (indicated by parallel oblique lines in FIG. 4) 520 of the first opening 531 and the second opening 541 has the same width, and is a constant equal to the first opening 531 and the second opening 541. They are arranged at a pitch. Light from the light emitting unit 51 (see FIG. 1) sequentially passes through the first opening 531 and the second opening 541 and is guided to the photosensitive material on the substrate 9, and has a shape and a pitch corresponding to the region 520. Is irradiated to the light irradiation area of In the following description, the region 520 that is an actual light passage region is referred to as a “mask set opening”.
[0034]
Note that the second mask 54 does not necessarily have to physically contact the first mask 53, but only needs to be optically overlapped. For example, the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 may be separated by an amount (for example, about several μm) in consideration of the depth of focus, or may be individually arranged at optically conjugate positions.
[0035]
The mask slide mechanism 57 has a slide frame 571 for holding the first mask holding section 55, a slide motor 572, and a ball screw mechanism 573 connected to the slide motor 572. When the motor 572 drives the ball screw mechanism 573, the first mask holder 55 moves in the Y direction along the slide frame 571. As a result, the first mask 53 held by the first mask holding unit 55 also moves in the Y direction, the state of the overlap between the first opening 531 and the second opening 541 changes, and the width of the mask set opening 520 changes. The width of the light irradiation area on the substrate 9 also changes. At this time, since the pitch of the mask set openings 520 does not change, only the ratio of the width of the mask set openings 520 to the width between the mask set openings 520 (of the region through which light does not pass) changes.
[0036]
Although not shown, a separating mechanism is provided between the first mask holding unit 55 and the second mask holding unit 56, and the second mask holding unit is moved while the first mask holding unit 55 moves. 56 is slightly lowered, and the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 are separated from each other. Thereby, damage and dust generation between the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 are prevented.
[0037]
FIG. 5 is a view showing a part of a plurality of light irradiation areas 90 formed on the photosensitive material of the substrate 9. The plurality of light irradiation areas 90 respectively correspond to the mask set openings 520 (see FIG. 4), and the widths of the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 are the same and the pitch is also constant.
[0038]
As described above, the width and pitch of the light irradiation region 90 can be enlarged and reduced by the optical unit 58 which is a magnification changing mechanism disposed between the second mask 54 and the stage unit 3 shown in FIG. Is done. For example, when the control unit 7 controls the optical unit driving unit 581 to increase the magnification of the optical unit 58, the light irradiation area 90 changes from the state shown by the solid line to the state shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. .
[0039]
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the control unit 7 and a flow of information regarding control. Various components in the control unit 7 indicate functions, and are actually realized by a CPU that performs arithmetic processing according to a program, a memory, a dedicated arithmetic circuit, an interface, and the like. The control section 7 has, as main components, an irradiation area control section 71 for controlling the width and pitch of the light irradiation area 90 and a scanning control section 72 for controlling the scanning of the light irradiation area 90 with respect to the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.
[0040]
The irradiation area control unit 71 includes a width detection unit 711 that detects the width of each of the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 based on an image signal from the camera 4, a pitch detection unit 712 that detects a pitch, and a light irradiation area. It has a width control unit 713 that controls the width of the 90, a pitch control unit 714 that controls the pitch, and a storage unit 715 that stores information necessary for adjusting the width and the pitch of the light irradiation area 90.
[0041]
In the storage unit 715, a mask table 716 indicating the correspondence between the mask set mounted on the mask unit 52 and the width and pitch of the light irradiation area 90 that can be realized by the mask set and the optical unit 58 is created in advance. Is remembered. The storage unit 715 also stores a focus table 717 indicating the correspondence between the magnification of the optical unit 58 and the focus position, and a set value of the width of the light irradiation area 90 input from the input unit 8 (hereinafter, “set width”). 718) and a pitch set value (hereinafter, referred to as “set pitch”) 719 are stored.
[0042]
The stage moving mechanism 2, the stage elevating mechanism 35, the camera 4, the shutter 512, the mask slide mechanism 57, the optical unit driving unit 581, the mask changer 6, and the input unit 8 are connected to the irradiation area control unit 71, and the camera 4 and the input The irradiation area control unit 71 controls these components based on the information from the unit 8 so that the width and pitch of the light irradiation area 90 are adjusted.
[0043]
The scanning control unit 72 is connected to the stage moving mechanism 2, the stage rotating mechanism 33, the head unit moving mechanism 501, and the shutter 512. The scanning control unit 72 controls these components, thereby irradiating light to the photosensitive material. The scanning of the light irradiation area 90 is performed.
[0044]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of a pattern drawing operation on a photosensitive material by the pattern drawing apparatus 1. First, the set width 718 and the set pitch 719 are input by the operator from the input unit 8, are received by the irradiation area control unit 71, and are stored in the storage unit 715 (step S11). Subsequently, under the control of the control unit 7, the width and the pitch of the light irradiation area 90 are adjusted so as to be equal to the set width 718 and the set pitch 719 (Step S12).
[0045]
8 and 9 are diagrams showing details of the flow of the operation (step S12) for adjusting the width and pitch of the light irradiation area 90. When the set width 718 and the set pitch 719 are received, first, the irradiation area control unit 71 determines whether the mask set mounted on the mask unit 52 can correspond to the set width 718 and the set pitch 719 based on the mask table 716. It is determined whether or not it is not possible (step S120). If it is not possible, at least one of the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 is replaced with another mask under the control of the irradiation area control unit 71 (step S1201). ).
[0046]
When replacing the mask, first, the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 mounted on the mask unit 52 shown in FIG. 1 and the mask stored in the mask storage unit 61 of the mask changer 6. Among them, a combination of masks that can correspond to the set width 718 and the set pitch 719 is selected based on the mask table 716.
[0047]
As a result of this selection, for example, when only the first mask 53 is replaced with another mask, the storage unit lifting / lowering mechanism 62 shown in FIG. The mask storage section 61 is moved in the Z direction so that the empty space of the first mask holding section 55 is at the same height as the empty space. Subsequently, the first mask 53 is removed from the first mask holding unit 55 by the insertion / removal mechanism 63 and stored in an empty space of the mask storage unit 61. Next, the storage unit lifting / lowering mechanism 62 is controlled to move the selected mask to a height facing the first mask holding unit 55, and the insertion / removal mechanism 63 mounts the mask on the first mask holding unit 55.
[0048]
When only the second mask 54 is replaced, the replacement is performed in the same manner as in the case of the first mask 53 by the storage unit elevating mechanism 62 and the insertion / removal mechanism 63. When both the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 are replaced, the replacement of these masks is performed in order. The replacement of only the first mask 53 or the second mask 54 is performed when the adjustment range of the width of the mask setting opening 520 is changed, and the replacement of the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 is performed. This is performed when the pitch of the sound is changed.
[0049]
When the preparation of the mask set is completed, the stage moving mechanism 2 is controlled by the irradiation area control unit 71, and the stage unit 3 is moved until the camera 4 provided on the support plate 34 is located directly below the head unit 5 ( The moved camera 4 and the stage 32 are shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 1 (step S121), and the shutter 512 is opened to start irradiating the camera 4 with light (step S122). As a result, light is irradiated onto the light irradiation area (referred to as “light irradiation area 90” as in FIG. 5) on the imaging surface of the camera 4 instead of the photosensitive material.
[0050]
Next, when the camera 4 performs imaging, images indicating the states of the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 are obtained (step S123), and image data is transmitted from the camera 4 to the irradiation area control unit 71, and the pitch detection unit The pitch of the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 is detected by the calculation processing in 712 (step S124). In this embodiment, since the pitch is constant, it is not necessary for the camera 4 to detect all the light irradiation areas 90. The detected pitch (hereinafter referred to as “detected pitch”) is compared with the set pitch 719 stored in the storage unit 715 (step S125). If the set pitch 719 is not equal to the detected pitch, pitch control is performed. The unit 714 controls the optical unit driving unit 581 based on the set pitch 719 and the detected pitch, changes the magnification of the optical unit 58, and changes the pitch of the light irradiation area 90 (step S1251).
[0051]
When the pitch adjustment is completed, whether the focus position of the optical unit 58 matches the imaging surface of the camera 4 based on the magnification of the optical unit 58 and the focus table 717 (that is, the focus position matches the photosensitive material on the substrate 9) Is determined (step S126). If they do not match, the controller 7 controls the stage elevating mechanism 35, and the support plate 34 moves in the Z direction to move the stage 32 and the optical unit 58 between the stage 32 and the optical unit 58. The distance between them is changed (step S1261). As a result, the distance between the optical unit 58 and the photosensitive material is changed, and the in-focus position of the optical unit 58 matches the surface of the photosensitive material. Note that the telecentricity of the optical unit 58 on the camera 4 side is maintained even when the magnification is changed, and the pitch of the light irradiation area 90 does not change by moving the stage 32 up and down. Further, without using the focus table 717, the focus adjustment may be performed by repeating the imaging and the elevation of the stage 32.
[0052]
After the completion of the pitch adjustment and the focus adjustment, the width detection unit 711 detects the width of each of the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 from the image of the light irradiation area 90 (Step S127). When the width of each light irradiation area 90 is constant as in this embodiment, the width of all light irradiation areas 90 can be acquired by detecting the width of one light irradiation area 90. .
[0053]
Subsequently, the set width 718 stored in the storage unit 715 is compared with the width of each light irradiation area 90 (hereinafter, referred to as “detection width”), which is the detection result of the width detection unit 711 (step S128). . If the set width 718 is not equal to the detection width, the mask slide mechanism 57 is driven based on the set width 718 and the detection width to move the first mask 53 under the control of the width control unit 713, and the mask setting opening is set. The width of the light irradiation area 90 is adjusted by changing the width of the light 520 (step S1281). When the set width 718 is made equal to the detection width, the shutter 512 is closed to stop the light irradiation (step S129).
[0054]
When the adjustment of the width and the pitch of the light irradiation region 90 is completed, the stage moving mechanism 2 and the head moving mechanism 501 are controlled by the scanning control unit 72, and the head 5 moves to a predetermined drawing start position with respect to the stage 32. (FIG. 7: Step S13). Specifically, the stage 32 moves to the (+ X) side, and the head unit 5 moves to the (-Y) side. Light emission from the head unit 5 is started (step S14), and light is irradiated to the light irradiation area 90 on the photosensitive material of the substrate 9.
[0055]
Thereafter, the movement of the stage 32 is started in the (-X) direction in FIG. 1 (step S15), and the light irradiation area 90 is moved at a constant speed relative to the photosensitive material in the (+ X) direction in FIG. Scanning, a plurality of stripe-shaped patterns having a set width and a set pitch are drawn on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9. When the scanning of the light irradiation area 90 reaches a predetermined end position, the movement of the stage 32 stops (step S16), and the irradiation of light stops (step S17).
[0056]
If the start of the light irradiation (step S15) and the start of the movement of the stage 32 (step S16) are performed simultaneously, the exposure amount is insufficient at the portion near the starting point of the pattern, and the accuracy of the edge of the pattern is reduced. In step S15, an appropriate interval is provided between step S15 and step S16, and light irradiation is performed while scanning is stopped. Similarly, for the vicinity of the end point of the pattern, an appropriate interval is provided between the stop of the movement of the stage 32 (step S17) and the stop of the irradiation of light (step S18), so that the accuracy of the edge near the end point is improved. Can be improved.
[0057]
When the first scan on the photosensitive material is completed, it is confirmed whether or not the drawing of a stripe pattern extending in the same direction on the substrate 9 is repeated (that is, whether or not the next scan is performed), and the next scan is performed. In this case, the process returns to step S13, the stage 32 moves to the next drawing start position, and irradiation of light and movement of the stage 32 (steps S13 to S17) are repeated as many times as necessary. The movement of the stage 32 during scanning of the light irradiation area 90 is performed alternately in the (+ X) direction and the (−X) direction. In the second and subsequent steps S13, the head unit moving mechanism 501 moves the head unit 5 to a predetermined position. The head unit 5 moves to the drawing start position only by moving in the (+ Y) direction by the distance.
[0058]
When the stripe pattern is drawn on the entire photosensitive material on the substrate 9, the drawing operation by the pattern drawing apparatus 1 ends. If the photosensitive material is a color resist, step S19 in FIG. 7 is not performed.
[0059]
The substrate 9 on which the pattern is drawn is carried out of the pattern drawing apparatus 1, and the photosensitive material that has been separately developed and remains on the substrate 9 is used as a sub-pixel of a color filter. In this case, as the photosensitive material, a negative color resist in which an exposed portion (that is, a portion irradiated with light) remains during development is generally used. Thereafter, the application of the color resist, the drawing by the pattern drawing device 1, and the development are repeated, and sub-pixels of three colors of R (red), G (green), and blue (B) are formed on the substrate 9. Further, through a process such as formation of a transparent electrode, the substrate 9 becomes a color filter used in a liquid crystal display device.
[0060]
Step S19 in FIG. 7 is executed when a grid-like pattern is drawn on the substrate 9. As a specific example, the processing is executed when the pattern drawing apparatus 1 is used for drawing a black matrix of a color filter.
[0061]
In the case where the lattice pattern is drawn, when the drawing of the stripe pattern in one direction is completed in steps S11 to S18, it is confirmed whether or not the pattern is drawn in the direction orthogonal to the pattern already drawn (step S19). The stage rotating mechanism 33 is driven by the controller 7, and the stage 32 rotates 90 ° about an axis perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate 9 held by the stage unit 3 (step S191). Thus, the scanning direction of the light irradiation area 90 is changed by 90 ° relative to the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.
[0062]
After changing the scanning direction, the stage unit 3 is moved to the imaging position to adjust the width and the pitch of the light irradiation area 90 (step S12), and thereafter, the stage 32 is moved to the drawing start position to move the stripe pattern. Is repeated as many times as necessary (steps S13 to S18). As described above, in the pattern drawing apparatus 1, by rotating the stage 32, it is also possible to draw a lattice pattern on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.
[0063]
The pattern writing apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment has been described above. However, the pattern writing apparatus 1 irradiates light to a plurality of light irradiation areas 90 having a larger area than a conventional raster method. Can be performed at high speed. The width and pitch of the pattern to be drawn are changed by changing the width of the mask set opening 520 formed by the first mask 53 and the second mask 54 and enlarging or reducing the light irradiation area 90 by the optical unit 58. Can be easily changed. Thus, a stripe (or lattice) pattern can be drawn at high speed (ie, in a short time) with high resolution.
[0064]
For example, when a stripe pattern having a width of 20 to 30 μm and a pitch of 300 to 1500 μm is drawn on a square substrate having a side of 1 m at a resolution of 1 μm, one light beam is scanned by a raster method. With only the method, it takes a long time to draw due to the limitation of the modulation speed of the light beam, and it is not possible to secure a sufficient space even if many heads are arranged. In the pattern drawing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, by arranging the plurality of light irradiation areas 90 within a range of 100 mm width, it is possible to draw the pattern under the above conditions in several tens of seconds.
[0065]
Further, in the pattern drawing apparatus 1, the width and pitch of the light irradiation area 90 (that is, the width of the light irradiation area 90, based on the data obtained by imaging the light irradiation area 90 and the preset setting width 718 and setting pitch 719). Pattern width and pitch) can be automatically adjusted. Further, by exchanging the mask with the mask changer 6, it is also possible to increase the range of the width and pitch of the pattern that can be drawn and improve the degree of freedom of drawing.
[0066]
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a mask unit 52a of the pattern drawing apparatus according to the second embodiment. The configuration other than the mask unit 52a of the pattern drawing apparatus is the same as that of FIG. In FIG. 10, the first mask holding portion 55a and the first opening 531a described below are indicated by thick lines.
[0067]
The mask portion 52a is a group of rectangular openings (hereinafter, referred to as “openings”) having the same width and length and arranged at a constant pitch in the Y direction (ie, the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the light irradiation area) in FIG. Column) has two masks arranged in the X direction (that is, the scanning direction of the light irradiation area). In the following description, the “first mask 53a” and the “second mask 54a” will be referred to in order from the one closest to the light emitting unit 51. The mask unit 52a includes a first mask holding unit 55a that holds the first mask 53a, a second mask holding unit 56a that holds the second mask 54a, and the first mask 53a in the Y direction with respect to the second mask 54a. And a mask position changing mechanism 59 for moving the first mask 53a and the second mask 54a in the X direction.
[0068]
As shown in FIG. 10, each of the first mask 53a and the second mask 54a has three rows (may be two rows or four or more rows) of openings, and two masks are provided. Comparing the corresponding opening rows, as in the mask set of FIG. 4, the opening length and width of the first mask 53a are larger and the opening pitches are equal. Further, when comparing the opening rows in one mask, the widths and / or pitches of the openings forming the opening rows are different from each other.
[0069]
The second mask 54a is formed on the first mask 53a such that its opening (hereinafter, referred to as “second opening”) 541a overlaps with the corresponding opening (hereinafter, referred to as “first opening”) 531a of the first mask 53a. Abut In the mask section 52a, an area where the first opening 531a and the second opening 541a overlap each other becomes a mask set opening 520a (indicated by a parallel oblique line in FIG. 10) which is an actual light passage area. Note that, similarly to the first embodiment, the second mask 54a does not necessarily need to physically contact the first mask 53a, but may be optically overlapped.
[0070]
The mask slide mechanism 57a includes a slide frame 571a that holds the first mask holding section 55a and the second mask holding section 56a, a slide motor 572a that is a driving source, and a ball screw mechanism 573a that is connected to the slide motor 572a. When the slide motor 572a drives the ball screw mechanism 573a under the control of the control unit 7, the first mask holding unit 55a moves in the Y direction along the slide frame 571a. As a result, the first mask 53a held by the first mask holding portion 55a also moves in the Y direction, and the overlapping state of the first opening 531a and the second opening 541a changes, and the width of each mask set opening 520a changes. I do. Note that the first mask 53a and the second mask 54a are separated by the mechanism not shown while the first mask holder 55a moves.
[0071]
The mask position changing mechanism 59 includes a slide frame holding portion 591 for holding the slide frame 571a, a mask position changing motor 592, a ball screw 593 connected to the mask position changing motor 592, a nut 594 fixed to the slide frame 571a, When the control unit 7 drives the mask position changing motor 592 to rotate the ball screw 593, the slide frame 571a moves along with the nut 594 in the X direction along the guide rail 595.
[0072]
In the pattern drawing apparatus according to the second embodiment, only one opening row is used when drawing a pattern. The row of openings to be used is arranged vertically below the light emitting portion 51 by the first mask 53a and the second mask 54 moving in the X direction by the mask position changing mechanism 59. If the set width and the set pitch are not realized by using any of the opening rows, the first mask 53a and / or the second mask 54a are exchanged as in the first embodiment.
[0073]
The operation of the pattern drawing apparatus according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the determination and positioning of the aperture row to be used are added. That is, the optical unit 58, the stage elevating mechanism 35 (see FIG. 1), and the mask slide mechanism 57a adjust the width and pitch of the light irradiation area by the mask set opening 520a of the opening row to be used, and thereafter, a plurality of stripes are formed. Is repeated as many times as necessary.
[0074]
In the pattern drawing apparatus according to the second embodiment, a plurality of aperture rows having different widths and pitches are prepared by the first mask 53a and the second mask 54a, and an aperture row to be used is selected. The number of times that the first mask 53a and / or the second mask 54a is replaced with another mask can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to quickly cope with the drawing of various types of patterns.
[0075]
Next, a pattern drawing apparatus according to a third embodiment will be described. In the pattern drawing apparatus according to the third embodiment, a pulse laser is used in place of the mercury lamp 513 and the shutter 512 in the pattern drawing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, and the stage rotating mechanism 33 is omitted. Other basic configurations are the same as those in FIG. In the third embodiment, the stage unit 3 is provided with a high-precision stage position measuring mechanism such as laser length measurement, and the control unit 7 controls the pulse laser by receiving a signal from the stage position measuring mechanism. The movement of the stage 32 and the ON / OFF of the light irradiation are synchronized.
[0076]
By using a pulse laser as a light source, the pattern drawing apparatus can irradiate the photosensitive material with light for a short time (1 nanosecond to several tens of nanoseconds). When the light irradiation area passes through the position where the pattern on the substrate 9 is to be drawn, a signal is transmitted from the control unit 7 to the driving circuit of the pulse laser, and as a result, as shown in FIG. Drawing of a plurality of rectangular patterns 91 according to the shape is realized. When a stripe pattern is drawn as in the first embodiment, emission of pulse light from the pulse laser is continuously and repeatedly performed while moving the stage 32.
[0077]
Further, instead of the first mask 53 and the second mask 54, a slit-shaped mask that is long in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction is prepared, and the pulse laser is instantaneously turned on in synchronization with the movement of the stage 32. It is also possible to draw a stripe pattern extending on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9 in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. As a result, drawing of a plurality of stripe-shaped patterns extending in the scanning direction (X direction), drawing of a rectangular pattern, and drawing of a plurality of stripe-shaped patterns extending in a direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the scanning direction are performed by the stage 32. By repeatedly performing the movement in the X direction (and the movement of the head unit 5 in the Y direction), it becomes possible to draw various patterns on the photosensitive material. For example, it is possible to draw a black matrix 92 having a complicated shape shown in FIG.
[0078]
As described above, in the pattern drawing apparatus according to the third embodiment, the light source for turning on / off the light irradiation at high speed is provided, and the light source is controlled in synchronization with the movement of the stage 32. A regular pattern can be drawn at high speed. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, the width and pitch of the plurality of light irradiation regions can be easily and accurately changed by using two masks. Even if it is changed, it can be easily handled.
[0079]
In the first to third embodiments, the pattern drawing performed during the manufacture of the color filter has been described as an example. However, the pattern drawing apparatus according to the present invention draws various stripe-shaped or regular patterns at high speed. Therefore, the method is suitable for various other processes of manufacturing various flat panel display devices that require drawing of such a pattern.
[0080]
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible.
[0081]
For example, the width and length of the first opening and the second opening of the first mask and the second mask are not limited to those illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 10, and the second opening may be larger. The first opening and the second opening may be equal. In addition, the opening shape of each mask is not limited to a rectangle, and a stripe pattern can be appropriately drawn as long as the edges along the scanning direction of the light irradiation area are parallel to each other. Further, the width and pitch of the mask set opening need not be constant according to the pattern to be drawn.
[0082]
FIG. 13 is a view showing another preferred example of the mask used in the pattern drawing apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The first mask 53b and the second mask 54b have a comb shape, and are formed by overlapping light passing areas corresponding to gaps between comb teeth arranged and formed in the Y direction (direction perpendicular to the scanning direction) shown in FIG. , A mask set opening 520b indicated by parallel oblique lines may be formed.
[0083]
As shown in FIG. 14, the first mask 53c (shown by a bold line) and the second mask 54c are formed by arranging a plurality of rectangular plates arranged in the Y direction with a gap serving as a light passage area. It may be. If the gap between the first mask 53c and the gap between the second masks 54c overlaps with each other, the mask setting opening 520c (indicated by parallel oblique lines in FIG. 14) is too long in the X direction, the light is emitted from the light emitting unit 51. Light is a linear light having a light beam cross section that is long in the Y direction.
[0084]
The movement of the first mask with respect to the second mask may be relative, and the second mask may move instead of the first mask, or both masks may move. The relative movement between the first mask and the second mask may be manually performed by an operator by displaying an image acquired by the camera 4 on a monitor.
[0085]
The camera 4 does not necessarily need to be provided on the support plate 34, and may be fixed to the outside of the stage unit 3 and the head unit 5 may move above the camera 4. Further, the imaging of the light irradiation area may be performed by indirectly imaging a predetermined irradiation range, instead of directly irradiating an imaging device such as a CCD with light. Further, the detection of the width and the pitch of the light irradiation area may be performed by a one-dimensional light receiving element array arranged in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.
[0086]
The set value input to the input unit 8 may be any value as long as it substantially represents the width and pitch of the light irradiation area. For example, the width or pitch and the ratio of the width to the pitch may be input. Alternatively, the width and the pitch may be specified by the control unit 7 by inputting the type of the substrate 9.
[0087]
In the first embodiment, it is possible to draw a lattice pattern by rotating the stage 32 by 90 °. However, by providing two sets of the head units 5, it is possible to draw a stripe pattern in a direction orthogonal to each other. May be performed. In this case, the stage rotation mechanism 33 becomes unnecessary.
[0088]
In the above embodiment, a negative photosensitive material has been described, but a positive photosensitive material from which exposed portions are removed during development may be used. Further, the photosensitive material may be of another type that does not involve a developing step.
[0089]
In addition, as described above, the pattern drawing apparatus according to the present invention is particularly suitable for manufacturing various panels related to flat panel displays (such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, and organic EL displays). It is also suitable for drawing a regular fine pattern on a substrate, a printed wiring board, or a glass substrate for a photomask.
[0090]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, a regular pattern can be drawn on a photosensitive material at high speed.
[0091]
In the inventions of claims 3 and 4, the width of the pattern can be easily changed, and in the inventions of claims 5 to 8, the pitch of the pattern can be easily changed.
[0092]
According to the ninth and tenth aspects of the present invention, the range of the width and pitch of a pattern that can be drawn can be further expanded.
[0093]
According to the eleventh aspect, various regular patterns can be drawn, and in the twelfth aspect, a lattice pattern can be drawn.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a pattern drawing apparatus according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first mask.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second mask.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a mask unit.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of a light irradiation area.
FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit and a flow of control information.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of a pattern drawing operation.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation for adjusting a width and a pitch of a light irradiation area.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a flow of an operation for adjusting a width and a pitch of a light irradiation area.
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a mask unit of a pattern drawing apparatus according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern to be drawn.
FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a pattern to be drawn.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the mask.
FIG. 14 is a view showing still another example of the mask.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Pattern drawing device
2 Stage moving mechanism
4 Camera
6 Mask changer
9 Substrate
91 patterns
32 stages
33 Stage rotation mechanism
35 Stage lifting mechanism
51 Light emitting part
52, 52a mask section
53, 53a, 53b, 53c First mask
54, 54a, 54b, 54c Second mask
57, 57a Mask slide mechanism
58 Optical Unit
90 Light irradiation area
512 shutter
513 Mercury lamp
520, 520a, 520b, 520c Mask set opening
531, 531 a First opening
541, 541a Second opening
581 Optical unit driver
711 Width detector
712 pitch detector
713 Width control unit
714 Pitch control unit
S11 to S19, S120 to S129, S191 Step
S1201, S1251, S1261, S1281 Step

Claims (12)

A pattern drawing apparatus that draws a pattern on a photosensitive material on a substrate,
A light source,
A holding unit that holds a substrate to which light from the light source is guided,
A first mask disposed on an optical path of light from the light source and formed by arranging a plurality of first light passage areas through which the light passes in a predetermined direction;
A second mask optically superimposed on the first mask and formed with a plurality of second light passage areas respectively corresponding to the plurality of first light passage areas;
A mask moving mechanism that moves the first mask relative to the second mask in the predetermined direction;
Scanning a plurality of light irradiation areas on a photosensitive material to which light sequentially passing through the plurality of first light passage areas and the plurality of second light passage areas is irradiated is orthogonal to an arrangement direction of the plurality of light irradiation areas. An irradiation area moving mechanism that moves relative to the photosensitive material in a direction,
A pattern drawing apparatus comprising: The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1,
A pattern drawing apparatus, wherein the plurality of light irradiation areas have the same width in the predetermined direction, and the intervals between the plurality of light irradiation areas are constant. It is a pattern drawing apparatus of Claim 2, Comprising:
The pattern drawing apparatus further comprising a detection unit that detects a width of each of the plurality of light irradiation regions in the predetermined direction. It is a pattern drawing apparatus of Claim 3, Comprising:
A drive unit for driving the mask moving mechanism,
A mask movement control unit that controls the driving unit based on a detection result by the detection unit,
A pattern drawing apparatus, further comprising: It is a pattern drawing apparatus of Claim 2, Comprising:
The pattern drawing apparatus further comprising a magnification changing mechanism disposed between the second mask and the holding unit, the magnification changing mechanism enlarging or reducing the plurality of light irradiation areas. It is a pattern drawing apparatus of Claim 5, Comprising:
The pattern drawing apparatus further comprising a detection unit that detects an interval between the plurality of light irradiation areas. It is a pattern drawing apparatus of Claim 6, Comprising:
A drive unit for driving the magnification change mechanism,
A magnification control unit that controls the driving unit based on a detection result by the detection unit,
A pattern drawing apparatus, further comprising: The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:
The pattern drawing apparatus further comprises a mechanism for changing a distance between the holding unit and the magnification changing mechanism. The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
A pattern drawing apparatus further comprising an exchange mechanism for exchanging at least one of the first mask and the second mask with another mask. The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
A pattern writing apparatus, further comprising an exchange mechanism for exchanging the first mask and the second mask with another first mask and another second mask. The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
The pattern drawing apparatus further comprises a light irradiation control unit that controls ON / OFF of light irradiation on the photosensitive material in synchronization with movement of the plurality of light irradiation areas. The pattern drawing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
Pattern drawing, further comprising a mechanism for rotating the holding unit about an axis perpendicular to a surface on the substrate held by the holding unit and relatively changing the scanning direction with respect to a photosensitive material. apparatus.

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