JP2005079515A - Substrate exposure method and substrate exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate exposure method and a device wherein a gap between a mask and a glass substrate is made uniform and burn precision of a pattern can be made uniform in a vertical type exposure device. <P>SOLUTION: In the substrate exposure method, the mask 2 in which a predetermined pattern 21 is formed and the exposure device are made to face each other arranging a predetermined gap in perpendicular direction, and the pattern 21 is projected to the exposure substrate 3 through the mask 2. The gap between the mask 2 and the exposure substrate 3 is detected. At least one out of movement of the exposure substrate 3 in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the mask 2, displacement of the degree of inclination angle of the exposure substrate 3 subtended to the surface of the mask 2, and displacement of the whole surface of the mask 2 is performed based on the detected gap, and the gap between the mask 2 and the exposure substrate 3 is corrected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a proximity exposure apparatus, and more particularly to a substrate exposure method and a substrate exposure apparatus used in a vertical exposure apparatus in which a glass substrate and a mask are installed in a vertical direction.

Conventionally, various types of exposure apparatuses have been developed and used in an exposure process which is a part of a flat panel manufacturing process. In recent years, a proximity exposure apparatus suitable for high-efficiency production and having low dust generation has been developed because of the non-contact method.
That is, in this proximity exposure apparatus, a proximity gap (predetermined minute interval) is provided between the glass substrate and the exposure mask, and parallel light is irradiated and projected onto the glass substrate through the exposure mask to thereby form a pixel. A circuit pattern or the like necessary for controlling the image is baked and transferred onto a glass substrate.

Further, in this proximity exposure apparatus, there has been proposed an apparatus provided with a gap control device in order to control the proximity gap.
For example, a device that is applied to a horizontal exposure device of a type that holds a mask and a glass substrate horizontally has been developed as this gap control device, and such a gap control device shown in FIG. 9 is known. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

Here, the configuration and operation of the gap controller attached to such a horizontal exposure apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
In a substrate exposure apparatus that irradiates light from above the mask 101 to form a pattern on the glass substrate 102, the glass substrate 102 that transfers the pattern formed on the mask 101 has one surface of the glass substrate 102 facing directly upward. An exposure chuck 103 is provided in order to hold it horizontally. In general, the exposure chuck 103 is formed in a flat plate shape having a predetermined thickness, and its upper surface is finished with high flatness.
A mask holder 104 is provided around the exposure chuck 103. The mask holder 104 holds the mask 101 for transferring the pattern by printing the pattern onto the one surface of the glass substrate 102 from above the one surface of the glass substrate 102 in a horizontal state.

  On the other hand, although not shown, a tilt mechanism is provided at three positions on the lower surface of the exposure chuck 103. The tilt mechanism is driven to raise or tilt the exposure chuck 103 so that the mask 101, the glass substrate 102, A predetermined proximity gap is maintained between the two. Thereby, as described above, a parallel circuit light is irradiated from above the mask 101 to form a necessary circuit pattern or the like on the glass substrate 102.

Here, the mask holder 104 is provided in parallel with the two holder members 105A and 105B facing each other so as to hold only two opposite sides of the mask 101. That is, the two holder members 105A and 105B are configured to hold only two opposite sides of the mask 101 with their upper end surfaces.
Therefore, the mask 101 is bent downward by its own weight only in a direction parallel to the two holder members 105A and 105B.

On the other hand, mask holding portions 107A and 107B are provided on the outer surfaces of the two holder members 105A and 105B of the mask holder 104. The mask holders 107A and 107B are for correcting the deflection due to the weight of the mask 101 by pressing the edges of both sides of the mask 101 held by the mask holder 104 from above.
That is, a step 106 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed on the outer edge of the upper surface of each of the holder members 105A and 105B of the mask holder 104, and the mask pressing portions 107A and 107B are used for masking by using the step 106. The edges on both sides of the mask 101 held by the holder 104 are pressed from above.

  Further, the gap control device is provided with a correction amount detection sensor 108 for measuring the correction amount of the deflection correction of the mask 101 by the mask pressing portions 107A and 107B. A gap L between the glass substrate 102 and the glass substrate 102 is detected.

According to the correction amount detection sensor 108, laser light is emitted from the correction amount detection sensor 108 and projected onto the gap detection position, and the light reflected by the lower surface of the mask 101 and the surface of the glass substrate 102 is detected to form the gap L. The correction amount is measured according to the degree of difference from the predetermined proximity gap.
Then, by controlling the operation of the mask pressing portions 107A and 107B so that this correction amount becomes zero, the deflection of the mask 101 is corrected so as to become flat as a whole.

  However, since the above-described gap control apparatus in the conventional horizontal exposure apparatus is based on the premise that the mask bends downward due to its own weight, the mask is only deformed by pressing in one direction. In the case where it occurs on the opposite side of the substrate, such a configuration cannot absorb the bending.

In view of this, an apparatus in which this type of gap control apparatus is applied to a vertical exposure apparatus of a type that holds a mask and a glass substrate vertically has been studied.
Next, such a vertical exposure apparatus and a gap control apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.
In this vertical exposure apparatus, mask holders 112 and 113 that hold the mask 111 in a vertical state, similarly, a substrate stage 115 that holds a glass substrate 114 in a vertical state, and a glass substrate 114. And a UV light source 119 for irradiating ultraviolet light. The vertical exposure apparatus is provided with a gap control device.

  The gap control device includes a gap sensor 116 that measures the gap between the mask 111 and the glass substrate 114, a gap operation actuator 117 that operates the gap between the mask 111 and the glass substrate 114, and a signal from the gap sensor 116. A control unit 118 for controlling the operation amount of the gap operation actuator 117 is provided.

Next, the operation of the gap control device shown in FIG. 10 will be described.
The mask holders 112 and 113 are provided with a vacuum suction mechanism (not shown) that sucks and holds the mask 111 in the circumferential direction. In particular, this vacuum suction adsorption mechanism is configured to hold the mask surface from the edges of the two sides on both the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the mask 111 installed vertically. On the other hand, the glass substrate 114 is held in a vertically standing state by being attracted to the entire surface of the substrate stage 115.

  Here, the gap between the glass substrate 114 and the mask 111 is measured by the gap sensor 116 installed at the four corners, and the gap is based on the signal of the gap sensor 116 output according to the measurement data. The control unit 118 controls the operation amount of the gap operation actuator 117 so that becomes a set value (proximity gap).

  The gap operation actuator 117 is provided with a mechanism for moving the substrate stage 115 forward and backward, and a mechanism for tilting. The control unit 118 drives and controls the forward, backward, and tilting operations of the substrate stage 115. It is like that.

  However, in the gap control device in the vertical exposure apparatus described above, the mask size is increased, so that the planar accuracy of the mask tends to deteriorate, and the deflection and seating caused by its own weight when the mask is held on the mask holder. Due to the prominent bending, in the gap control based on the gap sensor signal at the edge, even if the gap on the mask edge side is set according to the set value, it is often not uniform throughout the mask surface. Therefore, as a result, there is a problem that the pattern cannot be formed accurately on the glass substrate and the pattern printing accuracy is lowered.

  Therefore, as a countermeasure for correcting the distortion of the mask surface, for example, the glass substrate (wafer) or the mask is locally bent by static pressure, and the pattern is printed by performing the divided exposure on the bent local region. There is a known one (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

On the other hand, as another method, for example, a configuration in which a glass substrate (wafer) is deformed by a deformation chuck at a plurality of locations in a plane is known. The deformation chuck is operated by a motor or is operated by applying a vacuum pressure, and is distorted by finely moving the wafer in the vertical (vertical) direction, in other words, by deforming the wafer. The distance between the mask surface and the mask surface is adjusted (for example, see Patent Document 3).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-109160 (middle of page 3, right column, [0018], FIG. 5) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-253675 JP 59-017247 A

  However, the above-described conventional method is suitable for performing the divided exposure by locally bending the glass substrate, but it is difficult to make the gap uniform in the entire mask surface because the batch exposure is performed. As a result, there is a problem that the pattern cannot be accurately formed on the glass substrate, and the pattern printing accuracy is lowered.

  Accordingly, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in a vertical exposure apparatus in which an exposure substrate and a mask are installed in a vertical direction, the mask surface accuracy is deteriorated due to an increase in mask size. Even when in-plane variation in the gap between the exposure substrate and the exposure substrate due to bending or buckling due to the weight of the mask, the gap between the mask and the glass substrate is made uniform, and the pattern printing accuracy is made uniform. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate exposure method and a substrate exposure apparatus that can perform the above-described process.

The substrate exposure method of the present invention is a substrate exposure method in which a mask on which a predetermined pattern is formed and an exposure apparatus are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and the pattern is projected onto the exposure substrate through the mask. There,
Detecting the gap between the mask and the exposed substrate;
Based on the detected gap, at least one of movement of the exposure substrate in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the mask, displacement of an inclination angle of the exposure substrate with respect to the mask surface, and displacement of the entire mask surface,
The gap between the mask and the exposure substrate is corrected.

As a result, in a vertical exposure apparatus in which the exposure substrate and the mask are installed in the vertical direction, for example, when the mask size is increased, the gap against in-plane deviation or variation of the gap due to deflection due to its own weight or buckling is detected. This is measured by a sensor, and the mask can be deformed and displaced by an actuator based on the signal of the gap sensor.
In this way, by displacing and deforming the mask by the actuator, it is possible to correct gap deviation and variation between the mask and the glass substrate and make the gap between the mask and the glass substrate uniform.

  The substrate exposure method of the present invention is characterized in that the flatness of the mask is detected and the flatness of the mask is corrected based on the detected flatness.

With this, the mask flatness sensor measures this against the deterioration of the mask surface accuracy, the deviation or variation in the plane accuracy of the gap due to deflection or buckling due to its own weight, and based on the signal of the mask flatness sensor, The mask can be deformed and displaced by the actuator.
In this way, by displacing and deforming the mask by the actuator, it is possible to correct deviations and variations in the plane accuracy of the gap between the mask and the glass substrate, and to make the surface accuracy of the gap between the mask and the glass substrate uniform. .

  The present invention is a substrate exposure method in which a mask on which a predetermined pattern is formed and an exposure apparatus are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, and the pattern is projected onto the exposure substrate through the mask. The exposure substrate is moved based on the detected gap, the mask is displaced based on the detected gap, and the gap between the mask and the exposure substrate is corrected.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, displacement and variation of the gap between the mask and the glass substrate are corrected by displacing and deforming the exposure substrate or the mask by the actuator, and the gap between the mask and the glass substrate can be made uniform. As a result, the pattern printing accuracy on the exposure substrate can be made uniform.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a vertical substrate exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This vertical substrate exposure apparatus includes a substrate stage 1 and a plurality of locations (in this embodiment, two locations). In addition to an exposure mask 2 provided with a mask pattern (hereinafter referred to as “pattern”) 21, a mask holder 4 A provided with suction means, a light source 5, etc., a gap sensor 6, an actuator 7, and a control unit 8 and the like, and is configured to hold the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 upright in the vertical direction during the exposure operation.

  The substrate stage 1 holds the entire surface of the glass substrate 3 by vacuum suction, and in particular, holds the glass substrate 3 in a vertical state. By thus arranging the glass substrate 3 vertically, In addition, it is configured to avoid bending or buckling due to gravity at an intermediate portion of the both side support portions attracted by the substrate stage 1.

  The exposure mask 2 is formed by transferring a circuit pattern or the like necessary for controlling the pixels onto the glass substrate 3, so that a predetermined fine pattern 21 to be transferred is provided in two left and right parallel states. ing.

  In addition, although not shown in figure, the glass substrate 3 has a metal thin film or the like as a circuit pattern formed thereon, and a photosensitive material film such as a photoresist, a photosensitive paste, or a dry film resist is applied thereon. In order to control the pixels of a desired fine pattern film (for example, LCD panel or PDP panel constituting a flat panel) through appropriate processing in a plurality of processes using laser, chemical solution, etc. Necessary high-precision circuit pattern film and the like are formed.

The mask holder 4A is installed as a pair of left and right so as to hold the edges of the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 when the exposure mask 2 is placed vertically, and a part of the suction means using vacuum is provided. The mask 1 is vacuum-sucked by the suction groove 41A that is configured.
Further, although not provided in the present embodiment, utilizing the fact that a pattern is not formed in the central portion 22 (see FIG. 3) of the exposure mask 2, one mask holder is added to the central portion 22 and installed. It is also possible to do. However, the mask holder installed in this case needs to be miniaturized so that it is not transferred as a projected image to the glass substrate 3 during exposure.

  The suction means is for sucking and holding the exposure mask 2, and in this embodiment, a negative pressure by vacuum is used. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the suction means sucks both side portions of the exposure mask 2 on a flat suction surface 41, and has a suction groove 41A formed long in the vertical direction of the mask holder 4A. In order to generate a negative pressure from the suction groove 41A, a non-illustrated air passage in the mask holder 4A connected to the suction groove 41A and a non-illustrated vacuum pump connected to and connected to the air passage are provided.

  The light source 5 is necessary to irradiate parallel light through the exposure mask 2 provided with a proximity gap between the light source 5 and the glass substrate 3 to form a resist having an appropriate pattern and finally control the pixels. The circuit pattern is projected and transferred onto the glass substrate 3. In the light source 5 of the present embodiment, for example, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, a xenon-mercury lamp, or the like is used to project and irradiate ultraviolet light having a predetermined wavelength toward the glass substrate 3, for example. Batch exposure or step exposure is performed.

  The gap sensor 6 detects a gap between the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 in order to adjust / control the proximity gap, and includes a first gap sensor 61 and a second gap sensor 62. Yes.

  Among these, the first gap sensor 61 is formed when the pattern 21 is formed when the two patterns 21 are formed on the left and right in the exposure mask 2 having a configuration in which the pattern 21 is not particularly formed at the center. It is installed using the central portion 22 of the exposure mask 2 that has not been formed.

That is, in general, in the production of flat panels, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, one product is formed on a glass substrate 3, and for example, as shown in FIG. 3 may be formed.
For example, when one flat panel product is formed on the glass substrate 3, since the pattern 21 is formed on the entire surface of the exposure mask 2, the in-plane gap is measured at the center of the surface of the exposure mask 2. Difficult to do. For example, when the gap is measured using laser light, the path of the laser light is obstructed by the mask pattern, and it is difficult to accurately measure the gap.
However, when a plurality of flat panel products are formed on the glass substrate 3 at the same time, a central portion 22 where the pattern 21 is not formed in the surface of the exposure mask 2 is generated. If used in the gap measurement area, the gap L can be measured.

  On the other hand, for example, in the present embodiment, the second gap sensor 62 irradiates a semiconductor laser (not shown) and reflects the light reflected by the pattern 21 surface of the exposure mask 2 and the surface of the glass substrate 3 respectively. A light-cutting type sensor that detects the gap L using the principle of the triangulation method is used. As described above, the second gap sensor 62 is provided at four locations so as to simultaneously measure the gap between the glass substrate 4 and the exposure mask 2 at the four corners of the upper, lower, left, and right sides. It has the same configuration.

  The actuator 7 controls the gap between the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 uniformly. The actuator 7A moves and displaces the glass substrate 3 (hereinafter referred to as “substrate operation actuator”). And a second actuator (hereinafter referred to as a “mask operating actuator”) 7B for moving and displacing the exposure mask 2.

  Among these, the substrate operating actuator 7A is disposed on the back surface of the substrate stage 1 and sucks and holds the entire substrate stage 1 (or may be a part thereof). A translation mechanism that moves the stage 1 forward and backward by a stepping motor (not shown) and the like, and a tilt mechanism that tilts the substrate stage 1 by appropriate means.

On the other hand, the mask operating actuator 7B is slightly rotated about the rotation shaft 42 to displace / deform the edges on both the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 held by the mask holder 4A. The mask 2 is installed on each of the two left and right sides.
That is, in FIG. 2, the mask operating actuator 7B fixes the mask holder 4A so as to be rotatable with respect to the motor 71 for rotating the mask holder 4A around the rotating shaft 42 and the base 70 which is stationary. A pair of brackets 72 to be supported, and the mask holder 4 </ b> A can be rotated by the driving / rotating force of a motor 71 fixed to one bracket 72.

  The mask operating actuator 7B operates based on, for example, one point in the surface of the exposure mask 2 and gap signal data from a second gap sensor 62 described later. The actuator 7B is provided at two positions on the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 so that the control of the gap L can be set independently on the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2.

  When the control unit 8 inputs measurement data about the gap L from the first and second gap sensors 61 and 62, a gap L that exceeds the reference value set in advance is generated. In order to solve this problem, the motors of the substrate operating actuator 7A and the mask operating actuator 7B are driven and controlled, respectively.

For this reason, the control unit 8 has an input connected to the outputs of the first and second gap sensors 61 and 62 and an output connected to the motors 61. The first and second gap sensors The gap signals by 61 and 62 are input to control the substrate operating actuator 7A and the mask operating actuator 7B.
Specifically, in this control unit 8, the operation amount of the mask operation actuator 7B is set so that the signal output value from the first gap sensor 61 provided at one central portion of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value. And the operation of the mask operating actuator 7B is controlled to adjust and control the gap L at the center in the surface of the glass substrate 4 and the exposure mask 2 by this. (This gap control is referred to as “gap control method 1”).

  In addition, the control unit 8 determines the operation amount of the substrate operation actuator 7A so that the signal output values from the second gap sensors 62 at four positions in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the exposure mask 2 become set values. Accordingly, the gap L at these four corners is adjusted and controlled for the glass substrate 3 and the exposure mask 2 (this gap control is referred to as “gap control method”). 2 ”).

  Since the second gap sensor 62 measures the gap L in the four corner regions of the exposure mask 2, it can be measured without any problem even if the pattern 21 to be formed is one or more.

  Next, a method for setting / adjusting the proximity gap by the gap control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  (1) First, the gap signal at the four corners of the exposure mask 2 is measured by the second gap sensor 62. Then, the above-described “gap control method 2” is controlled using the substrate operation actuator 7A so that the gap signal value output from the second gap sensor 62 becomes a set value.

(2) After that, the above-mentioned “gap control” is performed using the mask operation actuator 7B so that the gap signal value output from the first gap sensor 61 installed at the center in the surface of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value. Control according to “Method 1” is performed.
For example, if the measurement result indicates that the gap signal of the first gap sensor 61 is smaller than the set value, the mask operation actuator 7B is controlled by the control of the control unit 8, and the output gap signal from the first gap sensor 61 is controlled. Move to increase the value.

  (3) Thereafter, the above-described “gap control method 2” is performed again using the mask operating actuator 7B so that the output gap signal from the second gap sensor 62 at the four corners of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value again. Is controlled.

  Thereafter, the procedures (1) to (3) are repeated, and the gap L is controlled so that the gap signal value at the central portion of the exposure mask 2 and the gap signal values at the four corners are within the set values. .

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.
FIG. 4 shows a vertical exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this vertical exposure apparatus, unlike the first embodiment, masks provided at four locations, top, bottom, left and right. The holder 4B is configured to hold not only the edges of the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 but also the edges of the upper and lower sides.
On the other hand, the mask operating actuator 7C of the present embodiment is installed on both the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 as in the first embodiment, but the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 held by the mask holder 4B. The edges of the two sides are displaced in the direction of moving back and forth toward the glass substrate 3.

Here, a specific configuration of the mask operation actuator 7C will be described with reference to FIG.
The mask operating actuator 7C includes a motor 71 that is fixed to the base 70 that is stationary, a bracket 72 that is fixed to the base 70 to rotatably support the output shaft of the motor 71, and a base 70. A fixed guide rail 73, a linear guide 74 slidably attached to the guide rail 73, a ball screw 75 arranged in parallel with the linear guide 74 and rotated by the driving force of the motor 71, and the ball screw 75 And a female screw member 76 integrated with the linear guide 74.
The mask operating actuators 7C are installed on both the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2. However, as in the first embodiment, they are configured so that the control amounts can be set separately on the left and right. .

  On the other hand, the mask holder 4B is mounted and fixed on the linear guide 74 so that the mask holder 4B can perform a linear motion along the arrangement direction of the linear guide 74 by the driving / rotating operation of the motor 71. However, since the ball screw 75 is used as the means for converting to linear motion, it is possible to precisely control the linear motion operation.

  Next, a method for setting / adjusting the proximity gap by the gap control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be specifically described.

(1) First, the gap signals at the four corners of the exposure mask 2 are measured by the second gap sensors 62 provided at the four corners of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the exposure mask 2. Then, the control by “gap control method 2” using the substrate operating actuator 7A is performed so that the gap signal value output from the second gap sensor 62 becomes the set value.
Thereby, about the glass substrate 3 and the exposure mask 2, the gap L in these four corners can be adjusted and controlled.

(2) After that, similarly to the first embodiment, the mask operating actuator is set so that the gap signal value output from the first gap sensor 61 installed at the center in the surface of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value. Control by “gap control method 1” is performed using 7C.
That is, the motor 71 is driven and controlled by the control of the control unit 8, the ball screw 75 connected to the motor 71 is rotated, and the female screw member 76 screwed into the ball screw 75 and the linear guide 74 integrated therewith are guided. Slide along rail 73. Accordingly, the exposure mask 2 in a state where the mask holder 4B integrated with the female screw member 76 and the linear guide 74 is adsorbed is displaced in the ± Y direction as it is, so that the exposure mask 2 can be deformed.

  (3) Thereafter, the above-described “gap control method 2” is performed again so that the output gap signal from the second gap sensor 62 at the four corners of the exposure mask becomes the set value.

  Thereafter, the procedures (1) to (3) are repeated, and the proximity gap is controlled so that the gap signal value at the central portion in the plane and the gap signal values at the four corners are within the set values.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.
FIG. 6 shows a vertical exposure apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In this vertical exposure apparatus, a pattern 21 is formed on the entire surface of the exposure mask 2 as shown in FIG. A gap measurement area for measuring the gap by the gap sensor is not provided at the center of the exposure mask 2, but the mask flatness sensor 63 for measuring the flatness of the exposure mask 2 is provided within the exposure mask 2. It is installed on the center side. For this reason, by using the mask flatness sensor 63, the gap between the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 can be uniformly controlled even on the in-plane center side of the exposure mask 2.
In this embodiment as well, as in the first embodiment, a mask holder (which may be either 4A or 4B) is installed at the edges of the two sides on the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2, and the pair of these The mask holder is configured to hold the edges of the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 by the mask holder.

  As the mask flatness sensor 63 of the present embodiment, for example, a light-cutting sensor similar to the first and second gap sensors 61 and 62 is used. The mask flatness sensor 63 is configured to detect the flatness of the mask by, for example, scanning the plane of the exposure mask 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions from the UV light source 5 side.

  Further, the mask flatness sensor 63 is connected to a linear guide as shown in FIG. 5, for example, so as to perform a scanning operation. A highly accurate slide mechanism (not shown) having the same configuration as that shown is provided in two directions orthogonal to each other. Note that the surface formed by the linear guide and the mask holder must be mechanically highly parallel.

When the control unit 8 receives a flatness signal from the mask flatness sensor 63, the control unit 8 calculates an operation amount of the mask operation actuator 7B. The control unit 8 operates the mask operation actuator 7B based on the calculated operation amount to deform the exposure mask 2 to correct the flatness of the exposure mask 2 (hereinafter, this control). ("Mask flatness correction method 1").
The mask operation actuator has the same configuration as the mask operation actuator 7B of the first embodiment, but uses the same configuration as the mask operation actuator 7C of the second embodiment. It doesn't matter.

  Next, a method for setting and adjusting the proximity gap by the gap control apparatus according to the present embodiment will be specifically described.

  (1) First, based on the flatness signal from the mask flatness sensor 63 at the in-plane center of the exposure mask 2, the above-described “mask flatness correction” is performed so that the flatness of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value. Control according to “Method 1” is performed.

  (2) Next, similarly to the first embodiment or the second embodiment, the four corner portions of the exposure mask 2 are formed by the second gap sensors 62 provided at the four corners of the upper, lower, left and right sides of the exposure mask 2. Measure the gap signal at. Then, the aforementioned “gap control method 2” is controlled so that the gap signal value output from the second gap sensor 62 becomes the set value.

  (3) After that, based on the flatness signal from the mask flatness sensor 63 at the in-plane central portion of the exposure mask 2 again, the above-described “mask flatness” is set so that the flatness of the exposure mask 2 becomes the set value. Control according to “correction method 1” is performed.

  Thereafter, the procedures (1) to (3) are repeated, and the proximity gap is controlled so that the flatness signal value at the central portion in the plane and the gap signal values at the four corners are within the set values.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first to third embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.
FIG. 8 shows a vertical exposure apparatus according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this vertical exposure apparatus, the mask holder 4B is used to form the exposure mask 2 as in the second embodiment. It is configured to hold the edges of the two sides on the left and right sides and the edges of the two sides on the upper and lower sides, and the edges of the left and right sides of the exposure mask 2 held by the mask holder 4B by the mask operating actuator 7C. The exposure mask 2 is deformed by displacing the part in the Y direction.

  In the present embodiment, similarly to the third embodiment, a mask flatness sensor 63 that measures the flatness of the exposure mask 2 (this embodiment is the same as the third embodiment not shown). The slide mechanism is attached to the center of the exposure mask 2 in the center of the surface. Therefore, the gap L between the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 is also formed in the center of the surface of the exposure mask 2. The configuration is such that a desired uniform proximity gap can be set and controlled.

On the other hand, when the flatness signal from the mask flatness sensor 63 is input, the control unit 8 controls the amount of operation of the mask operating actuator 7C based on the signal of the mask flatness sensor 63, and corrects the flatness of the exposure mask 2. It is supposed to be.
The control unit 8 detects the gap between the corrected exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 based on the signals from the gap sensor 62 at the four corners, thereby calculating the operation amount of the substrate operation actuator 7A. By controlling, the control is performed so that the gap between the exposure mask 2 and the glass substrate 3 falls within the set value.

  Also in this embodiment, the mask operation actuator has the same configuration as the mask operation actuator 7C of the second embodiment, but the same configuration as the mask operation actuator 7B of the first embodiment. It doesn't matter.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention.

  In the substrate exposure method of the present invention, in-plane variation of the mask occurs in the gap between the exposure substrate due to deterioration of the mask surface accuracy due to an increase in the mask size, and deflection and buckling due to the mask's own weight. Even in this case, the gap between the mask and the glass substrate can be made uniform, and the pattern printing accuracy can be made uniform, which is useful for a vertical exposure apparatus in which the exposure substrate and the mask are set up vertically. is there.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows the board | substrate exposure apparatus and gap control apparatus which concern on the 1st (3rd) embodiment of this invention. It is a specific block diagram which shows an example of the actuator for mask operation which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the pattern of the exposure mask used for the 1st (2nd) embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the board | substrate exposure apparatus and gap control apparatus which concern on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a specific block diagram which shows an example of the actuator for mask operation which concerns on the 2nd (4th) embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the substrate exposure apparatus and gap control apparatus which concern on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the pattern of the exposure mask used for the 3rd (4th) embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the substrate exposure apparatus and gap control apparatus which concern on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the gap control apparatus used for the conventional horizontal type | mold substrate exposure apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the gap control apparatus used for the conventional vertical substrate exposure apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate stage 2 Exposure mask 21 Mask pattern 22 The part in which the pattern is not formed (central part)
3 Glass substrate (exposure substrate)
4A Mask holder 4B Mask holder 41A Suction groove (vacuum suction mechanism)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Light source 6 Gap sensor 61 1st gap sensor 62 2nd gap sensor 63 Mask flatness sensor 7 Actuator 7A 1st actuator (actuator for board | substrate operation)
7B 2nd actuator (actuator for mask operation)
7C Mask Operation Actuator 70 Base 71 Motor 72 Bracket 73 Guide Rail 74 Linear Guide 75 Ball Screw 76 Female Screw Member 8 Control Part L (Proximity) Gap

Claims (5)

A substrate exposure method in which a mask on which a predetermined pattern is formed and an exposure apparatus are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap in a vertical direction, and the pattern is projected onto the exposure substrate through the mask,
Detecting the gap between the mask and the exposed substrate;
Based on the detected gap, at least one of movement of the exposure substrate in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the mask, displacement of an inclination angle of the exposure substrate with respect to the mask surface, and displacement of the entire mask surface,
The substrate exposure method, wherein the gap between the mask and the exposure substrate is corrected. Detect the flatness of the mask,
The substrate exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the flatness of the mask is corrected based on the detected flatness. A state in which a mask holder that holds a mask on which a predetermined pattern is formed and a substrate stage that holds an exposure substrate so as to face the mask, and a predetermined gap is held between the mask and the exposure substrate In the substrate exposure apparatus, the mask and the exposure substrate are arranged in a vertical direction, and the pattern is projected onto the exposure substrate through the mask,
A gap sensor for detecting the gap between the mask and the exposure substrate;
A first actuator for correcting the gap by performing at least one of movement of the substrate stage in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the mask and displacement with respect to the surface of the mask;
A second actuator for correcting the gap by displacing an edge of the mask held by the mask holder;
A substrate exposure apparatus comprising: a gap control device comprising: a control unit that controls an operation amount of the first actuator and the second actuator based on a signal from the gap sensor. The mask is provided with patterns at multiple locations,
4. The substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the gap sensor is disposed at least in a region where the pattern is not formed. A mask flatness sensor for detecting the flatness of the mask is provided.
4. The substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an operation amount of at least one of the first actuator and the second actuator based on at least the mask flatness sensor signal or the gap sensor signal. .

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