JP2006235448A - Image recording system, image recording method, program, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image recording system, an image recording method, a program and an image forming method by which manual calculation, manual input work or the like by an operator is made unnecessary, a theoretical position of an alignment mark can be accurately and easily designated, thereby, the time required for alignment and human errors can be reduced, and the time required for image exposure can be reduced. <P>SOLUTION: A drawing file is created to assign a preliminarily formed basic recording pattern and representing a drawing pattern to be drawn on a recording medium, while an alignment file is created to designate the position of an alignment mark in the drawing pattern and representing the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention particularly relates to an image forming method, an editing apparatus, an image recording system, and a program for forming an image on a recording medium such as a printed wiring board.

Conventionally, various image recording systems for recording (forming) an image such as a printed wiring pattern on a recording medium such as a printed wiring board have been proposed.
In this image recording system, for example, a CAD (Computer Aided Design) for designing a basic printed wiring pattern (basic recording pattern) and a substrate (photosensitive material) to be a printed wiring board by editing the basic recording pattern designed by CAD. An editing device such as CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) that edits a drawing file that represents the assigned drawing pattern, and a RIP (Raster Image Processor) that converts (expands) the drawing file edited by the editing device into bitmap data; And an image recording apparatus such as an exposure apparatus that forms (exposes) an image on a substrate using bitmap data converted by RIP.

  Normally, the CAM receives a basic recording pattern designed by the CAD, edits this basic recording pattern, assigns it on the board, and creates a drawing file using a format such as a Gerber format, and sequentially transfers this drawing file to the RIP. To do. The RIP converts the drawing file into bitmap data that can be imaged by the exposure apparatus, and sequentially transfers it to the exposure apparatus. The exposure apparatus performs exposure based on the bitmap data supplied from the RIP, and forms an image such as a printed wiring pattern on the substrate.

In such an exposure apparatus, it is necessary to accurately draw the drawing pattern at a predetermined position on the substrate.
Therefore, in the exposure apparatus, alignment is usually performed in order to accurately determine the exposure position of the image with respect to the substrate prior to the exposure.
For alignment, a plurality of alignment marks provided on the substrate are photographed by an alignment camera such as a CCD camera, and the position of the alignment mark obtained by this photographing on the substrate and the position of the alignment mark specified separately (hereinafter, for convenience) The exposure position on the substrate is determined. Therefore, in order to accurately expose to a predetermined position on the substrate, it is necessary to accurately specify the theoretical position of the alignment mark relative to the drawing pattern.

The theoretical position of the alignment mark is usually specified by the operator.
Specifically, the operator first determines an alignment mark by referring to a drill file that describes drill hole position information formed on the substrate, a drawing file that describes a circuit pattern to be exposed on the substrate, and the like. The position (theoretical position) of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern coordinates is calculated (set). The operator inputs the position of the alignment mark calculated in this way into the exposure apparatus using input means such as a keyboard. Thereby, the theoretical position of the alignment mark is designated.

  In this way, the designation of the theoretical position of the alignment mark in the exposure apparatus is all performed manually by the operator. However, since this operation is complicated, it takes a very long time, and human errors such as calculation errors and input errors are likely to occur.

  Also, in recent years, images such as printed wiring patterns formed on a substrate have become very fine, and accordingly, very high accuracy is required for exposure following the image. Therefore, the number of alignment marks provided on the substrate tends to increase. As a matter of course, if the number of alignment marks increases, the working time becomes longer and human error is likely to occur.

  The object of the present invention is to solve the problems based on the above-mentioned conventional technology, and the present invention can specify the theoretical position of the alignment mark reliably and easily without the need for manual calculation or manual input by the operator. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording system, an image recording method, a program, and an image forming method capable of reducing the time required for alignment and human error and shortening the time required for image exposure.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention creates a drawing file that represents a drawing pattern to be drawn on a recording medium by assigning a pre-formed basic recording pattern, and positions of alignment marks in the drawing pattern. According to the designation, an editing device that creates an alignment file that describes the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and reads the alignment mark formed on the recording medium, and records the position according to the read result. And an image recording device for recording a drawing pattern by a drawing file supplied from the editing device on a recording medium according to the set recording position, and the image recording device Obtain an alignment file from the editing device, analyze it, and align it on the drawing pattern. An image recording system for detecting the position of the drawing pattern and determining the recording position of the drawing pattern on the recording medium in accordance with the detected position of the alignment mark and the reading result of the alignment mark. Is to provide.

  In the present invention, when a through hole is designated as an alignment mark in the editing device, the alignment mark positions of the front and back surfaces of the recording medium are made common, and the image recording device mirrors the alignment file. Accordingly, it is preferable to generate the alignment file corresponding to both sides of the recording medium.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the image recording apparatus records an image by exposing the photosensitive material for an image.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention creates a drawing file representing a drawing pattern obtained by assigning a basic recording pattern formed in advance to a recording medium, and specifies an alignment mark position in the drawing pattern. Accordingly, after creating an alignment file indicating the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, the alignment mark formed on the recording medium is read, and the recording position is set according to the reading result. An image recording method for recording a drawing pattern described in the drawing file on a recording medium according to the set recording position, wherein the alignment file is acquired, analyzed, and aligned on the drawing pattern. The position of the mark is detected, and the detection position of the alignment mark Depending on the result of reading instruments mark, the is to provide an image recording method characterized by determining the recording position of the drawing pattern on the recording medium.

  In the present invention, when a through hole is designated as the alignment mark, the alignment mark positions of the front and back surfaces of the recording medium are made common, and the alignment file is mirror-inverted to Preferably, the alignment file corresponding to both sides is generated.

  In the present invention, the recording of the drawing pattern onto the recording medium is preferably performed by exposing the photosensitive material for an image.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention reads an alignment mark formed on a recording medium, sets a recording position according to the reading result, and edits according to the set recording position. In an image recording apparatus for recording a drawing pattern by a drawing file supplied from the apparatus on a recording medium, a step of creating a drawing file that assigns a basic recording pattern formed in advance and describes the drawing pattern to be drawn on the recording medium And the position of the alignment mark generated by the program for executing the step of creating an alignment file indicating the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern in accordance with the designation of the position of the alignment mark in the drawing pattern. Obtaining an alignment file, said reading Analyzing the alignment file, detecting the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and the detection position of the alignment mark and the reading result of the alignment mark, the reading on the recording medium A program for executing a step of determining a recording position of a drawing pattern is provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention assigns a basic recording pattern formed in advance, creates a drawing file that describes a drawing pattern to be drawn on a recording medium, and creates an alignment mark in the drawing pattern. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming method characterized in that an alignment file is created by designating a position and expressing the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern.

  In the present invention, it is preferable to describe the positions of alignment marks corresponding to a plurality of the drawing patterns in one alignment file.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, in the editing process for creating a drawing file in which a basic recording pattern or the like is allocated on a substrate using a CAM or the like, in addition to creating a drawing file to be drawn on a recording medium, a drawing layer Create another alignment layer that is independent of, specify the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and describe the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern in this alignment layer, independent of the drawing file The alignment file created is generated and associated with the drawing file for output.
Therefore, the position of the alignment mark can be specified with reference to the drawing pattern, so that it can be specified accurately. In addition, in a recording apparatus such as an exposure apparatus, the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern can be obtained by reading and analyzing the alignment file. Alignment can be performed using the theoretical position) and the position of the alignment mark on the substrate obtained by photographing.
Therefore, according to the present invention, operations such as calculation of the alignment mark position on the coordinates of the drawing pattern and input of the calculated alignment mark position, which are conventionally performed by an operator, can be made unnecessary. It is possible to simplify and improve the work efficiency, and to reliably carry out without losing human error.

Hereinafter, an image recording system, an image recording method, a program, and an image forming method of the present invention will be described in detail based on preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
The program of the present invention causes the CAM 12 and the exposure apparatus 16 to perform the following actions.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of the image recording system of the present invention.
The image recording system 10 of the present invention edits a printed wiring pattern, a liquid crystal display element pattern, and the like designed by CAD, creates a drawing file representing a drawing pattern assigned to a substrate, and then converts the drawing file into a bit. This system converts the map data and uses this bitmap data to expose the image on the substrate and record the image. As shown in FIG. 1, the system includes the CAM 12, the RIP 14, and the exposure device 16. The
The CAM 12, the RIP 14, the RIP 14, and the exposure apparatus 16 are connected to each other via known communication means and a network.

  A CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) 12 is an example of an editing apparatus that performs the image forming method of the present invention, and is an apparatus that creates, associates, and stores a drawing file and an alignment file.

  The CAM 12 edits a basic recording pattern 18 such as a printed wiring pattern supplied from a CAD or the like as a normal CAM used for manufacturing a printed wiring board or the like, and a substrate (a substrate serving as a recording medium for a drawing pattern). A drawing pattern assigned to each other is created, and a drawing pattern layer 20 describing the drawing pattern is created and saved as a drawing file (drawing data).

Here, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, the CAM 12 that performs the image forming method of the present invention is a dedicated layer for describing only the position of the alignment mark 22 as a layer independent of the drawing pattern layer 20. The alignment layer 24 is created. Next, using this alignment layer 24, designation (input) of the position of the alignment mark 22 on the drawing pattern (hereinafter referred to as a theoretical position for convenience) is performed, and the alignment layer 24 has the designated alignment mark 22. The theoretical position is displayed by, for example, a point (flash).
Further, the alignment layer 24 describing the position of only the alignment mark 22 is stored as an alignment file (alignment data) in association with the previous drawing file.

  Note that the CAM 12 that performs the image forming method of the present invention is basically a normal CAM except that the alignment file is created. Therefore, a known CAM may be used.

The method for specifying the theoretical position of the alignment mark 22 is not particularly limited, and may be a known method using a pointing device such as a mouse.
Here, the CAM 12 can usually display a plurality of alignment layers 24 simultaneously. Accordingly, by displaying the drawing pattern layer (drawing pattern) 20 and the alignment layer 24 at the same time and designating the theoretical position of the alignment mark 22, the theoretical position of the alignment mark 22 can be determined while referring to the drawing pattern. As shown schematically in FIG. 2, the theoretical position of the alignment mark can be specified very accurately and easily.

The format of the alignment file is not particularly limited, and various file formats that can be output by a normal CAM can be used.
A preferred example is the extended Gerber format (RS-274X), but other standard Gerber formats (RS-274SD) and drill data formats can also be used.

In addition, when a multilayer wiring board or the like is manufactured and the position of the alignment mark 22 is different for each circuit layer (circuit layer), an alignment layer 24 is prepared for each circuit layer, and a plurality of files are created. Good.
Alternatively, a single alignment layer 24 may be used to describe the alignment marks 22 of a plurality of circuit layers. At this time, the alignment mark 22 has a unique shape and a different number for each circuit layer. When the alignment file is read by the exposure apparatus 16 described later, the alignment mark 22 is exposed for each circuit layer exposure. The theoretical position of the corresponding alignment mark 22 may be taken out by designating the shape and number of the.
In the production of the multilayer wiring board, the position of the alignment mark 22 is not different for each circuit layer, that is, if the position of the alignment mark 22 of all circuit layers is common, it is common to all circuit layers. The alignment file should be created.

  Further, when the solder surface (back surface) of the substrate is exposed, since it is usually displayed as a perspective view from the component surface (front surface) on the CAM 12, the designation of the theoretical position of the alignment mark 22 is also transparent from the component surface. The alignment layer 24 is mirror-reversed when the alignment mark 36 is read by the exposure apparatus 16 to be described later.

  Further, when a through hole is used as the alignment mark 36 and the surface of the substrate 34 is exposed, the position of the alignment mark 22 is reversed between the front surface and the back surface of the substrate 12. Therefore, in this case, the alignment file may be shared between the front surface and the back surface of the substrate, and used after being mirror-reversed by the exposure device 16 described later.

  The file of the basic recording pattern 18 processed by the CAM 12 is generally designed by CAD and received from CAD. However, the present invention is not limited to this and may be received from other information sources.

  In response to a request from the RIP 14, the CAM 12 associates the drawing file and the alignment file and sends the file to the RIP 14. In the CAM 12, the file sent to the RIP 14 may be deleted as necessary.

RIP14 (Raster Image Processor) obtains a drawing file and an alignment file created by the CAM 12, and converts only the drawing file into bitmap data corresponding to image recording (exposure = substrate printing) in the exposure device 16, This is an apparatus that transfers drawing pattern bitmap data (hereinafter simply referred to as bitmap data) to the exposure apparatus 16 in association with an alignment file.
In the image recording system 10 of the present invention, the RIP 14 is basically the same as a known RIP used for manufacturing a printed wiring board or the like.

  The exposure device 16 is a device that exposes the substrate 34 in accordance with the bitmap data and alignment file supplied from the RIP 14.

  FIG. 3 shows a schematic block diagram of an exposure apparatus according to the image recording system of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows an alignment unit applied to the exposure apparatus according to the image recording system of the present invention, and FIG. 5 shows a scanner applied to the exposure apparatus according to the image recording system of the present invention. . FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an electric system for control in a controller provided in the exposure apparatus according to the image recording system of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the exposure apparatus 16 includes a rectangular thick plate-shaped installation base 28 supported by four legs 26. Two guides 30 extend along the longitudinal direction on the upper surface of the installation table 28, and a rectangular flat plate-like stage 32 is provided on the two guides 30. The stage 32 is arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof faces the extending direction of the guide 30, is supported by the guide 30 so as to be reciprocally movable on the installation table 28, and is driven by a driving device (not shown) to scan along the guide 30. It reciprocates in the direction (arrow Y direction in FIG. 1).

On the upper surface of the stage 32, a rectangular plate-shaped substrate 34 as an exposure object is placed in a state where it is positioned at a predetermined placement position by a transport means (not shown) or an operator. A plurality of grooves (not shown) are formed on the upper surface (substrate mounting surface) of the stage 32, and the substrate 34 is placed on the upper surface of the stage 32 by applying a negative pressure inside the grooves by a negative pressure supply source. It is adsorbed and held.
The substrate 34 is provided with a plurality of alignment marks 36 that serve as a reference for the exposure position. In the present embodiment, the alignment marks 36 are circular through holes, and one alignment mark 36 is arranged near each of the four corners of the substrate 34. In this embodiment, four alignment marks 36 are arranged in the vicinity of the four corners, as described above, and a total of four alignment marks 36 are arranged depending on the size of the substrate, the size of the pattern to be drawn, and the like. It is determined accordingly. For example, the number of alignment marks 36 can be one or more than two, and the number of alignment marks 36 can be several to several tens or more.
Further, the surface of the stage 32 is black in order to suitably shoot an alignment mark 36 to be described later.

A U-shaped gate 38 is provided at the center of the installation table 28 so as to straddle the arrow X direction orthogonal to the moving path (arrow Y direction) of the stage 32. Both ends of the gate 38 are fixed to both side surfaces of the installation base 28, and a scanner 40 for exposing the substrate 34 is provided on one side of the gate 38 in the arrow Y direction (downstream in the measurement direction). A plurality of (in the illustrated example, four) CCD cameras 42 (42a, 42b, 42c, 42d) for photographing the alignment mark 36 provided on the substrate 34 are provided on the surface of the arrow 40 in the direction of arrow Y (downstream in the measurement direction). The provided alignment unit 44 is provided.
In the present invention, the CCD camera (alignment camera) 42 for photographing the alignment mark 36 is not limited to four in the illustrated example, and may be three or less or five or more. Further, the number of alignment marks in the X direction and the number of CCD cameras 42 do not necessarily have to match. However, considering the efficiency of alignment mark photography, it is preferable to have more CCD cameras 42 than the number of alignment marks in the X direction of the corresponding substrate.

As shown in FIG. 4, the alignment unit 44 includes a rectangular unit base 46 attached to the scanner 40.
A pair of guide rails 48 extend along the direction of the arrow X on the camera arrangement surface side of the unit base 46, and each CCD camera 42, which is an alignment camera for photographing the alignment mark 36, has a pair of guide rails. 48 is slidably guided and moved in the direction of arrow X by a drive source such as a ball screw mechanism 50 prepared individually for each CCD camera 42 and a stepping motor (not shown) for driving the mechanism. Each CCD camera 42 is arranged in such a manner that the lens portion 54 provided at the tip of the camera body 52 is directed downward and the optical axis of the lens is substantially vertical. A strobe light source (LED strobe light source) 56 is attached.

As will be described in detail later, the exposure apparatus 16 acquires (detects) the position by photographing the alignment mark 36 on the substrate 34 prior to exposure of the substrate 34, and sets (adjusts) the exposure position according to the result. Align.
When photographing the alignment mark 36 on the substrate 34, first, the CCD camera 42 is moved in the arrow X direction by the ball screw mechanism 50 to set the theoretical position of the alignment mark 36 in the arrow X direction. Next, the stage 32 is moved in the scanning direction (arrow Y direction) by the driving device, the strobe light source 56 is caused to emit light at the theoretical position of the alignment mark 36 in the arrow Y direction, and the substrate 34 of the strobe light irradiated onto the substrate 34 is obtained. The alignment mark 36 is photographed by causing the reflected light from the upper surface to be input to the camera body 52 via the lens unit 54.

Further, the drive device for the stage 32, the scanner 40, the CCD camera 42, and the drive source for moving the CCD camera 42 are connected to a controller 58 for controlling them. The controller 58 controls the stage 32 so as to move at a predetermined speed during the exposure operation of the exposure apparatus 16 described later, and the CCD camera 42 is arranged at the theoretical position of the alignment mark 36 to be at the theoretical position of the alignment mark 36. The alignment mark 36 of the substrate 34 is controlled to be photographed at a predetermined timing in response to this, and the scanner 40 is controlled to expose the substrate 34 at a predetermined timing. Further, an image (image file) taken by the CCD camera 42 is output to the controller 58 for image analysis and the like.
The photographing of the alignment mark 36 will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of (for example, eight) exposure heads 60 arranged in a substantially matrix of m rows and n columns (for example, 2 rows and 4 columns) are installed in the scanner 40.

  The exposure area 62 by the exposure head 60 is configured on a rectangle having a short side in the scanning direction, for example. In this case, a strip-shaped exposed region 64 is formed for each exposure head 60 on the substrate 34 in accordance with the scanning exposure moving operation.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, each of the exposure heads 60 in each row arranged in a line is arranged at a predetermined interval (in the arrangement direction) so that the strip-shaped exposed regions 64 are arranged without gaps in the direction orthogonal to the scanning direction. The exposure area is shifted by a natural multiple of the long side of the exposure area. For this reason, for example, a portion that cannot be exposed between the exposure area 62 of the first row and the exposure area 62 of the second row can be exposed by the exposure area 62 of the second row surface.

Each exposure head 60 modulates the laser light emitted from the illumination device 68 described later and propagated through the optical fiber 70 according to the bitmap data transferred from the RIP 14, and the modulated laser light is applied to the substrate 34. By forming an image, the substrate 34 is exposed imagewise according to the drawing pattern.
In the illustrated example, the exposure head, as an example, modulates laser light using a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) as a spatial light modulator. This DMD is connected to the above-described controller 58 including a file processing unit and a mirror drive control unit. As such an exposure head, for example, an exposure head disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-62156 by the applicant of the present application can be used.

  The controller 58 generates a control signal for driving and controlling each micromirror in the region to be controlled by the DMD for each exposure head 60 based on the input bitmap data. The area to be controlled will be described later. Further, the mirror drive control unit as the DMD controller controls the angle of the reflection surface of each micromirror in the DMD for each exposure head 60 based on the control signal generated by the file processing unit. The control of the angle of the reflecting surface will be described later.

  On the light incident side of the DMD in each exposure head 60, as shown in FIG. 3, a bundle-like shape led out from an illuminating device 68 that emits a multi-beam extending in one direction including an ultraviolet wavelength region as laser light. An optical fiber 70 is connected.

  Although not shown, the illuminating device 68 includes a plurality of multiplexing modules that multiplex laser beams emitted from a plurality of semiconductor laser chips and input them to the optical fiber. The optical fiber extending from each multiplexing module is a multiplexing optical fiber that propagates the combined laser beam, and a plurality of optical fibers are bundled into one to form a bundle-shaped optical fiber 70.

  Next, a schematic configuration of a control electric system in the controller 58 provided in the exposure apparatus 16 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG.

In the electric system for control in the controller 58, the operator inputs commands via the bus 72, the CCD camera 42, a CPU 74 that performs file processing and the like as a main control unit that performs overall control of each part of the apparatus, and the operator. Therefore, the instruction input means 76 having switches mounted on the controller 58, the memory 78 in which the alignment file and bitmap data supplied from the RIP 14 are temporarily stored, and the micromirrors of each DMD of each exposure head 60 A DMD controller 80 as a mirror drive control unit for controlling the camera, a camera movement controller 82 for driving and controlling a drive source (stepping motor or the like) for moving each CCD camera 42, and a stage 32 on which the substrate 34 is placed. Stays that drive and control a drive device for moving the A drive controller 84, Other, and exposure processing control controller 86 that controls various devices such as lighting apparatus 68 which is required for exposure processing with the exposure device 16 is configured by connecting.
The controller 58 analyzes the alignment file, knows the theoretical position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and automatically sets the theoretical position of the alignment mark.

Hereinafter, the operation of the exposure apparatus 16 will be described to describe the present invention in more detail.
FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing only the main members for alignment and exposure according to the present invention in the exposure apparatus of the present invention shown in FIG. For the sake of clarity, the gate 38 is omitted.

As described above, the bitmap data and alignment file used for exposure are sequentially supplied from the RIP 14 to the exposure device 16 and temporarily stored in the memory 78 in the controller 58.
On the other hand, the substrate 34 is placed at a predetermined position of the stage 32 (in this example, the center of the stage) using a conveying means (not shown).
In addition, as the board | substrate 34 which image-exposes by the exposure apparatus 16, it is photosensitive epoxy resin etc. on the surface of the board | substrate as a material which forms patterns (image exposure), such as a printed wiring board and a liquid crystal display element, or a glass plate For example, a photo resist applied or a dry film laminated may be used.

In this way, the substrate 34 is placed on the stage 32, and the operator operates the instruction input means 76 of the controller 58 to instruct the bitmap data (bitmap data of the drawing pattern to be drawn) used for the exposure processing.
In response to this, the CPU 74 reads out the bitmap data instructed from the memory 78 and the alignment file corresponding to this bitmap data. Next, the CPU 74 reads and analyzes the alignment layer 24 of the alignment file, and from the position of the alignment mark 22 on the alignment layer 24, the theoretical position of the alignment mark 22 on the drawing pattern designated by the alignment layer 24 in the CAM 12, that is, The theoretical position of the alignment mark 22 on the coordinates of the drawing pattern based on the bitmap data (drawing file) is found, and the theoretical position of the alignment mark is automatically set.

After the theoretical position of the alignment mark is automatically set, the alignment mark 36 is then photographed by the CCD camera 42.
First, the position of the alignment mark 36 on the substrate 34 is predicted according to the automatically set theoretical position of the alignment mark, and the CCD camera 42 that performs imaging is moved in the X direction according to the predicted position. Next, the controller 58 controls the driving device to move the stage 32 in the arrow Y direction (measurement direction), and the controller 58 causes the strobe to emit light at the predicted position of the alignment mark 36 in the arrow Y direction. Then, the alignment mark 36 is photographed.
When shooting of all the alignment marks 36 is completed, the controller 58 analyzes the imaging result, and the alignment on the substrate 34 is determined from the captured image, the position of the CCD camera in the X direction, and the shooting position (imaging timing) in the Y direction. The mark position is calculated.
Next, setting of the exposure position on the substrate 34, that is, drawing on the substrate 34, from the alignment mark position on the substrate 34 obtained by photographing and the theoretical position of the alignment mark 36 automatically set from the alignment file as described above. Determine the pattern drawing position. Thereafter, the exposure of the substrate 34 is started in accordance with the setting of the exposure position.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, the alignment position that describes the position of the alignment mark is created separately from the drawing file by designating the theoretical position of the alignment mark with the CAM 12. By reading and analyzing the alignment file, the theoretical position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern coordinates can be acquired and automatically set, and calculated from the theoretical position of the automatically set alignment mark and the imaging result of the alignment mark. Using the alignment mark position on the substrate 34, the exposure position can be determined, that is, alignment can be performed.
This eliminates the need for operations such as calculating the alignment mark position on the drawing pattern coordinates and inputting the calculated alignment mark position, which has conventionally been performed by the operator. In addition, human error can be lost and performed reliably.

  As described above, exposure is started when the alignment is completed. That is, by moving the stage 32 in the arrow Y direction (exposure direction), the substrate 34 moves the scanner 40 in the arrow Y direction (downstream in the exposure direction) as the stage 32 moves, and image exposure of the exposed surface is performed. When the area reaches the exposure start position, each exposure head 60 of the scanner 40 irradiates the light beam and starts image exposure on the exposed surface of the substrate 34.

Here, the bitmap data stored in the memory 78 of the controller 58 is sequentially read out for each of a plurality of lines, and for each exposure head 60 based on the bitmap data of the drawing pattern read out by the CPU 74 as a file processing unit. A control signal is generated. The DMD controller 80 serving as a mirror drive control unit controls each of the DMD micromirrors for each exposure head 60 based on the generated and corrected control signals.
When the DMD is irradiated with the laser light emitted from the optical fiber 70 of the illumination device 68, the laser light reflected when the DMD micromirror is in an on state forms an image on the exposure surface of the substrate. In this way, the laser light emitted from the illumination device 68 is turned on and off for each pixel, and the substrate 34 is exposed in pixel units (exposure areas) that are approximately the same number as the number of pixels used in the DMD.

  Further, when the substrate 34 is moved together with the stage 32 at a constant speed, the substrate 34 is scanned in the direction opposite to the stage moving direction by the scanner 40, and a strip-shaped exposed region 44 (shown in FIG. 5) for each exposure head 60. ) Is formed.

  When the image exposure of the substrate 34 by the scanner 40 is completed, the stage 32 is driven as it is downstream in the exposure direction by the driving device and returns to the origin on the most downstream side in the exposure direction (the most upstream side in the alignment measurement direction). Thus, the exposure operation for the substrate 34 by the exposure apparatus 16 is completed.

  As described above, when the position of the alignment mark 22 is different for each circuit layer, in the CAM 12, the alignment mark 22 has a unique shape, a number for the mark, etc. for each circuit layer. When alignment marks corresponding to multiple circuit layers are described in the file, the shape and number of the alignment mark 22 are designated every time each circuit layer is exposed, and the corresponding alignment mark is identified from one alignment file. Automatically sets the theoretical position of the alignment mark. Similarly, when the solder surface of the substrate is exposed, a process for mirror-inverting the alignment file is performed when the exposure device 16 reads the alignment file.

  Further, in the present embodiment, processing for correcting distortion / deformation or the like of the substrate 34 is not performed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate 34 is provided before the exposure to the substrate 34. The alignment mark 36 is read by a sensor or the like, and this alignment mark reading result file is input to the CAM 12, and the CAM 12 compares the alignment file created by the CAM 12 with the alignment mark reading result file described above. Processing for correcting distortion / deformation or the like of the substrate 34 may be performed by obtaining a value such as deformation and deforming or tilting the drawing file.

  In this embodiment, the alignment mark 36 is imaged at the first theoretical position in a state where scanning is not performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the arrow Y direction (scanning direction) If the substrate 34 having a large number of alignment marks 36 is used, the first alignment mark 36 may be photographed at the theoretical position while scanning.

  Further, in the alignment measurement performed prior to exposure in the present embodiment, the CCD camera 42a is determined in advance. However, the CCD camera 42a may be selected from a plurality of alignment cameras. Good. Further, the first alignment mark 36 at the theoretical position may be photographed by two or more CCD cameras 42.

In the exposure operation on the substrate 34 of the exposure apparatus 16 in the present embodiment, the case where the substrate 34 is scanned and exposed while moving the stage 32 has been described. However, the exposure operation is not limited to such scanning exposure, and other than that, The substrate 34 moved to the exposure position is temporarily stopped to expose only a predetermined exposure area. After the exposure, the substrate 34 is moved to the next exposure position and stopped again to expose only the next predetermined exposure area. The movement of the substrate 34, the stop at the exposure position, the image exposure, the movement, and so on may be repeated.
Further, instead of scanning by moving the stage 32, scanning may be performed by moving the gate 38, or only the alignment unit 44 is scanned for photographing the alignment mark 36. Also good.

  In the exposure apparatus 16 in the present embodiment, the stage 32 is moved in the scanning direction, but the gate 38 to which the alignment unit 44 and the exposure head 60 are fixed may be moved. Further, although the alignment unit 44 and the exposure head 60 are integrally formed, the alignment unit 44 and the exposure head 60 may be independent from each other.

  In the exposure apparatus 16 according to the present embodiment, the exposure head having the DMD as the spatial modulation element has been described. However, in addition to the reflective spatial light modulation element, a transmissive spatial light modulation element (LCD) is used. You can also For example, a liquid crystal shutter array such as a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) type spatial modulator (SLM), an optical element (PLZT element) that modulates transmitted light by an electro-optic effect, or a liquid crystal shutter (FLC). It is also possible to use a spatial light modulation element other than the MEMS type. Note that MEMS is a general term for a micro system that integrates micro-sized sensors, actuators, and control circuits based on an IC manufacturing process as a substrate, and a MEMS type spatial light modulator is an electrostatic force. It means a spatial light modulation element that is driven by the electromechanical operation used. Further, a plurality of Grading Light Valves (GLVs) arranged in two dimensions can be used. In the configuration using these reflective spatial light modulator (GLV) and transmissive spatial light modulator (LCD), a lamp or the like can be used as a light source in addition to the laser described above.

  The light source in this embodiment includes a fiber array light source including a plurality of combined laser light sources, and one optical fiber that emits laser light incident from a single semiconductor laser having one light emitting point. A fiber array light source in which a plurality of light sources are arrayed, a light source in which a plurality of light emitting points are two-dimensionally arranged (for example, an LD array, an organic EL array, or the like) can be applied.

  The exposure device 16 can be either a photon mode photosensitive material in which information is directly recorded by exposure or a heat mode photosensitive material in which information is recorded by heat generated by exposure. When using a photon mode photosensitive material, a GaN-based semiconductor laser, a wavelength conversion solid-state laser, or the like is used for the laser device. When using a heat mode photosensitive material, an AlGaAs-based semiconductor laser (infrared laser), A solid state laser is used.

  Furthermore, although the above embodiment forms an image on a photosensitive material, the present invention also uses various recording media (workpieces) such as a printed wiring board and a liquid crystal display element. In addition, the image forming method is not limited to exposure, and various drawing methods corresponding to the workpiece can be used.

1 is a schematic block diagram showing an embodiment of an image recording system of the present invention. It is the schematic which shows the relationship between a drawing pattern layer and an alignment mark layer. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an exposure apparatus related to an image recording system of the present invention. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the alignment unit applied to the exposure apparatus which concerns on the image recording system of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the scanner applied to the exposure apparatus which concerns on the image recording system of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the electric system for control in the controller provided in the exposure apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which represented typically only the main members for the alignment and exposure which concern on this invention among the exposure apparatuses of this invention shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 Image recording system 12 CAM
14 RIP
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 Exposure apparatus 18 Basic recording pattern 20 Drawing pattern layer 22 Alignment mark on alignment layer 24 Alignment layer 26 Leg 28 Installation stand 30 Guide 32 Stage 34 Substrate 36 Alignment mark 38 Gate 40 Scanner 42 CCD camera 44 Alignment unit 46 Unit base 48 Guide rail 50 Ball screw mechanism 52 Camera body 54 Lens portion 56 Strobe light source 58 Controller 60 Exposure head 62 Exposure area 64 Exposed area 68 Illumination device 70 Optical fiber 72 Bus 74 CPU
76 Instruction input means 78 Memory 80 DMD controller 82 Camera movement controller 84 Stage movement controller 86 Exposure processing control controller

Claims (9)

A basic recording pattern formed in advance is allocated to create a drawing file that describes a drawing pattern to be drawn on a recording medium, and this alignment on the drawing pattern is specified according to the position designation of the alignment mark in the drawing pattern. An editing device for creating an alignment file indicating the position of the mark;
The alignment mark formed on the recording medium is read, the recording position is set according to the reading result, and the drawing pattern by the drawing file supplied from the editing device is recorded according to the set recording position. An image recording device for recording on a medium,
Further, the image recording device acquires an alignment file from the editing device, analyzes it, detects the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and detects the alignment mark detection result and the alignment mark reading result. The image recording system according to claim 1, wherein the recording position of the drawing pattern on the recording medium is determined.   When a through hole is designated as an alignment mark in the editing device, the alignment mark positions of the front surface and the back surface of the recording medium are made common, and the image recording device performs mirror inversion of the alignment file, thereby The image recording system according to claim 1, wherein the alignment file corresponding to both sides of the recording medium is generated.   The image recording system according to claim 1, wherein the image recording apparatus records an image by exposing a photosensitive material for an image. Create a drawing file that describes the drawing pattern that is created by assigning a pre-formed basic recording pattern to the recording medium,
In accordance with the position designation of the alignment mark in the drawing pattern, after creating an alignment file that describes the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern,
Read the alignment mark formed on the recording medium, set the recording position according to the reading result,
According to the set recording position, an image recording method for recording a drawing pattern described in the drawing file on a recording medium,
Obtaining and analyzing the alignment file, detecting the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and depending on the detection position of the alignment mark and the reading result of the alignment mark, the position on the recording medium An image recording method comprising determining a recording position of a drawing pattern.   When a through hole is designated as the alignment mark, the alignment mark positions of the front surface and the back surface of the recording medium are made common, and the alignment file is mirror-inverted so as to correspond to both surfaces of the recording medium. The image recording method according to claim 4, wherein an alignment file is generated.   6. The image recording method according to claim 4, wherein the drawing pattern is recorded on the recording medium by exposing the photosensitive material for an image. The alignment mark formed on the recording medium is read, the recording position is set according to the reading result, and the drawing pattern by the drawing file supplied from the editing device is set according to the set recording position. In an image recording apparatus for recording in
Assigning a pre-formed basic recording pattern, creating a drawing file representing the drawing pattern to be drawn on the recording medium, and specifying the position of the alignment mark in the drawing pattern, Obtaining an alignment file created by a program for executing the step of creating an alignment file indicating the position of the alignment mark;
Analyzing the read alignment file to detect the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern, and depending on the detection position of the alignment mark and the reading result of the alignment mark on the recording medium A program for executing a step of determining a recording position of the drawing pattern. Allocate a pre-formed basic recording pattern, create a drawing file that describes the drawing pattern to be drawn on the recording medium,
An image forming method, comprising: designating an alignment mark position in the drawing pattern and creating an alignment file indicating the position of the alignment mark on the drawing pattern.   The image forming method according to claim 8, wherein positions of alignment marks corresponding to a plurality of the drawing patterns are described in one alignment file.

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