JP2007103609A - Projection aligner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a projection aligner equipped with a holding mechanism for an object to be exposed, being excellent in maintainability, capable of efficiently sucking and holding the object of various sizes using a simple structure. <P>SOLUTION: The projection aligner comprises an exposure table 4 of which a plurality of suction holes 6 which are connected to a vacuum generating means for vacuum suction are provided on a mounting surface 4a, an adapter sheet 8 which is provided on a mounting surface 4a and is provided with a plurality of through-holes 10 that communicate with the suction holes 6 for vacuum suction, and an exposure which is placed on the adapter sheet 8 for projection exposure on a plate or sheet-like object 2 vacuum-chucked through the through-hole 10. The through-hole 10 is provided in the region corresponding to the contact surface of the object 2, and the suction hole 6 is provided in the region including such region as the through-hole 10 is provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a projection exposure apparatus that holds exposure objects having different sizes on an exposure table and projects and exposes a desired pattern on the held exposure objects.

2. Description of the Related Art Projection exposure apparatuses that hold an object to be exposed, in particular, a plate-shaped or sheet-shaped object to be exposed on an exposure table, and project and expose a desired circuit pattern to the held object to be exposed by an exposure unit have become widespread. As a method of holding the object to be exposed on the exposure table, a method of attracting and holding the object by vacuum suction is widely used.
In the suction holding method by vacuum suction, a number of suction holes connected to a vacuum generating means equipped with a vacuum pump or suction blower are provided on the mounting surface of the exposure table, and the exposure table uses the suction force from the suction holes. The object to be exposed placed on the substrate is sucked and held.

In this case, when adsorbing objects to be exposed having different sizes, the suction area is changed in accordance with the size of the object to be exposed so that a suction force is generated only in the area corresponding to the object to be exposed. It is necessary to prevent excessive suction by a pump or a suction blower.
In order to change such a suction region, the suction hole provided in the exposure table is usually divided into a plurality of zones, and the operator changes the suction zone by operating the switching valve. . In addition, it has been proposed to change the zone to be automatically sucked by the holding device instead of the manual operation of the operator. (For example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2.)

JP-A-3-73289 JP-A-6-345279

  However, in both Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, in order to change the suction zone, it is necessary to have a structure that separates the suction system for each zone. It is necessary to install piping. Therefore, each time the size of the object to be exposed is changed, various adjustments are necessary, so that the operation efficiency is lowered, the structure of the apparatus is complicated, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus is increased, and the maintainability is also deteriorated. Occurs.

  Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to use a simple structure to efficiently hold and hold an object to be exposed of various sizes. Is to provide a projection exposure apparatus comprising:

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, one embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus according to the present invention includes an exposure table provided with a plurality of suction holes capable of vacuum suction connected to a vacuum generating means, and the mounting table. An adapter sheet provided on the surface and provided with a plurality of through-holes communicating with the suction holes and capable of being vacuum-sucked; and the object to be exposed held by the adapter sheet and the exposure table by vacuum suction by the through-holes A projection exposure unit that performs projection exposure on the object, wherein the through hole is provided in a region corresponding to a contact surface of the object to be exposed, and the suction hole includes a region in which the through hole is provided. It is provided in the area to be used.

Here, the “exposure table” is a gantry on which an object to be exposed can be placed and held, and is placed at a position facing a projection exposure unit for performing projection exposure. This exposure table can be installed not only horizontally but also in all directions including vertical and diagonal.
The “adapter sheet” installed on the mounting surface of the exposure table can be made of any material including resin and metal, and has a predetermined flatness suitable for projection exposure in a state where an object to be exposed is adsorbed. Any sheet having any thickness can be used. It is also conceivable to prevent adhesion of a resist or the like applied to the object to be exposed by reducing the friction coefficient of the surface in contact with the object to be exposed.

The “object to be exposed” on which a desired circuit pattern is projected and exposed by projection exposure is a photosensitive base material and usually has a plate-like or sheet-like shape and is wound in a roll shape. A continuous sheet can also be used. Further, the thickness of the object to be exposed can be any thickness from micron order to millimeter order.
The “vacuum forming means” includes a vacuum pump and a suction blower, generates a suction force for sucking the object to be exposed through the suction hole and the through hole, and sucks the object to be exposed to the adapter sheet and the exposure table.

  "The through hole is provided in the area corresponding to the contact surface of the object to be exposed" means that, as a rule, the through hole is provided in an area covered with the object to be exposed so that excessive suction does not occur, It means that the through hole is provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the object to be exposed so as not to warp the object to be exposed. However, there are cases where some through holes are provided outside the area covered by the object to be exposed. In such a case, the number of through holes that have been released into the atmosphere is high enough to cause excessive suction problems. It means not.

In addition, “the suction hole is provided in the region including the region in which the through hole is provided” means that the suction hole is provided in the same region as the region in which the through hole is provided, and that the through hole is provided. The case where it is provided in the area | region containing the area | region and other area | regions other than that considered can be considered.
The cross-sectional shapes of the suction hole and the through hole can have any shape including a circle, an ellipse, and a polygon.

  According to this embodiment, various sizes, thicknesses, materials, and flatnesses can be obtained by changing the adapter sheet to one suitable for each object to be exposed without changing the vacuum suction zone. Since the projection exposure can be performed by adsorbing the exposed object, the operation efficiency of the projection exposure can be improved. Further, since the structure of the apparatus is not complicated, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be reduced and the maintainability can be improved.

  Another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the adapter sheet and the object to be exposed are simultaneously sucked by vacuum suction using the suction holes.

  Here, in order to suck the adapter sheet through the suction hole, for example, when the size of the through hole provided in the adapter sheet is smaller than the size of the suction hole, or the suction hole is provided but the through hole is provided. There may be a case where there is an unregistered area. When the size of the through hole is smaller than the size of the suction hole, the adapter sheet needs to have a predetermined thickness so that the adapter sheet is not sucked into the suction hole and deformed by vacuum suction by the suction hole. is there. However, as the thickness increases, the flatness of the sheet may decrease, so it is necessary to determine the optimum adapter sheet thickness in consideration of both factors.

  According to this embodiment, not only the object to be exposed but also the adapter sheet is adsorbed by vacuum suction through the suction hole, so that problems such as misalignment of the adapter sheet and generation of wrinkles can be solved.

Another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the suction holes are connected to the same vacuum generation line.
According to this embodiment, a structure for providing different suction zones on the exposure table is not necessary, and a switching valve and complicated piping for forming different vacuum generation lines are not required, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the apparatus. , Maintenance can be improved.

  Another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the suction hole is provided in a region corresponding to a contact surface of the object to be exposed that is the largest among the objects to be exposed that perform projection exposure.

  “The suction hole is provided in the area corresponding to the contact surface of the largest object to be exposed” means that, in principle, the suction hole is in the area covered by the largest object to be exposed so that excessive suction does not occur. This means that the suction hole is provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the largest object to be exposed so as not to warp the object to be exposed. However, the case where the suction hole is provided outside the region covered with the largest object to be exposed is included, and in this case, the through hole that is opened to the atmosphere causes an excessive suction problem. Means that there is no number. It should be noted that excessive suction can be prevented by covering the suction hole that is removed from the object to be exposed with the adapter sheet.

  According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a compact projection exposure apparatus with no waste corresponding to the largest exposure object.

In another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention, the size and the number of the through holes are determined based on the area, thickness, material, and / or flatness of the contact surface of the object to be exposed. Features.
In this embodiment, according to the object to be exposed, the object to be exposed can be reliably adsorbed without being deformed, so that an adapter sheet suitable for all kinds of objects to be exposed can be provided.

  In order to prevent deformation of the object to be exposed, as a general rule, the through holes are provided at an equal pitch.For example, if there is an area that is easily deformed by suction in the object to be exposed, the through holes are formed only in that area. It can also be made not to provide. Moreover, it is not necessary for all the through holes to have the same size, and through holes of any size can be combined depending on the application. For example, according to the shape of the projection pattern, a small through hole is made in the area where the projection pattern exists to prevent deformation of the object to be exposed, and a large through hole is made in the area where the projection pattern does not exist. It is conceivable that the object is strongly sucked and held.

  Another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the adapter sheet is fixed to the exposure table by means different from vacuum suction by the suction holes.

In this embodiment, for example, the adapter sheet can be fixed to the exposure table using mounting parts such as screws, screws, and bolts and nuts, or can be fixed using a mechanism such as a clamp device. It can be fixed using vacuum suction or electromagnetic force, or any other fixing method can be used.
According to the present embodiment, the adapter sheet can be securely fixed to the exposure table without being affected by the suction state of the object to be exposed, regardless of whether the object to be exposed is sucked or not. .

In another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention, the adapter sheet is adsorbed on the outer periphery of the adapter sheet using a vacuum generation line separate from the vacuum generation line to which the suction hole is connected, It is fixed to an exposure table.
According to this embodiment, the adapter sheet can be securely fixed to the exposure table, and the adapter sheet can be replaced in a short time.

In another embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus according to the present invention, the adapter sheet includes an antistatic film on a contact surface with the object to be exposed.
According to this embodiment, the object to be exposed can be reliably set on the exposure table without causing a problem due to static electricity.

  In the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention, various sizes, thicknesses, materials, and flatnesses can be obtained without changing the zone for vacuum suction by replacing the adapter sheet with one that is suitable for each object to be exposed. Projection exposure can be performed by adsorbing an object to be exposed having the above, so that the operation efficiency of projection exposure can be improved. Further, since the structure of the apparatus is not complicated, the manufacturing cost of the apparatus can be reduced and the maintainability can be improved.

  The projection exposure apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Description of the entire projection exposure apparatus)
First, the outline of one embodiment of the projection exposure apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a structure around an exposure table of the projection exposure apparatus. The projection exposure apparatus 1 mainly transports the exposure table 4, the adapter sheet 8 installed on the exposure table 4, the projection exposure unit installed above the adapter sheet 8, and the object to be exposed 2. It consists of a device (not shown).

  As shown by the arrow A, the conveying device is subjected to the projection exposure as shown by the entry side conveying device (not shown) for conveying the object 2 to the exposure position on the adapter sheet 6 and the arrow B. It is comprised from the delivery side conveying apparatus (not shown) which carries out the to-be-exposed thing 2 from an exposure position. In the present embodiment, a plate-like substrate is used as the object to be exposed 2, but a continuous sheet wound in a roll shape can also be used. Further, the object to be exposed 2 can be of any thickness from a thickness on the order of microns to a thickness on the order of millimeters.

  The projection exposure unit includes a light source (not shown), a reticle 12 attached to a reticle stage (not shown), and a projection lens 14, and performs projection exposure on the exposure object 2 conveyed to the exposure position. . During the projection exposure, the object to be exposed 2 is held by the adapter sheet 8 and the exposure table 4. The holding mechanism for holding the object to be exposed 2 will be described in detail later.

  The projection exposure by the projection exposure unit will be described in more detail. A predetermined circuit pattern is drawn on the reticle 12, the light output from the light source is irradiated onto the reticle 12, and the transmitted light passes through the projection lens 14. The object 2 is irradiated. As a result, the circuit pattern drawn on the reticle 12 is projected and exposed on the exposure object 2, and a projection pattern is formed on the exposure object 2. In the projection exposure, the positioning of the object to be exposed 2 is adjusted by moving the reticle stage or the exposure table 4.

(Explanation of exposure object holding mechanism)
Next, an embodiment of a holding mechanism for an object to be exposed according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the structure of the embodiment of the holding mechanism 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

Here, Fig.2 (a) shows the state before the adapter sheet | seat 8 is installed on the mounting surface 4a. As shown in FIG. 2A, the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4 is provided with a plurality of suction holes 6, each of which is a vacuum generating means (not shown) provided with a vacuum pump. It is connected to the. In principle, the maximum suction force generated by the vacuum generating means is set so that the largest object to be exposed 2 among the objects to be exposed 2 subjected to the projection exposure can be surely sucked and held.
However, since a thick exposure object, an exposure object made of a hard material, or an exposure object having a large warp requires a larger suction force, the maximum suction force of the vacuum generating means is the contact surface of the exposure object 2 It is determined by comprehensively considering the area, thickness, material, and flatness.

  The suction hole 6 provided in the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4 is provided in a region corresponding to the contact surface of the largest exposure object 2 among the exposure objects 2 to be subjected to projection exposure. That is, in principle, the suction holes 6 are provided at an equal pitch in the region covered by the largest object to be exposed 2, and in particular, the suction holes 6 are also provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2. It is desirable to prevent warping of the object 2 to be exposed.

Further, there may be a case where some suction holes 6 are provided in a region that is away from the largest object 2 to be exposed, but even in that case, excessive suction exceeding the capacity of the vacuum pump does not occur. It is necessary to do so.
In the present embodiment, the suction hole 6 is provided in an area slightly wider than the contact surface of the largest object to be exposed 2, but the adapter hole 8 covers the suction hole 6 that is removed from the largest object to be exposed 2. Be able to. With this setting, even if it is necessary to project and expose the object 2 larger than the original plan, the adapter sheet 8 having the through holes 10 in the region corresponding to the new object 2 is provided. By preparing, it can respond appropriately.

  Further, regarding the size and number of the suction holes 6, the area, thickness, material and flatness of the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2 are comprehensively considered as in the case of the maximum suction force of the vacuum generating means. Determined. In the present embodiment, each suction hole 6 is connected to the same vacuum generation line, and no zoning or the like for forming different vacuum states is performed.

  An adapter sheet 8 provided with a plurality of through holes 10 is installed on the mounting surface 4a provided with the suction holes 6. FIG. 2B shows a state in which the adapter sheet 8 is installed on the mounting surface 4a. As shown in FIG. 2B, the through hole 10 communicates with the suction hole 6 provided in the exposure table 4, and the suction force by the vacuum generating means is transmitted to be placed on the adapter sheet 8. The exposed object 2 can be adsorbed and held.

  In other words, the object to be exposed 2 conveyed to the exposure position by the entry-side conveying device is held on the adapter sheet 8 and the exposure table 4 by suction through the through holes 10 after being adjusted for positioning as necessary. Then, the object to be exposed 2 is subjected to projection exposure by the exposure unit, the suction holding by the through hole 10 is released, and is carried out of the exposure position by the delivery-side transport device.

  The adapter sheet 8 can be made of any material including resin and metal. Further, the adapter sheet 8 needs to have a thickness sufficient to prevent the adapter sheet 8 from being deformed by being sucked into the suction hole 6 by vacuum suction by the suction hole 6. In general, the thicker the thickness, the stronger the strength. However, as the thickness increases, the flatness may decrease, so it is necessary to determine the optimum thickness from both viewpoints.

  The through hole 10 provided in the adapter sheet 8 is provided in a region corresponding to the contact surface of the object 2 to be exposed by projection exposure, and the region provided with the suction hole 6 is the region provided with the through hole 10. Will be included. The “including” includes a case where the region where the suction hole 6 is provided and the region where the through hole 10 is provided are the same region.

Here, the “region corresponding to the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2” will be described in more detail. For example, when the region where the through hole 10 is provided is considerably smaller than the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2, Since the edge part of the exposure object 2 is not adsorbed, there is a risk of warping. On the other hand, when the region where the through hole 10 is provided is wider than the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2, if there are a large number of through holes 10 in the air-released state removed from the object 2 to be exposed, the suction capability of the vacuum generating means Excessive suction beyond the range may occur.
Therefore, the “region corresponding to the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2” means that the through hole 10 is provided up to the vicinity of the outer peripheral portion of the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2, It means that there is not enough to cause excessive suction beyond the suction capability of the vacuum generating means.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the adapter sheet 8 has an area where the through-hole 10 is provided, the size of the through-hole 10, and the setting each time the object 2 to be exposed to projection has a different size, thickness, and the like. Plural types of adapter sheets 8 having different numbers are provided. When projecting and exposing an object to be exposed 2 having a different size and thickness, an adapter sheet 8 suitable for the object to be exposed 2 is placed on the mounting surface 4 a of the exposure table 4. In this embodiment, the periphery of the adapter sheet 8 is pressed by a holding plate (not shown), and is fixed to the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4 with screws from above.

  Moreover, the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 prevents adhesion of a resist or the like applied to the object to be exposed 2 by reducing the coefficient of friction of the contact surface with the object to be exposed 2. Furthermore, an antistatic film is provided on the contact surface with the object to be exposed 2 so that the object to be exposed 2 can be reliably set on the exposure table 4 without causing a problem due to static electricity.

Below, the embodiment in the case of carrying out projection exposure of the to-be-exposed object 2 of various magnitude | sizes and thickness is described using FIGS. Note that the exposure table 4 and the suction holes 6 provided in the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4 are all the same in FIGS. Different adapter sheets 8 are used corresponding to the object 2 to be exposed.
2 and 3 show an embodiment in which projection exposure is performed on an object 2 having a large size, and the shape (dimensions) of the contact surface of the object 2 is the same. However, the object 2 shown in FIG. 2 is different from the object 2 shown in FIG. 3 in that it has a flatness and a large warp, so that it is a substrate that requires a stronger suction force. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which a small-size exposure object 2 is projected and exposed, and FIG. 4 shows an embodiment in which a continuous sheet-like exposure object 2 is projected and exposed.

<When projecting and exposing a large object to be exposed>
First, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, an embodiment in the case of performing projection exposure on a large-sized exposure object 2 will be described. 2 and 3A show a state before the adapter sheet 8 is installed on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4, and FIGS. 2 and 3B show an adapter on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4. FIG. The state in which the seat 8 is installed is shown.

  The object to be exposed 2 used in this embodiment is a relatively large substrate, and both the object to be exposed 2 shown in FIG. 2 and the object to be exposed 2 shown in FIG. Dimensions) are the same. However, the object to be exposed 2 shown in FIG. 2 is a substrate that requires a stronger suction force because it has a lower flatness and a larger warp than the object to be exposed 2 shown in FIG. Further, not only the flatness of the object to be exposed 2 but also the case where the object to be exposed 2 is thick or a hard material requires a stronger suction force.

  As for the region in which the through hole 10 is provided, both the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. 2 and the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. 3 have the through hole 10 provided in substantially the same region as the contact surface of the object 2 to be exposed. This prevents the object to be exposed 2 from warping or excessive suction. The size of each through hole 10 is determined based on the thickness, material, and flatness of the object 2 to be exposed. The adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. 2 is more suitable for the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. Larger holes are provided compared to.

Here, the influence of the suction of the exposure object 2 due to the difference in the size of the through hole 10 is shown in FIG. 4A shows a case where the exposure object 2 is sucked by the through hole 10 having an appropriate size, and FIG. 4B shows a case where the size of the through hole 10 is too small. 4 (c) shows a case where the size of the through hole 10 is too large.
FIG. 4B shows a state in which a sufficient suction force cannot be obtained, so that the warp of the object to be exposed 2 remains, a uniform exposure distance cannot be obtained, and appropriate projection exposure cannot be performed. ing. On the other hand, FIG. 4C shows a state where the exposure object 2 is sucked into the through hole 10 by the suction force, so that a uniform exposure distance cannot be obtained and appropriate projection exposure cannot be performed. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, as shown in FIG. 4A, a through hole 10 having an optimum size is provided for each object to be exposed 2.

  In both the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. 2 and the adapter sheet 8 shown in FIG. 3, the size of the through hole 10 is smaller than the size of the suction hole 6. Therefore, not only the object to be exposed 2 but also the adapter sheet 8 is sucked and held on the exposure table 4 by the suction force by the suction hole 6. Further, since the through hole 10 is not provided in the area of the adapter sheet 8 where the object to be exposed 2 is removed, the adapter sheet 8 is sucked and held on the exposure table 4 by the suction force of the suction hole 6 also in this area. .

  On the other hand, as for the number of through holes 10 to be installed, the object 2 shown in FIG. 2 requires a stronger suction force, so the adapter sheet shown in FIG. 2 is about three times as large as the adapter sheet shown in FIG. Through-hole 10 is provided. Note that the optimum number of through holes 10 is determined based on the area, thickness, material, and flatness of the contact surface of the object 2 to be exposed. Moreover, in order to prevent deformation of the object to be exposed 2, the through holes 10 are provided at an equal pitch in principle. For example, when there is an area in the object 2 to be easily deformed by suction, only that area is It is also possible not to provide the through hole 10.

<When projecting and exposing a small-sized exposure object>
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, an embodiment in the case of performing projection exposure on the object 2 having a small size will be described. 5A shows a state before the adapter sheet 8 is installed on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4, and FIG. 5B shows the adapter sheet 8 installed on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4. Indicates the state that has been performed.
The exposure object 2 used in this embodiment is a substrate having a relatively small size. As for the installation area of the through hole 10, the through hole 10 is provided in substantially the same area as the contact surface of the object to be exposed 2 so as to prevent the object 2 from being warped or excessively sucked. It has become. The size and the number of the through holes 10 are determined based on the area, thickness, material, flatness, etc. of the contact surface of the object 2 to be exposed. In order to prevent deformation of the object to be exposed 2, in principle, the through holes 10 are provided at an equal pitch. For example, when there is an area that is easily deformed by suction in the object 2 to be exposed, only that area, It is also possible not to provide the through hole 10.

<When projecting a continuous sheet-shaped object to be exposed>
Next, an embodiment in the case of performing projection exposure on the continuous sheet-shaped object 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 6A shows a state before the adapter sheet 8 is installed on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4, and FIG. 6B shows the adapter sheet 8 installed on the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4. Indicates the state that has been performed.
The object to be exposed 2 used in the present embodiment is a continuous worksheet. About the area | region in which the through-hole 10 was provided, the through-hole 10 is provided in the area | region applicable to the exposure area | region of the continuous sheet-like to-be-exposed object 2, and a warp arises in the to-be-exposed object 2 in this exposure area | region. Or excessive suction is prevented. The size and number of the through-holes 10 are determined based on the area, thickness, material, and flatness of the contact surface of the object 2 to be exposed. In order to prevent deformation of the object to be exposed 2, in principle, the through holes 10 are provided at an equal pitch. For example, if the object to be exposed 2 has a region that is easily deformed by suction, only that region is It is also possible not to provide the through hole 10.

  As described above, if the holding mechanism for the object to be exposed 2 according to the present invention is used, the apparatus itself such as the exposure table 4, the suction hole 6 provided in the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4 and the vacuum generating means is not changed at all. In addition, the exposure object 2 having various sizes, thicknesses, materials, and flatnesses can be adsorbed and held in an optimum state by simply replacing the adapter sheet 8 installed on the mounting surface 4a, and projection exposure can be performed. Therefore, high operating efficiency can be obtained. Moreover, the exposure table 4 does not have a structure for zoning, and uses a single vacuum generation line, so there is no need for a switching valve or complicated piping, reducing the manufacturing cost of the apparatus, and improving maintainability. Is also excellent.

<Other embodiments of adapter sheet>
In the above-described embodiment, as a rule, through holes of the same size are provided in the adapter sheet. However, for example, through holes having different sizes are formed in accordance with the shape of the projection pattern projected onto the exposure object 2. It can also be provided. FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the adapter sheet 8 provided with through holes 10a and 10b having different sizes in accordance with the shape of the projection pattern 16 projected onto the exposure object 2.

In the exposure object 2 shown in FIG. 7, a region where the exposure pattern 16 does not exist, that is, a region where the projection exposure of the circuit pattern is not performed exists in the peripheral portion of the exposure object 2 and the portion indicated by arrow A.
In this region, since the delicate control as in the region where the exposure pattern 16 exists is not required for the deformation by suction as shown in FIG. 4C, stronger suction is performed and the object to be exposed 2 is strongly held. can do.
That is, by providing a small diameter through hole 10a (colored hole) in a region where the projection pattern 16 exists, and providing a large diameter through hole 10b (non-colored hole) in a region where the projection pattern 16 does not exist, Appropriate projection exposure can be performed while the object to be exposed 2 is securely held.

(Description of Other Embodiments of Adapter Sheet Fixing Mechanism)
In the above-described embodiment, the adapter sheet 8 is fixed to the exposure table 4 using a press plate and screws. Next, another embodiment of the adapter sheet fixing mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. . In this embodiment, the adapter sheet 8 is fixed to the exposure table 4 using vacuum suction.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the adapter sheet fixing suction hole 20 is provided on the mounting surface 4 a of the exposure table 4 in a region corresponding to the outer peripheral portion of the adapter sheet 8 separately from the suction hole 6 described above. Is provided. Here, the suction hole 6 for sucking the object to be exposed 2 through the through hole 10 provided in the adapter sheet 8 is connected to a first vacuum generation line including a vacuum pump 22a and a control valve 22b. On the other hand, the adapter sheet fixing suction hole 20 is connected to a second vacuum generation line including a vacuum pump 24a and a control valve 24b, which is separate from the first vacuum generation line.

Therefore, the first vacuum generation line connected to the suction hole 6 needs to stop the suction every time the projection exposure of the exposure object 2 is completed, but the first vacuum generation line connected to the suction hole 20 for fixing the adapter sheet. The vacuum generation line 2 can always fix the adapter sheet 8 to the exposure table 4 by performing vacuum suction independently of the first vacuum generation line. According to the present embodiment, the adapter sheet 8 can be replaced in a shorter time than when the adapter sheet 8 is fixed to the exposure table 4 using screws or the like.
In this embodiment, the first vacuum generation line and the second vacuum generation line are provided with separate vacuum pumps. However, an independent vacuum generation system is provided by switching control valves using a single vacuum pump. It can also be formed.

(Description of Other Embodiments of Projection Exposure Apparatus of the Present Invention)
The projection exposure apparatus of the present invention includes not only the above-described embodiments but also various other embodiments.

It is a perspective view which shows the structure around the exposure table of the projection exposure apparatus of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment in the case of hold | maintaining a to-be-exposed object of a large size, (a) shows the state before an adapter sheet | seat is installed in the mounting surface of an exposure table, (b) is an exposure table. The state where the adapter sheet is installed on the mounting surface is shown. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment in the case of hold | maintaining a to-be-exposed object of a large size, (a) shows the state before an adapter sheet | seat is installed in the mounting surface of an exposure table, (b) is an exposure table. The state where the adapter sheet is installed on the mounting surface is shown. It is a schematic diagram which shows the influence of the difference in the magnitude | size of the through-hole with respect to the to-be-exposed to-be-exposed thing 2, (a) shows the place to which the to-be-exposed thing 2 is adsorbed by the through-hole of a suitable magnitude | size, ( b) shows a case where the hole of the through hole is too small, and (c) shows a case where the hole of the through hole 10 is too large. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment in the case of hold | maintaining an exposure object with a small size, (a) shows the state before an adapter sheet | seat is installed in the mounting surface of an exposure table, (b) is an exposure table. The state where the adapter sheet is installed on the mounting surface is shown. It is a perspective view which shows embodiment in the case of hold | maintaining a continuous sheet-like to-be-exposed object, (a) shows the state before the adapter sheet | seat 8 is installed in the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4, (b) These show the state which the adapter sheet | seat 8 was installed in the mounting surface 4a of the exposure table 4. FIG. It is a perspective view which shows other embodiment of an adapter sheet | seat. It is a schematic diagram which shows other embodiment of the fixing mechanism of the adapter sheet | seat which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Projection exposure apparatus 2 Exposure object 4 Exposure table 4a Mounting surface 6 Suction hole 8 Adapter sheet 10 Through-hole 12 Reticle 14 Projection lens 16 Projection pattern 20 Suction hole 22 for fixing an adapter sheet First vacuum generating means 22a Vacuum pump 22b Control Valve 24 Second vacuum generating means 24a Vacuum pump 24b Control valve

Claims (8)

An exposure table in which a plurality of suction holes capable of vacuum suction connected to the vacuum generating means are provided on the mounting surface;
An adapter sheet provided on the mounting surface and provided with a plurality of through holes communicating with the suction holes and capable of vacuum suction;
A projection exposure unit that performs projection exposure on the object to be exposed held by the adapter sheet and the exposure table by vacuum suction by the through hole;
With
The through hole is provided in a region corresponding to a contact surface of the object to be exposed;
The projection exposure apparatus, wherein the suction hole is provided in a region including a region in which the through hole is provided. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter sheet and the object to be exposed are simultaneously sucked by vacuum suction using the suction holes. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction holes are connected to the same vacuum generation line. 4. The projection according to claim 1, wherein the suction hole is provided in a region corresponding to a contact surface of the object to be exposed that is the largest of the objects to be exposed for projection exposure. 5. Exposure device. The size and number of the through holes are determined based on the area, thickness, material, and / or flatness of the contact surface of the object to be exposed. The projection exposure apparatus described in 1. 6. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter sheet is fixed to the exposure table by means different from vacuum suction by the suction hole. 8. The adapter sheet is fixed to the exposure table by adsorbing an outer periphery of the adapter sheet using a vacuum generation line separate from the vacuum generation line to which the suction holes are connected. The projection exposure apparatus according to item. The projection exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adapter sheet includes an antistatic film on a contact surface with the object to be exposed.

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