JP2008009083A - Scanning exposing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanning exposing method making no uneven joints and no defective shapes when using an exposing device having two or more exposing heads. <P>SOLUTION: This is a method of sequentially exposing the stripe patterns of the masks mounted on the exposing heads A, B, one by one overlapping their edges to continue on the exposing area of a large substrate running under the exposing heads by using a scanning exposing device. The masks have the main stripe patterns 2a, 3a with regular spacing and the edge stripe patterns 2b, 3b with spacing larger than the main stripe patterns respectively. The edge stripe patterns of the mask overlapping at the edges are put together on the exposed area by exposing with the exposing head to form the stripe patterns with regular spacing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a scanning exposure method, and more particularly, to a scanning exposure method in which a plurality of patterns are connected and exposed for use in manufacturing a color filter for a large color liquid crystal display.

  Conventionally, in manufacturing a large color filter used in a large color liquid crystal display device, as a problem in the photolithography process, the cost for manufacturing a large exposure mask is extremely high in a batch exposure method using an original large exposure mask. Sometimes. To solve this problem, an exposure machine equipped with a plurality of exposure heads is used, and a small exposure mask that is paired with each exposure head is used to connect the patterns to perform scanning exposure. A large exposure mask is not required. An exposure method has been developed. Such an exposure method is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  However, according to this exposure method, there is a problem that unevenness occurs in the pattern at the connecting portion between the plurality of heads. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the stripe pattern 11 exposed by the exposure head A and the stripe pattern 12 exposed by the exposure head B are connected, the position is somewhat between the stripe pattern 11 and the stripe pattern 12. When the shift occurs, pitch deviation occurs only at the connection boundary, so that the connection unevenness is visually emphasized.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a pattern of a portion where the stripe pattern 13 exposed by the exposure head A and the pattern stripe 14 exposed by the exposure head B are overlapped by a predetermined length, for example, is illustrated. It is conceivable that the exposure energy intensity to be superimposed is made constant.

However, in this method, there is a portion where the exposure from the two heads overlaps. Therefore, in the negative resist, if any misalignment between the heads occurs, a portion that does not overlap the overlapping portion occurs, and the exposure energy intensity is increased. Variations occur and shape defects occur in the exposure pattern.
JP 2000-347020 A

  The present invention has been made under the circumstances as described above, and provides a scanning exposure method that does not cause unevenness or form defects when performing scanning exposure with an exposure apparatus having a plurality of exposure heads. The purpose is to do.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides a plurality of juxtaposed in parallel by shifting an end portion of a predetermined length in a longitudinal direction so as to cover a width of an exposed region on a substrate. Using a scanning exposure apparatus equipped with an exposure head, a stripe pattern of a plurality of exposure masks mounted on each exposure head is exposed to an exposed area on a large-area exposure substrate that runs under the exposure head, and an end portion In this method, the plurality of exposure masks each have a main stripe pattern having a regular pitch and a multiple pitch wider than the main stripe pattern provided at the end thereof. An edge stripe pattern having an edge stripe pattern, and an overlapping edge stripe pattern of adjacent exposure masks is combined on the exposed area by exposure by the exposure head, They provide a scanning exposure method characterized by constituting a stripe pattern of a pitch of the regulations.

  In the scanning exposure method according to one aspect of the present invention configured as described above, both end stripe patterns overlapping adjacent exposure masks can have a uniform pitch.

  Alternatively, both end stripe patterns overlapping in the horizontal direction of adjacent exposure masks can have a varying pitch. In this case, one of the end stripe patterns overlapping in the horizontal direction of the adjacent exposure mask has a gradually increasing pitch toward the end, and the other has a gradually decreasing pitch toward the end. It can be.

  According to the present invention, each of the plurality of exposure masks has a main stripe pattern with a regular pitch and an end stripe pattern with a wider pitch than the main stripe pattern provided at the end, The overlapping edge stripe patterns of adjacent exposure masks are combined on the exposed region by exposure by the exposure head to form a regular pitch stripe pattern. Even if they are shifted, the unevenness is not emphasized only at the connecting boundary portion, and pitch deviation occurs in the entire overlapped portion, so that the unevenness can be reduced by visually dispersing the unevenness.

The best mode for carrying out the invention will be described below.
The exposure method of the present invention uses an exposure apparatus provided with a plurality of exposure heads. As the exposure apparatus, for example, a proximity scanning exposure apparatus can be used. The exposure light source is, for example, an ultraviolet light source having a wavelength of 365 nm.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an exposure apparatus having a plurality of exposure heads. A plurality of exposure heads are juxtaposed in parallel in a certain direction so as to cover the entire surface of the substrate through the mask in the exposed region of the substrate arranged on the stage, but each is shifted in the longitudinal direction, It arrange | positions so that the adjacent edge parts may overlap in a predetermined area | region. Under these exposure heads, the substrate scans in the direction of the arrow, and exposure of the exposed area on the substrate is performed.

  FIG. 1 is a top view showing a pattern design of an exposure mask for explaining the exposure method according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1A shows a design of a mask pattern 1 that covers an exposed area with one exposure mask 1, and FIG. 1B shows an exposed area with a plurality of exposure masks in the figure. The design of the mask patterns 2 and 3 to cover is shown.

  In order to cover a large area exposure area on a large glass substrate, a long mask pattern 1 as shown in FIG. 1A is required. However, an exposure mask having such a mask pattern 1 is manufactured. It is too expensive and practically difficult. In FIG. 1B, exposure is sequentially performed using a plurality of small exposure masks, and the large area exposed areas are covered by joining them on the exposed areas.

  In FIG. 1B, the mask pattern 2 is exposed by the exposure head A, and the mask pattern 3 is exposed by the exposure head B. These mask patterns 2 and 3 have a predetermined length, for example, 45 mm, Are juxtaposed so that they overlap.

  The mask pattern 2 includes a main stripe pattern 2a having a predetermined pitch and an end stripe pattern 2b having a pitch wider than the main stripe pattern 2a. The mask pattern 3 includes a main stripe pattern 3a having a predetermined pitch and a main stripe pattern 2b. It consists of an end stripe pattern 3b having a double pitch wider than the pattern 3a.

  The end stripe pattern 2b and the end stripe pattern 3b are designed to be combined on the exposed region to form a pattern having a pitch like the main stripe patterns 2a and 3a. As a result, the main stripe patterns 2a and 3a and the end stripe patterns 2b and 3b are joined on the exposed region, and a mask pattern similar to the mask pattern 1 shown in FIG. 1A can be obtained.

  As described above, in the design of the mask patterns 2 and 3 shown in FIG. 1B, since the pitch of the end stripe pattern of the part to be joined is wider than the pitch of the main stripe pattern, the stripe is formed even if the position is slightly shifted. There will be no overlap, and there will be no shape defect of the exposure pattern.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged top view showing only end portions of the design of the mask patterns 4 and 5 of two adjacent exposure masks for explaining an exposure method according to another embodiment of the present invention. The pitches of the end stripe patterns of these mask patterns 4 and 5 are gradually changed.

  That is, the mask pattern 4 includes a main stripe pattern 4a having a predetermined pitch and an end stripe pattern 4b having a pitch wider than the main stripe pattern 4a. The mask pattern 5 includes a main stripe pattern 5a having a predetermined pitch, The end stripe pattern 5b has a wider pitch than the main stripe pattern 5a.

  The edge stripe pattern 4b and the edge stripe pattern 5b have a pitch ratio of approximately 1: 1 at the center of the connecting portion, and the pitch ratio increases from the right side to the right side (in the direction of the center of the mask pattern 4). It is increased to 2: 1 and 3: 1. Conversely, the pitch ratio is decreased to 1: 2 and 1: 3 as it goes to the left (in the direction of the center of the mask pattern 5).

  In this way, even if the pitch is changed with gradation, a plurality of mask patterns can be connected on the exposed area, so that even if there is a slight misalignment, it is visually observed in the overlapping area. It is dispersed and the effect of reducing the degree of unevenness is obtained.

  As described above, in the design of the mask patterns 4 and 5 shown in FIG. 2, since the pitch of the end stripe pattern of the portion to be joined is wider than the pitch of the main stripe pattern, the stripes may overlap even if the position is slightly shifted. Therefore, the exposure pattern shape defect does not occur.

  As mentioned above, although it showed about the example of two designs of the part which two adjacent mask patterns overlap, the present invention is not restricted to these, the pitch of the end stripe pattern of the part to be joined is wider than the pitch of the main stripe pattern, What is necessary is just to obtain the same pitch as that of the main stripe pattern by connecting them on the exposed regions.

It is a top view which shows the pattern design of the exposure mask for demonstrating the exposure method which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which expands and shows the pattern design of the connection part of the exposure mask for demonstrating the exposure method which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the pattern design of the exposure mask for demonstrating the conventional exposure method. It is a top view which shows the pattern design of the exposure mask for demonstrating the conventional exposure method. The figure which shows an example of the exposure apparatus used for the exposure method of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... exposure mask, 2a, 3a, 4a, 5a ... main stripe pattern, 2b, 3b, 4b, 5b ... end stripe pattern, 11, 12, 13, 14 ... stripe pattern.

Claims (4)

  Using a scanning exposure apparatus having a plurality of exposure heads arranged in parallel and shifted in the longitudinal direction by overlapping end portions of a predetermined length so as to cover the width of the exposed area on the substrate, each exposure A method of sequentially exposing a stripe pattern of a plurality of exposure masks mounted on a head so that end portions are overlapped and connected to an exposure area on a large-area exposure substrate that runs under the exposure head, Each of the plurality of exposure masks has a main stripe pattern with a regular pitch and an end stripe pattern with multiple pitches wider than the main stripe pattern provided at the end thereof, and adjacent exposure masks. Overlapping edge stripe patterns are combined on the exposed area by exposure by the exposure head to form a regular pitch stripe pattern. Scanning exposure method comprising and.   2. The scanning exposure method according to claim 1, wherein both end stripe patterns of adjacent exposure masks have a uniform pitch.   The scanning exposure method according to claim 1, wherein both end stripe patterns overlapping in the horizontal direction of adjacent exposure masks have a varying pitch.   One of the edge stripe patterns overlapping in the horizontal direction of the adjacent exposure mask has a pitch that gradually increases toward the edge, and the other has a pitch that gradually decreases toward the edge. The scanning exposure method according to claim 1.

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