JP2009149427A - Carrying device and exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a carrying device capable of regulating a position in a width direction of a workpiece T at a place where the film-shaped workpiece T is loosened, and sending the workpiece without friction. <P>SOLUTION: The carrying device FE includes a supplying reel 2 around which the long film-shaped workpiece T of predetermined width is taken-up; a take-up reel 5 taking up the long film-shaped workpiece sent from the supplying reel; a first guide roller 32a and a second guide roller 32b disposed between the supplying reel and the take-up reel, and making the long film-shaped workpiece have a slackening area; and a rotating guide 21 disposed so as to intersect at least one end portion in the predetermined width direction of the workpiece which slackens the long film-shaped workpiece between the first guide roller and a second guide roller, and capable of rotating in a sending direction of the workpiece. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for transporting a long film-like workpiece on which an electronic component is mounted and an exposure apparatus including the transport device, and more particularly to a technique for protecting a workpiece in an area where the film-like workpiece is slack (deflection area). .

  In recent years, printed circuit boards on which electronic components are mounted have been made thinner, and as the range of use has expanded, the dimensions have also diversified to a thickness of 20 to 100 μm and a width of 100 to 250 mm. Such a substrate is formed as a long film-like workpiece because of easy handling and high productivity. Since this film-like workpiece is long, it is handled while being wound around a reel during each processing step such as exposure, cleaning, etching, inspection, and assembly.

  Patent Document 1 discloses an exposure apparatus for manufacturing an electronic circuit board from such a long film-like workpiece. Since a film-like workpiece is loosened during conveyance and the right and left edges are warped, the workpiece is conveyed in a horizontal state so that the workpiece can be handled reliably. The conveyance device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is incorporated in an exposure apparatus that exposes a mask pattern onto a film-like workpiece using ultraviolet light so that the workpiece can be intermittently conveyed to the exposure stage frame by frame. It is configured.

The conveying device hangs a part of a long film-like work in a U-shape in order to settle the work on the exposure stage without applying excessive tension. In order to adjust the tension in a region that hangs down in a U-shape, a box body having a plurality of suction holes is provided, and the workpiece is sucked from the suction holes to adjust the tension of the workpiece.
Japanese Patent No. 3666321

  However, in the conveyance device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the end surface of the work comes into contact with the inner side surface of the box, and the work is damaged and the work tension is unstable. For this reason, a conveying method that does not put a load on the work has been required.

  In addition, the work wound around the take-up reel is provided with a protective sheet having substantially the same shape as the work in order to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the surface thereof. Even for such a protective sheet, it is necessary to prevent the end face of the protective sheet from coming into contact with the box, and there is a need to accurately superimpose the workpiece and the protective sheet and wind up with a take-up reel. is there.

  Therefore, in the present invention, these problems are solved, and a transport device capable of transporting a long film-shaped work in a stable state without applying a load is provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device that can wind up a wire in a balanced manner.

  In order to solve these problems, the transport device according to the first aspect is configured to wind a supply reel wound with a long film-like workpiece having a predetermined width and a long film-like workpiece fed from the supply reel. A take-up reel, a first guide roller and a second guide roller, which are arranged between the supply reel and the take-up reel and have a slack area on a long film-like workpiece; a first guide roller; A long film-like workpiece between the guide rollers is slackened and arranged so as to intersect at least one end in the predetermined width direction of the workpiece, and a rotation guide that can rotate in the workpiece feed direction, Is provided.

According to such a configuration, the rotation guide can regulate the position in the width direction of the workpiece in the region where the workpiece is slackened between the first guide roller and the second guide roller.
And since a rotation guide can rotate to the feed direction of a workpiece | work, even if the end surface of a workpiece | work contacts a rotation roller, a workpiece | work is not damaged and the tension | tensile_strength of a workpiece | work can be stabilized.

The transfer device according to the second aspect includes a nozzle that blows air from above the workpiece in the slack area.
According to such a configuration, it is possible to give a constant tension to the workpiece and to accurately grasp the amount of looseness of the loose workpiece.

In the conveying device according to the third aspect, flanges are not formed on both sides of the first guide roller and the second guide roller, and the rotation guides are arranged at both ends of the workpiece in the predetermined width direction.
According to such a configuration, it is not necessary to provide a flange on the guide roller, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. Also, the end surface of the workpiece contacts the flange, and the workpiece may be damaged or the workpiece tension may become unstable. Absent.

In the fourth aspect, the first guide roller, the second guide roller, the supply reel or the take-up reel is arranged based on a signal from the slack detection unit disposed in the slack region and detecting the slack state of the workpiece. A rotation amount control unit that controls at least one of the rotation amounts.
According to such a configuration, the amount of slack of the film-like workpiece T can be made constant. For this reason, the rotation direction of the rotation guide and the feeding direction of the workpiece can be substantially matched.

In a fifth aspect, a roller holding unit that holds the rotation guide and an adjustment unit that adjusts the distance of the roller holding unit in a predetermined width direction of the workpiece are provided.
Although the width of the workpiece is about 80 mm to about 250 mm, according to this configuration, the position of the rotation guide can be adjusted in accordance with the width of the workpiece, so that the workpiece can be regulated within a predetermined range.

In the sixth aspect, the rotation guide rotates on the basis of an axis that intersects the end of the workpiece in the middle from the first guide roller and the second guide roller to the lowest point of the slackness of the workpiece.
According to such a structure, since the location which cross | intersects the edge part of a workpiece | work becomes two or more places on the right and left, the width direction of a workpiece | work can be controlled stably.

In the seventh aspect, the rotation guide rotates on the basis of an axis extending in the vertical direction so as to intersect the lowest point of the slackness of the workpiece.
According to such a configuration, since the width direction of the workpiece can be regulated at one place of the lowest point of the slack workpiece, the cost can be reduced.

In the eighth aspect, the long film-like workpiece includes a film coated with a resist or a protective sheet wound to face the film.
The conveying device is suitable for conveying a resist-coated film or a protective sheet.

In the ninth aspect, the supply reel sends out a protective sheet wound so as to face the work, the take-up reel winds up the work and the protective sheet, and is arranged between the supply reel and the take-up reel, The protective sheet is provided with a slack area between the third guide roller and the fourth guide roller, and between the third guide roller and the fourth guide roller, the protective sheet is provided with a slack, and at least one of the protective sheets in the predetermined width direction is provided. A second rotation guide disposed so as to intersect the end.
According to such a configuration, the workpiece and the protective sheet can be summed stably from the supply reel to the take-up reel.

An exposure apparatus according to a tenth aspect is an exposure apparatus that exposes a workpiece with ultraviolet light for each block on an exposure stage while feeding a workpiece coated with a long film-like resist having a predetermined width in the feeding direction one block at a time. Are disposed between a supply reel wound with a long film-shaped workpiece, a take-up reel for winding a long film-shaped workpiece fed from the supply reel, and the supply reel to the take-up reel. The slack area of the long film-like work is provided between the first guide roller and the second guide roller, and the long film-like work is slackened between the first guide roller and the second guide roller. A rotation guide disposed so as to intersect with at least one end of the workpiece in the predetermined width direction.
When the work is sent to the exposure stage for each block, the work is displaced in the width direction, but the work can be conveyed to the exposure stage without damaging the end of the work and with the tension kept stable.

In an eleventh aspect, a slack detection unit that is arranged in a slack region and detects a slack state of a work, and a first guide roller, a second guide roller, a supply reel, or a take-up reel based on a signal from the slack detection unit A rotation amount control unit that controls at least one of the rotation amounts.
The amount of slack of the film-like workpiece T can be made constant. For this reason, the rotation direction of the rotation guide and the feeding direction of the workpiece can be substantially matched.

  According to the transport apparatus or the exposure apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to transport the work without damaging the end of the work and without applying a load to the work.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an exposure apparatus 100 having a transport unit FE and an exposure unit according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the transport unit FE and the exposure unit EX according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the exposure apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that conveys only the film-shaped workpiece T out of the film-shaped workpiece T and the protective sheet S to be sent to the exposure stage 14 of the exposure unit EX. . First, the film-like workpiece T, the protective sheet S, and the exposure apparatus 100 will be described in order.

<Structure of film-like workpiece T and protective sheet S>
The film-like workpiece T becomes a flexible printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted through respective processing steps such as exposure, cleaning, etching, and inspection. Here, although it demonstrates as a film-like workpiece | work applied to the exposure part EX in an exposure process, the film-like workpiece | work T may be a board | substrate of display apparatuses, such as an organic electroluminescent board | substrate. The film-like workpiece T has dimensions of, for example, a width of 250 mm, a thickness of 25 μm, and a length of 200 m.
The protective sheet S is a sheet formed of thin paper or the like that protects the surface of the film-like workpiece T, and is interposed between the film-like workpieces T wound around a reel. This protective sheet S is formed in substantially the same shape as the film-like workpiece T.

<Configuration of exposure apparatus 100>
The exposure unit EX is an apparatus that exposes the pattern of the mask M onto a film-like workpiece T that is transported by one block, which is one unit, by the transport unit FE. The exposure unit EX includes a light source system 11, a mask holding frame 12 that holds a mask M arranged on the optical axis of the light source system, and a projection optical system 13 that is arranged at a predetermined distance from the mask holding frame 12. And. Further, the exposure unit EX includes an exposure stage 14 arranged on the optical path of the irradiation light sent from the projection optical system 13, an alignment mark (not shown) of the film-like workpiece T prior to exposure, and a mask. And a camera 15 for observing an M alignment mark (not shown).

  The mask holding frame 12 is a support frame that holds the mask M in a vertical state, and is installed so as to face the projection optical system 13. The mask holding frame 12 has a drive mechanism for moving the mask M in a vertical direction perpendicular to the incident optical axis of the projection optical system 13. On the mask M, a circuit pattern for one block to be projected onto the film-like workpiece T, an alignment mark, and the like are drawn.

  The projection optical system 13 includes an incident side convex lens 13a and an output side convex lens 13b provided so that the optical axes of incident light and outgoing light coincide with the lens center. As this projection optical system 13, for example, a Dyson optical system or a reduction projection optical system is used, and the circuit pattern of the mask M is transmitted through the incident side convex lens 13a and the emission side convex lens 13b and emitted from the emission side convex lens 13b. The workpiece T is irradiated.

  The exposure stage 14 is connected to a vacuum pump pipe (not shown), and is configured to adsorb and fix the film-like workpiece T. In the exposure stage 14, one block of the film-like workpiece T is conveyed, and exposure is performed after the alignment of the film-like workpiece T and the mask M is completed.

  The camera 15 is composed of a half mirror, a CCD, and the like in order to observe the alignment mark of the film-like workpiece T and the alignment mark of the mask M. The camera 15 is retracted at the time of exposure and is arranged at a position off the optical path.

<Configuration of transport unit FE>
Next, the configuration of the transport unit FE will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport unit FE includes a supply reel 2, a work transport system 30 that transports a film-shaped work T, a protective sheet transport system 40 that transports a protective sheet S, and a winding. A take-up reel 5 is provided.

≪Supply reel 2 and take-up reel 5≫
A film-like workpiece T is wound around the supply reel 2, and a protective sheet S is wound so as to face the film-like workpiece T. The supply reel 2 is, for example, a reel having a diameter of 600 mm. The supply reel 2 is rotated clockwise by a drive shaft (not shown) being driven by a motor or the like. Thereby, the film-like workpiece T and the protective sheet S sent out from the supply reel 2 reach the take-up reel 5 via the workpiece conveyance system 30 and the protection sheet conveyance system 40.

  The take-up reel 5 is disposed below the supply reel 2 and is rotated clockwise when a drive shaft (not shown) is driven by a motor or the like. The take-up reel 5 simultaneously winds up the film-like workpiece T conveyed from the workpiece conveying system 30 and the protective sheet S conveyed from the protective sheet conveying system 40.

  The film-like workpiece T sent out from the supply reel 2 is required to be provided with a first tension adjustment region 31 that is a U-shaped region in order to be accurately sent out after being positioned by the alignment mark on the exposure stage 14. is there. Further, the work T sent out from the exposure stage 14 to the take-up reel 5 also needs to be provided with a second tension adjustment region 33 that is a U-shaped region so that excessive tension is not applied to the work T. It is. Since the protective sheet S is wound up simultaneously with the workpiece T, it is necessary to provide a third tension adjustment region 41 that is a region that hangs down in a U-shape.

<First Embodiment>
≪Work transfer system 30≫
As shown in FIG. 2, the film-like workpiece conveyance system 30 is a system that conveys the film-like workpiece T from the supply reel 2 to the take-up reel 5 via the exposure unit EX.

  The first tension adjustment region 31 is a region for adjusting the tension of the film-like workpiece T provided between the pair of guide rollers 32a and 32b. In the first tension adjustment region 31, the film-like workpiece T wound around the pair of guide rollers 32 a and 32 b is loosened into a U shape by its own weight, so that the tension of the film-like workpiece T sent to the exposure unit EX is increased. It comes to adjust. Thereby, excessive load and slack are not generated in the film-like workpiece T.

The pair of guide rollers 32a and 32b includes a bearing (not shown) and a cylindrical portion, and the cylindrical portion does not have a flange portion. The cylindrical portion is formed of a metal such as resin or stainless steel.
The first tension adjustment region 31 is provided with a first rotation guide 21 whose rotation axis extends in the vertical direction between the pair of guide rollers 32a and 32b. The rotation axis of the first rotation guide 21 is arranged in the vicinity of the lowest point of the workpiece T that is loosened by its own weight into a U shape. Details of the first rotation guide 21 will be described later.

  The stage guide rollers 34a and 34b are disposed above and below the exposure stage 14, and guide the film-like workpiece T to the stage surface of the exposure stage 14 of the exposure unit EX.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the second tension adjustment region 33 is disposed below the first tension adjustment region 31, and the tension of the film-like workpiece T provided between the pair of guide rollers 36 a and 36 b. This is the area to be adjusted. In the first tension adjustment region 31, the film-like workpiece T wound around the pair of guide rollers 32 a and 32 b is loosened into a U shape by its own weight, so that the film-like workpiece T conveyed to the take-up reel 5 can be removed. The tension is adjusted. Thereby, excessive load and slack are not generated in the film-like workpiece T. The guide rollers 36a and 36b have the same configuration as the guide rollers 32a and 32b.

  In the second tension adjustment region 33, a second rotation guide 23 having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction is provided between the pair of guide rollers 36a and 36b. The rotation axis of the second rotation guide 23 is arranged in the vicinity of the lowest point of the workpiece T that is loosened by its own weight in a U shape. The second rotation guide 23 has the same configuration as the first rotation guide 21.

≪Protective sheet conveyance system 40≫
The protection sheet conveyance system 40 sends out the protection sheet S in a direction different from that when the film-like workpiece conveyance system 30 is sent out from the supply reel 2. Even if dust adheres to the protective sheet S, it can be prevented that the dust is scattered on the exposure stage 14 of the exposure unit EX provided in the film-like workpiece conveyance system 30. The protective sheet conveyance system 40 has a third tension adjustment region 41.

  The third tension adjustment region 41 is a region for adjusting the tension of the protective sheet S between the pair of guide rollers 42 a and 42 b disposed diagonally to the left of the supply reel 2. In the third tension adjustment region 41, the tension of the protection sheet S conveyed to the take-up reel 5 is adjusted by loosening the protection sheet S wound around the guide rollers 42a and 42b into a U shape by its own weight. It has become. Thereby, excessive load and slack are not generated in the protective sheet S. The third tension adjustment region 41 is configured so that the protective sheet S can be slackened longer than the first tension adjustment region 31 and the second tension adjustment region 33.

  In the third tension adjustment region 41, a third rotation guide 25 having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction is provided between the pair of guide rollers 42a and 42b. The rotation axis of the third rotation guide 25 is also arranged in the vicinity of the lowest point of the workpiece T that is loosened by its own weight in a U shape. Although the 3rd rotation guide 25 is also the same structure as the 1st rotation guide 21, in order to loosen the protection sheet S long, the axial length of the 3rd rotation guide 25 is long.

<< Tension relaxation area of the first embodiment >>
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first tension adjustment region 31 according to the first embodiment. 3A is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view thereof.
As described above, the first tension adjustment region 31 and the second tension adjustment region 33 are provided in the tape conveyance system 30, and the third tension adjustment region 41 is provided in the protective sheet conveyance system 40. The structures in these tension adjustment regions are quite similar, and in particular, the first tension adjustment region 31 and the second tension adjustment region 33 of the tape transport system 30 have the same size. For this reason, the description of the second tension adjustment region 33 and the third tension adjustment region 41 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, between the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b, the film-like workpiece T is loosened into a U shape by its own weight. The guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b are arranged at substantially the same position in the height direction (Z direction). Therefore, the lowermost point of the film-like workpiece T comes near the center in the horizontal direction (Y direction) between the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. The height of the guide roller 32b may be slightly lower than the height of the guide roller 32a.

  The guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b have a structure in which a rotation shaft is attached to a resin or metal roller. The rollers have the same diameter, and it is not necessary to form flanges or the like on both sides of the roller. The guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b are connected to a motor 32M that can control the amount of rotation such as a stepping motor, and rotate via a bearing (not shown).

  An air nozzle AN is disposed in the first tension adjustment region 31, and the air nozzle AN is disposed at a position where the film-like workpiece T can be ejected toward the lowest point. The number of air nozzles AN may be one or more, but the position of the air nozzle AN can be moved in the Y direction so that compressed air can be ejected evenly to the lowest point of the work T according to the width of the film-like work T. It is desirable to configure as follows. Even with a thin film-like workpiece T, the slack of the film-like workpiece T can be formed into a beautiful U-shape and necessary tension can be applied, and the amount of slack can be accurately observed by a sensor described below.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, a pair of sensor plates 26 are disposed under the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. The sensor plate 26 has at least four photoelectric sensors (S1 to S4) arranged in the height direction (Z direction) in order to confirm the slack state of the film-like workpiece T, one of which is a light emitting sensor and the other is. It is a light receiving type sensor. These photoelectric sensors (S1 to S4) observe the slack state of the film-like workpiece T.

  In the uppermost photoelectric sensor S1, the slack of the film-like workpiece T is reduced, and when the slack is further reduced, the operation of the transport unit FE is stopped. In the lowermost photoelectric sensor S4, the film-like workpiece T is loosened more, and when the slack is further increased, the operation of the transport unit FE is stopped. The photoelectric sensor S2 detects that the slack of the film-like workpiece T is decreasing. The photoelectric sensor S3 detects that the slack of the film-like workpiece T is increasing. The type of sensor is not limited as long as the amount of looseness of the film-like workpiece T can be observed.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the first rotation guide 21 is disposed at the lowest point of the work T slackened from the guide roller 32 a and the guide roller 32 b and on both sides of the work T. The outermost inner periphery of the work T of the first rotation guide 21 is disposed on the inner side of the end portion of the guide roller so that the work T does not protrude outward from the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. For this reason, even if the guide roller 32 a and the guide roller 32 b do not have a flange or the like, the workpiece T is regulated inside the outermost periphery of the first rotation guide 21. The first rotation guide 21 is disposed several mm away from both ends of the work T. When the film-like workpiece T is normally slackened in the first tension adjustment region 31, the end portion of the workpiece T does not contact the first rotation guide 21.

  The first rotation guide 21 extends vertically from the lowest point of the slack workpiece T, the upper end of the first rotation guide 21 extends to the above-described photoelectric sensor S1, and the lower end extends to the above-described photoelectric sensor S4. At the lowest point of the workpiece T, the direction in which the workpiece T is fed out and the rotation direction of the first rotation guide 21 substantially coincide. The first rotating guide 21 has a structure in which a resin or metal hollow roller 21R having a diameter φL1 (for example, φ22 mm) is coupled to a rotating shaft 22 having a diameter φL2 (for example, φ15 mm). A resin or metal bush may be inserted between the hollow roller 21R and the rotating shaft 22 so that the hollow roller 21R rotates smoothly. Both rotary shafts 22 of the first rotary guide 21 are supported by guide support frames 28.

  An adjustment hole 28a is formed in the guide support frame 28, and the rotation shaft 22 of the first rotation guide 21 is fitted in the adjustment hole 28a. The adjustment hole 28a is formed as a long hole in the width direction (X direction) of the workpiece T. That is, the first rotation guide 21 can be adjusted according to the width of the workpiece T, and after the adjustment, the guide support frame 28 and the rotation shaft 22 are fixed by the bolt BT. Rather than manually adjusting the position of the guide support frame 28 using the adjustment hole 28a and the bolt BT, the position may be adjusted electrically by using a motor and a linear guide.

  In this embodiment, the bush is inserted between the hollow roller 21R and the rotary shaft 22 so as to be easily rotated, but the hollow roller 21R and the rotary shaft 22 may be integrated. In this case, it is necessary to provide a rotating mechanism such as a bearing or a bush between the rotating shaft 22 and the bolt BT. The hollow roller 21R may have a predetermined fixed length. For example, the hollow roller 21R has a double or triple hollow roller 21R that can be adjusted in the height direction (Z direction). May be.

≪Adjustment of rotation guide in tension relaxation area≫
The rotation guide 21 is temporarily fixed with a bolt BT along the long adjustment hole 28a of the guide support frame 28 in accordance with the width of the work T mounted on the transport unit FE. The width (X direction) of the pair of rotation guides 21 is adjusted to be slightly wider than the width of the work T to be conveyed. Thereafter, the workpiece T is loosened by its own weight so as to be U-shaped. When it is confirmed that the workpiece T is disposed between the pair of rotation guides 21 while being loosened in the U shape by its own weight, the temporarily fixed rotation guide 21 is completely fixed by the bolt BT. Next, the air nozzle AN ejects compressed air toward the lowermost point of the work T, and applies a predetermined tension to the film-like work T. In this state, the slack amount of the work T is adjusted by rotating the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b so that the lowest point of the film-like work T is between the photoelectric sensor S2 and the photoelectric sensor S4. Thereafter, the operations of the transport unit FE and the exposure unit EX are started.

<Operation of exposure unit EX and transport unit FE>
The operations of the exposure unit EX and the transport unit FE will be described using FIG. 2 again. The film-like workpiece T sent out from the supply reel 2 is conveyed to the first tension adjustment region 31 obliquely downward to the right. The film-like workpiece T is adjusted in tension by the guide rollers 32a and 32b in the first tension adjustment region 31, and is directed toward the stage guide roller 34a. The position where the stage guide rollers 34 a and 34 b hold the film-like work T is adjusted, and the camera 15 aligns the position of the work T of one block on the exposure stage 14.

  If conveyance / stop for each block to be exposed is repeated, the conveyance degree may change little by little, and there may be a problem that the work T is conveyed out of the field of view of the camera 15. By adjusting the tension of the workpiece T, the positional deviation in the feed direction of the workpiece T can be eliminated. Further, the position shifts not only in the feed direction of the workpiece T but also in the width direction of the workpiece T. However, the positional shift in the width direction of the workpiece T can be restricted to a predetermined range by the pair of rotation guides 21. In other words, when the workpiece T is meandered while being displaced in the width direction, when the workpiece T comes into contact with the rotation guide 21, the hollow roller 21 </ b> R of the rotation guide 21 rotates in the conveyance direction to regulate the position of the workpiece T. When the workpiece T comes into contact with the rotation guide 21, the rotation guide 21 rotates, so that the end of the workpiece T is not damaged, and one end when the one end of the workpiece T contacts a fixed object such as a metal box. The tension of the workpiece T is determined so that the friction generated only at the end of the workpiece is eliminated. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent an imbalance in the tension of the film-like workpiece T before being conveyed to the exposure unit EX.

  Then, the film-like workpiece T is temporarily vacuum-sucked and fixed by the exposure stage 14 of the exposure unit EX and irradiated with exposure light from the projection optical system 13. Thereby, the exposure of the film-like workpiece T is completed. Then, the film-shaped workpiece T that has been subjected to the exposure process is transported to a position that does not affect the exposure process of the next film-shaped workpiece.

  Subsequently, the film-like workpiece T is guided by the lower stage guide roller 34 b and the guide roller 36 a, so that the conveyance direction is changed to the upper left direction and conveyed to the second tension adjustment region 33. The film-like workpiece T is adjusted so as to be superposed on the protective sheet S in the second tension adjustment region 33 and then wound on the take-up reel 5.

  The tension of the film-like workpiece T becomes non-uniform when the position of the film-like workpiece T is controlled by the exposure process or the protective sheet S is interposed between the film-like workpieces T. In the embodiment, since the tension of the film-like workpiece T is adjusted in the second tension adjustment region 33, the film-like workpiece T can be wound up stably. Thereby, the winding form on the take-up reel 5 can be made circular instead of elliptical.

  On the other hand, the protective sheet S sent out from the supply reel 2 is conveyed to the third tension adjustment region 41. The protective sheet S moves to the take-up reel 5 after its tension is adjusted by the guide rollers 42 a and 42 b in the third tension adjustment region 41. The protective sheet S whose position in the width direction is adjusted is wound around the take-up reel 5 together with the film-like workpiece T so as to be interposed between the film-like workpieces T. In this way, the film-like workpiece T and the protective sheet S are wound around the take-up reel 5 under a uniform tension. Thereby, both winding-up balance can be kept favorable.

  If tension is applied to the protective sheet S when the protective sheet S is sent out, it will affect the amount of the film-like work T that is essential, and the film-like work T after the exposure process cannot be stably wound up. . However, in this embodiment, since the tension of the film-like workpiece T is adjusted in the third tension adjustment region 41, the winding operation of the winding reel 5 can be prevented from being affected.

  Since the film-like workpiece T is adjusted in tension by the first tension adjustment region 31 before being transported to the exposure unit EX, high-quality exposure processing can be performed, and high-quality products can be stabilized. Can be manufactured. Further, since the film-like workpiece T and the protective sheet S adjusted to have a uniform tension by the second tension adjusting area 33 and the third tension adjusting area 41 are wound around the take-up reel 5, stable tension can be reduced. Thus, the winding balance between the two can be improved. Moreover, the film-like workpiece | work T and the protection sheet S can be wound up | regulated exactly in the width direction.

Second Embodiment
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a system in which the film-like workpiece conveyance system 30 conveys the film-like workpiece T from the supply reel 2 to the take-up reel 5 via the exposure unit EX. The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and different points from the first embodiment will be described.

  The first tension adjustment region 31 is provided with a fourth rotation guide 61 whose rotation axis extends in the vertical direction between the pair of guide rollers 32a and 32b. The rotation shaft of the fourth rotation guide 61 is disposed between the guide rollers 32 a and 32 b and the lowest point of the work T. Details of the fourth rotation guide 61 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the second tension adjustment region 33 is disposed below the first tension adjustment region 31, and the tension of the film-like workpiece T provided between the pair of guide rollers 36 a and 36 b. adjust. In the second tension adjustment region 33, a fifth rotation guide 63 having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction is provided between the pair of guide rollers 36a and 36b. The rotation shaft of the fifth rotation guide 63 is disposed between the guide rollers 36a and 36b and the lowest point of the work T.

≪Protective sheet conveyance system 40≫

  In the third tension adjustment region 41, a sixth rotation guide 65 having a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction is provided between the pair of guide rollers 42a and 42b. The rotation axis of the sixth rotation guide 65 is also arranged between the guide rollers 42a and 42b and the lowest point of the work T. The sixth rotation guide 65 has the same configuration as the fourth rotation guide 61, but the axial length of the sixth rotation guide 65 is longer in order to loosen the protective sheet S longer.

<< Tension relaxation area of the second embodiment >>
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the first tension adjustment region 31 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5A is a front view, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view.
Since the structures in the first tension adjustment region 31, the second tension adjustment region 33, and the third tension adjustment region 41 are quite similar, the description of the second tension adjustment region 33 and the third tension adjustment region 41 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, between the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b, the film-like workpiece T is loosened in a U shape by its own weight. The lowermost point of the film-like workpiece T comes near the center in the horizontal direction (Y direction) between the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. The height of the guide roller 32b may be slightly lower than the height of the guide roller 32a.

  Further, the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b have the same diameter, and it is not necessary to form flanges or the like on both sides of the roller. The guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b are connected to a motor 32M that can control the amount of rotation such as a stepping motor, and rotate via a bearing (not shown).

  An air nozzle AN is disposed in the first tension adjustment region 31, and the air nozzle AN is disposed at a position where the film-like workpiece T can be ejected toward the lowest point. One or a plurality of air nozzles AN may be used.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, a pair of sensor plates 26 is disposed under the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. The sensor plate 26 has at least four photoelectric sensors (S1 to S4) arranged in the height direction (Z direction) in order to confirm the slack state of the film-like workpiece T. The photoelectric sensor S can observe the amount of slack of the film-like workpiece T, as in the first embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, fourth rotation guides 61 are arranged on the way from the guide roller 32 a or the guide roller 32 b to the lowest point of the work T and on both sides of the work T. The outermost periphery on the inner side of the work T of the fourth rotation guide 61 is disposed inside the ends of the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. For this reason, even if the guide roller 32 a and the guide roller 32 b do not have a flange or the like, the workpiece T is regulated inside the outermost periphery of the fourth rotation guide 61. The fourth rotation guide 61 is disposed several mm away from both ends of the workpiece T. When the film-like workpiece T is normally slackened in the first tension adjustment region 31, the end portion of the workpiece T does not come into contact with the fourth rotation guide 61.

  The rotation axis of the fourth rotation guide 61 extends so as to intersect with the workpiece T slacking from the guide roller 32a or the guide roller 32b to the lowest point of the workpiece T. Therefore, the rotation axis of the fourth rotation guide 61 extends at an angle inclined upward from about 10 degrees to about 30 degrees from the horizontal plane. Therefore, the workpiece T is sent out in the direction in which the hollow roller 61R rotates.

  Further, when the feed amount of the work T by the guide roller 32a is reduced, the amount of looseness is reduced, and there is a possibility that the guide roller 32a is detached from the fourth point guide 61. Therefore, the axial length of the fourth rotation guide 61 is increased as it goes upward, and each fourth point guide 61 from the lower side to the upper side extends substantially between the guide roller 32a and the guide roller 32b. Yes. If the distance between the photoelectric sensor S2 and the photoelectric sensor S3 is shortened and the slack amount of the workpiece T can be made substantially constant, the length of the fourth rotation guide 61 in the axial direction may be all the same. Absent.

  In FIG. 5A, the fourth rotation guides 61 are arranged in four rows at the same angle on one side, but may be five rows or three rows, and the rotation axes of the rows may be different angles. The fourth rotation guide 61 has a structure in which a hollow roller 61R made of resin or metal is coupled to the rotation shaft 62. A resin or metal bush may be inserted between the hollow roller 61R and the rotating shaft 62 so that the hollow roller 61R rotates without stagnation. The rotation shaft 62 of the fourth rotation guide 61 is supported by a guide support frame 68.

  An unillustrated adjustment hole is formed in the guide support frame 68, and the rotation shaft 62 of the fourth rotation guide 61 is fitted into the adjustment hole. And the 4th rotation guide 61 can be adjusted according to the width | variety of the workpiece | work T, and the guide support frame 68 and the rotating shaft 62 are fixed with the volt | bolt BT after adjustment. You may enable it to adjust position electrically with a motor and a linear guide instead of a volt | bolt.

<< Tension relaxation area of the third embodiment >>
6A and 6B are schematic views illustrating the first tension adjustment region 31 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6A (a) is a front view, FIG. 6 (b) is a sectional view, and FIG. 6B (c) is a side view.
Since the structures in the first tension adjustment region 31, the second tension adjustment region 33, and the third tension adjustment region 41 are quite similar, the description of the second tension adjustment region 33 and the third tension adjustment region 41 is omitted. Further, differences from the second embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 6A (b) and 6B (c), the guide roller 32c and the guide roller 32d form a flange 32f on one end side in the X direction. In the third embodiment, since the seventh rotation guide 71 is arranged only on one side, the flange 32f regulates the workpiece T by forming the flange 32f on one side where the seventh rotation guide 71 is not arranged. . A fixed frame 77 is disposed on the other side.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, the seventh rotation guide 71 is disposed midway from the guide roller 32 c or the guide roller 32 d to the lowest point of the work T. As shown in FIG. 6B, the outermost periphery on the inner side of the work T of the seventh rotation guide 71 is arranged several mm away from the end on one side of the work T.

  In FIG. 6A, the axial direction of the seventh rotation guide 71 extends horizontally so as to intersect with the work roller T slacking from the guide roller 32c or the guide roller 32d to the lowest point of the work T. That is, the rotation shaft 72 of the seventh rotation guide 71 is a horizontal plane, and the rotation shaft 72 has a diameter of 10 mm, for example. The hollow roller 71R of the seventh rotation guide 71 has a diameter of φ22 mm, for example. The hollow roller 71R is made of stainless steel coated with a resin or a chromium film which has no sliding resistance and is not easily worn.

At the center of the seventh rotation guide 71, the diameter of the hollow roller 71R is made as thin as φ20 mm, or only the rotation shaft 72 is arranged. This is because the work T is sent out substantially in the horizontal direction in the vicinity of the lowest point of the work T, so that it is perpendicular to the rotation direction of the hollow roller 71R and friction is generated on the end surface of the work T.
It is good also as a structure which can rotate freely via a bearing between the rotating shaft 72 of (phi) 10mm, and the hollow roller 71R of outer diameter (phi) 22mm. A bearing may be mounted between the rotating shaft 72 and the guide support frame 78.

  As shown in FIG. 6C, the guide support frame 78 is connected to four rods 79 (two rods are visible in FIG. 6B), and the other side of the four rods 79 is fixed to the fixed frame 77. Yes. Adjustment bolts ABT and nuts NT having long screw portions are attached to the four rods 79, and the position of the guide support frame 78 is moved by rotating the adjustment bolt ABT in the X direction. Thereafter, the position of the guide support frame 78 is fixed by tightening with the nut NT. In this way, the seventh rotation guide 71 can be adjusted in accordance with the width of the workpiece T. Of course, the position may be adjusted electrically.

  FIGS. 7A to 7C are schematic views illustrating a part of a transport apparatus and an exposure apparatus according to a modification of the present embodiment. In the first to third embodiments, the supply reel 2 and the take-up reel 5 are rotated clockwise in the transport unit FE, but the rotation direction of each reel is not limited.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, in the transport unit FE1, the supply reel 2A may be rotated clockwise and the take-up reel 5A may be rotated counterclockwise. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, in the transport unit FE2, both the supply reel 2B and the take-up reel 5B may be rotated counterclockwise. Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, in the transport unit FE3, the supply reel 2C may be rotated counterclockwise and the take-up reel 5C may be rotated clockwise.

  The transport unit FE according to the present embodiment has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment and can be implemented in various forms.

1 is an overall perspective view showing an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the conveyance part FE which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) is a front view which shows the 1st tension adjustment area | region 31 which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (b) is the sectional drawing. It is the schematic which shows the conveyance part FE which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a front view which shows the 1st tension | tensile_strength adjustment area | region 31 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, (b) is the sectional drawing. (A) is a front view which shows the 1st tension | tensile_strength adjustment area | region 31 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment, (b) is the sectional drawing. It is a side view showing the 1st tension adjustment field 31 concerning a 3rd embodiment. (A)-(c) is the schematic which shows the conveyance part which concerns on the modification of 1st Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2, 2A, 2B, 2C Supply reels 5, 5A, 5B, 5C Take-up reels 21, 23, 25 First rotation guide, second rotation guide, third rotation guide 21R, 61R, 71R, hollow rollers 22, 62, 72 Rotating shaft 30 Film-like workpiece conveyance system 31 First tension adjustment area 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d Guide roller 32f Flange 34a, 32b Stage guide roller 33 Second tension adjustment area 36a, 36b Guide roller 40 Protective sheet conveyance system 41 3rd tension adjustment area 42a, 42b Guide roller 51a, 51b 1st, 2nd sensor 61, 63, 65 4th rotation guide, 5th rotation guide, 6th rotation guide 71 7th rotation guide BT Bolt EX Exposure part FE Conveyance Part S Protection sheet T Film-like workpiece

Claims (11)

A supply reel on which a long film-like workpiece having a predetermined width is wound;
A take-up reel that winds up the long film-like work fed from the supply reel;
A first guide roller and a second guide roller which are arranged between the supply reel and the take-up reel, and have a slack area on the long film-like workpiece;
The long film-like workpiece is slackened between the first guide roller and the second guide roller, and is arranged so as to intersect with at least one end of the workpiece in a predetermined width direction. A rotation guide rotatable in the feed direction of
A conveying device comprising:   The conveying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle that blows air from above the workpiece in the slack area.   2. The flange according to claim 1, wherein flanges are not formed on both sides of the first guide roller and the second guide roller, and the rotation guide is disposed at both ends of the workpiece in a predetermined width direction. The transport apparatus according to claim 2. A slack detection unit that is disposed in the slack area and detects a slack state of the workpiece;
A rotation amount control unit that controls a rotation amount of at least one of the first guide roller, the second guide roller, the supply reel, and the take-up reel based on a signal from the slack detection unit;
The conveying apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: A roller holding portion for holding the rotation guide;
An adjustment unit that adjusts the distance of the roller holding unit in a predetermined width direction of the workpiece;
5. The transport apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:   The rotation guide rotates on the basis of an axis that intersects with an end of the workpiece in the middle from the first guide roller and the second guide roller to the lowest point of looseness of the workpiece. The conveying apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-5.   6. The transport device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation guide rotates based on an axis that extends in a vertical direction so as to intersect a lowest point of looseness of the workpiece.   The long film-shaped workpiece includes a film coated with a resist or a protective sheet wound so as to face the film, according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The conveying apparatus as described. The supply reel sends out the protective sheet wound so as to face the workpiece, and the take-up reel winds the workpiece and the protective sheet,
A third guide roller and a fourth guide roller, which are arranged between the supply reel and the take-up reel and give the protective sheet a slack area;
A second rotating guide disposed between the third guide roller and the fourth guide roller so that the protective sheet has a slack and intersects with at least one end of the protective sheet in a predetermined width direction;
The transport apparatus according to claim 8, comprising: In an exposure apparatus that exposes the workpiece with ultraviolet light for each block on an exposure stage while feeding a workpiece coated with a long film-like resist having a predetermined width in the feeding direction one block at a time,
A supply reel wound with the long film-like workpiece;
A take-up reel that winds up the long film-like work fed from the supply reel;
A first guide roller and a second guide roller, which are arranged between the supply reel and the take-up reel, and have a slack area on the long film-like workpiece;
A rotating guide disposed between the first guide roller and the second guide roller so as to have a slack in the long film-like workpiece and intersect with at least one end of the workpiece in a predetermined width direction; ,
An exposure apparatus comprising: A slack detection unit that is disposed in the slack area and detects a slack state of the workpiece;
A rotation amount control unit that controls a rotation amount of at least one of the first guide roller, the second guide roller, the supply reel, and the take-up reel based on a signal from the slack detection unit;
The exposure apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: