JP2009265313A - Scanning exposure device and scanning exposure method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a scanning exposure device capable of exposing simultaneously a repetition exposure area and a nonrepetitive exposure area by the one scanning exposure device. <P>SOLUTION: This scanning exposure device is provided with a substrate conveying mechanism 10 capable of conveying a substrate W having the repetition exposure area and the nonrepetitive exposure area along a prescribed direction, an irradiation part 13 for irradiating the substrate W with an exposing light EL, a mask holding part 11 for holding a mask M for exposing the repetition exposure area of the substrate W, while irradiated with the exposing light EL, and a direct drawing part 14 for drawing-exposing the nonrepetitive exposure area of the substrate W, using one part of the exposing light EL from the irradiation part 13 for irradiating the mask M. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a scanning exposure apparatus and a scanning exposure method, and more specifically, exposure transfer and non-repetition exposure areas are exposed and transferred onto a color filter substrate or array substrate of a large flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display. The present invention relates to a scan exposure apparatus and a scan exposure method suitable for the above.

  As an exposure method for large flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and plasma displays used in large thin TVs, etc., the mask is subdivided, and a plurality of mask holders for holding these masks are arranged in a staggered manner, and the substrate There is known a scanning exposure method in which exposure is performed while moving the lens in one direction (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This exposure method uses the fact that a large pattern can be formed by joining together on the assumption that the pattern formed on the substrate has a portion that is repeated to some extent (repeated exposure region). In this case, the mask does not need to be large in accordance with the panel, and a relatively inexpensive mask can be used.

Also, as a pattern forming method that does not use a mask, on the basis of image data, scanning is performed using rotation of a polygon mirror or the like, and the laser beam is turned on / off so that only a desired region is exposed at a predetermined exposure amount. An exposure direction for drawing has been devised (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP 2008-40066 A JP 2006-084897 A

  By the way, the array substrate of a flat panel display has a repeated exposure region such as gate, drain, and source electrodes, and a non-repeated exposure region such as a drive circuit disposed around the substrate and wiring connecting the electrodes. And are provided. In the case of a color filter substrate, a repetitive exposure region where each pattern of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) is formed, and a non-manufactured number such as a manufacturing number disposed around the substrate. A repeated exposure region is provided.

  In the exposure apparatus described in Patent Document 1, only the repeated exposure area of the substrate can be exposed, and when exposing the non-repeated exposure area, for example, an exposure apparatus by direct drawing described in Patent Document 2 is separately provided. There was a need.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus capable of simultaneously exposing a repeated exposure region and a non-repeated exposure region with a single unit.

The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configurations.
(1) a substrate transport mechanism capable of transporting a substrate having a repeated exposure region and a non-repeated exposure region along a predetermined direction;
An irradiation unit for irradiating exposure light toward the substrate;
A mask holding unit for holding a mask for irradiating the exposure light and exposing a repeated exposure region of the substrate;
A direct drawing unit that draws and exposes a non-repeated exposure region of the substrate, using a part of the exposure light of the irradiation unit that irradiates the mask;
A scan exposure apparatus comprising:
(2) The scan exposure apparatus according to (1), wherein the mask holding unit and the direct drawing unit are aligned with the substrate using a detection unit for detecting the position of the substrate.
(3) The scan exposure apparatus according to (1), wherein the direct drawing unit is aligned with the substrate by driving the mask holding unit.
(4) A substrate transport mechanism capable of transporting a substrate along a predetermined direction, an irradiation unit that irradiates exposure light toward the substrate, a mask holding unit that holds a mask, and the irradiation that irradiates the mask A direct exposure part that draws and exposes the substrate using a part of the exposure light of the part, and a scan exposure method of a scan exposure apparatus comprising:
A first exposure step of repeatedly exposing an exposure area to the substrate by irradiating the exposure light to the substrate conveyed in the predetermined direction through the mask;
Simultaneously with the first exposure step, a second exposure step of drawing and exposing a non-repeated exposure region on the substrate by the direct drawing unit;
A scan exposure method comprising:

  According to the scan exposure apparatus and the scan exposure method of the present invention, it becomes possible to simultaneously expose a repetitive exposure area and a non-repetitive exposure area with a single exposure apparatus, thereby reducing the cost of the apparatus and improving the tact time. Can be shortened. Moreover, since the light source of the direct drawing part is the same as the light source of the irradiation part which irradiates the mask, the cost can be further reduced.

  In addition, since the mask holding unit and the direct drawing unit are aligned with the substrate using a detection unit for detecting the position of the substrate, the repeated exposure region and the non-repeated exposure region can be simultaneously exposed with high accuracy. Can do.

  Embodiments of a scanning exposure apparatus and an exposure method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, repeated exposure regions where red (R), green (G), and blue (B) colored layers are formed on the black matrix layer as the base pattern layer and outside the black matrix layer. A proximity scan exposure apparatus and an exposure method for exposing a color filter substrate having a non-repeated exposure region such as a manufacturing number to be formed will be described.

  First, a schematic configuration of the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scan exposure apparatus 1 of the present embodiment floats and supports a substrate (color filter substrate) W, and can transport the substrate in a predetermined direction (X direction in FIG. 1). A plurality of mechanisms 10 and a plurality of masks M are respectively held and arranged in two rows in a staggered manner along a direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) intersecting a predetermined direction (6 in each of the left and right in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1). ) Mask holding units 11, a plurality of mask driving units 12 that respectively drive the mask holding units 11, and upper portions of the plurality of mask holding units 11, and irradiating exposure light toward the substrate W. The plurality of irradiation units 13 and the plurality of mask holding units 11 are respectively held, the plurality of direct drawing units 14 provided for each of the plurality of irradiation units 13, and the movement of each operating part of the scanning exposure apparatus 1 are controlled. Control unit 1 And, mainly includes the.

  The substrate transport mechanism 10 includes a floating unit 16 and a substrate driving unit 17 that holds one side of the substrate W in the Y direction (upper side in FIG. 1) and transports it in the X direction. The levitation unit 16 includes a plurality of exhaust air pads 20 and intake / exhaust air pads 21 respectively provided on a plurality of frames 19, and the exhaust air pads 20 and the intake / exhaust air pads 21 are provided via pumps (not shown) and solenoid valves (not shown). Air is exhausted or sucked and exhausted from the exhaust air pad 21. Accordingly, the substrate W is held in a state of being floated on the floating unit 16 by the air flow, and the substrate W can be transported without resistance.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate driving unit 17 includes a suction pad 22 that holds one end of the substrate W that is levitated and supported by the levitating unit 16, and includes a motor 23, a ball screw 24, and a nut (not shown). The substrate W is transported in the X direction along the guide rail 26 by the ball screw mechanism 25. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of frames 19 are arranged via another level block 28 on a device base 27 installed on the ground via the level block 18. Further, the substrate W may be transported by a linear servo actuator instead of the ball screw mechanism 25.

  The mask drive unit 12 is attached to a frame (not shown), and is attached to the X direction drive unit 31 that drives the mask holding unit 11 along the X direction, and the tip of the X direction drive unit 31. Is attached to the tip of the Y-direction drive unit 32, and the mask holding unit 11 is rotationally driven in the θ direction (around the horizontal plane consisting of the X and Y directions). A θ-direction drive unit 33 and a Z-direction drive unit 34 that is attached to the tip of the θ-direction drive unit 33 and drives the mask holding unit 11 in the Z direction (vertical direction of the horizontal plane formed of the X and Y directions). Accordingly, the mask holding unit 11 attached to the tip of the Z direction driving unit 34 can be driven in the X, Y, Z, and θ directions by the mask driving unit 12. Note that the order of arrangement of the X, Y, θ, and Z direction drive units 31, 32, 33, and 34 can be changed as appropriate.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a mask changer 2 in which the masks M of the mask holding portions 11a and 11b can be simultaneously exchanged between the carry-in side and carry-out side mask holding portions 11a and 11b arranged in two rows in a staggered manner. Is arranged. The used or unused mask M transported by the mask changer 2 is transferred to and from the mask stockers 3 and 4 by the loader 5. The mask M is pre-aligned by a mask pre-alignment mechanism (not shown) during the transfer between the mask stockers 3 and 4 and the mask changer 2.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of irradiation units 13 arranged on the upper part of each mask holding unit 11 includes a light source 41 such as a YAG laser or an excimer laser, and a concave mirror that collects light emitted from the light source 41. 42, two types of optical integrators 43 arranged so as to be switchable in the vicinity of the focal point of the concave mirror 42, a plane mirror 45 and a spherical mirror 46 for changing the direction of the optical path, and the plane mirror 45 and the optical integrator 43 And an exposure control shutter 44 disposed between them to control the opening and closing of the irradiation light path.

  Further, a plurality of light shielding devices 50 that shield the exposure light EL emitted from the irradiation unit 13 are arranged between the irradiation units 13 and the mask holding units 11. The light-shielding device 50 has a plurality of blind members (only one blind member 51 is shown) that can advance and retreat on the mask exposure region so that the projected area seen from the Z direction on the mask exposure region is variable. Is provided. Of the plurality of blind members, the illustrated blind member 51 is configured by a plane mirror, and irradiates the direct drawing unit 14 with the exposure light EL from the irradiation unit 13 via the plane mirror 52.

  The direct drawing unit 14 and the plane mirror 52 positioned above the direct drawing unit 14 are held by the plurality of mask holding units 11 so as to be movable in the Y direction. The direct drawing unit 14 includes a digital micromirror device (DMD), an optical system including a lens (not shown), and the exposure light EL incident through the plane mirror 52 is The reflected light is reflected by the ON / OFF operation of the micromirror element, and the reflected light is imaged on the substrate by using an optical system, whereby the substrate W is directly drawn and exposed. In addition, a well-known thing is applied for the structure of the direct drawing part 14 except taking in the exposure light EL from the irradiation part 13 as a light source.

  The exposure apparatus 1 is provided with various detection means such as a gap sensor 56, a mask alignment camera 57, and a line CCD camera 58 as a detection unit. The gap sensor 56 is attached to the mask holding unit 11 and detects a gap between the substrate W and the mask M. The mask alignment camera 57 is attached to the frame 19 disposed below the mask holding unit 11, images the reference mark formed on the mask M, and transmits the image to the control unit 15. The line CCD camera 58 is also attached to the frame 19 and images a reference mark on the substrate W or a ground pattern formed on the substrate W in order to detect a relative positional deviation between the mask M and the substrate W, and the control unit 15 to send.

  Next, the operation of the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. Here, as a substrate W to be used, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a panel (repeated exposure region) 60 composed of a black matrix layer constituting a large number of pixels is arranged in the X direction on one surface of a transparent glass substrate. It is assumed that three are formed along the Y direction and two are formed along the Y direction. Further, a non-repetitive exposure region 61 such as a production number is provided on one side in the Y direction of the black matrix layer. Note that the non-exposed region 62 formed between the panels 60 is also used as a cut portion for separating the multi-faced panel 60. Further, the mask M is held by the mask holding unit 11 with the surface on which the mask pattern is formed facing down, and is disposed so as to face the upper surface of the substrate W being conveyed.

  The proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 floats and holds the substrate W by the air flow of the exhaust air pad 20 and the intake / exhaust air pad 21 of the flying unit 16, and sucks one end of the substrate W by the substrate driving unit 17 and transports it in the X direction. . Then, the substrate W positioned below the mask holding unit 11 is irradiated with the exposure light EL from the irradiation unit 13 through the mask M, and as shown in FIG. 5, red (R), green (G ), The pattern of any one of the blue (B) colored layers is transferred to the photoresist coated on the substrate W, and the exposure region 60 is repeatedly formed on the substrate W (first exposure step). At this time, the positional error between the substrate W and the mask M is determined by the θ direction driving unit 33 and the command signal output from the control unit 15 based on the positional data of the substrate W and the mask M detected by the line CCD camera 35. Correction is performed (position alignment) by operating the Y-direction drive unit 32 and finely adjusting the position of the mask M.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, in the mask holding unit 11 arranged at the position where the non-repeated exposure region 61 is formed, the blind member 51 is moved to the Y-direction position corresponding to the non-repeated exposure region 61 and the direct drawing is performed. The part 14 is also moved to the same Y direction position together with the plane mirror 52. Accordingly, the direct drawing unit 14 directly draws the non-repetitive exposure region 61 on the substrate W using the exposure light EL from the irradiation unit 13 incident through the plane mirror and the plane mirror 52 of the blind member 51. Exposure is performed (second exposure step). Therefore, the repeated exposure region 60 and the non-repeated exposure region 61 are exposed simultaneously. In this embodiment, since the direct drawing unit 14 is held by the mask holding unit 11, when the position of the mask M is finely adjusted by the mask holding unit 11, the positions of the direct drawing unit 14 and the substrate W are also changed. It is corrected.

  As described above, according to the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 and the exposure method of the present embodiment, non-repetitive exposure such as a repetitive exposure region and a manufacturing number constituting a colored layer composed of a large number of pixels by a single exposure apparatus 1. The area can be exposed at the same time, so that the cost of the apparatus can be reduced and the tact time can be shortened. Moreover, since the light source of the direct drawing part 14 is the same as the light source of the irradiation part 13 which irradiates the mask M, cost reduction can be aimed at more.

  Further, since the mask holding unit 11 and the direct drawing unit 14 are aligned with the substrate W using the line CCD camera 58 for detecting the position of the substrate W, the repeated exposure region and the non-repeated exposure region are simultaneously formed. The exposure can be performed with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, the direct drawing unit 14 is held by the mask holding unit 11, and by driving the mask holding unit 11, the alignment of the mask M and the substrate W of the direct drawing unit 14 can be easily performed.

In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above, A deformation | transformation, improvement, etc. are possible suitably.
In the above embodiment, the method for manufacturing a color filter substrate has been described with the repeated exposure region as a black matrix layer and the non-repeated exposure region as a display region such as a manufacturing number. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be applied to a method of manufacturing an array substrate having a repeated exposure region such as each electrode of drain, source and the like, and a non-repeated exposure region such as a drive circuit arranged around the substrate and a wiring connecting each electrode. .

  In the above-described embodiment, the direct drawing unit 14 is held by the mask holding unit 11 so that the alignment can be easily performed. However, the direct drawing unit 14 is configured to be held movably independently of the mask holding unit 11. May be.

  The substrate transport mechanism 10 has been described with respect to the case where the substrate W is transported while being floated and held by the floating unit 16 and the substrate drive unit 17. It may be transported.

It is a top view of the proximity scanning exposure apparatus which is embodiment of this invention. It is a front view of the proximity scan exposure apparatus in FIG. It is a principal part enlarged front view of the proximity | contact scanning exposure apparatus of FIG. It is a top view which shows the board | substrate after exposure typically. It is a figure which shows typically the state in which the repeated exposure area | region and the non-repeated exposure area | region are exposed to the board | substrate which passed the mask holding | maintenance part and the direct drawing part.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Proximity scanning exposure apparatus 10 Substrate conveyance mechanism 11 Mask holding part 13 Irradiation part 14 Direct drawing part 51 Blind member (plane mirror)
58 line CCD camera (detector)
60 Panel EL Exposure light M Mask W Glass substrate

Claims (4)

A substrate transport mechanism capable of transporting a substrate having a repeated exposure region and a non-repeated exposure region along a predetermined direction;
An irradiation unit for irradiating exposure light toward the substrate;
A mask holding unit for holding a mask for irradiating the exposure light and exposing a repeated exposure region of the substrate;
A direct drawing unit that draws and exposes a non-repeated exposure region of the substrate, using a part of the exposure light of the irradiation unit that irradiates the mask;
A scan exposure apparatus comprising:   The scan exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask holding unit and the direct drawing unit are aligned with the substrate using a detection unit for detecting the position of the substrate.   The scan exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the direct drawing unit is aligned with the substrate by driving the mask holding unit. A substrate transport mechanism capable of transporting a substrate along a predetermined direction, an irradiation unit that irradiates exposure light toward the substrate, a mask holding unit that holds a mask, and exposure of the irradiation unit that irradiates the mask A direct exposure part that draws and exposes the substrate using a part of the light, and a scan exposure method of a scan exposure apparatus comprising:
A first exposure step of repeatedly exposing an exposure area to the substrate by irradiating the exposure light to the substrate conveyed in the predetermined direction through the mask;
Simultaneously with the first exposure step, a second exposure step of drawing and exposing a non-repeated exposure region on the substrate by the direct drawing unit;
A scan exposure method comprising:

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