JP2009282110A - Proximity exposure device, chuck height adjusting method of proximity exposure device and method of manufacturing panel substrate for display - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the flatness of a chuck by easily adjusting the height at each point supporting the back of the chuck. <P>SOLUTION: An opening is provided closer to the central part side than the peripheral edge part of the chuck 10 holding a substrate 1, and a support plate 40 supporting a lid 14 is provided in the periphery of the opening at the back of the chuck 10. A chuck support table 30 supporting the back of the chuck 10 at a plurality of points is provided with a plurality of height adjusting mechanisms, which adjust the heights of the points supporting the back of the chuck 10. The chuck 10 is mounted on the chuck support table 30, the height adjusting mechanism closer to the central part side than the peripheral edge part of the chuck 10 is operated from the opening, and the other height adjusting mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck 10 to thereby adjust the height of each point supporting the back of the chuck 10. The lid 14 is fitted to the opening of the chuck 10. Thus, even when the chuck 10 is large-sized, the height of each point supporting the back of the chuck 10 can be easily adjusted to improve the flatness of the chuck 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a proximity exposure apparatus that exposes a substrate using a proximity method in manufacturing a display panel substrate such as a liquid crystal display device, a chuck height adjustment method for the proximity exposure apparatus, and a display using the same In particular, a proximity exposure apparatus for supporting the back surface of a chuck at a plurality of points by a chuck support, a method for adjusting a chuck height of the proximity exposure apparatus, and a display panel substrate using the same It relates to a manufacturing method.

  Manufacturing of TFT (Thin Film Transistor) substrates, color filter substrates, plasma display panel substrates, organic EL (Electroluminescence) display panel substrates, and the like of liquid crystal display devices used as display panels is performed using photolithography using an exposure apparatus. This is performed by forming a pattern on the substrate by a technique. As an exposure apparatus, a projection system that projects a photomask (hereinafter referred to as “mask”) pattern onto a substrate using a lens or a mirror, and a small gap (proximity gap) between the mask and the substrate. There is a proximity method in which a mask pattern is provided and transferred to a substrate. The proximity method is inferior in pattern resolution performance to the projection method, but the configuration of the irradiation optical system is simple, the processing capability is high, and it is suitable for mass production.

  The proximity exposure apparatus includes a chuck that holds the substrate by vacuum suction, and the chuck is mounted on a stage that moves and positions the substrate. The supply of the substrate to the chuck and the recovery of the substrate from the chuck are usually performed by a handling arm such as a robot. However, in order to avoid contact between the mask and the substrate, a transfer position away from the exposure position under the mask is used. Done. After the substrate is mounted on the chuck at the delivery position, the stage moves to the exposure position under the mask, and the substrate is positioned at the exposure position.

In order to improve exposure accuracy with a proximity exposure apparatus, the substrate must be held flatter during exposure. For this reason, the chuck for holding the substrate is required to have high flatness. In particular, as the substrate becomes larger, the demand for flatness of the chuck becomes stronger. On the other hand, there is a demand to move the substrate at high speed between the transfer position and the exposure position in order to shorten the tact time in the proximity exposure apparatus. In order to move the substrate at high speed, it is necessary to reduce the weight of the chuck that holds the substrate. In particular, as the size of the substrate increases or the movement of the substrate increases, the weight reduction of the chuck is strongly desired. It is. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the thickness of the chuck by supporting the chuck at a number of points, thereby reducing the weight of the chuck. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for adjusting the height of each point that supports the chuck to correct the deflection of the chuck and improve the flatness of the chuck.
JP 2006-235019 A

  Conventionally, there are chucks that have a flat surface and those that have a plurality of pin-shaped protrusions on the surface. In the latter, the substrate is supported at a plurality of points by pin-shaped convex portions, and the space between the portion other than the pin-shaped convex portions and the substrate is evacuated to hold the substrate by vacuum suction. In such a chuck, in order to vacuum-suck a large substrate evenly, the space between the substrate and the portion other than the pin-shaped convex portion and the substrate is divided into a plurality of vacuum compartments for evacuation. For this reason, a bank (line) for forming a plurality of vacuum sections has been provided on the surface of the chuck.

  In a substrate that transmits light, such as a glass substrate, the light transmitted through the substrate during exposure is reflected by the chuck, passes through the substrate again, and reaches the surface of the substrate. The phenomenon of burning may occur. This phenomenon is called “backside transfer”. In a conventional chuck having a flat front surface, dirt on the back surface of the substrate is accumulated on the chuck, and the back surface transfer occurs due to the dirt. On the other hand, in the chuck provided with pin-shaped convex portions on the front surface, there is little occurrence of back surface transfer due to accumulation of dirt. However, when back surface transfer occurs and the surface shape of the chuck is baked onto the surface of the substrate, the pin-shaped convex portions are small and difficult to recognize by the human eye, but there is no problem, but the bank that forms the vacuum compartment is In the case of a regular shape such as a straight line or a circle, there is a problem that it is easily recognized by human eyes.

  In the case of supporting a chuck at many points using a chuck support base as described in Patent Document 1, conventionally, after the chuck is mounted on the chuck support base, the height adjustment mechanism is operated from the outside of the chuck. The height of each point supporting the chuck was adjusted. However, when the size of the chuck increases as the substrate size increases, the height adjustment mechanism closer to the center side than the peripheral edge of the chuck is difficult to reach from the outside of the chuck, making it difficult to operate. It was.

  Therefore, it has been proposed that an opening is provided closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck, a height adjusting mechanism closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck is operated from the opening, and the opening is covered after the operation. At this time, if the surface of the lid is not level with the surface of the chuck, uneven exposure occurs. Further, in a chuck having pin-shaped convex portions on the surface, if an opening is provided in the chuck, a bank for forming a vacuum compartment is required around the opening. When backside transfer occurs, the banks around the openings cause uneven exposure.

  The subject of this invention is improving the flatness of a chuck | zipper by adjusting the height of each point which supports the back surface of a chuck | zipper easily. Moreover, the subject of this invention is reducing the bank which forms a vacuum division, and suppressing exposure nonuniformity. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to manufacture a high-quality display panel substrate with a high yield.

  The proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention includes a chuck for holding a substrate and a chuck support base that supports the back surface of the chuck at a plurality of points, and the chuck support base adjusts the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck. The chuck has a plurality of height adjustment mechanisms, and the chuck is provided with an opening provided nearer to the center than the peripheral edge, a lid attached to the opening, and a support provided to support the lid provided around the opening on the back surface. The height adjustment mechanism closer to the center side than the peripheral edge of the chuck is operated from the opening, and the other height adjustment mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck to support the back surface of the chuck. The height of the point to be adjusted is adjusted.

  Also, the method for adjusting the chuck height of the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention comprises a support means for providing an opening closer to the center than the peripheral edge of the chuck holding the substrate and supporting the lid around the opening on the back surface of the chuck. The chuck support base that supports the back surface of the chuck at a plurality of points is provided with a plurality of height adjustment mechanisms that adjust the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck, and the chuck is mounted on the chuck support base. Operate the height adjustment mechanism closer to the center than the peripheral edge from the opening, and operate the other height adjustment mechanisms from the outside of the chuck to adjust the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck. A lid is attached to the opening. Since an opening is provided near the center of the chuck, the height adjustment mechanism closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck is operated from the opening, and the other height adjustment mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck. Even when the chuck becomes large, the height of each point supporting the back surface of the chuck is easily adjusted, and the flatness of the chuck is improved.

  Furthermore, in the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention, the lid has a screw protruding from the bottom surface and contacting the support means to adjust the height of the lid. The method for adjusting the chuck height of the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention adjusts the height of the lid by protruding a screw from the bottom surface of the lid and bringing the screw into contact with the support means. The height of the lid is easily adjusted using screws protruding from the bottom surface of the lid, and the surface of the lid becomes the same height as the surface of the chuck, so that uneven exposure is suppressed.

  Furthermore, the proximity exposure apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of convex portions that support the substrate, a bank that divides a space between the portion other than the convex portion and the substrate into a plurality of vacuum sections, and a plurality of portions separated by the bank. And a plurality of suction holes for evacuating the vacuum section, and an O-ring that closes the gap between the chuck and the lid and the gap between the support means and the lid. The method for adjusting the chuck height of the proximity exposure apparatus according to the present invention includes providing a plurality of convex portions on the chuck, supporting the substrate by the plurality of convex portions, and providing a space between the portion other than the convex portions and the substrate by the bank. Dividing into a plurality of vacuum compartments, the plurality of vacuum compartments are evacuated and the gap between the chuck and the lid and the gap between the support means and the lid are closed with an O-ring. Since the gap between the chuck and the lid and the gap between the support means and the lid are closed with an O-ring, a vacuum section is formed around the opening, so that a bank is unnecessary and uneven exposure is suppressed. Moreover, since it is not necessary to make the size of the lid strictly close to the size of the opening, it is easy to attach and remove the lid.

  The method for manufacturing a display panel substrate of the present invention exposes the substrate using any one of the above-described proximity exposure apparatuses, or uses the chuck height adjustment method of any one of the above-described proximity exposure apparatuses. The substrate is held by a chuck whose height is adjusted, and the substrate is exposed. Since the flatness of the chuck is improved and the substrate is held more flat, the exposure accuracy is improved. Moreover, since uneven exposure is suppressed, the occurrence of defective products is reduced.

  According to the proximity exposure apparatus and the method for adjusting the chuck height of the proximity exposure apparatus according to the present invention, the opening is provided closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck, and the height is adjusted closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck. By operating the mechanism from the opening and operating the other height adjustment mechanisms from the outside of the chuck, the height of each point that supports the back surface of the chuck can be easily adjusted even if the chuck becomes large. And the flatness of the chuck can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention and the chuck height adjustment method of the proximity exposure apparatus, by protruding the screw from the bottom surface of the lid and adjusting the height of the lid by bringing the screw into contact with the support means, Since the height of the lid can be easily adjusted and the surface of the lid can be made to be the same height as the surface of the chuck, uneven exposure can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, according to the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention and the chuck height adjusting method of the proximity exposure apparatus, the chuck is provided with a plurality of protrusions, the substrate is supported by the plurality of protrusions, and the portions other than the protrusions By dividing the space with the substrate into a plurality of vacuum compartments by a bank, evacuating the plurality of vacuum compartments, and closing the gap between the chuck and the lid and the gap between the support means and the lid with an O-ring, from the periphery of the opening Since the vacuum compartment is formed, the bank can be eliminated and uneven exposure can be suppressed. Moreover, attachment and removal of the lid can be facilitated.

  According to the method for manufacturing a display panel substrate of the present invention, the exposure accuracy can be improved and the occurrence of defective products can be reduced, so that a high-quality display panel substrate can be manufactured with a high yield. it can.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a proximity exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The proximity exposure apparatus includes a base 3, an X guide 4, an X stage 5, a Y guide 6, a Y stage 7, a θ stage 8, a chuck 10, a mask holder 20, and a chuck support base 30. In addition to the above, the proximity exposure apparatus performs an irradiation optical system that irradiates exposure light, a supply unit that supplies the substrate 1 to the chuck 10, a recovery unit that recovers the substrate 1 from the chuck 10, and temperature management in the apparatus. Although the temperature control unit etc. which are performed are provided, the part which is not directly related to invention is abbreviate | omitted in this Embodiment.

  Note that the XY directions in the embodiments described below are examples, and the X direction and the Y direction may be interchanged.

  In FIG. 1, the chuck 10 is in a delivery position for delivering the substrate 1. At the delivery position, the substrate 1 is supplied to the chuck 10 by a supply unit (not shown), and the substrate 1 is recovered from the chuck 10 by a recovery unit (not shown). The substrate 1 is mounted on the chuck 10 via a plurality of push-up pins provided on the chuck 10. The push-up pin rises from the surface of the chuck 10, receives the substrate 1 from the handling arm of the supply unit, and then descends again to place the substrate 1 on the chuck 10. As will be described later, the chuck 10 holds the substrate 1 by vacuum suction.

  A mask holder 20 that holds the mask 2 is installed above the exposure position where the substrate 1 is exposed. The mask holder 20 holds the periphery of the mask 2 by vacuum suction. An irradiation optical system (not shown) is disposed above the mask 2 held by the mask holder 20. At the time of exposure, exposure light from the irradiation optical system passes through the mask 2 and is irradiated onto the substrate 1, whereby the pattern of the mask 2 is transferred to the surface of the substrate 1 and a pattern is formed on the substrate 1.

  The chuck 10 is mounted on the θ stage 8 via the chuck support 30, and a Y stage 7 and an X stage 5 are provided below the θ stage 8. The X stage 5 is mounted on an X guide 4 provided on the base 3 and moves in the X direction (lateral direction in the drawing) along the X guide 4. The Y stage 7 is mounted on a Y guide 6 provided on the X stage 5, and moves in the Y direction (the drawing depth direction) along the Y guide 6. The θ stage 8 is mounted on the Y stage 7 and rotates in the θ direction. The chuck support 30 is mounted on the θ stage 8 and supports the chuck 10.

  As the X stage 5 moves in the X direction, the chuck 10 is moved between the delivery position and the exposure position. At the exposure position, step movement of the substrate 1 held on the chuck 10 in the XY direction is performed by movement of the X stage 5 in the X direction and movement of the Y stage 7 in the Y direction. The substrate 1 is positioned during exposure by moving the X stage 5 in the X direction, moving the Y stage 7 in the Y direction, and rotating the θ stage 8 in the θ direction. Further, the gap between the mask 2 and the substrate 1 is adjusted by moving and tilting the mask holder 20 in the Z direction (vertical direction in the drawing) by a Z-tilt mechanism (not shown).

  FIG. 2A is a top view of the chuck, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the chuck and the chuck support. In FIG. 2A, the surface of the chuck 10 is provided with a not-shown convex portion and a bank 12. The convex portion has a pin shape, and a plurality of convex portions are provided on the surface of the chuck 10 at a predetermined interval. When the substrate 1 is mounted on the chuck 10, the convex portions support the substrate 1 at a plurality of points. At this time, a space is formed between the portion other than the convex portion on the surface of the chuck 10 and the substrate 1. The bank 12 is a continuous wall having a predetermined width, and divides a space formed between a portion other than the convex portion on the surface of the chuck 10 and the substrate 1 into a plurality of vacuum compartments. The bank 12 is not a straight line but an irregular line so that it is difficult for the human eye to recognize when the back surface transfer occurs.

  In the present embodiment, 37 vacuum compartments are formed by the bank 12, but the number of vacuum compartments is not limited to this. In addition to the convex portion and bank 12, the surface of the chuck 10 is provided with a suction hole for evacuating the vacuum section and a through hole through which the push-up pin passes. In FIG. It is omitted.

  In FIG. 2B, the chuck support base 30 supports the back surface of the chuck 10 at a plurality of points by a plurality of adjusting screws described later. A plurality of support portions 15 supported by the adjustment screw of the chuck support base 30 are provided on the back surface of the chuck 10.

  3A is a top view of the chuck support, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the chuck support. The chuck support 30 includes a base plate 31, a circle 32, a spoke 33, a rim 34, and a height adjustment mechanism including an adjustment screw 35. The base plate 31 is mounted on the θ stage 8 of FIG. On the base plate 31, a circular circle 32 made of a wall having a predetermined thickness is attached. A plurality of spokes 33 having a predetermined thickness are radially attached to the circle 32. A rim 34 having a predetermined thickness is attached to the middle and tip of each spoke 33. At the tip of the spoke 33, the rim 34 forms a polygonal frame. A plurality of adjustment screws 35 are attached to the upper surfaces of the circle 32, the spokes 33 and the rim 34.

  In the present embodiment, the adjustment screws 35 are attached to 45 locations, but the number and arrangement of the adjustment screws 35 are appropriately determined according to the size and shape of the chuck 10.

  The adjusting screw 35 contacts the support portion 15 provided on the back surface of the chuck 10 and supports the back surface of the chuck 10 at a plurality of points. The height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck 10 is adjusted by a height adjustment mechanism. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the height adjustment mechanism. The height adjustment mechanism includes a screw hole provided in the circle 32, the spoke 33 or the rim 34, an adjustment screw 35, a spring washer 36, a plain washer 37, and a set nut 38. Further, the support portion 15 provided on the back surface of the chuck 10 includes a screw receiver 16, a cover 17, and a bolt 18.

  The head of the adjustment screw 35 forms a part of a spherical surface, and the apex thereof is in contact with the screw receiver 16. A spring washer 36 is inserted between the head of the adjustment screw 35 and the cover 17, and the cover 17 is fixed to the screw receiver 16 with a bolt 18. By inserting the spring washer 36 between the head of the adjusting screw 35 and the cover 17, the lateral displacement of the chuck 10 is prevented.

  The screw portion 35 a of the adjustment screw 35 is screwed into a screw hole provided in the circle 32, the spoke 33 or the rim 34. A flat washer 37 and a set nut 38 are attached to the screw portion 35 a of the adjustment screw 35, and the adjustment screw 35 is fixed to the circle 32, the spoke 33, or the rim 34 by the set nut 38. The height of the point where the adjusting screw 35 supports the back surface of the chuck 10 is adjusted by loosening the locking nut 38, adjusting the screwing amount of the adjusting screw 35, and tightening the locking nut 38 again.

  In FIG. 2A, a circular opening is provided on the center side of the periphery of the chuck 10, and a lid 14 is attached to the opening. In the present embodiment, before the chuck 10 is mounted on the chuck support base 30 and the lid 14 is attached, the height adjusting mechanism closer to the center portion side than the peripheral edge portion of the chuck 10 is operated from the opening, and other heights are set. The height adjustment mechanism is operated from the outside of the chuck 10 to adjust the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck 10. An opening is provided on the center side of the periphery of the chuck 10, a height adjustment mechanism closer to the center than the periphery of the chuck 10 is operated from the opening, and other height adjustment mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck 10. Since the operation is performed, even if the chuck 10 becomes large, the height of each point supporting the back surface of the chuck 10 is easily adjusted, and the flatness of the chuck 10 is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the opening 14 is provided substantially at the center of the chuck 10. However, the opening is not necessarily limited to the center portion of the chuck, and the peripheral portion and the center portion according to the size of the chuck and the like. It may be provided between them. That is, the opening may be provided at a position where the height adjusting mechanism closer to the center side than the peripheral edge of the chuck can be operated. In this embodiment, four openings are provided, but the number of openings is not limited to this.

  5A is a top view of the lid, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the BB portion of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the CC portion of FIG. 5A. It is. In FIG. 5A, a plurality of convex portions 11 are provided at predetermined intervals on the surfaces of the chuck 10 and the lid 14. The chuck 10 and the lid 14 are provided with a plurality of suction holes 13 for evacuating the vacuum compartment. The suction hole 13 is connected to a vacuum facility (not shown). The chuck 10 vacuum-sucks the substrate 1 by removing the air in each vacuum compartment divided by the bank 12 in FIG. In the periphery of the lid 14, screw holes for screwing set screws 45, 46, 50 to be described later are provided at a plurality of locations.

  5B and 5C, a ring-shaped support plate 40 that supports the lid 14 is attached to the periphery of the opening on the back surface of the chuck 10. The support plate 40 is fixed to the back surface of the chuck 10 with bolts 41 as shown in FIG. A step is provided at the bottom of the lid 14, and a ring-shaped lid bottom plate 42 is attached to the step. The step of the lid 14 and the lid bottom plate 42 are provided with a ring-shaped groove, and an O-ring 43 is fitted in the groove. The lid bottom plate 42 is fixed to the lid 14 with bolts 44 as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. The set screw 45 is screwed into a screw hole provided in the peripheral portion of the lid 14 and is fixed by a set screw 46. The lid bottom plate 42 is provided with a through hole through which the set screw 45 passes. The set screw 45 passes through the through hole of the lid bottom plate 42, protrudes from the bottom surface of the lid bottom plate 42, and contacts the support plate 40. In this embodiment, the height of the lid 14 is adjusted by removing the set screw 46, adjusting the screwing amount of the set screw 45, and tightening the set screw 46 again, and the surface of the lid 14 is adjusted to the surface of the chuck 10. To the same height. Using the set screw 45 protruding from the bottom surface of the lid 14, the height of the lid 14 is easily adjusted, and the surface of the lid 14 becomes the same height as the surface of the chuck 10, so that uneven exposure is suppressed.

  FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. The lid bottom plate 42 is provided with a through hole through which the bolt 49 passes, and a taper is provided on the edge of the bottom surface of the lid bottom plate 42. The support plate 40 is provided with a ring-shaped groove. In the present embodiment, after adjusting the height of the lid 14, the lid 14 is fixed to the support plate 40 with bolts 49, and the bolts 49 are fixed with set screws 50. At this time, the O-ring 47 is sandwiched between the support plate 40 and the taper of the bottom edge of the lid bottom plate 42. The O-ring 47 is pressed by the taper at the edge of the bottom surface of the lid bottom plate 42 to contact the chuck 10 and close the gap between the chuck 10 and the lid 14. Further, the O-ring 48 is fitted into the groove of the support plate 40. The O-ring 48 is sandwiched between the support plate 40 and the lid bottom plate 42 and closes the gap between the support plate 40 and the lid bottom plate 42. Since the gap between the chuck 10 and the lid 14 and the gap between the support plate 40 and the lid 14 are closed by O-rings 47 and 48, a vacuum section is formed around the opening, so that a bank is unnecessary and uneven exposure is suppressed. Further, since it is not necessary to make the size of the lid 14 close to the size of the opening, the lid 14 can be easily attached and detached.

  According to the embodiment described above, an opening is provided on the center side of the chuck 10 and the height adjusting mechanism closer to the center side of the chuck 10 is operated from the opening. By operating the height adjustment mechanism from the outside of the chuck 10, the height of each point that supports the back surface of the chuck 10 can be easily adjusted even if the chuck 10 becomes large in size, and the flatness of the chuck 10. Can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the height of the lid 14 is adjusted by protruding the set screw 45 from the bottom surface of the lid 14 and bringing the set screw 45 into contact with the support plate 40 to adjust the height of the lid 14. Can be easily adjusted, and the surface of the lid 14 can be made to be the same height as the surface of the chuck 10, so that uneven exposure can be suppressed.

  Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the chuck 10 is provided with the plurality of convex portions 11, the substrate 1 is supported by the plurality of convex portions 11, and the space between the portion other than the convex portions 11 and the substrate 1 is banked. 12 is divided into a plurality of vacuum compartments, the plurality of vacuum compartments are evacuated, and the gaps between the chuck 10 and the lid 14 and the gaps between the support plate 40 and the lid 14 are closed by O-rings 47 and 48. Since the vacuum compartment is formed from the periphery, the bank can be eliminated and uneven exposure can be suppressed. Moreover, attachment and removal of the lid | cover 14 can be made easy.

  The substrate is exposed using the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention, or the substrate is held by the chuck whose height is adjusted using the chuck height adjustment method of the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention, and the substrate is exposed. By doing so, the flatness of the chuck can be improved, so that the exposure accuracy can be improved. Moreover, since uneven exposure can be suppressed, the occurrence of defective products can be reduced. Therefore, a high-quality display panel substrate can be manufactured with a high yield.

  For example, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the TFT substrate of the liquid crystal display device. In the thin film formation step (step 101), a thin film such as a conductor film or an insulator film, which becomes a transparent electrode for driving liquid crystal, is formed on the substrate by sputtering, plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or the like. In the resist coating process (step 102), a photosensitive resin material (photoresist) is applied by a roll coating method or the like to form a photoresist film on the thin film formed in the thin film forming process (step 101). In the exposure step (step 103), the mask pattern is transferred to the photoresist film using a proximity exposure apparatus, a projection exposure apparatus, or the like. In the development step (step 104), a developer is supplied onto the photoresist film by a shower development method or the like to remove unnecessary portions of the photoresist film. In the etching process (step 105), a portion of the thin film formed in the thin film formation process (step 101) that is not masked by the photoresist film is removed by wet etching. In the stripping step (step 106), the photoresist film that has finished the role of the mask in the etching step (step 105) is stripped with a stripping solution. Before or after each of these steps, a substrate cleaning / drying step is performed as necessary. These steps are repeated several times to form a TFT array on the substrate.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the manufacturing process of the color filter substrate of the liquid crystal display device. In the black matrix forming step (step 201), a black matrix is formed on the substrate by processing such as resist coating, exposure, development, etching, and peeling. In the colored pattern forming step (step 202), a colored pattern is formed on the substrate by a dyeing method, a pigment dispersion method, a printing method, an electrodeposition method, or the like. This process is repeated for the R, G, and B coloring patterns. In the protective film forming step (step 203), a protective film is formed on the colored pattern, and in the transparent electrode film forming step (step 204), a transparent electrode film is formed on the protective film. Before, during or after each of these steps, a substrate cleaning / drying step is performed as necessary.

  In the TFT substrate manufacturing process shown in FIG. 8, in the exposure process (step 103), in the color filter substrate manufacturing process shown in FIG. 9, in the black matrix forming process (step 201) and the colored pattern forming process (step 202). In this exposure process, the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention or the chuck height adjustment method of the proximity exposure apparatus of the present invention can be applied.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the proximity exposure apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2A is a top view of the chuck, and FIG. 2B is a side view of the chuck and the chuck support. 3A is a top view of the chuck support, and FIG. 3B is a side view of the chuck support. It is a partial cross section side view of a height adjustment mechanism. 5A is a top view of the lid, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the BB portion of FIG. 5A, and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view of the CC portion of FIG. 5A. It is. It is the figure which expanded a part of FIG.5 (b). It is the figure which expanded a part of FIG.5 (c). It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the TFT substrate of a liquid crystal display device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the manufacturing process of the color filter board | substrate of a liquid crystal display device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate 2 Mask 3 Base 4 X guide 5 X stage 6 Y guide 7 Y stage 8 θ stage 10 Chuck 11 Convex part 12 Bank 13 Suction hole 14 Lid 15 Support part 16 Screw receiver 17 Cover 18 Bolt 20 Mask holder 30 Chuck support stand 31 Base plate 32 Circle 33 Spoke 34 Rim 35 Adjustment screw 36 Spring washer 37 Flat washer 38 Locking nut 40 Support plate 41, 44, 49 Bolt 42 Lid bottom plate 43, 47, 48 O-ring 45, 46, 50 Set screw

Claims (8)

A chuck for holding a substrate;
A chuck support for supporting the back surface of the chuck at a plurality of points;
The chuck support has a plurality of height adjustment mechanisms for adjusting the height of points that support the back surface of the chuck,
The chuck has an opening provided closer to the center than the peripheral edge, a lid attached to the opening, and a support means provided around the opening on the back surface to support the lid,
The height adjustment mechanism closer to the center than the peripheral edge of the chuck is operated from the opening, and the other height adjustment mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck to support the back surface of the chuck. A proximity exposure apparatus characterized by adjusting a height of a spot to be performed.   The proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lid has a screw that protrudes from a bottom surface and adjusts a height of the lid by contacting the support means. The chuck performs evacuation of a plurality of convex portions that support the substrate, a bank that divides the space between the portion other than the convex portion and the substrate into a plurality of vacuum compartments, and a plurality of vacuum compartments divided by the banks. A plurality of suction holes,
3. The proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an O-ring that closes a gap between the chuck and the lid and a gap between the support means and the lid. An opening is provided on the center side of the peripheral edge of the chuck holding the substrate, and a support means for supporting the lid is provided around the opening on the back surface of the chuck.
The chuck support base that supports the back surface of the chuck at multiple points is provided with multiple height adjustment mechanisms that adjust the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck, and the chuck is mounted on the chuck support base.
The height adjustment mechanism closer to the center than the peripheral edge of the chuck is operated from the opening, and the other height adjustment mechanisms are operated from the outside of the chuck to adjust the height of the point that supports the back surface of the chuck. A method for adjusting the chuck height of a proximity exposure apparatus, wherein a lid is attached to the opening of the chuck.   5. The method of adjusting the chuck height of a proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the height of the lid is adjusted by projecting a screw from the bottom surface of the lid and bringing the screw into contact with the support means. A plurality of protrusions are provided on the chuck, and the substrate is supported by the plurality of protrusions.
Divide the space between the part other than the convex part and the substrate into a plurality of vacuum compartments by bank, and vacuum the plurality of vacuum compartments,
6. The method for adjusting the chuck height of a proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the gap between the chuck and the lid and the gap between the support means and the lid are closed with an O-ring.   A method for manufacturing a display panel substrate, wherein the substrate is exposed using the proximity exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   A substrate is held by a chuck whose height is adjusted using the chuck height adjusting method of the proximity exposure apparatus according to claim 4, and the substrate is exposed. A method for manufacturing a display panel substrate.

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