JP2010106297A - Mask alignment device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mask alignment device capable of precisely aligning a mask regardless of the material of the mask. <P>SOLUTION: The mask alignment device for aligning the mask for forming a pattern with a substrate on which thin film pattern is patterned includes: an alignment stage 10; a mask sucking body 20 attached to the upper stage of the alignment stage 10; a substrate holding means 30 arranged above the mask sucking body 20 and moved up and down; and a camera 40 for observing the alignment situation of the mask with the substrate by imaging an alignment mark on the mask and an alignment mark on the substrate. The mask sucking body 20 comprises a table 21 comprising a porous body and a mechanism for vacuum-sucking the table 21 from the lower surface side. The mask placed on the table is vacuum-sucked and to be aligned with the substrate in such a state that the warpage is corrected and as a result, precise alignment is carried out regardless of the material of the mask such as the metal mask, glass or the film of a non-magnetic body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention belongs to the technical field of thin film formation in which a thin film pattern is patterned on a substrate such as a glass plate, and more particularly to a mask alignment apparatus used in a vacuum deposition film forming process or a photolithographic exposure process.

  In general, when a thin film pattern such as an electrode is patterned on a glass or ceramic substrate used for a display substrate or the like, means such as a vacuum evaporation method or a photolithography method is employed. In some cases, a metal mask is used in a vacuum deposition method or a photolithographic exposure step. This metal mask is often used by removing the warp by setting it to the frame under tension, etc. by welding. However, if the patterning accuracy is low or the size is relatively small, the cost is low. In some cases, it is used as it is without being set in a frame.

  Further, in patterning using a metal mask, it is necessary to accurately align the metal mask with respect to the substrate. Alignment is performed by photographing the alignment mark on the metal mask and the substrate with a camera and aligning them manually or automatically. At this time, if a metal mask that is not set in the frame is used, Due to the warpage, the distance between the multiple alignment workpieces marked on the metal mask is recognized by the camera more narrowly than the original, and as a result, it does not match the distance between the multiple alignment marks provided on the substrate, and accurate alignment is achieved. It may not be possible. Therefore, there is a mask attaching / detaching apparatus using magnetism as a technique for solving the warp of the metal mask.

JP-A-11-158605

  The mask attaching / detaching apparatus using magnetism described above is adapted to generate a magnetic force with an electromagnet built in the metal mask installation portion, thereby attracting the metal mask over the entire surface and correcting the warp. However, when this apparatus is used, since a magnetic mask is magnetically attracted to the surface of the mask attracting body, there is a problem that a non-magnetic metal mask or a mask made of other materials cannot be attracted.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a mask alignment apparatus capable of performing accurate alignment regardless of the material of the mask.

  A mask alignment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a mask alignment apparatus that aligns a substrate on which a thin film pattern is to be patterned and a mask for pattern formation, and is attached to an upper part of the positioning stage and the positioning stage. A camera capable of observing the alignment of the mask suction body, the substrate holding means that can be moved up and down disposed above the mask suction body, and the alignment mark on the mask and the alignment mark on the substrate. The mask adsorbing body is characterized by comprising a table made of a porous body and a mechanism for vacuum suction through the table.

  A mask alignment apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the mask alignment apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the positioning squeegee is movable in a vertical direction with respect to the substrate and is moved in a two-dimensional direction in a horizontal plane. Further, it is characterized in that it can be rotated around an axis perpendicular to the substrate surface.

  The mask alignment apparatus of the present invention uses a porous body for the table of the mask adsorbing body, so that the mask placed on the table can be aligned with the substrate in a state where the mask is vacuum adsorbed and its warpage is corrected. Therefore, accurate alignment is possible regardless of the mask material such as a non-magnetic metal mask, glass or film.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a mask alignment apparatus according to the present invention. This mask alignment apparatus is provided in a mask attachment / detachment zone in a vacuum film formation apparatus, and a substrate on which a thin film pattern is to be patterned and a mask for pattern formation are aligned and aligned by the mask alignment apparatus. The mask moves to the adjacent deposition zone where the thin film is patterned.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mask alignment apparatus includes a positioning stage 10, a mask suction body 20 attached to the top of the positioning stage 10, and a suction pad that is movable above and below the mask suction body 20. And a pair of cameras 40 capable of imaging the alignment mark on the mask and the alignment mark on the substrate and observing the alignment status of both.

  The mask adsorbing body 20 is integrally attached with a table 21 made of a porous body with a gap α on the tray 22, and a suction pump (not shown) in a mounting hole 22 a formed beside the gap α. Is connected. Thus, when the suction pump is driven, the table 21 made of a porous material is vacuum-sucked from the lower surface.

  As the porous body used for the table 21 of the mask adsorbing body 20, a porous body having a structure with holes of large and small microns is used, and the lowering of the adsorbing force is small even when the work is not in contact with the entire adsorbing surface. Is done.

  As a material for such a porous body, various types made of a metal material or a non-metal material can be used. Among these, porous bodies made of non-metallic porous materials include porous bodies such as ceramic, glass, resin, carbon, etc., and porous bodies made of metallic porous materials include stainless steel, titanium, copper, nickel, A porous material such as aluminum can be used.

  The mask suction body 20 is mounted on a positioning stage 10 configured by combining an XY axis stage 11, a θ axis stage 12, and a Z axis stage 13. The mask adsorbing body 20 is attached to the support base 13a of the Z-axis stage 13, is movable in the vertical direction, that is, the Z-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the substrate surface), and is two-dimensional in the horizontal plane, that is, the XY axis. It can move in a direction (two-dimensional direction in a plane parallel to the substrate surface) and can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the substrate surface.

  Next, the operation of this mask alignment apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 2, the substrate B is placed on the mask suction body 20 in a state where the support base 13 a on which the mask suction body 20 is mounted is lowered to the lower limit by the Z-axis stage 13. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the mask suction body 20 is raised by the Z-axis stage 13, and the base material B is pressed and held on the suction pad 31 of the substrate holding means 30. Lower the axis stage 13 to the lower limit.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the mask M is placed on the mask adsorbing body 20, and the vacuum suction of the mask adsorbing body 20 is turned on, whereby the mask M is adsorbed by the porous body to thereby mask the adsorbing body. The mask M is set to 20. As a result, the mask M comes into close contact with the table 21 made of a porous material, and when there is a warp, the warp is corrected.

  After the mask M is set on the mask adsorbing body 20 in this way, as shown in FIG. 6, after the camera is aligned with the alignment mark Ba on the substrate B, the positioning stage 10 is operated, and the alignment mark Ma on the mask M is placed on the substrate. The substrate B and the mask M are aligned by matching with the alignment mark Ba of B.

  After aligning the substrate B and the mask M, as shown in FIG. 7, the mask M is pressed against the substrate B by operating the Z-axis stage 13 of the positioning stage 10 to raise the mask adsorbing body 20. Both M and the substrate B are fixed using the jig 50. Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the suction pad 31 is removed and the holding of the substrate B is released, and the positioning stage 10 is lowered to a position where the focus of the camera 40 matches the alignment marks Ba and Ma. After confirming that Ma is not displaced, as shown in FIG. 9, the positioning stage 10 is lowered to the lower limit, and then the vacuum suction of the mask adsorbing body 20 is turned off, so that the mask made of porous material is used. Release M suction. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the substrate B and the mask M are removed as a pair from the mask adsorbing body 20 and transferred from the mask attaching / detaching zone to the adjacent film forming zone.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above. However, the mask alignment apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various kinds of modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Of course, changes are possible.

It is a schematic block diagram of the mask alignment apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing of the mask alignment apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 2. It is the operation | movement explanatory stage following FIG. FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 4. It is the operation | movement explanatory stage following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is the operation | movement explanatory stage following FIG. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing following FIG. It is the operation | movement explanatory stage following FIG.

Explanation of symbols

B Substrate Ba Alignment Mark M Mask Ma Alignment Mark α Clearance 10 Positioning Stage 11 XY Axis Stage 12 θ Axis Stage 13 Z Axis Stage 13a Support Base 20 Mask Adsorbent 21 Table 22 Tray 22a Mounting Hole 30 Substrate Holding Means 31 Adsorption Pad 40 Camera 50 Jig

Claims (2)

  A mask alignment apparatus for aligning a substrate on which a thin film pattern is to be patterned and a mask for pattern formation, the positioning stage, a mask adsorber mounted on the upper part of the positioning stage, and disposed above the mask adsorber A vertically movable substrate holding means, and a camera capable of imaging the alignment mark on the mask and the alignment mark on the substrate and observing the alignment state of both, and the mask adsorbing body is made of a porous body. And a mechanism for vacuum suction through the table.   The positioning stage is configured to be movable in a vertical direction with respect to the substrate, to be movable in a two-dimensional direction in a horizontal plane, and to be rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the substrate surface. The mask alignment apparatus according to claim 1.

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