JP2011237649A - Exposure device and exposure method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an exposure device and an exposure method which facilitate an adjustment of a predetermined proximity gap when implementing proximity exposure with a large-sized photomask.SOLUTION: An exposure device 10 includes: a photomask 11 in which a mask pattern 13 having a shading part on one surface of a glass substrate 12 is formed; a mask holder 17 which holds the photomask 11; a sample stage 22 which holds an exposed member 21 separating from the photomask 11 with a proximity gap therebetween; an exposing source 31; a support member 15 which is provided at the shading part on the surface where the mask pattern 13 of the photomask 11 is formed and maintains the proximity gap; a stationary magnet 16 which is located at a place corresponding to the shading part on the surface of the glass substrate 12; and a rotating magnet 23 which controls mutual attraction and repulsion to and from the stationary magnet 16 at a place of sample stage 22 facing the stationary magnet 16.

Description

  The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus and an exposure method used for manufacturing a large substrate such as a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel.

  In a manufacturing process of a display device typified by a liquid crystal display panel or a plasma display panel, photolithography for forming a photomask pattern on a substrate using an exposure apparatus is used. As an exposure device, a projection system that projects a photomask pattern onto a substrate using a lens or mirror, and a small gap (proximity gap) between the mask and the substrate is provided to transfer the mask pattern to the substrate. Proximity method. As disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the proximity method is inferior in pattern resolution performance to the projection method, but the configuration of the irradiation optical system is simple, and the processing capability is high and suitable for mass production. Widely used.

JP-A-9-127702 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-194501

  However, in recent years, photomasks have also become larger with the increase in the size of display devices. Therefore, when proximity exposure is performed, if the photomask and the substrate to be exposed are kept in a predetermined proximity gap, it takes a long time to exhaust the air remaining in the gap between the photomask and the substrate to be exposed. The problem that it becomes necessary occurs.

  An object of the present invention is to solve such problems and to provide an exposure apparatus and an exposure method capable of easily realizing a predetermined proximity gap when proximity exposure is performed using a large photomask. .

  In order to achieve the above object, an exposure apparatus according to the present invention includes a photomask having a mask pattern having a light-shielding portion formed on one surface of a glass substrate, a mask holder for holding the photomask, a photomask and a proximity. An exposure apparatus having a sample stage for holding a member to be exposed through a gap and an exposure light source for transferring a mask pattern to the member to be exposed, wherein the proximity gap is formed on the light shielding portion of the surface on which the mask pattern of the photomask is formed A support member for maintaining the thickness of the glass substrate, a fixed magnet is provided at a position corresponding to the light-shielding portion on the glass substrate surface opposite to the surface on which the mask pattern is formed, and the fixed magnet is positioned at the position of the sample stage facing the fixed magnet. A variable magnet is provided for controlling adsorption and repulsion.

  According to such a configuration, when a proximity exposure is performed using a large photomask by attracting a fixed magnet provided on the photomask to a variable magnet provided on the sample stage, a predetermined proximity gap is provided. Adjustment becomes easy, and the time for adjustment can be shortened.

  Further, the fixed magnet is a plurality of fixed magnets having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, the variable magnet is a rotating magnet arranged with different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and a motor for rotating the rotating magnet is further provided. It is desirable to provide. According to such a configuration, the adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the variable magnet can be controlled with a simple configuration.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the variable magnet is an electromagnet. According to such a configuration, the adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the variable magnet can be controlled with a simple configuration.

  Furthermore, in the exposure method of the present invention, a photomask in which a mask pattern having a light-shielding portion is formed on one surface of a glass substrate and an exposed member are placed close to each other with a proximity gap, and the mask pattern is placed on the exposed member. In the exposure method for transferring to a glass substrate, adsorption and repulsion occur between a fixed magnet provided on the surface opposite to the surface on which the mask pattern of the glass substrate is formed and a variable magnet provided on the sample stage on which the exposed member is arranged. By performing, a proximity gap adjustment step of adjusting a proximity gap between the photomask and the exposed member is included.

  According to such a method, when a proximity exposure is performed using a large photomask by adsorbing a fixed magnet provided on the photomask to a variable magnet provided on the sample stage, a predetermined proximity gap is provided. Adjustment becomes easy, and the time for adjustment can be shortened.

  Further, the fixed magnet is a plurality of fixed magnets having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and the variable magnet is a rotating magnet arranged with different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and is fixed by rotating the rotating magnet. It is desirable to control the adsorption and repulsion of the magnet and rotating magnet. According to such a method, adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the variable magnet can be controlled by a simple method.

  Furthermore, the variable magnet is an electromagnet, and it is desirable to control the adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the electromagnet by switching the polarity of the electromagnet. According to such a method, adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the variable magnet can be controlled by a simple method.

  As described above, according to the exposure apparatus and the exposure method of the present invention, a predetermined proximity gap can be easily realized even when a large photomask is used.

It is a top view of the photomask for exposure in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the exposure apparatus in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the exposure method in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the exposure apparatus in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the conventional exposure method.

  The exposure apparatus and exposure method in the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
First, a conventional proximity exposure method will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a conventional proximity exposure method. As shown in FIG. 5, the photomask 51 is arranged on the sample stage 52 with a predetermined proximity gap G1 and exposed by the operations in the order of (a), (b), and (c).

  That is, in (a), the photomask 51 with the mask pattern formed on one side is placed on the mask holder 53 so that the mask pattern surface faces the sample stage 52 side. A gap of several tens of millimeters is secured between the photomask 51 and the sample stage 52. Through this gap, the exposed member 54 is supplied onto the sample stage 52 by a roller conveyor or a shuttle conveyance method, and held by a vacuum suction mechanism provided on the sample stage 52.

  Next, as shown in (b), the sample stage 52 is moved in the direction of the photomask 51 to approach the vicinity of a predetermined proximity gap G1, and the gap between the exposed member 54 and the photomask 51 is optical gap sensor. The gap adjustment is performed by the adjustment mechanism of the sample stage 52 while measuring by the above. The proximity gap G1 is generally adjusted within a range of 50 to 500 microns.

  At this time, the staying air 55 stays between the photomask 51 and the exposed member 54. The staying air 55 is exhausted from the gap between the photomask 51 and the exposed member 54 along the path of arrow A. Generally, in order to accurately transfer the mask pattern drawn on the photomask 51 to the exposed member 54, the proximity gap G1 between the photomask 51 and the exposed member 54 is as small and uniform as possible. It is desirable. Thereafter, exposure is performed as shown in (c). In order to start exposure, it is necessary to wait for a certain period of time until the staying air 55 is exhausted and reaches a predetermined gap.

  That is, as the display panel becomes larger and the size of the photomask 51 becomes larger, the time for exhausting the staying air 55 becomes longer, and the productivity of the exposure process decreases.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view of a photomask 11 used in the exposure apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the exposure apparatus 10. In FIG. 1, a photomask 11 has a configuration in which a mask pattern 13 is formed on one side of a glass substrate 12. As the material of the glass substrate 12, various materials such as soda lime glass, synthetic quartz glass, and low expansion glass similar to those for building materials and automobiles can be used. The material of the mask pattern 13 may be a metal film mainly composed of chromium or an emulsion type.

  In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, an example of multi-chamfering in which six mask patterns 13 are formed on one glass substrate 12 is shown. That is, the mask pattern 13 for six display panels is formed on one glass substrate 12. The number of mask patterns 13 is set as appropriate according to the application.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a region around each mask pattern 13 forms a light shielding portion 14, and a support member 15 and a fixed magnet for maintaining a proximity gap G <b> 2 in the region of the light shielding portion 14. 16 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the photomask 11 having the mask pattern 13 formed on one side of the glass substrate 12 is held by a mask holder 17. A support member 15 for maintaining the proximity gap G2 is provided on the light shielding portion 14 on the surface of the glass substrate 12 on which the mask pattern 13 is formed. A fixed magnet 16 is provided on the light shielding portion 14 on the surface where the mask pattern 13 is not formed.

  As the material of the support member 15, various known materials such as resin materials such as polyether ether ketone and fluororesin, metal materials such as brass and SUS304, and alumina-based ceramic materials are used. The fixed magnet 16 has a disk shape, and a plurality of fixed magnets 16 having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction are arranged. As the material of the fixed magnet 16, various known materials such as a ferrite magnet, a samarium cobalt magnet, and an alnico magnet are used in addition to a neodymium magnet subjected to rust prevention such as nickel plating.

  The support member 15 and the fixed magnet 16 are fixed by bolts 18. A gap adjusting shim ring 19 is inserted in the bottom portion of the support member 15, and the length of the portion of the support member 15 protruding from the photomask 11 is adjusted to be equal to a predetermined proximity gap G 2. Proximity gap G2 is typically adjusted within the range of 50 microns to 500 microns.

  Opposite to the photomask 11, a sample stage 22 that holds the exposed member 21 is provided. The sample stage 22 is movable in the three axis directions in the vertical and horizontal directions. The sample stage 22 is provided with rotating magnets 23 serving as a plurality of disk-shaped variable magnets having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction at positions facing the fixed magnet 16 of the photomask 11. The material of the rotating magnet 23 can be the same as that of the fixed magnet 16. Further, the rotating magnet 23 is connected to a motor 24, and the direction of the magnetic field can be changed by rotating the motor 24.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when the rotating magnet 23 and the fixed magnet 16 are arranged so as to have opposite magnetic poles, the attraction force works so that the photomask 11 and the exposed member 21 can be brought close to each other and rotate in the opposite direction. When the magnet 23 and the fixed magnet 16 are made to have the same magnetic pole, a repulsive force works, and the photomask 11 and the exposed member 21 can be pulled apart.

  The exposure apparatus 10 includes an exposure light source 31 so that parallel ultraviolet rays 32 from the exposure light source 31 are transferred to the exposed member 21 through the photomask 11.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an exposure method in which exposure is performed using the exposure apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment. The exposed member 21 is exposed in the order of S1, S2, S3, and S4.

  S <b> 1 is an arrangement step on the exposed member 21. In this step, the photomask 11 having the mask pattern 13 formed on one side is placed on the mask holder 17 so that the surface of the mask pattern 13 faces the sample stage 22 side. A gap of several tens of millimeters is secured between the photomask 11 and the sample stage 22. The exposed member 21 is supplied onto the sample stage 22 by this roller using a roller conveyor or a shuttle transport method, and is held by a vacuum suction mechanism provided on the sample stage 22.

  S2 is a proximity gap adjustment step. In this step, the sample stage 22 is moved in the direction of arrow B, and the exposed member 21 is moved closer to the photomask 11. At this time, the photomask 11 is bent so as to temporarily expand outward due to the staying air accumulated between the exposed member 21 and the photomask 11.

  Conventionally, after waiting for the air accumulated between the exposed member 21 and the photomask 11 to naturally escape in the direction of arrow A, the sample stage 22 is fine-adjusted while measuring the proximity gap to obtain a predetermined proximity gap. The method of setting to was performed. Therefore, it takes a lot of time to adjust the proximity gap.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment, the motor 24 is rotated so that the magnetic pole of the rotating magnet 23 is opposite to the opposing fixed magnet 16. As a result, the photomask 11 can be forcibly brought close to the exposed member 21, and the air accumulated between the photomask 11 and the exposed member 21 can be quickly exhausted in the direction of arrow A. At this time, the support member 15 whose protrusion amount is adjusted to a length equal to the proximity gap is brought into contact with the exposed member 21, and the interval between the photomask 11 and the exposed member 21 is instantaneously set to a predetermined proximity gap. can do. By these things, time until it reaches | attains a proximity gap can be significantly shortened compared with the past.

  S3 is an exposure step. In this step, the mask pattern 13 of the photomask 11 is transferred to the exposed member 21 by irradiating the photomask 11 with parallel ultraviolet rays 32 from the exposure light source 31.

  S4 is a step of separating the photomask 11, and shows a step of separating the photomask 11 from the exposed member 21. After the exposure in step S3, the motor 24 is rotated so that the magnetic pole of the rotating magnet 23 and the magnetic pole of the fixed magnet 16 facing each other are the same. As a result, the rotating magnet 23 and the fixed magnet 16 are repelled, and air enters from the direction of the arrow D, so that the photomask 11 can be quickly separated from the exposed member 21.

  1 and 3 show one of the plurality of support members 15 or fixed magnets 16 provided in the light shielding portion 14 of the photomask 11 shown in FIG. However, the sample stage 22 is controlled by being provided with a rotating magnet 23 and a motor 24 corresponding to the plurality of support members 15 or fixed magnets 16.

  Further, the number of the support members 15, the fixed magnets 16, and the rotating magnets 23 is arbitrarily determined depending on the size of the photomask 11 and the number of mask patterns 13 formed on one glass substrate 12. Can do.

  Note that according to the exposure apparatus 10 and the method of the first embodiment, the gap between the photomask 11 and the exposed member 21 can be adjusted by controlling the rotational speed of the motor 24 and the like. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate problems such as the support member 15 colliding with the exposed member 21 and giving an impact to the exposed member 21.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of exposure apparatus 40 in the second embodiment. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in FIG. In the second embodiment, the support member 15 and the fixed magnet 41 are fixed to the light shielding portion 14 of the glass substrate 12 using an adhesive. Further, the fixed magnet 41 has different magnetic poles on the front and back rather than in the circumferential direction. For example, an N pole is formed in contact with the surface opposite to the surface on which the mask pattern 13 is formed, and an S pole is formed thereon. Yes. An electromagnet 42 as a variable magnet is provided at the position of the sample stage 22 facing the fixed magnet 41 so that the direction of the magnetic field can be electrically reversed.

  In such an exposure apparatus 40, as in the first embodiment, in the proximity gap adjustment step, the direction of the magnetic field is reversed by the electromagnet 42 and the fixed magnet 41 is attracted to reach the proximity gap. Time can be significantly reduced.

  In the second embodiment, the electromagnet 42 is used as the variable magnet. Therefore, by controlling the voltage applied to the electromagnet 42, it becomes possible to control the adjustment time of the proximity gap, etc., and the support member 15 collides with the exposed member 21 and impacts the exposed member 21. You can eliminate problems such as giving.

  As described above, according to the exposure apparatus 40 and the exposure method in the first and second embodiments, a large-sized photo can be obtained by attracting the fixed magnet provided on the photomask to the magnet provided on the sample stage. When proximity exposure is performed using a mask, the time until a predetermined proximity gap is reached can be shortened.

  The exposure apparatus and the exposure method according to the present invention facilitate adjustment of a predetermined proximity gap when performing proximity exposure, and are useful as an exposure apparatus and exposure method in manufacturing a large-sized image display device such as a PDP.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,40 Exposure apparatus 11,51 Photomask 12 Glass substrate 13 Mask pattern 14 Light-shielding part 15 Support member 16,41 Fixed magnet 17,53 Mask holder 18 Bolt 19 Shim ring 21,54 Exposed member 22,52 Sample stage 23 Rotating magnet 24 motor 31 exposure light source 32 ultraviolet ray 42 electromagnet 55 stagnant air

Claims (6)

A photomask having a mask pattern having a light-shielding portion formed on one surface of a glass substrate; a mask holder for holding the photomask; and a sample stage for holding an exposed member via the photomask and a proximity gap. An exposure apparatus having an exposure light source for transferring the mask pattern to the exposed member, and a support member for maintaining the proximity gap in the light shielding portion of the surface of the photomask on which the mask pattern is formed A fixed magnet is provided at a position corresponding to the light shielding portion on the glass substrate surface opposite to the surface on which the mask pattern is formed, and the fixed magnet is disposed at a position of the sample stage facing the fixed magnet. An exposure apparatus provided with a variable magnet for controlling the adsorption and repulsion of the film. The fixed magnet is a plurality of fixed magnets having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, the variable magnet is a rotating magnet arranged with different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and a motor that further rotates the rotating magnet The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable magnet is an electromagnet. An exposure method in which a photomask having a mask pattern having a light-shielding portion formed on one surface of a glass substrate and a member to be exposed are placed close to each other with a proximity gap, and the mask pattern is transferred to the member to be exposed. By performing adsorption and repulsion between a fixed magnet provided on the surface opposite to the surface on which the mask pattern of the glass substrate is formed and a variable magnet provided on a sample stage on which the light shielding member is disposed, An exposure method comprising: a proximity gap adjustment step of adjusting the proximity gap between a photomask and the exposed member. The fixed magnet is a plurality of fixed magnets having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and the variable magnet is a rotating magnet arranged having different magnetic poles in the circumferential direction, and rotating the rotating magnet The exposure method according to claim 4, wherein adsorption and repulsion of the fixed magnet and the rotating magnet are controlled. The exposure method according to claim 4, wherein the variable magnet is an electromagnet, and adsorption and repulsion between the fixed magnet and the electromagnet are controlled by switching the polarity of the electromagnet.

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