JP2012226210A - Proximity scanning exposure apparatus and control method of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a proximity scanning exposure apparatus which can highly accurately detect foreign matter, does not damage a mask, and can highly precisely perform exposure even when the foreign matter exists on a conveyed substrate, and to provide a control method of the proximity scanning exposure apparatus.SOLUTION: A proximity scanning exposure apparatus 1 comprises: at least one foreign matter detection mechanism 40 which is provided on a carrying-in side of multiple mask holding parts 11 on a substrate conveyance mechanism 10 and which is for detecting foreign matter on a substrate W; a control part 15 having an approach and retreat function for making the mask holding parts 11 approach and retreat from the substrate W, on the basis of a foreign matter detection signal of the foreign matter detection mechanism 40; and multiple flash light sources 42 which are provided on both sides in a predetermined direction, of each foreign matter detection mechanism 40 and irradiate the substrate W with light.

Description

  The present invention relates to a proximity scan exposure apparatus and a control method therefor, and more particularly to a proximity scan exposure apparatus and a control method therefor that prevent contact with foreign substances adhering to a substrate when exposure is performed while the substrate is being transported.

  Large flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays and plasma displays used in large thin televisions and the like are manufactured by proximity exposure transfer of a mask pattern onto a substrate by a divided sequential exposure method. As a conventional sequential sequential exposure apparatus of this type, for example, a mask smaller than the substrate as the material to be exposed is used, the mask is held on the mask stage and the substrate is held on the work stage, and both are placed close to each other. In this state, the work stage is moved stepwise with respect to the mask, and the substrate is exposed to light for pattern exposure from the mask side at each step, thereby exposing a plurality of mask patterns drawn on the mask onto the substrate. There is known one in which a plurality of displays and the like are created on a single substrate by transfer.

Patent Document 1 describes a proximity scan exposure method in which exposure light is irradiated through a mask onto a substrate transported at a constant speed, and a mask pattern is exposed and transferred onto the substrate. .
In Patent Document 2, a plurality of line sensors arranged side by side along a predetermined direction are scanned in a direction orthogonal to the predetermined direction, and the reflected light of the light irradiated on the mask surface is received and A foreign object detection device for detecting a foreign object is described. In this apparatus, the plurality of line sensors are arranged so as to follow the bending shape of the mask surface when the mask is held while being separated from the mask surface, and cope with the bending of the mask surface as the mask becomes larger. I'm trying to do that.
Further, in Patent Document 3, the inspection area is scanned by moving the mask with respect to the inspection area in a state where the inspection area is illuminated on the pellicle stretched on the mask in a one-dimensional manner. A foreign object inspection device that detects scattered light from a CCD and creates a two-dimensional scattered light intensity map that associates the position on the pellicle with the scattered light detection result is described. It tries to detect well.

JP 2006-292955 A JP 2006-251480 A JP 2004-271421 A

  By the way, in the proximity scan exposure apparatus of Patent Document 1, when there is a foreign substance on the substrate, there is a problem that the mask comes in contact with the mask depending on the size of the foreign substance. In particular, when a small mask is used, the swell of the mask flatness due to the deflection of the mask is relatively small. Therefore, the gap between the mask and the substrate is set small to improve the exposure accuracy. The possibility that the mask will be damaged becomes higher. Therefore, it is required to accurately detect foreign matters existing on the substrate.

Therefore, it is conceivable to apply the foreign matter detection device on the mask surface described in Patent Document 2 or the foreign matter inspection device on the pellicle described in Patent Literature 3 to detect foreign matter present on the substrate.
However, in the foreign object detection device of Patent Document 2, since the foreign object is detected on the mask surface by receiving light while scanning the line sensor, there is a possibility that the foreign object detection accuracy may deteriorate.
Moreover, in the foreign material inspection apparatus of patent document 3, since the inspection area is illuminated by arranging the illumination device in a one-dimensional manner, there is a problem that the scattered light from the foreign material is insufficient and the accuracy of foreign object detection deteriorates. was there.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to detect foreign matter with high accuracy even when foreign matter is present on a substrate to be transported. It is an object of the present invention to provide a proximity scan exposure apparatus and a control method thereof that can perform exposure with high accuracy without damaging the surface.

The above object of the present invention can be achieved by the following constitution.
(1) a substrate transport mechanism for transporting a substrate in a predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask holding portions each holding a plurality of masks formed with a pattern, and arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask driving units for respectively driving the mask holding units;
A plurality of irradiation units that are respectively disposed on top of the plurality of mask holding units and irradiate exposure light; and
With
A proximity scan exposure apparatus that irradiates the substrate with the exposure light through the plurality of masks and exposes the patterns of the plurality of masks to the substrate;
At least one foreign matter detection mechanism provided on the substrate transport mechanism on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holding portions, for detecting foreign matter on the substrate;
A control unit having a proximity retreating function for retreating the mask holding unit close to the substrate based on a foreign matter detection signal of the foreign matter detection mechanism;
A plurality of lights that are provided on both sides of the predetermined direction of each of the foreign object detection mechanisms and irradiate the substrate with light;
A proximity scan exposure apparatus comprising:
(2) When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the foreign matter is removed from the mask holding portion. (2) The proximity scanning exposure apparatus according to (1), wherein the exposure is started again after the mask holding portion is brought close to the substrate after passing below the substrate.
(3) When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the remaining mask holding portions are The proximity scan exposure apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein the exposure is performed while being kept close to the substrate.
(4) In any one of (1) to (3), the foreign matter detection mechanism is a plurality of CCD cameras or line sensors arranged in parallel along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. The proximity scanning exposure apparatus described.
(5) The proximity scan exposure apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a plurality of the foreign matter detection mechanisms are arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. .
(6) a substrate transport mechanism for transporting the substrate in a predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask holding portions each holding a plurality of masks formed with a pattern, and arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask driving units for respectively driving the mask holding units;
A plurality of irradiation units that are respectively disposed on top of the plurality of mask holding units and irradiate exposure light; and provided on the substrate transport mechanism on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holding units, At least one foreign object detection mechanism for detection;
With
A method of controlling a proximity scan exposure apparatus that irradiates the substrate with the exposure light through the plurality of masks to the substrate transported in the predetermined direction and exposes the patterns of the plurality of masks on the substrate,
Detecting the presence or absence of foreign matter on the substrate to be transported by the foreign matter detection mechanism;
When the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detection mechanism, driving the mask driving unit to retract the mask holding unit from the substrate;
Driving the mask driver after passing through the foreign matter to bring the mask holder close to the substrate;
With
A control method for a proximity scan exposure apparatus, comprising: a plurality of illuminations that are provided on both sides in the predetermined direction of each of the foreign matter detection mechanisms and irradiate the substrate with light.
(7) When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the remaining mask holding portions are The method of controlling a proximity scan exposure apparatus according to (6), wherein the exposure is performed while being kept close to the substrate.

According to the proximity scan exposure apparatus of the present invention, there are provided at least one foreign matter detection mechanism provided on the substrate transport mechanism on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holders for detecting the foreign matter on the substrate, and the foreign matter detection mechanism. A control unit having a proximity retreat function for retreating the mask holding unit close to the substrate based on a foreign matter detection signal, and a plurality of illuminations provided on both sides in a predetermined direction of each foreign matter detection mechanism and irradiating the substrate with light Have. Therefore, since the scattered light that can be detected from one foreign matter can be generated twice by the illumination light provided on both sides in the predetermined direction of each foreign matter detection mechanism, the foreign matter detection accuracy can be improved. .
Further, since the foreign matter is detected before the foreign matter reaches the lower side of the mask and the mask holding portion is retracted, the collision between the mask and the foreign matter is avoided, so that the mask is not damaged.
Further, after passing the foreign matter, the exposure can be performed with high accuracy while minimizing unnecessary portions of the substrate by bringing the mask holding portion close to the mask again and starting exposure again.

Further, according to the control method of the proximity scan exposure apparatus of the present invention, the step of detecting the presence or absence of foreign matter on the substrate to be transported by the foreign matter detection mechanism, and the mask driving unit when the foreign matter is detected to drive the mask holding A step of retracting the part from the substrate, and a step of driving the mask driving unit after passing the foreign matter to bring the mask holding unit close to the substrate, provided on both sides in a predetermined direction of each foreign matter detection mechanism A plurality of lights for irradiating the substrate with light. Thereby, the scattered light that can be detected from one foreign matter can be generated twice by the illumination light on both sides in the predetermined direction of each foreign matter detection mechanism, so that the foreign matter detection accuracy can be improved.
Further, if the foreign matter is detected before the foreign matter reaches the lower side of the mask, the mask is prevented from being damaged because the mask is retracted from the substrate to avoid collision between the mask and the foreign matter.
Further, after passing the foreign matter, the exposure can be performed with high accuracy while minimizing unnecessary portions of the substrate by bringing the mask holding portion close to the mask again and starting exposure again.

1 is a plan view of a proximity scan exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of the proximity scan exposure apparatus in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows a foreign material detection mechanism and a flash light source. It is the figure which looked at the foreign material detection mechanism and the flash light source from the direction crossing the transport direction. It is the schematic for demonstrating the control method of the exposure apparatus at the time of a foreign material detection. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the control method of the exposure apparatus at the time of a foreign material detection. It is a schematic diagram which shows the foreign material detection mechanism and flash light source in the proximity scan exposure apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. (A) is a figure which shows the illumination intensity of each flash light source in FIG. 7, (b) is a figure which shows the illumination intensity at the time of superimposing each flash light source.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a proximity scan exposure apparatus and an exposure method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
First, the configuration of the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be schematically 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 transports it in a predetermined direction (X direction in FIG. 1). 10 and a plurality of masks M, each of which is arranged in two rows in a staggered manner along the direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) intersecting with a predetermined direction (in the embodiment shown in FIG. ) Mask holding unit 11, mask driving unit 12 that drives the mask holding unit 11, a plurality of irradiation units 14 that are arranged on the top of the plurality of mask holding units 11 and irradiate exposure light, and a scanning exposure apparatus And a control unit 15 for controlling the movement of each of the operating parts.

  The substrate transport mechanism 10 includes a floating unit 16 provided in a region for transporting the substrate W in the X direction, that is, a region below the plurality of mask holders 11 and a region extending from the bottom region to both sides in the X direction. And a substrate driving unit 17 that holds the one side in the Y direction (the upper side in FIG. 1) and conveys 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. 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 the apparatus 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 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 composed 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. The mask drive unit 12 may further include a tilt mechanism in the Z direction.

  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, the irradiation unit 14 disposed on the upper part of the mask holding unit 11 includes a light source 6, a mirror 7, an optical integrator (not shown), a shutter (not shown), and the like. As the light source 6, for example, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp, a xenon lamp or an ultraviolet light emitting laser that emits exposure light EL including ultraviolet light is used.

  Such a 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 levitation unit 16, and adsorbs one end of the substrate W by the substrate drive unit 17 in the X direction. Transport to. Then, the exposure light EL from the irradiation unit 14 is irradiated to the substrate W located below the mask holding unit 11 through the mask M, and the pattern of the mask M is transferred to the color resist applied to the substrate W. To do.

As shown in FIG. 2, a foreign matter detection mechanism 40 for detecting foreign matters such as dust on the substrate W is provided on the substrate transport mechanism 10 on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holders 11. The foreign matter detection mechanism 40 steadily detects the presence or absence of foreign matter during the operation of the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 and outputs a foreign matter (dust) detection signal in response to a request from the control unit 15. The control unit 15 is provided with a proximity retreat function for retreating the mask holding unit 11 from the substrate W based on the foreign object detection signal.
This proximity retreat function drives the Z-direction drive unit 34 of the mask drive unit 12 when a foreign object is detected, and retracts it to a necessary height in order to prevent damage to the mask M due to the contact of the foreign object. After passing through the foreign matter, the Z-direction drive unit 34 of the mask drive unit 12 is driven again to bring the mask holding unit 11 close to the substrate W.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the foreign object detection mechanism 40 is composed of a plurality of CCD cameras 41 arranged in parallel along a direction intersecting the transport direction X, and on both sides of the transport directions X of the plurality of CCD cameras 41. Are provided with a pair of flash light sources (illuminations) 42 for irradiating the substrate W with light. The light from the flash light source 42 is, for example, infrared.

  In the foreign matter detection mechanism 40, the flash light source 42 is turned on, and the substrate W is imaged by the CCD camera 41 in synchronization therewith, and the imaged substrate W is stored as image data. Then, the image data of the substrate W is threshold-processed, binarized, and the presence of the foreign matter G on the substrate W is confirmed with reference to a threshold value that can be recognized as the foreign matter G. As a method for specifying a threshold, there are a P-tile method, a mode method, a discriminant analysis method, a dynamic threshold determination method, a level slice, a Lablacian histogram method, a differential histogram, and the like.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when the substrate W is levitated and conveyed in the conveyance direction X, if there is a foreign substance G on the substrate W, one light is emitted by the flash light sources 42 on the upstream side and the downstream side. Since the scattered light that can be detected from the foreign substance G can be generated twice, the accuracy of detection of the foreign substance G by the CCD camera 41 (foreign substance detection mechanism 40) can be increased.

The operation when a foreign object is detected by the foreign object detection mechanism 40 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the substrate W in FIG. 5 is carried into the exposure apparatus from the X direction (conveyance direction) like the substrate W in FIG.
The substrate W lifted and transported in the transport direction X is detected by the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 for the presence or absence of the foreign matter G on the substrate W. When there is no foreign matter G in the cell 1W1 and the cell 2W2, the cell 1W1 and the cell 2W2 are exposed simultaneously. Next, the cells 3W3 and 4W4 are exposed. However, if the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 confirms the presence of the foreign matter G on the cell 4W4, the mask holder 11a is necessary to avoid the foreign matter G at the position J. Retreat to height. Then, after avoiding the foreign matter G, the non-exposed portion K between the cell 4W4 and the cell 6W6 moves to below the mask holding portion 11a, and the gap between the mask holding portion 11 and the substrate W is changed to a normal gap (for example, 100 to 400 μm). , Preferably 100 to 200 μm), and the cell 6W6 is exposed again. For this reason, a part of the cell 4W4 becomes the non-exposure area H, and the only useless cell is the cell 4W4. In this case, the proximity operation may be completed before the cell 6W6 enters the exposure area, and immediately after avoiding the foreign matter G, the mask holding unit 11a may be brought close to the cell 6W6. The speed may be temporarily reduced or stopped.
Then, the cell 5W5 and the cell 6W6 are exposed as they are without retracting the mask holding part 11 because there is no foreign matter G.

  In addition, since the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 is provided on the carry-in side (upstream side of the substrate flow) from the mask holding unit 11, if foreign matter exists on the substrate W, before it reaches the mask holding unit 11. It is detected in advance. For this reason, if the retracting operation of the Z-direction drive unit 34 is in time, the transport may be continued at a predetermined transport speed, and if the retracting operation is not in time, the vehicle is temporarily decelerated or stopped. Also good. When decelerating or stopping in this way, the integrated exposure amount of the cell 3W3 is affected, so the power supplied to the light source 6 corresponding to the cell 3W3 may be reduced, or the light may be temporarily blocked by a shutter. good. Alternatively, if the approaching operation of the Z-direction drive unit 34 is in time, it may continue to be transported at a predetermined transport speed, and if the retracting operation is not in time, it may be temporarily decelerated or stopped. good.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 is separated from the exposure area by a predetermined distance, that is, distances A and B from the carry-in side and carry-out side mask holding portions 11a and 11b, respectively. For this reason, the time from when the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 until it passes through the exposure area is determined by the distances A and B and the transport speed of the substrate W. For this reason, the drive timing of the Z-direction drive unit 34, the change in the transport speed of the substrate W, the shutter timing, and the like can improve the yield while avoiding the collision between the mask and the foreign matter based on the position of the foreign matter on the cell. To be determined. In addition, you may detect the passage of the foreign material in an exposure area using an encoder (not shown).

Hereinafter, specific processing will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the substrate W is levitated and supported by the levitating unit 16 of the substrate transport mechanism 10 and is adsorbed by the adsorption pad 22 of the substrate driving unit 17. In this state, the substrate W is transported toward the mask holding unit 11 by driving the ball screw mechanism 25 of the substrate driving unit 17.

When the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 detects that the substrate W has been transported within the foreign matter detection area range (step S1), the foreign matter detection operation is started (step S2). Then, the foreign matter detection result is read (step S3), and if no foreign matter is detected, the substrate W is transported as it is (step S4) and exposed at a position where the gap between the mask M and the substrate W becomes a normal gap.
On the other hand, when a foreign object is detected, the Z-direction drive unit 34 of the mask drive unit 12 is driven to retract the mask holding unit 11 upward from the interference area with the foreign object, thereby preventing damage to the mask M due to contact with the foreign object. (Step S5). Note that while the mask holding unit 11 is retracted upward, the substrate W is transported, and exposure is continuously performed except for the mask holding unit 11 retracted upward.

  Then, after avoiding the foreign matter, the substrate continues to be conveyed to the tip position of the unexposed cell (step S6), and it is determined whether or not it is the tip position of the unexposed cell (step S7). If there is no foreign matter, the Z-direction drive unit 34 is driven to move the mask holding unit 11 to a position where it becomes a normal gap (step S8). S9) The exposure operation is resumed (step S10). If there is a foreign substance, the substrate is transported to the next tip position of the next unexposed cell (step S11), and the operations from step S7 are repeated.

As described above, according to the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 and the control method thereof according to the present embodiment, in order to detect foreign matter on the substrate W provided on the substrate transport mechanism 10 on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holders 11. Foreign matter detection mechanism 40, a control unit 15 having a proximity retreat function for retreating the mask holding portion 11 from the mask M based on a foreign matter detection signal of the foreign matter detection mechanism 40, and a conveyance direction of the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 X has a pair of flash light sources 42 that irradiate the substrate W with light, so even if foreign matter G is present on the substrate W being transported, the upstream side and the downstream side With the irradiation light of the flash light source 42, scattered light that can be detected from one foreign matter G can be generated twice, and the foreign matter detection accuracy can be improved.
Further, since the foreign matter G can be detected before the foreign matter G reaches the lower side of the mask M, the mask holding portion 11 is retracted so that the collision between the mask M and the foreign matter is avoided and the mask is not damaged.
Further, after passing the foreign matter G, the useless portion of the substrate W can be minimized by bringing the mask holder 11 close to the mask M again and starting exposure again. The proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 before and after passing through the foreign matter G is exposed using a plurality of small masks M having good mask flatness, so that the gap between the mask M and the substrate W is also small. It can be set, and the damage of the mask M due to the foreign matter G can be surely prevented, and highly accurate exposure can be realized.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a proximity scan exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the proximity scan exposure apparatus of this embodiment has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, except for the foreign matter detection mechanism and the configuration of illumination, so that the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings. Is omitted or simplified.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the proximity scan exposure apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of foreign matter detection mechanisms 40, and the plurality of foreign matter detection mechanisms 40 are staggered along a direction intersecting the transport direction X. Has been placed. In the present embodiment, two foreign substance detection mechanisms 40 are provided on the upstream side and one on the downstream side. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as long as the foreign substance detection mechanisms 40 are arranged in a zigzag pattern along the direction intersecting the transport direction X. The number of foreign matter detection mechanisms 40 can be arbitrarily set. For example, one foreign matter detection mechanism 40 may be provided on the upstream side and two foreign matter detection mechanisms 40 may be provided on the downstream side.

  Further, a pair of flash light sources 42 are provided on both sides of the conveyance direction X of each foreign object detection mechanism 40, and the pair of flash light sources 42 intersect the conveyance direction X in the same manner as the arrangement of the foreign object detection mechanism 40. It is arranged in a staggered pattern along the direction. Here, in FIG. 7, the flash light source provided upstream of the foreign object detection mechanism 40 among the pair of flash light sources 42 is indicated by reference numeral 42 </ b> A, and the flash light source provided downstream of the foreign object detection mechanism 40 is indicated by reference numeral 42 </ b> A. The flash light source 42B in the upstream pair of flash light sources 42 and the flash light source 42A in the downstream pair of flash light sources 42 are set to be turned on simultaneously.

  In addition, the pair of upstream flash light sources 42 and the pair of downstream flash light sources 42 are provided so as to overlap each other in the transport direction X, more specifically, the pair of downstream flash light sources. The light source 42 is provided so as to overlap the pair of flash light sources 42 on the upstream side by a distance L on both sides in the width direction (direction intersecting the transport direction X).

  Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the distance L is the illuminance when the illuminances of the flash light source 42B in the pair of flash light sources 42 on the upstream side and the flash light source 42A in the pair of flash light sources 42 on the downstream side are superimposed. The width is set to be substantially constant except for both ends of the overlapped light source 42 in the width direction (direction intersecting the transport direction X). As described above, since the plurality of flash light sources 42 are arranged, the foreign matter inspection can be performed with higher accuracy.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A change, improvement, etc. are possible suitably.
For example, the foreign matter detection mechanism 40 is not limited to a plurality of CCD cameras 41, and may be a line sensor. In this case, the illumination provided on both sides of the conveyance direction X of each line sensor is set so as not to flash.

In the above-described embodiment, 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 driving unit 17. However, it may be held and transported.
Further, the present invention can be applied to a so-called stepwise proximity exposure apparatus that repeatedly performs exposure for each step on a substrate that is step-moved in a predetermined direction, and does not limit the exposure method.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the substrate W is a color filter substrate has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any substrate such as a semiconductor substrate may be used as long as it forms a predetermined exposure pattern.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Proximity scanning exposure apparatus 10 Substrate conveyance mechanism 11 Mask holding part 12 Mask drive part 14 Irradiation part 15 Control part 40 Foreign material detection mechanism 41 CCD camera 42 Flash light source (illumination)
EL Exposure light M Mask W Color filter substrate (substrate)
X Transport direction (predetermined direction)

Claims (7)

A substrate transport mechanism for transporting the substrate in a predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask holding portions each holding a plurality of masks formed with a pattern, and arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask driving units for respectively driving the mask holding units;
A plurality of irradiation units that are respectively disposed on top of the plurality of mask holding units and irradiate exposure light; and
With
A proximity scan exposure apparatus that irradiates the substrate with the exposure light through the plurality of masks and exposes the patterns of the plurality of masks to the substrate;
At least one foreign matter detection mechanism provided on the substrate transport mechanism on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holding portions, for detecting foreign matter on the substrate;
A control unit having a proximity retreating function for retreating the mask holding unit close to the substrate based on a foreign matter detection signal of the foreign matter detection mechanism;
A plurality of lights that are provided on both sides of the predetermined direction of each of the foreign object detection mechanisms and irradiate the substrate with light;
A proximity scan exposure apparatus comprising:   When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the foreign matter moves below the mask holding portion. 2. The proximity scan exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the passage, the mask holding unit is brought close to the substrate and exposure is started again. 3.   When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the remaining mask holding portion is attached to the substrate. 3. The proximity scan exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein exposure is performed while maintaining a state of being close to each other.   4. The proximity according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter detection mechanism is a plurality of CCD cameras or line sensors arranged in parallel along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. Scanning exposure device.   5. The proximity scan exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the foreign matter detection mechanisms are arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction. 6. A substrate transport mechanism for transporting the substrate in a predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask holding portions each holding a plurality of masks formed with a pattern, and arranged in a staggered manner along a direction intersecting the predetermined direction;
A plurality of mask driving units for respectively driving the mask holding units;
A plurality of irradiation units that are respectively disposed on top of the plurality of mask holding units and irradiate exposure light; and provided on the substrate transport mechanism on the carry-in side from the plurality of mask holding units, At least one foreign object detection mechanism for detection;
With
A method of controlling a proximity scan exposure apparatus that irradiates the substrate with the exposure light through the plurality of masks to the substrate transported in the predetermined direction and exposes the patterns of the plurality of masks on the substrate,
Detecting the presence or absence of foreign matter on the substrate to be transported by the foreign matter detection mechanism;
When the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detection mechanism, driving the mask driving unit to retract the mask holding unit from the substrate;
Driving the mask driver after passing through the foreign matter to bring the mask holder close to the substrate;
With
A control method for a proximity scan exposure apparatus, comprising: a plurality of illuminations that are provided on both sides in the predetermined direction of each of the foreign matter detection mechanisms and irradiate the substrate with light.   When the foreign matter detection mechanism detects that there is a foreign matter on the substrate, only the mask holding portion through which the foreign matter passes below is retracted from the substrate, and the remaining mask holding portion is attached to the substrate. 7. The method of controlling a proximity scan exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein exposure is performed while maintaining a state of being close to each other.

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