JP2014184716A - Pattern formation device and pattern formation method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To butt a proof or a board on a blanket with the high precision of position.SOLUTION: While the peripheral part of a blanket being held in adsorptive manner by a frame-like lower stage 61, the central part of the blanket is locally held by a plurality of hands 625 which can rise and fall individually. By making a transfer roller unit 64 run along the undersurface of the blanket so as to push up the blanket partially, the blanket is abutted on the proof or board arranged above a blanket. Since the hand 625 descends in series with movement of the transfer roller unit 64 so as to evacuate downward, the interference with the transfer roller unit 64 is avoided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a pattern forming apparatus and a pattern forming method for forming a pattern by patterning a pattern forming material carried on a blanket with a plate or transferring the formed pattern onto a substrate.

  As a technique for forming a pattern on a substrate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate, there is a technique in which a pattern is transferred to a substrate by bringing a blanket carrying the pattern into close contact with the substrate. Further, as a technique for supporting a pattern on the blanket, a plate (negative plate) is pressed against a uniform film formed on the blanket surface by a pattern forming material, and unnecessary portions of the film are adhered to the plate and removed. Thus, there is a pattern forming (patterning) by leaving only a portion to be a pattern on the blanket.

  As one of such techniques, for example, a printing technique such as that described in Patent Document 1 is applied to pattern transfer. For example, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, a plate that is tensioned in one direction and stretched on a frame is disposed above the substrate in a state of being inclined with respect to the substrate, and the press roller is used to fix the plate to one end thereof. The pattern on the plate is transferred to the substrate by sequentially pressing the substrate on the substrate and then peeling the plate.

JP 07-125179 A JP 2002-036499 A

  In the prior art, there remains room for improvement in the alignment accuracy between the plate and the substrate. That is, in the above technique, it is necessary to hold the plate in a state where the upper surface of the plate is opened due to the roller contact, and in order to prevent the plate from contacting the substrate due to its own weight, the original plate and the substrate The gap must be taken to some extent. For this reason, it is easy to produce the position shift in the process which makes both approach and press from the state. In addition, alignment can be performed on one end side where the substrate and the plate are close to each other, but alignment cannot be performed on the other end side, and positional displacement can gradually increase in the process of pressing in order from the end. There is sex.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a pattern forming apparatus and a pattern forming method for forming a pattern by bringing a plate or substrate into contact with a blanket, the plate or substrate and the blanket are brought into contact with high positional accuracy. The purpose is to provide a technology that can do this.

  In order to achieve the above object, the pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention has a plurality of local support portions that locally abut on the lower surface of a blanket that supports the pattern forming material on one surface and support the blanket from the lower surface side. And a first holding means for supporting the blanket in a horizontal posture with the carrying surface of the pattern forming material facing upward, a plate for patterning the pattern forming material, or a substrate onto which a pattern is transferred. Second holding means for holding the object to be processed in close proximity to the upper surface of the blanket held by the first holding means, and an effective area of the central portion of the blanket partially from the lower surface side of the blanket. Pushed up and brought into contact with the object to be processed held by the second holding means, and moved along the lower surface of the blanket. To and includes a push-up member for changing the push-up position of the blanket, and a lifting means for individually lifting the plurality of local support.

  In the invention configured as described above, the blanket is brought into contact with the processing target by partially pushing up the blanket from the lower surface side of the blanket arranged oppositely below the processing target (plate or substrate). In such a configuration, since there is no particular restriction on the holding of the processing object arranged on the upper side, the holding in a state in which the bending is suppressed is possible. On the other hand, the blanket arranged on the lower side may be bent downward by its own weight in a state where the central portion is opened. Therefore, in the present invention, the local support portion is locally brought into contact with the central portion of the blanket from the lower surface. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the blanket from being bent and maintain the horizontal posture.

  For this reason, the object to be processed and the blanket can be brought closer to each other than in the prior art, and the gap between them can be set to an extremely small value. Moreover, arrangement | positioning so that a process target object and a blanket may become mutually parallel is possible. Therefore, it is possible to perform alignment in a state where the two are close to each other in this way, and since the relative movement amount from the close state until the blanket is pushed up and brought into contact with the object to be processed is small. Can be kept small.

  Since the plurality of local support portions can be raised and lowered individually, they can be separated from and abutted on the blanket independently of each other. Therefore, with the movement of the push-up member, the local support portion that can be an obstacle to the movement can be separated from the blanket and retracted, and the local support portion does not interfere with the movement of the push-up member.

  From these things, according to this invention, it is possible to contact | abut the plate | board or board | substrate and blanket as a process target object with high positional accuracy. Note that the contact between the object to be processed and the blanket here is a concept including contact of both via the pattern material supported on the support surface of the blanket.

  For example, each of the local support portions can be sequentially lowered from the state where each of the local support portions is in contact with the lower surface of the blanket as the push-up member moves. More specifically, for example, a plurality of local support portions are arranged along the moving direction of the push-up member, and the elevating means can lower the local support portions in the order along the moving direction of the push-up member. . In this way, the blanket can be supported by the local support portion at the position where the push-up member has not reached, while the local support portion is lowered as the push-up member approaches, thereby supporting the push-up member and the local support. Interference with the part can be avoided.

  Further, for example, the push-up member pushes up a region longer than the length of the effective region along one axial direction on the lower surface of the blanket, and each of the local support portions is extended with the axial direction as the longitudinal direction. The contact surface may be configured to contact the blanket. By pushing up a region longer than the length of the effective region in a lump, the blanket can be pressed against the processing object with a uniform pressing force in the axial direction. At this time, the local support portion abuts on the blanket at the abutting surface whose longitudinal direction is the direction coincident with the axial direction of the push-up member, effectively preventing the blanket from being bent in the direction along the axial direction, Blanket twisting can be suppressed.

  In this case, for example, a support member that extends in the axial direction along the push-up member and has a support portion that rotatably supports the push-up member at both ends and a leg portion that extends downward from a substantially central portion of the support portion in the axial direction. And a moving mechanism for moving the support member in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction, and a pair of local support portions are arranged side by side in the axial direction and spaced apart from each other. It arrange | positions along with the direction orthogonal to a direction, and it may be comprised so that the leg part of a supporting member may pass the space | gap between the local support parts which make each pair. In such a configuration, while the push-up member is rotatably supported by the support member, the leg portion can be moved without interfering with the lowered local support portion.

  Further, for example, the first holding means has a holding frame that holds a peripheral portion outside the effective area of the blanket in a state where the lower area of the effective area of the blanket is opened, and the plurality of local support portions are included in the blanket. You may comprise so that it may contact | abut to the lower surface of a blanket inside the peripheral part hold | maintained by the holding frame. By holding the blanket periphery, the blanket can be brought closer to a horizontal posture. Further, by holding the peripheral edge by the holding frame, it is possible to suppress the blanket from being displaced in the horizontal direction even when the local support portion is separated.

  Further, in order to achieve the above object, the pattern forming method according to the present invention locally provides a plurality of local support portions that can be lifted and lowered independently from each other with respect to the lower surface of the blanket carrying the pattern forming material on one surface. A first step of supporting the blanket in a horizontal posture with the support surface of the pattern forming material facing upward, and a plate for patterning the pattern forming material or a substrate onto which the pattern is transferred As a processing object, a second step in which a lower surface of the processing object and the carrying surface of the blanket are disposed in close proximity to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a push-up member is brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket so that the push-up member The blanket is partly pushed up and brought into contact with the object to be processed, and the push-up part is formed along the lower surface of the blanket. And a third step of moving, in the third step, said along with the movement of the lifting member is lowered in order the local support portion is moved away from the blanket.

  In the invention configured as described above, the blanket and the object to be processed can be brought into contact with each other with a slight relative movement from a state in which the blanket and the object to be processed are opposed to each other with a minute gap therebetween, as in the pattern forming apparatus described above. The blanket and the object to be processed can be brought into contact with high positional accuracy.

  In this invention, for example, in the first step, a plurality of local support portions are arranged along the moving direction of the push-up member, and in the third step, the local support portions are lowered in the order along the moving direction of the push-up member. Also good. Further, for example, in the first step, a pair of local support portions are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the push-up member, and a plurality of pairs of local support portions are arranged along the moving direction and spaced apart from each other, In the third step, the local support portions paired with each other may be lowered integrally with the movement of the push-up member. The effects achieved by these configurations are the same as those of the pattern forming apparatus described above.

  For example, in the third step, when the distance between the contact position between the push-up member and the blanket and the contact position between the one local support portion and the blanket is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the local support portion is lowered. It may be. Since there is a possibility that the blanket is bent by its own weight at a position away from the contact position with the push-up member, support by the local support portion is effective for maintaining the posture. On the other hand, at a position close to the contact position with the push-up member, the push-up member itself has an action of supporting the blanket from below, so that the necessity for support by the local support portion is low. Therefore, the timing for lowering each local support portion can be determined according to the distance between the contact position where the local support portion contacts the blanket and the contact position between the push-up member and the blanket. If it carries out like this, it is possible to also suppress the bending of a blanket, preventing the contact with a local support part and a pushing-up member reliably.

  Further, for example, in the first step, the peripheral edge of the blanket is held by the holding frame, and a plurality of local support portions are brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket inside the peripheral edge held by the holding frame of the blanket. In the three steps, the local support portion may be lowered while maintaining the blanket peripheral portion held by the holding frame. By holding the blanket periphery, the blanket can be brought closer to a horizontal posture. Further, by holding the peripheral edge by the holding frame, it is possible to suppress the blanket from being displaced in the horizontal direction even when the local support portion is separated.

  According to this invention, since the blanket can be maintained in a horizontal posture by locally supporting the central portion of the blanket with the plurality of local support portions, the plate or substrate as the processing object and the blanket are parallel and They can be placed close to each other. For this reason, it is possible to make the positional deviation at the time of contact small, and to contact the plate or substrate which is a processing object, and the blanket with high position accuracy.

1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of this pattern formation apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a lower stage block. It is a figure which shows the structure of a raising / lowering hand unit. It is a figure which shows the structure of a transfer roller unit. It is a figure which shows the structure of an upper stage assembly. It is a flowchart which shows a pattern formation process. It is a 1st figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 2nd figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 3rd figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 4th figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 5th figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 6th figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of processing. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a plate | board or a board | substrate, and a blanket. It is a 7th figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of a process. It is a 1st figure which shows the positional relationship of a blanket, a transfer roller, and a hand. It is a 2nd figure which shows the positional relationship of a blanket, a transfer roller, and a hand. It is a figure which shows the principal part of 2nd Embodiment of the pattern formation apparatus concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of a support hand mechanism, and its movement. It is a figure which shows the more detailed structure of a blanket receiving member. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a blanket receiving member, a board | substrate, and a blanket. It is a 1st figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of the pattern formation processing of a 2nd embodiment. It is a 2nd figure which shows typically the positional relationship of each part of an apparatus in each step of the pattern formation process of 2nd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the pattern forming apparatus. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the external cover is removed to show the internal configuration of the apparatus. In order to uniformly indicate the direction in each figure, XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes are set as shown in the lower right of FIG. Here, the XY plane represents a horizontal plane and the Z axis represents a vertical axis. More specifically, the (+ Z) direction represents a vertically upward direction. The front direction when viewed from the apparatus is the (−Y) direction, and access to the apparatus from the outside, including loading and unloading of articles, is made along the Y-axis direction.

  The pattern forming apparatus 1 has a structure in which an upper stage block 4 and a lower stage block 6 are attached to a main frame 2. In FIG. 1, in order to clearly show the distinction between the blocks, the upper stage block 4 is provided with dots having a coarse pitch, and the lower stage block 6 is provided with dots having a finer pitch. In addition to the above, the pattern forming apparatus 1 has a control unit 7 (FIG. 2) that controls each part of the apparatus according to a processing program stored in advance and executes a predetermined operation. Detailed configurations of the upper stage block 4 and the lower stage block 6 will be described later. First, the overall configuration of the apparatus 1 will be described.

  The pattern forming apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a pattern by bringing the blanket BL held by the lower stage block 6 and the plate PP or the substrate SB held by the upper stage block 4 into contact with each other. More specifically, the pattern forming process by the apparatus 1 is as follows. First, the coated layer carried on the blanket BL is patterned by bringing a plate PP created corresponding to the pattern to be formed into contact with the blanket BL on which the pattern forming material is uniformly applied (see FIG. Patterning process). Then, by bringing the blanket BL thus patterned and the substrate SB into contact, the pattern carried on the blanket BL is transferred to the substrate SB (transfer process). As a result, a desired pattern is formed on the substrate SB.

  As described above, the pattern forming apparatus 1 can be used for both the patterning process and the transfer process in the pattern forming process for forming a predetermined pattern on the substrate SB. However, the pattern forming apparatus 1 is responsible for only one of these processes. May be used.

  The lower stage block 6 of the pattern forming apparatus 1 is supported by the base frame 21 of the main frame 2. On the other hand, the upper stage block 4 is attached to a pair of upper stage support frames 22 and 23 that are erected from the base frame 21 and extend in the Y direction so as to sandwich the lower stage block 6 from the X direction.

  Further, a pre-alignment camera for detecting the positions of the substrate SB and the blanket BL carried into the apparatus is attached to the main frame 2. More specifically, three substrate pre-alignment cameras 241, 242, and 243 for detecting the edge of the substrate SB carried into the apparatus along the Y-axis direction at three different positions are provided on the upper stage support frame 22. , 23 are respectively attached to booms erected. Similarly, three blanket pre-alignment cameras 244, 245 and 246 for detecting the edge of the blanket BL carried into the apparatus along the Y-axis direction at three different positions are provided from the upper stage support frames 22 and 23. Each is attached to a standing boom. In FIG. 1, one blanket pre-alignment camera 246 located behind the upper stage block 4 does not appear. In FIG. 2, the substrate pre-alignment camera is abbreviated as “substrate PA camera”, and the blanket pre-alignment camera is abbreviated as “blanket PA camera”.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the lower stage block. In the lower stage block 6, pillars 602 are erected in the vertical direction (Z direction) at the four corners of a plate-shaped alignment stage 601 with an opening at the center, and the stage support plate 603 is supported by these pillars 602. ing. Although not shown, at the lower part of the alignment stage 601, there are three degrees of freedom in the rotational direction (hereinafter referred to as “θ direction”), the X direction and the Y direction with the rotational axis extending in the vertical direction Z as the rotational center. An alignment stage support mechanism 605 (FIG. 2) such as a cross roller bearing is provided, and the alignment stage 601 is attached to the base frame 21 via the alignment stage support mechanism 605. Therefore, the alignment stage 601 can move in a predetermined range in the X direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction with respect to the base frame 21 by the operation of the alignment stage support mechanism 605.

  An annular rectangular lower stage 61 having an upper surface substantially coincident with a horizontal plane and having an opening window 611 formed at the center is disposed above the stage support plate 603. A blanket BL is placed on the upper surface of the lower stage 61, and the lower stage 61 holds it.

  The opening size of the opening window 611 needs to be larger than the planar size of the effective area (not shown) in the central portion that effectively functions as the pattern formation area in the surface area of the blanket BL. That is, when the blanket BL is placed on the lower stage 61, the entire area corresponding to the effective area on the lower surface of the blanket BL faces the opening window 611, and the lower part of the effective area needs to be completely open. is there. The coating layer made of the pattern forming material is formed so as to cover at least the entire effective area.

  The upper surface 61a of the lower stage 61 is provided with a plurality of grooves 612 along the peripheral edges of the opening window 611. Each groove 612 is a negative pressure supply section of the control unit 7 via a control valve (not shown). 704 is connected. Each groove 612 is disposed in a region having a planar size smaller than the planar size of the blanket BL. Then, as indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the figure, the blanket BL is placed on the lower stage 61 so as to cover all the grooves 612. In order to enable this, a stopper member 613 for restricting the position of the blanket BL is appropriately disposed on the lower stage upper surface 61a.

  By supplying negative pressure to each groove 612, each groove 612 functions as a vacuum suction groove, and thus the four sides of the peripheral portion of the blanket BL are sucked and held on the upper surface 61a of the lower stage 61. By configuring the vacuum suction groove with a plurality of independent grooves 612, even if a vacuum break occurs in some of the grooves for some reason, the suction of the blanket BL by other grooves is maintained, so that the blanket BL can be securely attached. Can be held. Further, the blanket BL can be adsorbed with a stronger adsorbing force than when a single groove is provided.

  Below the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61, there are provided lifting hand units 62 and 63 for moving the blanket BL up and down in the Z-axis direction, and a transfer roller unit 64 that abuts and pushes up the blanket BL from below. Yes.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the structure of the lifting hand unit. Since the structures of the two lifting hand units 62 and 63 are the same, the structure of one lifting hand unit 62 will be described here. The elevating hand unit 62 has two support columns 621 and 622 erected in the Z direction from the base frame 21, and a plate-like slide base 623 can move up and down with respect to these support columns 621 and 622. It is attached. More specifically, guide rails 6211 and 6221 extending in the vertical direction (Z direction) are attached to the two support columns 621 and 622, respectively, and attached to the rear surface of the slide base 623, that is, the (+ Y) side main surface. The slider (not shown) is slidably attached to the guide rails 6211 and 6221. Then, for example, an elevating mechanism 624 having an appropriate drive mechanism such as a motor and a ball screw mechanism moves the slide base 623 up and down in accordance with a control command from the control unit 7.

  A plurality (four in this example) of hands 625 are attached to the slide base 623 so as to be movable up and down. The structure of each hand 625 is basically the same except that the shape of the base portion differs depending on the arrangement position. Each hand 625 is fixed to a slider 627 that is slidably engaged with a guide rail 626 that is attached to the front surface of the slide base 623, that is, the (−Y) side main surface along the vertical direction (Z direction). Has been. The slider 627 is connected to an elevating mechanism 628 having an appropriate drive mechanism such as a rodless cylinder attached to the back surface of the slide base 623, and moves up and down with respect to the slide base 623 by the operation of the elevating mechanism 628. To do. Each hand 625 is provided with an independent lifting mechanism 628, and each hand 625 can be moved up and down individually.

  That is, in the elevating hand unit 62, the elevating mechanism 624 moves the slide base 623 up and down to integrally move the hands 625 up and down, and the elevating mechanisms 628 operate independently to allow the hands 625 to move up and down. Can be raised and lowered individually.

  The upper surface 625a of the hand 625 is finished in an elongated flat surface with the Y direction as the longitudinal direction, and the upper surface 625a can be brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL to support the blanket BL. Further, the upper surface 625a is provided with an adsorption hole 625b communicating with a negative pressure supply unit 704 provided in the control unit 7 through a pipe and a control valve (not shown). As a result, negative pressure from the negative pressure supply unit 704 is supplied to the suction hole 625b as necessary, and the blanket BL can be sucked and held on the upper surface 625a of the hand 625. Therefore, it is possible to prevent slipping when the hand 625 supports the blanket BL.

  In addition, an appropriate gas, for example, dry air or inert gas, is supplied to the adsorption hole 625b from a gas supply unit 706 of the control unit 7 via a pipe and a control valve (not shown) as necessary. That is, the negative pressure from the negative pressure supply unit 704 and the gas from the gas supply unit 706 are selectively supplied to the suction hole 625 b by opening and closing each control valve controlled by the control unit 7.

  When the gas from the gas supply unit 706 is supplied to the adsorption hole 625b, a small amount of gas is discharged from the adsorption hole 625b. Thereby, a minute gap is formed between the lower surface of the blanket BL and the upper surface 625a of the hand, and the hand 625 is in a state of being separated from the lower surface of the blanket BL while supporting the blanket BL from below. Therefore, the blanket BL can be moved in the horizontal direction without being rubbed against each hand 625 while the blanket BL is supported by each hand 625. In addition, you may provide a gas discharge hole in the hand upper surface 625a separately from the adsorption hole 625b.

  Returning to FIG. 3, in the lower stage block 6, the lifting hand units 62, 63 having the above-described configuration are disposed facing each other so as to face the Y direction with the hand 625 facing inward. In the state where each hand 625 is lowered most, the upper surface 625a of the hand is located below the lower stage upper surface 61a, that is, a position that is largely retracted in the (−Z) direction. On the other hand, in the state where each hand 625 is raised most, the tip of each hand 625 protrudes upward from the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61, and the hand upper surface 625a is above the lower stage upper surface 61a, that is, in the (+ Z) direction. To the position protruding.

  Further, when viewed from above, a certain distance is provided between the tips of the hands 625 facing each other of the elevating hand units 62 and 63 so that they do not come into contact with each other. Further, as will be described next, the transfer roller unit 64 moves in the X direction using this gap.

  FIG. 5 shows the structure of the transfer roller unit. The transfer roller unit 64 includes a transfer roller 641 that is a cylindrical roller member extending in the Y direction, and a support frame that extends in the Y direction along the lower side of the transfer roller 641 and rotatably supports the transfer roller 641 at both ends thereof. 642 and an elevating mechanism 644 that has an appropriate drive mechanism and moves the support frame 642 up and down in the Z direction. The transfer roller 641 is not connected to a rotation drive mechanism and rotates freely. Further, the support frame 642 is provided with a backup roller 643 that comes into contact with the surface of the transfer roller 641 from below to prevent the transfer roller 641 from bending.

  The length of the transfer roller 641 in the Y direction is shorter than the length of the four sides of the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61 along the Y direction, that is, the opening dimension of the opening window 611 in the Y direction, and will be described later. It is longer than the length along the Y direction of the plate PP or the substrate SB when held on the upper stage. Since the effective area effective as a pattern formation area in the blanket BL is naturally equal to or shorter than the length of the plate PP or the substrate SB, the transfer roller 641 is longer than the effective area in the Y direction.

  The elevating mechanism 644 includes a base portion 644a and support legs 644b extending upward from the base portion 644a and connected to the vicinity of the center of the support frame 642 in the Y direction. The support leg 644b can move up and down with respect to the base portion 644a by an appropriate drive mechanism such as a motor or a cylinder. The base portion 644a is slidably attached to a guide rail 646 extending in the X direction, and is further coupled to a moving mechanism 647 having an appropriate driving mechanism such as a motor and a ball screw mechanism. . The guide rail 646 is attached to the upper surface of the lower frame 645 that extends in the X direction and is fixed to the base frame 21. By operating the moving mechanism 647, the transfer roller 641, the support frame 642, and the lifting mechanism 644 integrally travel in the X direction.

  As will be described in detail later, in this pattern forming apparatus 1, the blanket BL held on the lower stage 61 is brought into contact with the transfer roller 641 to partially lift the blanket BL, whereby the blanket BL is held on the upper stage. The blanket BL is brought into contact with the plate PP or the substrate SB arranged in close proximity to each other.

  The elevating mechanism 644 travels through a gap formed by the hands 625 facing each other of the elevating hand units 62 and 63. Each hand 625 has an upper surface 625 a that can be retracted in the (−Z) direction from the lower surface of the support frame 642 of the transfer roller unit 64 to the lower side. Therefore, when the elevating mechanism 644 runs in this state, the support frame 642 of the transfer roller unit 64 passes over the upper surface 625a of each hand 625, and the transfer roller unit 64 and the hand 625 are prevented from colliding. .

  Next, the structure of the upper stage block 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper stage block 4 is erected from an upper stage assembly 40 that is a structure extending in the X direction and upper stage support frames 22 and 23. A pair of support columns 45 and 46 for supporting each of them, and an elevating mechanism 47 that includes an appropriate drive mechanism such as a motor and a ball screw mechanism and moves the entire upper stage assembly 40 up and down in the Z direction.

  FIG. 6 shows the structure of the upper stage assembly. The upper stage assembly 40 is coupled to the upper stage 41 holding the plate PP or the substrate SB on the lower surface, a reinforcing frame 42 provided on the upper stage 41, and extends horizontally along the X direction. A beam-like structure 43 and an upper suction unit 44 mounted on the upper stage 41 are provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper stage assembly 40 has substantially symmetric shapes with respect to the XZ plane and the YZ plane including the center on the outer shape.

  The upper stage 41 is a flat member slightly smaller than the plane size of the plate PP or the substrate SB to be held, and a lower surface 41a held in a horizontal posture holds the plate PP or the substrate SB in contact with the holding plane. It has become. Since the holding plane is required to have a high degree of flatness, quartz glass or a stainless steel plate is suitable as the material. The holding plane is provided with a through hole for mounting a suction pad of the upper suction unit 44 described later.

  The reinforcing frame 42 is composed of a combination of reinforcing ribs extending in the Z direction on the upper surface of the upper stage 41. As shown in the drawing, the upper stage 41 is prevented from being bent and its lower surface (holding plane) 41a In order to maintain the flatness, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 421 parallel to the YZ plane and reinforcing ribs 422 parallel to the XZ plane are appropriately combined. The reinforcing ribs 421 and 422 can be made of, for example, a metal plate.

  Further, the beam-like structure 43 is a structure formed by combining a plurality of metal plates and having a longitudinal direction in the X direction, and both ends thereof are supported by the support columns 45 and 46 so as to be vertically movable. Yes. Specifically, guide rails 451 and 461 extending in the Z direction are provided on the support columns 45 and 46, respectively, and a slider (not shown) is attached to the (+ Y) side main surface of the beam-like structure 43 facing the support pillars 45 and 46, respectively. These are slidably engaged. As shown in FIG. 1, the beam-like structure 43 and the support column 46 are connected by an elevating mechanism 47, and the elevating mechanism 47 operates to keep the beam-like structure 43 in a horizontal posture. Move in the vertical direction (Z direction). Since the upper stage 41 is integrally coupled to the beam-like structure 43 via the reinforcing frame 42, the upper stage 41 moves up and down with the holding plane 41 a kept horizontal by the operation of the elevating mechanism 47.

  The structures of the reinforcing frame 42 and the beam-like structure 43 are not limited to those illustrated. Here, a necessary strength is obtained by combining a plate-like member parallel to the YZ plane and a plate-like member parallel to the XZ plane, but a sheet metal, an angle member, or the like may be appropriately combined with other shapes. The reason for this structure is to make the upper stage assembly 40 lightweight. In order to reduce the deflection of each part, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the upper stage 41 or to use the beam-like structure 43 as a solid body, but if so, the mass of the entire upper stage assembly 40 will increase.

  When the weight of the structure disposed on the upper part of the apparatus increases, a mechanism for supporting and moving the structure requires further strength and durability, and the entire apparatus becomes very large and heavy. It is more realistic to reduce the weight of the entire structure while obtaining the required strength by combining plate materials and the like.

  A pair of upper suction units 44 are mounted on the upper stage 41 surrounded by the reinforcing frame 42. A state where one upper suction unit 44 is taken out upward is shown in the upper part of FIG. In the upper suction unit 44, for example, rubber suction pads 443 are attached to lower ends of a plurality of pipes 442 extending downward from the support frame 441, respectively. The upper end side of each pipe 442 is connected to a negative pressure supply unit 704 of the control unit 7 via a pipe and a control valve (not shown). The support frame 441 has a shape that does not interfere with the ribs 421 and 422 constituting the reinforcing frame 42.

  The support frame 441 is supported movably in the vertical direction with respect to the base plate 446 through a pair of sliders 444 and a pair of guide rails 445 engaged therewith. Further, the base plate 446 and the support frame 441 are coupled by an elevating mechanism 447 having an appropriate driving mechanism such as a motor and a ball screw mechanism. By the operation of the lifting mechanism 447, the support frame 441 moves up and down with respect to the base plate 446, and the pipe 442 and the suction pad 443 move up and down integrally therewith.

  The upper suction unit 44 is integrated with the upper stage 41 by fixing the base plate 446 to the side surface of the beam-like structure 43. In this state, the lower end of each pipe 442 and the suction pad 443 are inserted through through holes (not shown) provided in the upper stage 41. Then, by the operation of the elevating mechanism 447, the suction pad 443 has the lower surface discharged to the lower side of the lower surface (holding plane) 41a of the upper stage 41 and the lower surface inside the through hole of the upper stage 41 (upper). It moves up and down with the retracted position. When the lower surface of the suction pad 443 is positioned at substantially the same height as the holding plane 41a of the upper stage 41, the upper stage 41 and the suction pad 443 cooperate to hold the plate PP or the substrate SB on the holding plane 41a. can do.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the upper stage assembly 40 configured as described above is provided on a base plate 481. More specifically, the support columns 45 and 46 are respectively erected on the base plate 481, and the upper stage assembly 40 is attached to the support columns 45 and 46 so as to be movable up and down. The base plate 481 is attached to the upper stage support frames 22 and 23, and is supported by an upper stage block support mechanism 482 including an appropriate movable mechanism such as a cross roller bearing.

  Therefore, the entire upper stage assembly 40 can be moved horizontally with respect to the main frame 2. Specifically, the base plate 481 moves horizontally in the horizontal plane, that is, the XY plane by the operation of the upper stage block support mechanism 482. A pair of base plates 481 provided corresponding to the support pillars 45 and 46 can move independently of each other, and the upper stage assembly 40 moves with respect to the main frame 2 in accordance with these movements. It is possible to move in a predetermined range in the direction, the Y direction, and the θ direction.

  Each part of the pattern forming apparatus 1 configured as described above is controlled by the control unit 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 7 includes a CPU 701 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, a motor control unit 702 that controls a motor provided in each unit, and a valve control unit that controls control valves provided in each unit. 703 and a negative pressure supply unit 704 that generates a negative pressure to be supplied to each unit. In addition, when the negative pressure supplied from the outside can be utilized, the control unit 7 does not need to be provided with the negative pressure supply part.

  The motor control unit 702 controls the positioning and movement of each part of the apparatus by controlling a motor group provided in each functional block. Further, the valve control unit 703 controls a valve group provided on a negative pressure piping path connected from the negative pressure supply unit 704 to each functional block and on a piping path connected from the gas supply unit 706 to the hand 625. Thus, the vacuum suction by the negative pressure supply is executed and released, and the gas is discharged from the hand upper surface 625a.

  The control unit 7 includes an image processing unit 705 that performs image processing on an image captured by the camera. The image processing unit 705 performs predetermined image processing on images captured by the substrate pre-alignment cameras 241 to 243 and the blanket pre-alignment cameras 244 to 246 attached to the main frame 2, so that the substrate SB and The approximate position of the blanket BL is detected. Further, the positional relationship between the substrate SB and the blanket BL is detected more precisely by performing predetermined image processing on an image picked up by an alignment camera 27 for precision alignment described later. The CPU 701 controls the upper stage block support mechanism 482 and the alignment support mechanism 605 based on these position detection results, and the plate PP or substrate SB held on the upper stage 41 and the blanket BL held on the lower stage 61. Alignment (pre-alignment processing and precision alignment processing) is performed.

  Next, a pattern forming process in the pattern forming apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. In this pattern forming process, the plate PP or the substrate SB held on the upper stage 41 and the blanket BL held on the lower stage 61 are arranged close to each other with a minute gap therebetween. Then, the transfer roller 641 contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL and moves along the lower surface of the blanket BL while locally pushing up the blanket BL. The pushed blanket BL first locally contacts the plate PP or the substrate SB, and the contact portion gradually expands as the roller moves, and finally contacts the entire plate PP or the substrate SB. Thus, patterning from the plate PP to the blanket BL or pattern transfer from the blanket BL to the substrate SB is performed.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the pattern forming process. FIGS. 8 to 15 are diagrams schematically showing the positional relationship of each part of the apparatus at each stage of processing. The operation of each part in the pattern forming process will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition, in order to show the relationship between the respective units at each stage of the process in an easy-to-understand manner, a configuration that is not directly related to the process at the stage or a reference numeral to be attached thereto may be omitted. In addition, since the operation is the same except when a processing object held on the upper stage 41 is a plate PP and a substrate SB, the plate PP and the substrate SB are shown in common in the figure. Will be read as appropriate.

  In this pattern forming process, the plate PP corresponding to the pattern to be formed is first loaded into the initialized pattern forming apparatus 1 and set on the upper stage 41 (step S101). A blanket BL on which such a coating layer is formed is carried and set on the lower stage 61 (step S102). The plate PP is loaded with the effective surface corresponding to the pattern facing downward, and the blanket BL is loaded with the coating layer facing upward.

  FIG. 8 shows a process until the plate PP or the substrate SB is carried into the apparatus and set on the upper stage 41. As shown in FIG. 8A, in the initial state, the upper stage 41 is retracted upward and the distance from the lower stage 61 is increased, and a wide processing space SP is formed between both stages. Each hand 625 is retracted below the upper surface of the lower stage 61. The transfer roller 641 is the position closest to the (−X) direction among the positions facing the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61, and the position retracted below the upper surface of the lower stage 61 in the vertical direction (Z direction). is there. Each control valve connected to the negative pressure supply unit 704 is closed.

  In this state, from the front side of the apparatus, that is, from the (−Y) direction to the (+ Y) direction, the plate PP placed on the external plate hand HP is processed after its thickness is measured in advance. It is carried into the space SP. The plate hand HP may be an operation jig manually operated by an operator, or may be a hand of an external transfer robot. At this time, since the hand 625 and the transfer roller 641 are retracted downward, the carrying-in operation can be facilitated. When the plate PP is positioned at a predetermined position, the upper stage 41 is lowered as indicated by an arrow.

  When the upper stage 41 is lowered to a predetermined position close to the plate PP, the suction pad 443 provided on the upper stage 41 is below the lower surface of the upper stage 41, that is, the holding plane 41a, as shown in FIG. Until it touches the upper surface of the plate PP. When the control valve connected to the suction pad 443 is opened, the upper surface of the plate PP is sucked by the suction pad 443 and the plate PP is held. Then, the plate PP is lifted from the plate hand HP by raising the suction pad 443 while continuing the suction. At this point, the plate hand HP moves out of the apparatus.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 8C, the lower surface of the suction pad 443 rises to a position that is the same height as or slightly higher than the holding plane 41a, so that the upper surface of the plate PP becomes higher than that of the upper stage 41. It is held in close contact with the holding plane 41a. A configuration may be adopted in which suction grooves or suction holes are provided on the lower surface of the upper stage 41 so that the plate PP delivered from the suction pad 443 is sucked and held. In this way, the holding of the plate PP is completed. By the same procedure, the substrate SB can be loaded by the substrate hand HS.

  9 and 10 show a process from the loading of the plate PP until the blanket BL is loaded and held on the lower stage 61. FIG. When the holding of the plate PP by the upper stage 41 is completed, as shown in FIG. 9A, the upper stage 41 is raised to form a wide processing space SP again, and each hand 625 is moved from the upper surface 61 a of the lower stage 61. Also raise to the top. At this time, the upper surfaces 625a of the hands 625 are all set to the same height.

  In this state, as shown in FIG. 9B, the blanket BL having the coating layer PT made of the patterning material formed on the upper surface is placed on the external blanket hand HB and carried into the processing space SP. Accept. The thickness of the blanket BL is measured prior to loading. The blanket hand HB is preferably of the fork type having fingers extending in the Y direction so that the blanket hand HB can enter through the gap without interfering with the hand 625.

  When the blanket hand HB descends after entering or the hand 625 rises, the upper surface 625a of the hand 625 comes into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. Is supported by By supplying a negative pressure to the suction hole 625b (FIG. 4) provided in the hand 625, the support can be made more reliable. Thus, the blanket BL is transferred from the blanket hand HB to the hand 625, and the blanket hand HB can be discharged out of the apparatus.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10A, the hand 625 is lowered with the height of the upper surface 625 a of each hand 625 aligned, and finally the hand upper surface 625 a is made to be the same height as the upper surface 61 a of the lower stage 61. . As a result, the peripheral portions of the four sides of the blanket BL abut against the upper surface 61 a of the lower stage 61.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 10B, a negative pressure is supplied to the vacuum suction groove 612 provided on the lower stage upper surface 61a to suck and hold the blanket BL. Accordingly, the suction with the hand 625 is released. As a result, the blanket BL is in a state in which the peripheral portions of the four sides are sucked and held by the lower stage 61. In FIG. 10B, the blanket BL and the hand 625 are separated to clearly indicate that the suction holding by the hand 625 has been released, but in actuality, the lower surface of the blanket BL is in contact with the upper surface 625a of the hand. Is maintained.

  If the hand 625 is separated in this state, it is considered that the blanket BL is bent downward at its center by its own weight, and has a convex shape as a whole. By maintaining the hand 625 at the same height as the lower stage upper surface 61a, it is possible to suppress the bending and maintain the blanket BL in a planar state. In this way, the blanket BL is held by the lower stage 61 by suction and the central portion is supplementarily supported by the hand 625, and the holding of the blanket BL is completed.

  The order of loading the plate PP and the blanket BL may be reversed. However, when the plate PP is loaded after the blanket BL is loaded, there is a risk that foreign matter may fall on the blanket BL when the plate PP is loaded, thereby contaminating the coating layer PT with the pattern forming material or causing defects. By setting the blanket BL on the lower stage 61 after setting the plate PP on the upper stage 41 as described above, such a problem can be avoided in advance.

  Returning to FIG. 7, when the plate PP and the blanket BL are set on the upper and lower stages in this way, the plate PP and the blanket BL are pre-aligned (step S103). Furthermore, gap adjustment is performed so that both face each other across a preset gap (step S104).

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a process of gap adjustment processing and alignment processing. Among them, the precision alignment process shown in FIG. 11C is a process necessary only for the transfer process described later, and will be described in the later description of the transfer process. As described above, the plate PP, the substrate SB, or the blanket BL is carried in from the outside, but a positional shift may occur during the delivery. The pre-alignment process is a process for roughly positioning the plate PP or substrate SB held on the upper stage 41 and the blanket BL held on the lower stage 61 at positions suitable for the subsequent processes.

  FIG. 11A is a side view schematically showing the arrangement of a configuration for executing pre-alignment. As described above, in this embodiment, a total of six pre-alignment cameras 241 to 246 are provided in the upper part of the apparatus. Among these, the three cameras 241 to 243 are substrate pre-alignment cameras for detecting the outer edge of the plate PP (or the substrate SB) held on the upper stage 41. The other three cameras 244 to 246 are blanket pre-alignment cameras for detecting the outer edge of the blanket BL. Here, the pre-alignment cameras 241 to 243 are referred to as “substrate pre-alignment cameras” for the sake of convenience, but these can be used for both the alignment of the plate PP and the alignment of the substrate SB. The processing contents are also the same.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 11 (a), the substrate pre-alignment cameras 241 and 242 are installed at substantially the same position in the X direction and different positions in the Y direction. The (-X) side outer edge is imaged from above. Since the upper stage 41 is formed in a plane size slightly smaller than the substrate SB, the (-X) side outer edge portion of the plate PP (or the substrate SB) extending outward from the end portion of the upper stage 41 is imaged from above. be able to. Further, although not shown in the figure, another substrate pre-alignment camera 243 is provided on the front side of the paper surface of FIG. 11A, and the camera 243 is (−) of the plate PP (or the substrate SB). Y) Take an image of the side outer edge from above.

  On the other hand, the blanket pre-alignment cameras 244 and 246 are installed in substantially the same position in the X direction and different positions in the Y direction, and the (+ X) side outer edge portion of the blanket BL placed on the lower stage 61. Are imaged from above. Further, another blanket pre-alignment camera 245 is provided on the front side of FIG. 11A, and the camera 245 images the outer edge of the blanket BL on the (−Y) side from above.

  The positions of the plate PP (or the substrate SB) and the blanket BL are grasped from the imaging results of these pre-alignment cameras 241 to 246, respectively. Then, when the upper stage block support mechanism 482 and the alignment stage support mechanism 605 operate as necessary, the plate PP (or the substrate SB) and the blanket BL are respectively positioned at preset target positions.

  When the blanket BL is moved horizontally together with the lower stage 61, it is preferable that the upper surface 625a of each hand 625 and the lower surface of the blanket BL are slightly separated from each other as shown in FIG. For this purpose, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 706 can be discharged from the suction hole 625 b of the hand 625. The same applies to the precision alignment process described later.

  In addition, for a thin or large substrate SB that is likely to be bent, the substrate SB may be subjected to processing with a plate-like support member in contact with the back surface, for example, in order to facilitate handling. In such a case, even if the support member is larger than the substrate SB, for example, the support member is made of a transparent material, or a partially transparent window or through hole is provided in the support member. If the position of the outer edge portion is set to be easy to detect, pre-alignment processing similar to the above can be performed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11B, the upper stage 41 holding the plate PP is lowered with respect to the lower stage 61 holding the blanket BL, and a gap G between the plate PP and the blanket BL is determined in advance. To the set value. At this time, the thicknesses of the plate PP and the blanket BL measured in advance are taken into consideration. That is, the distance between the upper stage 41 and the lower stage 61 is adjusted so that the gap between the plates PP and the blanket BL takes a predetermined value in consideration of the thickness. The gap value G here can be set to about 300 μm, for example.

  Regarding the thicknesses of the plate PP and the blanket BL, there are individual differences due to dimensional variations in manufacturing, and even for the same part, for example, a change in thickness due to swelling is conceivable. Further, the gap G may be defined between the lower surface of the plate PP and the upper surface of the blanket BL, and between the lower surface of the plate PP and the upper surface of the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material carried on the blanket BL. May be defined between. As long as the thickness of the coating layer PT is strictly controlled in the coating stage, it is technically equivalent.

  Returning to FIG. 7, when the plate PP and the blanket BL are arranged to face each other with a gap G therebetween, the plate PP is moved by moving the transfer roller 641 in the X direction while contacting the lower surface of the blanket BL. And the blanket BL are brought into contact with each other. Thereby, the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material on the blanket BL is patterned by the plate PP (patterning process; step S105).

  FIG. 12 shows the patterning process. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 12A, the transfer roller 641 is raised to a position immediately below the blanket BL, and the center line of the transfer roller 641 is substantially the same as the end of the plate PP in the X direction. Alternatively, the transfer roller 641 is disposed at a position slightly deviated in the (−X) direction. In this state, as shown in FIG. 12B, the transfer roller 641 is further raised and brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL, and the blanket BL at the contacted position is locally pushed upward. As a result, the blanket BL (more precisely, the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material carried on the blanket BL) is pressed against the lower surface of the plate PP with a predetermined pressing force. Since the transfer roller 641 is longer than the plate PP (and the effective region) in the Y direction, an elongated region along the Y direction from one end to the other end in the Y direction on the lower surface of the plate PP contacts the blanket BL.

  Thus, the lifting mechanism 644 travels in the (+ X) direction while the transfer roller 641 presses the blanket BL, thereby moving the push-up position of the blanket BL in the (+ X) direction. At this time, in order to prevent the hand 625 from coming into contact with the transfer roller 641, as shown in FIG. 12C, at least the hand 625 with respect to the hand 625 whose X-direction distance to the transfer roller 641 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value. The upper surface 625a is retracted downward until it is positioned lower than the lower surface of the support frame 642.

  Since the suction by the hand 625 has already been released, the blanket BL is not lowered downward as the hand 625 is lowered. Further, by appropriately managing the timing of starting the descent in synchronization with the travel of the transfer roller 641, it is possible to prevent the blanket BL that has lost support by the hand 625 from drooping downward due to its own weight.

  FIG. 13 shows the running process of the transfer roller 641. Since the plate PP and the blanket BL that have been in contact with each other are maintained in close contact with each other through the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material, the plate PP is moved along with the travel of the transfer roller 641 as shown in FIG. And the area where the blanket BL is in close contact gradually expands in the (+ X) direction. At this time, as shown in the figure, the hand 625 is sequentially lowered as the transfer roller 641 approaches.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 13B, all the hands 625 are lowered, and the transfer roller 641 reaches the vicinity of the (+ X) side end below the lower stage 61. At this time, the transfer roller 641 has reached a position substantially directly below or slightly to the (+ X) side of the end of the (+ X) side of the plate PP, and the entire lower surface of the plate PP is applied to the coating layer PT on the blanket BL. Abutted.

  While the transfer roller 641 travels while maintaining a constant height, the area of the area pressed by the transfer roller 641 on the lower surface of the blanket BL is constant. Therefore, when the lifting mechanism 644 applies a constant load and presses the transfer roller 641 against the blanket BL, the plate PP and the blanket BL are pressed against each other with a constant pressing force with the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material interposed therebetween. Will be. Thereby, patterning from the plate PP to the blanket BL can be performed satisfactorily.

  In patterning, it is ideal that the entire surface area of the plate PP can be used effectively. However, an area that cannot be effectively used due to scratches, contact with the hand during transportation, or the like is unavoidable at the periphery of the plate PP. To occur. As shown in FIG. 13B, when the central area excluding the end area of the plate PP is an effective area AR that functions effectively as a plate, at least the effective area AR has a pressing force and a traveling speed of the transfer roller 641. It is desirable that is constant. For this purpose, the length of the transfer roller 641 in the Y direction needs to be longer than the length of the effective area AR in the same direction. In the X direction, the transfer roller 641 starts traveling from a position on the (−X) side of the end of the effective area AR in the (−X) direction, and reaches at least the end of the effective area AR in the (+ X) direction. Until then, it is desirable to maintain a constant speed. The surface area of the blanket BL facing the effective area AR of the plate PP is the effective area on the blanket BL side.

  FIG. 14 shows the positional relationship between the plate or substrate and the blanket. More specifically, this figure is a plan view of the positional relationship when the plate PP or the substrate SB contacts the blanket BL as viewed from above. As shown in the figure, the blanket BL has a larger planar size than the plate PP or the substrate SB. The region R1 near the peripheral edge with dots in the drawing in the blanket BL is a region that abuts the lower stage upper surface 61a when held by the lower stage 61. The blanket BL is held by the lower stage 61 in a state where the lower surface of the inner region is open.

  The plate PP and the substrate SB are substantially the same size, and these are smaller than the opening window size of the lower stage 61. The effective area AR that is effectively used for actual pattern formation is smaller than the size of the plate PP or the substrate SB. Therefore, the area corresponding to the effective area AR in the blanket BL is in a state where the lower surface is opened and faces the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61.

  A hatched region R2 indicates a region (pressing region) that is simultaneously pressed by the transfer roller 641 on the lower surface of the blanket BL. The pressing region R2 is an elongated region extending in the roller extending direction, that is, the Y direction, and both end portions in the Y direction extend to the outside from the end portions of the plate PP or the substrate SB, respectively. Therefore, when the transfer roller 641 presses the blanket BL in a state parallel to the lower surface of the blanket BL, the pressing force is uniform in the Y direction from one end to the other end of the effective area AR in the Y direction. is there.

  Thus, the transfer roller 641 moves in the X direction while applying a uniform pressing force in the Y direction to the effective area AR, so that the plate PP or the substrate SB and the blanket BL are uniformly pressed in the entire effective area AR. They are pressed against each other by pressure. Thereby, it is possible to prevent pattern damage due to non-uniform pressing and to form a high quality pattern.

  When the transfer roller 641 reaches the end on the (+ X) side in this way, the transfer roller 641 stops running, and the transfer roller 641 is retracted downward as shown in FIG. Thereby, the transfer roller 641 is separated from the lower surface of the blanket BL, and the patterning process is completed.

  Returning to FIG. 7, when the patterning process is completed in this way, the plate PP and the blanket BL are carried out (step S106). FIG. 15 shows the process of carrying out the plate and blanket. First, as shown in FIG. 15A, each hand 625 that has been lowered during the patterning process is raised again to position the upper surface 625 a at the same height as the upper surface 61 a of the lower stage 61. In this state, the adsorption of the plate PP by the adsorption pad 443 of the upper stage 41 (in the case of adsorption holding by an adsorption groove or an adsorption hole, adsorption by them) is released. As a result, the holding of the plate PP by the upper stage 41 is released, and a laminated body in which the plate PP and the blanket BL are integrated via the coating layer PT of the pattern forming material is left on the lower stage 61. The center of the laminate is supported by the hand 625.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 15B, the upper stage 41 is lifted to form a wide processing space SP, the suction by the groove 612 of the lower stage 61 is released, and the hand 625 is further lifted to lower the lower stage. Move upward from 61. At this time, it is preferable that the laminate is sucked and held by the hand 625.

  This makes it possible to access from the outside. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 15C, the blanket BL with the plate PP in close contact is carried out by accepting the blanket hand HB from the outside and performing the reverse operation to that during loading. . If the plate PP thus adhered is peeled from the blanket BL by an appropriate peeling means, a predetermined pattern is formed on the blanket BL.

  Next, a case where the pattern formed on the blanket BL is transferred to the substrate SB that is the final object will be described. The process is basically the same as in the patterning process. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, first, the substrate SB is set on the upper stage 41 (step S107), and then the blanket BL after pattern formation is set on the lower stage 61 (step S108). Then, after pre-alignment processing and gap adjustment between the substrate SB and the blanket BL (steps S109 and S110), the pattern on the blanket BL is transferred to the substrate SB by running the transfer roller 641 below the blanket BL. (Transfer process; Step S112). After the transfer is completed, the integrated blanket BL and the substrate SB are carried out, and the process ends (step S113). These series of operations are also the same as those shown in FIGS. In these drawings, when the plate PP is read as the substrate SB, the symbol PT means a pattern after the patterning process.

  However, in the transfer process, in order to properly transfer the pattern to a predetermined position on the substrate SB, before the substrate SB and the blanket BL are brought into contact with each other, a more precise alignment (precise alignment process) between the two is performed ( Step S111). FIG. 11C shows the process.

  Although not shown in FIG. 1, the pattern forming apparatus 1 is provided with a precision alignment camera 27 supported by a support column erected in the (+ Z) direction from the base frame 21. A total of four precision alignment cameras 27 are provided with their optical axes oriented vertically upward so as to respectively image the four corners of the substrate SB through the opening window 611 of the lower stage 61.

  On the four corners of the substrate SB, alignment marks (substrate-side alignment marks) serving as position references are formed in advance. On the corresponding positions of the blanket BL, blanket-side alignment is performed as a part of the pattern patterned by the plate PP. A mark is formed. These are imaged with the same visual field of the precision alignment camera 27, and the positional relationship between them is obtained by detecting the positional relationship between them, and the amount of movement of the blanket BL that corrects this is obtained. By moving the alignment stage 601 by the obtained movement amount by the alignment stage support mechanism 605, the lower stage 61 moves in the horizontal plane, and the positional deviation between the substrate SB and the blanket BL is corrected.

  The substrate SB and the blanket BL are opposed to each other with a small gap G, and the alignment marks formed on the substrates SB and the blanket BL are imaged with the same camera, so that the substrate SB and the blanket BL can be aligned with high accuracy. It can be carried out. In this sense, the alignment process can be said to be a highly accurate precision alignment process compared to the case where the substrate SB and the blanket BL are individually imaged and the position is adjusted. By bringing them into contact with each other from this state, in this embodiment, it is possible to form a pattern that is accurately aligned with a predetermined position of the substrate SB. Then, by performing pre-alignment processing of the substrate SB and the blanket BL in advance, the alignment marks respectively formed on the substrate SB and the blanket BL can be positioned in the visual field of the precision alignment camera 27.

  It should be noted that such a precise alignment process is not necessarily required when forming a pattern on the blanket BL using the plate PP. This is because the blanket side alignment mark is preliminarily formed on the plate PP together with the pattern, so that there is no positional deviation between the pattern formed on the blanket BL and the blanket side alignment mark. This is because a slight misalignment between the plate PP and the blanket BL does not affect pattern formation as long as precise alignment is performed between the side alignment mark and the substrate side alignment mark. From this point, only the pre-alignment process is executed in the patterning process.

  16 and 17 are views showing the positional relationship between the blanket, the transfer roller, and the hand. More specifically, FIG. 16 shows how the contact position between the transfer roller 641 and the blanket BL and the contact position between each hand 625 and the blanket BL change as the transfer roller 641 moves. FIG. Note that FIG. 16A corresponds to the timing of FIG. 12B, and FIG. 16B corresponds to the timing of FIG. 13A. FIG. 17 is a diagram of these positional relationships as viewed from the (+ X) direction. In FIG. 17 and the following description, when it is necessary to distinguish the hands 625 provided in the two lifting hand units 62 and 63, they are provided in the lifting hand unit 62 arranged on the (+ Y) side. A hand is represented by reference numeral 6252, and a hand provided in the lifting hand unit 63 disposed on the (−Y) side is represented by reference numeral 6253.

  The positional relationship between the blanket BL and the plate PP or the substrate SB, and the positions of the area R1 and the effective area AR in contact with the lower stage 61 in the blanket BL are as described above. In the state shown in FIG. 16A immediately after the transfer roller 641 starts pressing the blanket BL, the peripheral edge R1 close to the four sides of the blanket BL is placed on the lower stage 61 and held by suction. On the other hand, in the central portion inside this, the hand 625 comes into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL to support the blanket BL in the elongated contact region R3 along the Y direction corresponding to the shape of the upper surface 625a of the hand 625. Yes.

  In this embodiment, two elevating hand units 62 and 63 are opposed to each other with the respective hands 625 facing inward, and each of the units 62 and 63 is provided with four hands 625. One hand 6252 provided in the elevating hand unit 62 and one hand 6253 provided in the elevating hand unit 63 are paired with their positions in the X direction aligned, and a pair of abutment corresponding thereto. The region R3 is also aligned in the X direction. The tips of the pair of hands 6252 and 6253 are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. Then, four pairs of such hand pairs are arranged apart from each other in the X direction. Therefore, there are a total of eight contact regions R3.

  In this way, by supporting the blanket BL at a plurality of locations that are appropriately distributed and arranged, it is possible to prevent the blanket BL from being bent at the central portion and maintain the blanket BL in a horizontal posture. In FIG. 17, the state in which the pair of hands 6252 and 6253 is lowered is indicated by a solid line, while the state in which the hands 6252 and 6253 are raised to substantially the same height as the upper surface 61a of the lower stage 61 is indicated by a dotted line. In the state indicated by the dotted line, the upper surfaces of the hands 6252 and 6253 are in contact with and support the lower surface of the blanket BL.

  The transfer roller 641 starts to contact the blanket BL further on the (−X) side than the one located in the most (−X) direction in the contact region R3. An area indicated by reference numeral R2 in FIG. 16A indicates an area (pressing area) of the blanket BL with which the transfer roller 641 comes into contact immediately after the start of contact.

  When the movement of the transfer roller 641 is started, the corresponding pressing area R2 moves in the (+ X) direction. In this process, when the distance between the pressing area R2 of the transfer roller 641 and the contact area R3 of the hand 625 becomes a predetermined value or less, the hand 625 forming the contact area R3 moves downward. More specifically, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 17, the pair of hands 6252 and 6253 are lowered in conjunction with each other and retracted below the support frame 642 that supports the transfer roller 641. At this time, the support leg 644b passes through the gap between the tips of the hands 6252 and 6253, so that interference between the support leg 644b and the hands 6252 and 6253 is avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 16B, as the pressing area R2 of the transfer roller 641 moves in the (+ X) direction, the rear side of the pressing area R2 in the moving direction of the transfer roller 641, that is, on the (−X) side. Then, a contact region R4 is formed in which the lower surface of the plate PP or substrate SB and the upper surface of the blanket BL are in close contact with each other via a layer of pattern forming material, and this expands in the (+ X) direction as the transfer roller 641 moves.

  Then, as the transfer roller 641 approaches, the hand 625 that supports the central portion of the blanket BL descends sequentially away from the blanket BL in the order along the moving direction of the transfer roller 641, and the transfer roller 641 clears the empty space in this way. pass. FIG. 16B shows a state where the transfer roller 641 has advanced from the (−X) direction to a position near the second hand 625 as shown in FIG. In this way, the contact between the plate PP or the substrate SB and the blanket BL proceeds, and finally the entire plate PP or the substrate SB comes into close contact with the blanket BL.

  By continuing the support by the hand 625 until the transfer roller 641 approaches a predetermined distance, the blanket BL can be maintained in a horizontal posture until just before the transfer roller 641 arrives. In particular, by bringing the hand 625 into contact with the blanket BL in the contact area R3 whose longitudinal direction is the same direction (Y direction) as the pressing area R2 by the transfer roller 641, the plate PP or substrate SB immediately before contact and the blanket BL Can be kept constant in the Y direction, and good pattern formation without twisting or distortion can be performed.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the lower stage 61 and the upper stage 41 function as the “holding frame” and the “second holding means” of the present invention, respectively. Each hand 625 and the transfer roller 641 function as a “local support portion” and a “push-up member” of the present invention, respectively. The upper surface 625a of each hand 625 corresponds to the “contact surface” of the present invention. Further, the slide base 623, the lifting mechanism 624, the lifting mechanism 628 and the like provided in the lifting hand units 62 and 63 function as “lifting means” of the present invention. Further, the lower stage 61 and the respective hands 625 function as a “first holding unit” of the present invention.

  In the above embodiment, the support frame 642 of the transfer roller unit 64 functions as the “support portion” of the present invention, while the support leg 644b functions as the “leg portion” of the present invention. It functions as a “support member”. Further, the base portion 644a and the moving mechanism 647 function as a “moving mechanism” of the present invention. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plate PP and the substrate SB correspond to the “processing object” of the present invention.

  In the pattern forming process (FIG. 7) of the above embodiment, step S102 and step S108 correspond to the “first process” of the present invention, respectively, and steps S101, S103 and S104, and steps S107, S109 and S110 are performed. And correspond to the “second step” of the present invention. Step S105 and step S112 each correspond to a “third step” of the present invention.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. In the pattern forming apparatus of the second embodiment, the structure of the lower stage block is partially different from the pattern forming apparatus 1 of the first embodiment described above. On the other hand, the other configurations in the first embodiment, that is, the main frame 2, the upper stage block 4, and the control unit 7 are basically applied as they are as the main frame, the upper stage block, the control unit, and the like in the second embodiment. It is possible. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment, particularly the structure and operation of the lower stage block. Moreover, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the structure same as 1st Embodiment, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a main part of a second embodiment of the pattern forming apparatus according to the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the structure of the lower stage block 9 in the second embodiment. The lower stage block 9 includes an alignment stage 901. This alignment stage 901 corresponds to the alignment stage 601 in the first embodiment, and its structure and function are substantially the same. That is, the alignment stage 901 has a plate shape with an opening at the center, and is aligned with the base frame 21 (FIG. 1) by the alignment stage support mechanism 905 having the same function as the alignment stage 605 of the first embodiment. It is supported so as to be movable within a predetermined range.

  A plurality of support hand mechanisms are provided on the upper surface of the alignment stage 901. More specifically, five support hand mechanisms 91a are arranged in order from the (−X) side to the (+ X) side on the upper surface of the alignment stage 901 that contacts the (−Y) side with respect to the central opening of the alignment stage 901. , 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e are provided. These five support hand mechanisms 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e have the same structure.

  On the other hand, five support hand mechanisms 92a, 92b, 92c, on the upper surface of the alignment stage 901 that contacts the (+ Y) side with respect to the central opening of the alignment stage 901, in order from the (−X) side to the (+ X) side. 92d and 92e are provided. These five support hand mechanisms 92a, 92b, 92c, 92d, and 92e have the same structure. The support hand mechanism 91a and the support hand mechanism 92a have shapes symmetrical to each other with respect to the X axis, but their functions are the same. In addition, each of the support hand mechanisms 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d, and 91e is disposed at the same position as the support hand mechanisms 92a, 92b, 92c, 92d, and 92e in the X direction. Although described later in detail, in this embodiment, these support hand mechanisms 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e, 92a, 92b, 92c, 92d, and 92e cooperate to support the blanket BL in a horizontal posture.

  In addition, a transfer roller unit 94 is provided adjacent to the (−X) side of the support hand mechanisms 91a and 92a located on the most (−X) side. The specific configuration of the transfer roller unit 94 is the same as that of the transfer roller unit 64 of the first embodiment. That is, the transfer roller unit 94 includes a transfer roller 941 that is formed in a roller shape and is rotatably supported with the Y direction as an axial direction, and the transfer roller 941 moves in the vertical direction (Z direction) to move the blanket BL. It is configured to be close to and away from the lower surface, and is movable in the X direction while contacting the lower surface of the blanket BL. Similar to the transfer roller 641 of the first embodiment, the transfer roller 941 partially pushes up the blanket BL to abut against the substrate SB (or plate PP) to transfer the pattern from the blanket BL to the substrate SB, or blanket. The pattern forming material on BL has a function of realizing patterning by the plate PP.

  FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a detailed structure of the support hand mechanism and its movement. Here, one support hand 91a disposed on the (−Y) side of the alignment stage 901 and one support hand 92a disposed on the (+ Y) side of the alignment stage 901 are given as examples, but as described above, The support hand mechanisms 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e have the same structure as the support hand 91a, and the support hand mechanisms 92b, 92c, 92d, 92e have the same structure as the support hand 92a. The support hand mechanism 92a has a structure symmetrical to the support hand mechanism 91a with respect to the X axis.

  As shown in FIG. 19A, the support hand mechanism 91a includes a base portion 911 that is inclined from the upper surface of the alignment stage 901 to the (+ Y) side and extends obliquely upward, and an extending direction of the base portion 911 from the base portion 911. And a blanket receiving member 913 that is connected to the upper end of the arm 912 and whose upper surface extends in the horizontal direction along the Y direction. Similarly, the support hand mechanism 92a includes a base portion 921 that extends obliquely upward from the upper surface of the alignment stage 901 and extends in the same direction as the extending direction of the base portion 921 from the base portion 921. 922, and a blanket receiving member 923 connected to the upper end of the arm 922 and having an upper surface extending in the horizontal direction along the Y direction.

  The blanket receiving members 913 and 923 have upper surfaces that are substantially flat, and the positions of the upper surfaces in the Z direction are the same. Therefore, the support hand mechanisms 91a and 92a can integrally support the blanket BL from below and hold it in a posture parallel to the Y axis. In addition, in the following, when it is necessary to distinguish the blanket receiving member 913 provided in each of the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e, subscripts (a to e) for distinguishing each support hand mechanism are denoted by reference numerals. It will be added. For example, a reference numeral 913a is assigned to a blanket receiving member provided in the support hand mechanism 91a. The same applies to the case where the blanket receiving member 923 provided in each of the support hand mechanisms 92a to 92e is distinguished.

  The arm 912 of the support hand mechanism 91a is connected to the hand drive mechanism 906, and is configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the base portion 911 along the extending direction of the arm 912. Similarly, the arm 922 of the support hand mechanism 92a is also connected to the hand drive mechanism 906, and is configured to be movable back and forth with respect to the base portion 921 along the extending direction of the arm 922. The hand drive mechanism 906 integrally moves the two arms 912 and 922 forward and backward in response to a control command from the control unit 7 (FIG. 2). As a result, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 move in the Z direction and the Y direction while maintaining the horizontal posture and maintaining the same height.

  As described above, in the pair of support hand mechanisms 91a and 92a located at the same position in the Y direction, the blanket receiving members 913 (913a) and 923 (923a) included in each of them move up and down integrally. Similarly, between a pair of support hand mechanisms 91b and 92b whose positions in the Y direction are the same, between support hand mechanisms 91c and 92c, between support hand mechanisms 91d and 92d, and between support hand mechanisms 91e and 92e. In addition, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 provided in each of them move up and down while maintaining the same position in the height direction (Z direction). However, between the support hand mechanisms 91a, 91b, 91c, 91d, 91e whose positions are different from each other in the X direction (or between the support hand mechanisms 92a, 92b, 92c, 92d, 92e), the arm 912 (or the arm 922). The hand lifting mechanism 906 is configured so that the lifting and lowering can be performed independently of each other.

  In a state where the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 are positioned at the upper position shown in FIG. 19A by the hand lifting mechanism 906, the blanket BL is supported by the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 coming into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. . Since the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 of the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e are positioned at the same height, it is possible to maintain the blanket BL in a horizontal posture as a unit.

  On the other hand, a state in which the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 are positioned at the lower position shown in FIG. If the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 of the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e are all lowered to the lower position, the blanket BL is supported in a horizontal posture at the upper surface position of the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 at this time. However, the blanket receiving member 913 (or the blanket receiving member 923) can be moved up and down independently between the supporting hand mechanisms 91a to 91e (or the supporting hand mechanisms 92a to 92e).

  Consider a state in which only the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 of some supporting hand mechanisms are in the lower position and the blanket receiving members of other supporting hand mechanisms are in the upper position. Here, the case where only the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a of the support hand mechanisms 91a and 92a are in the lower position and the other support hand mechanisms 91b to 91e and 92b to 92e are in the upper position will be considered as an example.

  In this case, the blanket BL is supported at the same position as the position shown in FIG. 19A by the blanket receiving members 913b to 913e and 923b to 923e in the upper position. Accordingly, the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a of the support hand mechanisms 91a and 92a in the lower position are in a state of being separated from the blanket BL and retracted downward.

  The arm 912 and the base portion 911 that support the blanket receiving member 913a of the support hand mechanism 91a extend in an oblique direction, and the blanket receiving member 913a moves in the (−Z) direction when moving from the upper position to the lower position. In addition to the movement, there is a movement in the (−Y) direction. Similarly, the blanket receiving member 923a of the support hand mechanism 92a is moved in the (+ Y) direction in addition to the movement in the (−Z) direction when moving from the upper position to the lower position. As a result, the two blanket receiving members 913a and 923a are positioned at the lower position in the Y direction while being spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, while maintaining the same position in the Z direction.

  Thus, the transfer roller unit 94 can enter the space formed between the lower surface of the blanket BL and the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a. Specifically, the transfer roller 941 and a support frame 942 (first frame) that supports the transfer roller 941 are formed in a gap in the Z direction formed between the upper surfaces of the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a positioned at the lower position and the lower surface of the blanket BL. Can correspond to the support frame 642 in the embodiment. Further, a support leg 944 (corresponding to the support leg 644b in the first embodiment) that supports the support frame 942 can be inserted into a gap in the Y direction formed by separating the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a from each other. .

  In such a configuration, when the transfer roller unit 94 is moved in the X direction, the transfer roller unit 94 and the blanket receiver 913 are moved by retracting the blanket receivers 913 and 923 located at the position corresponding to the path to the lower position. Interference with 923 can be avoided. By positioning the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 at positions that do not interfere with the transfer roller unit 94 at the upper position, the blanket BL can be kept in a horizontal posture at a constant height. Therefore, in this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, it is possible to horizontally move the transfer roller 941 along the lower surface while maintaining the blanket BL in a horizontal posture.

  FIG. 20 is a view showing a more detailed structure of the blanket receiving member. More specifically, FIG. 20A is a perspective view showing the structure of the upper part of the blanket receiving member 913, and FIG. 20B is a sectional view thereof. Here, one blanket receiving member 913 will be described as an example, but the structure of the other blanket receiving member 923 opposite thereto is also the same.

  The upper surface of the blanket receiving member 913 is finished flat, and in order to reduce the frictional resistance with the blanket BL, a mirror polishing finish or a lining process using an appropriate material such as a fluorine resin is performed. In addition, a plurality of suction holes 914 for sucking and holding the lower surface of the blanket BL are provided on the upper surface of the blanket receiving member 913. As shown in FIG. 20B, each suction hole 914 has a negative pressure supplied from the negative pressure supply unit 704 of the control unit 7 or a positive pressure supply unit 707 provided in the control unit 7 in this embodiment. The supplied positive pressure is selectively supplied by the three-way valve 95. When negative pressure is supplied from the negative pressure supply unit 704 to each suction hole 914, the blanket BL is sucked and held on the upper surface of the blanket receiving member 913 by each suction hole 914. On the other hand, when positive pressure is supplied from the positive pressure supply unit 707 to each suction hole 914, the blanket BL is slightly lifted from the upper surface of the blanket receiving member 913 by the gas ejected from each suction hole 914. Supported. At this time, the friction between the blanket receiving member 913 and the blanket BL is extremely small. In addition, in the blanket receiving member 913, the function of ejecting the gas from the suction hole 914 and floating the blanket BL is not essential.

  In addition, the lower stage block 9 of this embodiment is similar to the lower stage block 6 of the first embodiment in that the valve group and each part for controlling the supply / stop of the positive pressure and the negative pressure to the suction holes 914 are mechanically arranged. And a motor group that is driven by the control unit 7.

  FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between the blanket receiving member, the substrate, and the blanket. As shown in FIG. 21 (a), the plurality of blanket receiving members 913, 923 are distributed substantially evenly so as to cover the entire effective area AR in the central portion of the blanket BL, and particularly the effective area of the blanket BL. Supports the bottom surface of the AR. Thereby, the effective area AR is held in a horizontal posture.

  Note that how the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 support the blanket BL outside the effective area AR is arbitrary as long as the blanket BL can be supported in a horizontal posture. For example, as shown in FIG. 21B, a blanket receiving member 963 that extends to the outside of the end of the blanket BL in the Y direction may be provided, and the blanket receiving member that contacts the blanket BL only outside the effective area AR. 973 may be provided.

  When the transfer roller 941 is positioned at a predetermined initial position, the transfer roller 941 is adjacent to the (−X) side of the blanket receiving members 913 a and 923 a located closest to the (−X) side of the blanket receiving members 913 and 923. More specifically, the transfer roller 941 is positioned adjacent to the (−X) side of the blanket receiving members 913a and 923a, outside the effective area AR, that is, on the (−X) side, and similarly to the first embodiment. The initial position is a position on the (+ X) side of the (−X) side end of the substrate SB (or plate PP) held on the upper stage 41 and a position just below the lower surface of the blanket BL and away from the blanket BL. . At this time, the transfer roller 941 is positioned below the substrate SB (or plate PP) outside the effective area AR.

  Next, a pattern forming process in the pattern forming apparatus of this embodiment will be described. The purpose and basic operation of this processing are the same as the processing (FIG. 7) in the first embodiment described above. However, due to the difference in the structure of the lower stage block, the operation of each part constituting the lower stage block is different from that of the first embodiment. Specifically, the process in which the substrate SB or the plate PP is carried into the apparatus and held by the upper stage 41 is the same as that in the first embodiment. On the other hand, the process from when the blanket BL is carried into the apparatus until it is brought into close contact with the substrate SB or the plate PP held on the upper stage 41 is different from that of the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 with a focus on processes different from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 are diagrams schematically showing the positional relationship of each part of the apparatus at each stage of the pattern forming process of the second embodiment. Here, the operation of each part when the substrate SB is held on the upper stage 41 and the patterned blanket BL is carried into the lower stage block 9 and the transfer process (steps S107 to S112 in FIG. 7) is performed. Will be explained. However, as described in the first embodiment, the operation for performing the patterning process (steps S101 to S105 in FIG. 7) using the plate PP and the blanket BL is basically the same except that the precision alignment process is not performed. This is the same as the transfer process. Therefore, in the following description, the operation in the patterning process is also described by replacing “substrate SB” with “plate PP” and omitting the precision alignment process.

  As shown in FIG. 22A, when the blanket BL is carried in from the outside, all the blanket receiving members 913a to 913e and 923a to 923e are positioned at the upper positions. Accordingly, the blanket BL can be received from a blanket hand (not shown) possessed by an external transfer robot or the like. At this time, the transfer roller 941 is positioned at the retracted position further retracted to the (−X) side than the initial position shown in FIG. 21, and interference with the blanket hand and the blanket BL entering from the outside occurs. It has been avoided. Further, a negative pressure is supplied to the suction hole 914 provided on the upper surface of each blanket receiving member, and the received blanket BL is sucked and held.

  Next, pre-alignment processing is performed. In the pre-alignment process, similar to the process in the first embodiment, the blanket BL is imaged by the blanket pre-alignment cameras 244 to 246, and the blanket BL is moved in the horizontal plane according to the imaging result. Then, the blanket BL is positioned at the target position. At this time, the alignment stage support mechanism 905 moves the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e together with the alignment stage 901 in the XYθ direction, thereby positioning the blanket BL.

  Subsequently, precision alignment processing is performed through gap adjustment. As shown in FIG. 22 (b), the alignment camera 27 disposed below the blanket BL causes the blanket BL to pass through the gap between the blanket receiving members and the substrate SB held on the upper stage 41 and opposed to the blanket BL. Take an image. The point that a precise alignment process is realized by moving the alignment stage 901 based on the positional relationship of the imaged alignment marks is the same as in the first embodiment.

  When the alignment between the substrate SB held on the upper stage 41 and the blanket BL supported by the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e is completed, the blanket BL is pushed up and brought into close contact with the substrate SB. I do. That is, as shown in FIG. 22C, after the transfer roller 941 is moved to the initial position just below the (−X) side end of the substrate SB, the transfer roller 941 is moved upward, so that FIG. As shown in a), the blanket BL is pushed up by the transfer roller 941 and is brought into close contact with the lower surface of the substrate SB. Thereby, transfer of the pattern on the blanket BL to the substrate SB is started.

  In order to prevent the blanket BL from being displaced relative to the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e after the blanket BL is carried in and until the precision alignment process is completed, the blanket receiving member 913, A negative pressure is supplied to each suction hole 914 of 923 to suck and hold the blanket BL. On the other hand, before the blanket BL is pushed up by the transfer roller 941, the supply of the negative pressure to each suction hole 914 is stopped and the suction holding is released.

  Then, the transfer roller 941 is moved in the (+ X) direction while being in contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 23 (b) and 23 (c), in synchronization with the movement of the transfer roller 941, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 which are in the position where they hit the path of the transfer roller 941 and interfere with the transfer roller 941. Are sequentially retracted to the lower position. By doing so, interference between the transfer roller 941 and the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 is avoided. The movement of each blanket receiving member 913, 923 at this time is similar to the movement of the hand 625 in the first embodiment.

  By keeping the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 in contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL until immediately before being pushed up by the transfer roller 941, the posture of the blanket BL can be maintained in a horizontal state. Thereby, the pattern on the blanket BL can be transferred to a predetermined position on the substrate SB. On the other hand, the area of the blanket BL that has been pushed up by the transfer roller 941 is in close contact with the substrate SB, and therefore need not be supported by the blanket receiving members 913 and 923. Therefore, it is not necessary to return the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 retracted to the lower position to the upper position.

  In order to prevent the blanket BL from being displaced in the horizontal direction due to the pushing up by the transfer roller 941, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 have a negative pressure in the suction hole 914 until just before the movement to the lower position is started. May be supplied. In this case, it is necessary for the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 to be configured so that the negative pressure supply timing can be controlled independently.

  As shown in FIG. 23D, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 are sequentially retracted as described above, and the entire substrate SB is in close contact with the blanket BL, and the pattern on the blanket BL is transferred to the substrate SB. Thereafter, the transfer roller 941 is returned to the original position, the blanket receiving members 913 and 914 are raised, and the laminated body in which the substrate SB and the blanket BL are integrated is received from the upper stage 41. Furthermore, the pattern forming process is completed when the stacked body is transferred to an external robot hand or the like and carried out.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the support hand mechanisms 91a to 91e and 92a to 92e function as the “first holding means” of the present invention, and in particular, the blanket receiving members 913 and 923 of the present invention. It has a function as a “local support”. Further, the transfer roller unit 94 functions as the “push-up unit” of the present invention. Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

<Others>
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the shape and the number of installed hands 625 in the above embodiment are just examples, and are not limited thereto. For example, three or more hands may be arranged side by side in the Y direction.

  As for holding the blanket BL from the lower surface, in addition to the abutment of the flat portion of the upper surface of the elongated hand as in the above-described embodiment, a method of abutting a pin-like support member standing upward is known. is there. However, in such a support method having a point contact or a contact area having a small contact area, stress may concentrate on the pattern forming material on the blanket BL near the support point and the pattern may be distorted. In that sense, it is preferable to support with a relatively large area. In particular, as in the above-described embodiment, the hand contacts the blanket BL in the contact region R3 extending in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the pressing region R2 by the transfer roller 641. It is more preferable.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the hand 625 is disposed and supported in the X direction in the range of the lower surface of the blanket BL with the central portion opened only within the range in contact with the transfer roller 641 in the X direction. A member for locally supporting the blanket BL may be provided outside the moving range of the transfer roller 641 in FIG. These members do not have to have a lifting function.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, a pair of hands 6252 and 6253 arranged side by side in the Y direction are configured to be able to move up and down independently, and operation control is performed so that they move up and down in conjunction with each other. The positional relationship between the pair of hands may be fixed and the structure may be moved up and down all the time.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, each hand 625 can be raised above the lower stage 61, so that the hand 625 corresponding to the “local support portion” in the present invention can be transferred to and from the outside of the apparatus. It is carried by. However, it is not an essential requirement that the local support means has a function of transferring a blanket to the outside.

  Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the hand 625 lowered downward from the position immediately below the blanket BL as the transfer roller 641 approaches is maintained at that position. However, after the transfer roller 641 passes, the hand 625 is returned to the position immediately below the blanket BL. You may do it.

  Further, for example, in the first embodiment, the four-side peripheral portion of the rectangular blanket BL is held by the annular lower stage 61. However, as long as the posture of the blanket is maintained, a part of the peripheral portion is opened. Also good. However, it is preferable to hold at least both end portions in the roller running direction (X direction) in order to prevent a positional shift associated with the roller running.

  This invention is one of a pattern forming process for forming a pattern on various substrates such as a glass substrate and a semiconductor substrate, a process for patterning a pattern forming material on a blanket with a plate, and a process for transferring the pattern on the blanket to the substrate. Or it is applicable suitably with respect to both.

41 Upper stage (second holding means)
61 Lower stage (holding frame, first holding means)
623 Slide base (lifting means)
624,628 Lifting mechanism (lifting means)
625 hand (local support, first holding means)
625a (hand 625) upper surface (contact surface)
641 Transfer roller (push-up member)
642 Support frame (support part)
644a Base part (movement mechanism)
644b Support legs (legs, support members)
647 Movement mechanism (movement mechanism)
PP version (object to be processed)
SB substrate (object to be processed)
S101, S103, S104 Second step S102, S108 First step S105, S112 Third step S107, S109, S110 Second step

Claims (11)

A plurality of local support portions that locally abut on the lower surface of the blanket that supports the pattern forming material on one surface and support the blanket from the lower surface side, and the blanket faces the pattern forming material supporting surface upward First holding means for supporting in a horizontal posture,
A plate for patterning the pattern forming material or a substrate onto which a pattern is transferred is used as a processing target, and the processing target is held in close proximity to the upper surface of the blanket held by the first holding means. 2 holding means;
The blanket is partially pushed up from the lower surface side of the blanket to bring it into contact with the object to be processed held by the second holding means, and moves along the lower surface of the blanket to move the blanket A push-up member that changes the push-up position of
A pattern forming apparatus comprising elevating means for elevating and lowering the plurality of local support parts individually.   2. The pattern formation according to claim 1, wherein the elevating unit lowers each of the local support portions in order as the push-up member moves from a state where each of the local support portions is in contact with the lower surface of the blanket. apparatus.   The said local support part is arranged along the moving direction of the said raising member, The said raising / lowering means descends the said local supporting part in the order along the moving direction of the said raising member. Pattern forming device. The push-up member collectively pushes up an area longer than the length of the effective area along one axial direction of the lower surface of the blanket,
4. The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the local support portions is in contact with the blanket at a contact surface extending with the axial direction as a longitudinal direction. 5. A support member having a support portion that extends in the axial direction along the push-up member and rotatably supports the push-up member at both ends, and a leg portion that extends downward from a substantially central portion of the support portion in the axial direction. And a moving mechanism for moving the support member in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction,
A pair of the local support parts are arranged in the axial direction and spaced apart from each other, and a plurality of pairs of the local support parts are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction,
The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the leg portion of the support member passes through a gap between the pair of local support portions. The first holding means has a holding frame for holding a peripheral edge portion outside the effective area of the blanket in a state where the lower area of the effective area of the blanket is opened.
The pattern forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of local support portions are in contact with a lower surface of the blanket inside a peripheral edge portion held by the holding frame in the blanket. A plurality of local support portions that can be moved up and down independently from each other are locally brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket that supports the pattern forming material on one side, so that the support surface of the pattern forming material faces upward. A first step of supporting the blanket in a horizontal posture;
A plate for patterning the pattern forming material or a substrate onto which a pattern is transferred is used as a processing target, and a lower surface of the processing target and the carrying surface of the blanket are arranged close to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. Two steps,
A third step in which a push-up member is brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket, the blanket is partially pushed up by the push-up member and brought into contact with the object to be processed, and the push-up member is moved along the lower surface of the blanket; Prepared,
In the third step, the pattern forming method in which the local support portion is sequentially lowered and separated from the blanket as the push-up member moves.   In the first step, a plurality of the local support portions are arranged along the moving direction of the push-up member, and in the third step, the local support portions are lowered in an order along the moving direction of the push-up member. Item 8. The pattern forming method according to Item 7.   In the third step, when the distance between the abutting position of the push-up member and the blanket and the abutting position of the one local support portion and the blanket is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the local support portion is lowered. The pattern formation method of Claim 7 or 8 to be made. In the first step, the pair of local support portions are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the push-up member and separated from each other, and a plurality of pairs of the local support portions are arranged in the moving direction. Place and
The pattern forming method according to claim 7, wherein, in the third step, the local support portions that are paired with each other are lowered integrally with the movement of the push-up member. In the first step, the peripheral portion of the blanket is held by a holding frame, and the plurality of local support portions are brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket inside the peripheral portion of the blanket held by the holding frame. Let
The pattern forming method according to claim 7, wherein, in the third step, the local support portion is lowered while maintaining the blanket peripheral portion held by the holding frame.

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