JP2016132227A - Transfer device and transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To bring two plate-like bodies into contact with each other in preferable positional accuracy while suppressing a positional deviation due to deflection of the plate-like bodies in a transfer device and a transfer method for bringing two sheets of plate-like bodies into contact with each other.SOLUTION: A first plate-like body SB and a second plate-like body BL are brought into contact with each other. An upper end of a support member 441 constituted so as to permit separation and contacting for a lower surface of the second plate-like body BL is brought into contact with a part of the center side of the second plate-like body BL rather than a part with which a roller member 431 in a lower surface of the second plate-like body BL first comes into contact and the second plate-like body BL is supported from the lower side. While the support 441 supports the second plate-like body BL, the roller member 431 comes into contact with the second plate-like body BL and pushes the second plate-like body BL against the first plate-like body SB and the roller member 431 is moved along the lower surface of the second plate-like body BL while pushing the second plate-like body BL against the first plate-like body SB.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus and a transfer method for transferring a transfer object from one plate-like body to the other plate-like body by bringing two plate-like bodies into contact with each other.

  As a technique for forming a pattern or thin film on a plate such as a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate, the two plates are brought into contact with each other, and the pattern or thin film supported on the main surface of one plate is Some transfer the transferred object to the other plate-shaped body. For example, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 previously disclosed by the applicant of the present application, a blanket carrying a pattern on a surface and a substrate are arranged to face each other, and the blanket is pushed up by a long roller member and brought into contact with the substrate. Then, the roller member moves along the blanket while pushing up the blanket, whereby the pattern is transferred from the blanket to the substrate.

JP 2014-144628 A

  As described above, in the technique of bringing the two plate-like bodies held in the horizontal posture into contact with each other by pressing with the roller member, in order to bring the roller member into contact, the lower surface central portion of the plate-like body located on the lower side is arranged. It must be held open. However, in such a holding mode, the plate-like body bends downward due to its own weight, thereby causing a positional shift with the other plate-like body, and it is difficult to accurately control the transfer position of the transfer object. is there. Particularly in recent years, as the size of the plate-like body increases, its own weight increases, and such a problem has become remarkable.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. In a transfer device and a transfer method in which two plate-like bodies are brought into contact with each other, the positional deviation caused by the bending of the plate-like bodies is suppressed, and the two plate-like bodies are formed. It aims at providing the technique which can be made to contact | abut with sufficient position accuracy.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the first holding means for holding the first plate-like body in a horizontal posture and the second plate-like body by holding the periphery thereof, The center of the lower surface is opened so that the upper surface of the two plate-like bodies is close to and opposed to the lower surface of the first plate-like body, and the upper surface side of the lower surface of the second plate-like body is opposed to the first plate-like body. Second holding means for holding in a horizontal position, a roller member having a roller shape extending along the lower surface of the second plate-like body, and being able to come into contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body And a support member that supports the second plate-like body from below by contacting the lower surface of the second plate-like body with the upper end being in a state of being separated from the second plate-like body. , Of the lower surface of the second plate-like body on the center side of the second plate-like body from the portion where the roller member first contacts The support member is in contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body to support the second plate-like body, and the roller member is in a state where the support member supports the second plate-like body. The second plate-like body is brought into contact with the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, and the roller member presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body. A transfer device that moves along the lower surface of the body.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, the first plate-like body is held in a horizontal posture and the peripheral edge portion of the second plate-like body is held, The horizontal posture is such that the upper surface is in close proximity to the lower surface of the first plate-like body, and the lower surface center portion of the lower surface of the second plate-like body is opposed to the first plate-like body is open. A holding step for holding the second plate-like body, and a roller arrangement in which a roller member having a roller shape extending along the lower surface of the second plate-like body is arranged at a position separated from the second plate-like body. And the upper end of the support member configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the lower surface of the second plate-like body, than the portion of the lower surface of the second plate-like body where the roller member first comes into contact. A supporting step of supporting the second plate-like body from below by contacting the central portion of the two plate-like bodies; With the holding member supporting the second plate-like body, the roller member abuts against the second plate-like body to press the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, and the roller member is In this transfer method, the second plate is moved along the lower surface of the second plate while pressing the second plate against the first plate.

  In the invention configured as described above, the roller member moves while pressing the second plate member against the first plate member, thereby bringing the first plate member and the second plate member into close contact with each other. Here, before the roller member comes into contact with the second plate-like body, the support member comes into contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body on the side closer to the center of the second plate-like body than the roller member. The second plate-like body is supported. From this state, the roller member comes into contact with the second plate and presses it against the first plate.

  The center part of the second plate-like body whose bottom center part is opened and whose peripheral edge part is held is bent downward by its own weight. Thereby, the horizontal direction position of each part of the second plate-shaped body tends to shift toward the center side of the second plate-shaped body as compared with the state where the second plate-shaped body is held in a flat posture. This causes misalignment between the two plate-like bodies and causes the transfer position of the transfer object to shift.

  According to the knowledge of the inventors of the present application, the amount of displacement of the transfer position is substantially determined by the amount of displacement in the region where the first plate and the second plate first contact each other. In other words, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation in the entire transfer range by sufficiently suppressing the positional deviation in the region where the first plate-shaped body and the second plate-shaped body first contact each other.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the support member comes into contact with the second plate-like body on the center side of the second plate-like body before the roller member before the contact of the roller member with the second plate-like body. The second plate-like body is supported from below. Accordingly, the second plate-like body is supported on both sides of the position where the roller member is first contacted by the support member and the second holding means for supporting the peripheral edge portion of the second plate-like body. For this reason, the deflection of the second plate-like body is small at the position where the roller member first contacts, and the displacement in the horizontal direction is also suppressed. In this state, the roller member abuts on the second plate-like body and presses and adheres to the first plate-like body, so that the horizontal direction between the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body is maintained even when the roller member is subsequently driven. It is possible to suppress an increase in the positional deviation. As a result, the shift of the transfer position is suppressed in the entire transfer range.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the second plate-like body is bent by supporting both sides of the portion of the second plate-like body that first contacts the roller member with the second holding means and the support member. It is suppressed. In this way, the roller member presses the second plate-like member against the first plate-like member while the horizontal displacement is suppressed, so that an increase in the displacement in the subsequent travel of the roller member is also suppressed. As a result, the two plate-like bodies can be brought into contact with each other with high positional accuracy, and the transfer object can be transferred with high accuracy to a predetermined transfer position.

1 is a side view schematically showing an embodiment of a transfer apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the principal part of this transfer apparatus. It is a figure which shows a transfer roller block. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a transfer roller block and a raising / lowering hand unit. It is a figure for demonstrating the problem of the bending of a blanket. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the bending of a blanket, and a transfer position shift. It is a flowchart which shows the transfer process by this transfer apparatus. FIG. 6 is a first diagram schematically showing the position of each part in the course of transfer processing. It is a 2nd figure which shows typically the position of each part in the process of a transfer process. It is a figure which shows the modification of a lifter unit. It is a figure which shows the other modification of a lifter unit.

  FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing an embodiment of a transfer apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the transfer apparatus. In order to uniformly indicate the directions in each figure, XYZ orthogonal coordinate axes are set as shown in 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 transfer device 1 has a structure in which an upper stage block 2, a lower stage block 3, and a transfer roller block 4 are attached to a main frame (not shown). In addition to the above, the transfer apparatus 1 includes a control unit 9 that controls each part of the apparatus according to a processing program stored in advance and executes a predetermined operation.

  First, the overall configuration of the apparatus 1 will be described. As the detailed structure of the upper stage block 2 and the lower stage block 3, for example, the structure described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-144628) can be used. I will explain only.

  The transfer device 1 is a device that performs pattern formation by bringing the blanket BL held by the lower stage block 3 and the plate PP or substrate SB held by the upper stage block 2 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 transfer 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, but is used in a mode in which only one of these processes is performed. May be. It can also be used for the purpose of transferring the thin film carried on the blanket BL to the substrate SB. Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the apparatus will be described on the assumption that the pattern or thin film formed on the surface of the blanket BL is transferred to the substrate SB. However, the operation in the patterning process is also described by replacing the substrate SB with the plate PP. Is done.

  The upper stage block 2 includes an upper stage 21 whose bottom surface is a flat substrate holding surface 21a. The upper stage 21 is attached to the lower part of the beam member 22 extending in the Y direction, and is held by the beam member 22 so that the substrate holding surface 21a is in a horizontal posture. The beam member 22 is held up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction) by a pair of stage elevating mechanisms 23 and 23 arranged separately in the Y direction. Thereby, the upper stage 21 is movable in the Z direction.

  In this embodiment, a ball screw mechanism is used as an example of the stage elevating mechanism 23, but is not limited to this. The stage elevating mechanism 23 includes a ball screw 233 that is rotatably supported with respect to the main frame by support members 231 and 232, a motor 234 that rotates the ball screw 233, and a nut portion 235 attached to the ball screw 233. . The ball screw 233 and the motor 234 are connected via a coupling 236. The motor 234 is controlled by a stage lift control unit 91 provided in the control unit 9, and the upper stage 21 moves up and down by the motor 234 rotating in accordance with a control signal from the stage lift control unit 91.

  Although not shown in the drawing, suction grooves or suction holes are provided on the lower surface (substrate holding surface) 21 a of the upper stage 21, and negative pressure is applied from the suction control unit 92 provided in the control unit 9 as necessary. Supplied. Accordingly, the upper stage 21 can suck and hold the upper surface of the substrate SB that is in contact with the substrate holding surface 21a. The planar size of the substrate holding surface 21a is formed slightly smaller than the size of the substrate SB to be held.

  The upper stage block 2 configured as described above holds the substrate SB in a horizontal posture. The substrate SB is carried into the apparatus 1 so that the transfer surface onto which the pattern or thin film is to be transferred faces downward. Further, the stage elevating mechanism 23 moves the upper stage 21 up and down, so that the gap between the blanket BL and the substrate SB held on the lower stage described below is adjusted to a specified value.

  The lower stage block 3 is disposed below the upper stage 21, and includes a lower stage 31 provided with an opening 311 at the center and a blanket holding surface 31a having a flat and horizontal upper surface. The lower stage 31 is supported by a plurality of support columns 32. The planar size of the lower stage 31 is larger than the size of the blanket BL to be held, and the opening size of the opening 311 is larger than the planar size of the substrate SB. As a result, the blanket BL is held by the lower stage 31 with only the peripheral edge thereof in contact with the lower stage 31 and the central part with the lower surface opened. A suction groove 312 is provided in a region of the upper surface (blanket holding surface) 31a of the lower stage 31 in contact with the blanket BL. A negative pressure is supplied to the suction groove 312 from the suction control unit 92 of the control unit 9 as necessary. Thereby, the blanket BL is sucked and held on the lower stage 31. The blanket BL is held in a horizontal posture with the carrying surface carrying the pattern or thin film to be transferred to the substrate SB facing upward.

  The support column 32 that holds the lower stage 31 is attached to an alignment stage 36, and the alignment stage 36 is attached to the main frame via a plurality of alignment mechanisms 37. The alignment mechanism 37 has, for example, a cross roller bearing mechanism, and moves the alignment stage 36 in the horizontal direction (XY direction) and in the θ direction around the Z axis in accordance with a control signal from an alignment control unit 94 provided in the control unit 9. Move. Thereby, the lower stage 31 moves in the horizontal plane (XY plane), and the relative position in the horizontal direction between the substrate SB held on the upper stage 21 and the blanket BL held on the lower stage 31 is optimized.

  The lower stage block 3 further includes a pair of elevating hand units 33 and 34 provided to face each other with an interval in the X direction. The elevating hand unit 33 and the elevating hand unit 34 have shapes symmetrical to each other with respect to the YZ plane, but their structures are basically the same.

  The lifting / lowering hand unit 33 faces the opening 311 of the lower stage 31 and is provided with a plurality of (four here as an example) lifting / lowering hands 331, 332, 333, and 334 provided in order along the Y direction. And a drive unit 335 for individually raising and lowering the hand. Similarly, the elevating hand unit 34 includes elevating hands 341, 342, 343, and 344 provided in order along the Y direction facing the opening 311 of the lower stage 31, and a drive unit that individually elevates and lowers these elevating hands. 345. The drive units 335 and 345 are controlled by a hand lifting control unit 93 provided in the control unit 9 and individually control the vertical position of each lifting hand according to a control signal from the hand lifting control unit 93.

  Each lifting hand is positioned at a position where the upper surface thereof is flush with the substrate holding surface 31a of the lower stage 31, so that the lower surface of the central portion of the blanket BL held by the lower stage 31 with the lower surface opened is removed. Support auxiliary. Thereby, it is possible to support the blanket BL flatly while suppressing the bending thereof. Further, by retracting downward as necessary, interference with the transfer roller traveling described below is avoided.

  The transfer roller block 4 includes a roller unit 43 and a lifter unit 44, and these units 43 and 44 are attached to the upper surface of the plate member 45. The plate member 45 is attached to the main frame via the roller travel drive unit 5. The roller travel drive unit 5 includes a guide rail 51 that is fixed to the main frame below the lower stage 31 and extends in the Y direction, and a ball screw mechanism 52 provided along the guide rail 51. A plate member 45 is attached to the nut portion 525.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing a transfer roller block. More specifically, FIG. 3A is a perspective view showing the structure of the transfer roller block 4 and the roller travel drive unit 5, and FIG. 3B shows the positional relationship between the transfer roller block 4 and the blanket BL. FIG. In the roller travel drive unit 5 that supports the transfer roller block 4, a ball screw mechanism 52 is provided along the guide rail 51. More specifically, the ball screw 523 is supported by support members 521 and 522 provided in the vicinity of both ends of the guide rail 51, and the ball screw 523 is rotated by the motor 524 through the coupling 526. A nut portion 525 is attached to the ball screw 523. As the motor 524 rotates, the nut portion 525 moves horizontally along the guide rail 51 in the Y direction. Accordingly, the transfer roller block 4 supported by the nut portion 525 moves horizontally in the Y direction.

  The roller unit 43 provided in the transfer roller block 4 includes a transfer roller 431 formed in a roller shape whose longitudinal direction is the X direction. The transfer roller 431 is supported by a support member 432 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis parallel to the X direction. The surface of the transfer roller 431 is formed of an elastic body, for example, a rubber material, and the length of the transfer roller 431 in the X direction is longer than the length of the substrate SB in the X direction.

  An arm 433 extends downward from a central portion in the X direction of the support member 432. The arm 433 is attached to a roller lifting mechanism 434 that lifts and lowers the transfer roller 431. The structure of the roller lifting / lowering mechanism 434 is not particularly limited. For example, an air cylinder, a solenoid, a ball screw mechanism, or the like can be used. The roller elevating mechanism 434 is controlled by a roller elevating control unit 95 provided in the control unit 9, and the roller elevating mechanism 434 operates according to a control signal from the roller elevating control unit 95 so that the transfer roller 431 is moved to the plate. The member 45 is moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction).

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the transfer roller 431 is retracted below the blanket BL held by the lower stage 31 and the upper end of the roller is separated from the blanket BL by the operation of the roller lifting mechanism 434. It is possible to move up and down between the position and a pressing position indicated by a dotted line, where the upper end of the roller comes into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL and pushes up.

  The lifter unit 44 includes a flat plate-like lifter blade 441 extending in parallel with the XZ plane and having the X direction as a longitudinal direction. The upper surface 441 a of the lifter blade 441 is flat and is supported by a lifter lifting mechanism attached to the plate member 45 so as to be movable up and down. Specifically, a ball screw 443 is attached to a frame 442 erected on the plate member 45, and a lifter blade 441 is fixed to a nut portion 444 attached to the ball screw 443. The ball screw 443 is rotated by the operation of a motor 445 connected via a coupling 447, whereby the nut portion 444 is moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the lifter blade 441 is moved up and down.

  The motor 445 is controlled by a lifter lift control unit 96 provided in the control unit 9. The lifter blade 441 moves up and down as the motor 445 rotates in response to a control signal from the lifter lifting control unit 96. As described above, the frame 442, the ball screw 443, the nut portion 444, the motor 445, and the coupling 447 constitute a ball screw mechanism, and the ball screw mechanism functions as a lifter lifting mechanism. The lifter lifting mechanism is not limited to such a ball screw mechanism, and various types of driving mechanisms can be used.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the lifter blade 441 has a retraction position indicated by a solid line and a top surface, which is retreated below the blanket BL held by the lower stage 31 and separated from the blanket BL by the operation of the lifter lifting mechanism. 441a can be moved up and down between a contact position indicated by a dotted line, which contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL. The lifter blade 441 can be moved up and down independently of the transfer roller 431. In the contact position, the upper surface 441a of the lifter blade 441 is positioned at substantially the same height in the Z direction as the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31. Therefore, when the lifter blade 441 is in the contact position, the upper surface 441a of the lifter blade 441 and the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 are located in the same horizontal plane. Accordingly, the blanket BL in which the lower stage 31 and the lifter blade 441 are in contact with the lower surface is supported in a horizontal posture.

  A gap sensor 446 is attached near the center of the side surface of the lifter blade 441 in the X direction. The gap sensor 446 measures a gap between the lower surface of the substrate SB and the upper surface of the blanket BL. For example, an optical interference type distance detector can be used. In this example, the gap sensor 446 moves up and down together with the lifter blade 441. However, this is not essential, and it is sufficient if the gap between the lower surface of the substrate SB and the upper surface of the blanket BL can be measured in the vicinity of the transfer roller 431. . Therefore, for example, a gap sensor may be attached to the plate member 45 or the frame 442, or may be provided on the upper stage 21.

  The roller unit 43 and the lifter unit 44 having such a configuration are both attached to the plate member 45 and integrally move in the Y direction by the rotation of the motor 524. The motor 524 is controlled by a roller travel control unit 97 provided in the control unit 9. When the motor 524 rotates according to the control signal from the roller travel control unit 97, the nut portion 525 of the ball screw mechanism 52 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 51, and the roller unit 43 is moved along with the movement of the nut portion 525. And the lifter unit 44 moves. As a result, the transfer roller 431 provided in the roller unit 43 travels in the Y direction along the lower surface of the blanket BL. Thus, the guide rail 51 and the ball screw mechanism 52 have a function as a roller traveling mechanism that causes the transfer roller 431 to travel in the Y direction. As will be described later, when the transfer roller block 4 moves in the Y direction, the transfer roller 431 contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL, while the lifter blade 441 is separated from the lower surface of the blanket BL.

  As described above, the transfer roller 431 can perform the up and down operation in the Z direction by the roller lifting mechanism and the traveling operation in the Y direction by the roller traveling mechanism. Further, the lifter blade 441 can perform a lifting operation in the Z direction by the lifter lifting mechanism and a traveling operation in the Y direction by the roller traveling mechanism. When the transfer roller 431 (roller unit 43) and the lifter blade 441 (lifter unit 44) travel in the Y direction, the lifting hand units 331 and the like provided in the lifting hand units 33, 34 and the roller unit 43, the lifter unit 44 Interference is avoided as follows. Hereinafter, the positional relationship between the pair of lifting hands 331 and 341 provided in the lifting hand units 33 and 34 and the roller unit 43 will be described as an example, but the same applies to other lifting hands.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the transfer roller block and the lifting hand unit. More specifically, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are views of the transfer roller block 4 and the lifting hand units 33 and 34, respectively, viewed in the Y direction and the X direction. As shown in the figure, the roller unit 43 and the lifter unit 44 move in the Y direction so that the transfer roller 431 is along the lower surface of the blanket BL held by the lower stage 31. In the X direction, the tips of the lifting hands 331 and 341 arranged opposite to each other are separated from each other, and the lifter lifting mechanism (frame 442) of the arm 433 of the roller unit 43, the roller lifting mechanism 434, and the lifter unit 44 passes through these gaps. , The ball screw 443, the nut portion 444, the motor 445, and the coupling 447) travel. Therefore, the interference between the roller lifting mechanism and the lifting hands 331 and 341 is structurally avoided.

  On the other hand, when the elevating hands 331 and 341 are in contact with or close to the lower surface of the blanket BL, the elevating hands 331 and 341 may come into contact with the transfer roller 431, the support member 432, and the lifter blade 441. To cope with this problem, the lifting hands 331 and 341 are integrally lowered so that the upper surfaces thereof are positioned below the lower surfaces of the lifter blade 441 and the support member 432. That is, in synchronization with the traveling of the roller unit 43 in the Y direction, the elevating hand units 33 and 34 sequentially retract the elevating hands 331 (341), 332 (342) and the like downward. Thereby, the transfer roller 431, the support member 432, and the lifter blade 441 pass through the upper part of the lifting hand 331 and the like, and interference between the roller unit 43 and the lifter unit 44 and the lifting hand 331 and the like is avoided.

  Compared with the transfer device of the prior art (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-144628), the lifter unit 44 is newly provided in this embodiment. The reason for adopting such a configuration is to control the transfer position of the pattern or the like with high accuracy by suppressing the deflection of the blanket BL when the transfer roller 431 first contacts the blanket BL, as will be described below. It is.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the problem of blanket deflection. More specifically, FIG. 5A is a top view showing the blanket BL supported by the lower stage 31 and the lifting hand 331 and the like, and FIG. 5B schematically shows the amount of deflection of the blanket BL. It is. As shown in FIG. 5A, in this transfer apparatus 1, the blanket BL is placed on the upper surface 31a of the frame-shaped lower stage 31 whose central part is the opening 311 corresponding to the substrate SB. The peripheral edge of the blanket BL abuts on the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 and is sucked and held.

  Then, the lifting hands 331 to 334 and 341 to 344 come into contact with the blanket BL with the lower surface of the central portion inside the peripheral portion opened, so that the blanket BL is supported in a horizontal posture. However, since the central portion of the blanket BL is only partially supported by the support hand 331 or the like, a downward deflection of the unsupported portion inevitably occurs. In particular, such a problem becomes conspicuous in a large blanket BL corresponding to a large-sized substrate. This is because it is difficult to increase the thickness of the blanket BL even if the planar size increases due to the principle of transfer processing.

  The inventor of the present application measured the amount of displacement in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the blanket BL supported by the lower stage 31 and the lifting hand 331 and the like at various positions in the Y direction. As a result, on the straight line L1 that is supported by the lifting hands 331 to 334, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 5B, no displacement is seen at the position of the lifting hand 331 or the like, but it is separated from the lifting hand 331 or the like. It is shown that the displacement increases at the position and the blanket BL is bent downward. However, the displacement is small.

  On the other hand, on the straight line L2 passing through the approximate center of the blanket BL in the X direction, the amount of deflection increases toward the center of the blanket BL. At this time, the deflection amount Z1 at the position Y1 corresponding to the region R1 of the blanket BL with which the transfer roller 431 first contacts is relatively small, but the deflection amount Z2 is particularly large at the center portion.

  Experimentally, in the case where the lifting hands 331, 341 and the like which are arranged in pairs in the X direction are integrally formed and supported by the continuous hands in the X direction, the deflection is measured on the straight line L2, FIG. As shown by the dotted line in (b), the amount of deflection was greatly reduced.

  At this time, the amount of displacement is larger than the measurement result on the straight line L1. Since the position of the straight line L1 is close to the (+ X) side of the lower stage 31, the blanket BL can be supported by the lifting hands 331 to 334 and by the lower stage 31 (one side). On the other hand, it is estimated that the lower stage 31 does not support the blanket BL in the center.

  As described above, even when a plurality of lifting hands 331 and the like that each partially contact the lower surface of the blanket BL are provided, the blanket BL is bent at a portion that is not supported by such a member. In particular, since it is necessary to open the lower surface of the blanket BL in order to bring the transfer roller 431 into contact, the position directly above the transfer roller 431 cannot be supported, and it is difficult to reduce the bending at this portion. .

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between blanket deflection and transfer position deviation. In this transfer device 1, as shown in FIG. 6A, the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL and presses the blanket BL against the substrate SB in a state where the substrate SB and the blanket BL face each other in parallel. The pattern PT is transferred to the substrate SB. In order to keep the pattern transfer position on the substrate SB properly, an alignment operation by the alignment mechanism 37 is executed.

  However, when the blanket BL is bent downward, the peripheral edge of the blanket BL is displaced so as to be drawn toward the center as shown in FIG. Due to this, a certain point P on the surface of the blanket BL is at a position displaced by ΔY in the Y direction as compared with the state of no deflection shown by the dotted line in FIG. Since the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL right above, the point P comes into contact with the substrate SB while being shifted by ΔY from the original position. According to the knowledge of the inventor of the present application, once the substrate SB and the blanket BL are brought into contact with each other, the two come into close contact with each other via the pattern PT, so that even if the transfer roller 431 moves in the horizontal direction, the substrate SB and the blanket BL The relative position in the horizontal direction hardly changes.

  Accordingly, it can be said that the amount of displacement of the transfer position, that is, the amount of displacement of the substrate SB due to the deflection of the blanket BL is substantially determined by the amount of displacement of the blanket BL at the position where the transfer roller 431 first contacts. . In other words, if the position shift of the blanket BL when the transfer roller 431 first contacts can be suppressed, the transfer position shift in the entire substrate SB can be suppressed. By reducing the amount of deflection ΔZ of the blanket BL at the position immediately above the transfer roller 431 where the transfer roller 431 comes into contact first, the displacement in the horizontal direction can also be reduced.

  As described above, the amount of deflection changes depending on the support mode in the central portion of the blanket BL. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6C, prior to the transfer roller 431 coming into contact with the blanket BL, the transfer roller 431 is closer to the center of the blanket BL than the transfer roller 431 (+ Y). The lifter blade 441 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. As a result, the blanket BL bent downward is pushed up and maintained in a horizontal posture. By doing so, the deflection of the blanket BL when the transfer roller 431 contacts the blanket BL can be reduced, and the shift in the Y direction of the contact position between the substrate SB and the blanket BL can be reduced.

  By bringing the transfer roller 431 into contact with the blanket BL while the blanket BL is supported by the lifter blade 441, the transfer position deviation of the pattern PT on the substrate SB is suppressed to less than half compared to the conventional technique in which the lifter unit 44 is not provided. I was able to.

  The lifter blade 441 is for returning the blanket BL bent downward to a horizontal state, and does not raise the blanket BL further. Therefore, when the lifter blade 441 supports the blanket BL, the lifter blade 441 is positioned at a contact position where the upper surface 441a is substantially flush with the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 and contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL.

  Regarding the positioning control of the lifter blade 441 in the vertical direction, the positioning may be performed so that the upper surface 441a is flush with the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 by mechanical abutment or prior teaching work. Further, the distance between the upper stage 21 and the lower stage 31 is adjusted so that the substrate SB and the blanket BL face each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. Therefore, the lifter lifting / lowering control unit 96 controls the height of the lifter blade 441 so that the gap between the substrate SB and the blanket BL near the transfer roller 431 detected by the gap sensor 446 becomes a predetermined gap amount. Thus, it is possible to indirectly align the lifter blade 441 and the lower stage 31 in the height direction. In the operation described below, the output of the gap sensor 446 is used.

  Next, transfer processing by the transfer device 1 configured as described above will be described. As described above, a transfer process for transferring a pattern or a thin film from the blanket BL to the substrate SB will be described here, but the operation in the patterning process is also described by replacing the substrate SB with the plate PP.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a transfer process by the transfer device. FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are diagrams schematically showing the position of each part in the transfer process. In the transfer process, first, a substrate SB to which a pattern or a thin film is to be transferred is carried into the apparatus and set on the upper stage 21 (step S101). The upper stage 21 sucks and holds the substrate SB with the transfer surface onto which the pattern or thin film is transferred facing downward. Subsequently, the blanket BL carrying the pattern or thin film to be transferred to the substrate SB is carried into the apparatus and set on the lower stage 31 (step S102). The lower stage 31 sucks and holds the blanket BL with the carrying surface carrying the pattern or thin film facing upward.

  Next, each part of the apparatus is positioned at a predetermined initial position (step S103). FIG. 8A shows the initial position of each part. The upper stage 21 and the lower stage 31 are close to each other so that the substrate SB and the blanket BL face each other in parallel with a predetermined gap therebetween. Further, the lifting hand 331 and the like rise to a position where the upper surface thereof is flush with the upper surface of the lower stage 31, and abut against the lower surface of the blanket BL to support the blanket BL in a horizontal posture. The transfer roller 431 is positioned at a position immediately below one end of the substrate SB in the Y direction and at a retracted position spaced downward from the lower surface of the blanket BL. The lifter blade 441 is also in a retracted position separated from the lower surface of the blanket BL at a position adjacent to the (+ Y) side of the transfer roller 431. Subsequently, alignment processing for adjusting the horizontal position of the substrate SB and the blanket BL is performed (step S104). That is, the alignment mechanism 37 moves the alignment stage 36 in a horizontal plane as necessary so that the pattern PT or thin film carried on the blanket BL and the substrate SB have a predetermined positional relationship in the horizontal direction.

  From this state, as shown in FIG. 8B, the lifter blade 441 moves up to the contact position, contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL, and supports it (step S105). Subsequently, the transfer roller 431 rises and comes into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL, and further rises to press the blanket BL upward (step S106). When the transfer roller 431 presses the blanket BL while the blanket BL is supported by the lifter blade 441, the positional deviation in the horizontal direction with respect to the substrate SB is suppressed.

  By continuing to rise after the transfer roller 431 contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL, as shown in FIG. 8C, the blanket BL is pushed up by the transfer roller 431, and finally the upper surface of the blanket BL is the substrate SB. Contact the lower surface. As a result, the pattern or thin film PT carried on the upper surface of the blanket BL adheres to the substrate SB. Further, the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL, whereby the pattern or the thin film PT is pressed against the substrate SB. Thus, the pattern or the thin film PT is transferred to the substrate SB. Since the horizontal displacement of the blanket BL is suppressed by the support of the lifter blade 441, the pattern or the thin film PT is properly transferred to a predetermined position on the substrate SB.

  When the substrate SB and the blanket BL come into contact with each other due to the pressing of the transfer roller 431, the lifter blade 441 moves downward and separates from the blanket BL as shown in FIG. 8D (step S107). Then, the transfer roller 431 starts traveling in the (+ Y) direction (step S108). As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the transfer roller 431 moves in the Y direction while pressing the blanket BL against the substrate SB, so that the blanket BL and the substrate SB pass through the pattern or the thin film PT. The contact area spreads in the Y direction. In this way, the pattern or the thin film PT is sequentially transferred to the substrate SB (transfer process). The transfer roller 431 rises to a pressing position where the blanket BL can be pressed with a constant pressing force, and travels in the Y direction in this state.

  At this time, in order to avoid interference with the traveling roller unit 43, the elevating hand mechanisms 33 and 34 move the elevating hands 331 (341), 332 (342), 333 (343), and 334 (344) to the roller unit 43. As it moves, it will descend sequentially. Further, since the lifter unit 44 travels in the Y direction together with the roller unit 43, it does not interfere with the roller unit 43.

  The roller unit 43 continues to travel until the transfer roller 431 reaches the end position immediately below the other end of the substrate SB (step S109). As a result, the entire substrate SB contacts the blanket BL, and the transfer of the pattern or the thin film PT to the substrate SB is completed. At this time, the movement of the roller unit 43 is stopped, and as shown in FIG. 8D, the roller unit 43 is separated from the blanket BL and retracts downward (step S110). The blanket BL and the substrate SB that are brought into close contact with each other are carried out integrally (step S111), and the transfer process in the transfer device 1 is completed.

  As described above, in the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the transfer roller 431 moves up in the Y direction while pushing up the blanket BL by the transfer roller 431 and is brought into contact with the substrate SB. PT is transferred to the substrate SB. At this time, before the transfer roller 431 contacts the blanket BL for the first time, the lifter blade 441 contacts the lower surface of the blanket BL at a position closer to the center of the blanket BL than the transfer roller 431, thereby correcting the deflection of the blanket BL. Close to posture. For this reason, the positional deviation from the substrate SB when the transfer roller 431 first contacts the blanket BL is suppressed, and the pattern transfer position accuracy to the substrate SB can be maintained well.

  As described above, in the above embodiment, the substrate SB corresponds to the “first plate-like body” of the present invention, and the blanket BL corresponds to the “second plate-like body” of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the upper stage 21 functions as the “first holding means” of the present invention, and the lower surface 21 a corresponds to the “contact surface” of the present invention. The lower stage 31 functions as the “second holding means” and “support stage” of the present invention, and the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 corresponds to the “support surface” of the present invention.

  The transfer roller 431 functions as the “roller member” of the present invention, and the lifter blade 441 functions as the “support member” of the present invention. The upper surface 441a of the lifter blade 441 corresponds to the “contact portion” of the present invention. Further, the plate member 45 functions as the “moving member” of the present invention, and the gap sensor 446 functions as the “gap detection means” of the present invention.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the raising / lowering hand units 33 and 34 function as the "auxiliary support means" of this invention, and each of the raising / lowering hands 331-334,341-344 is the "auxiliary support member" of this invention. Is functioning as The alignment controller 94 and the alignment mechanism 37 are integrated to function as the “alignment means” of the present invention.

  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, in the transfer device 1 of the above embodiment, the lifter unit 44 travels integrally with the roller unit 43. However, the lifter unit 44 corrects the deflection of the blanket BL when the transfer roller 431 first comes into contact with the blanket BL, and does not exhibit a special effect after the blanket BL comes into contact with the substrate SB. In this sense, it is not necessary for the lifter unit to travel integrally with the roller unit 43. For example, the following configuration can also be adopted.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing a modification of the lifter unit. More specifically, FIG. 10A is a view of a transfer roller block including a lifter unit according to a modification, viewed from the X direction, and FIG. 10B is a view viewed from the Y direction. In FIG. 10, components that are substantially the same as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. Two sets of lifter units 46 of this modification are arranged so as to face each other at different positions in the X direction. Each lifter unit 46 has a lifter blade 461 that is approximately half the length of the transfer roller 431 and extends in the X direction, an arm 462 that extends obliquely downward from the lifter blade 461, and an arm 462 that moves up and down in the oblique direction. And a lifter lifting mechanism 463. The lifter lifting mechanism 463 is fixed to the main frame and does not travel with the roller unit 43.

  As shown by a solid line in FIG. 10, when the lifter blade 461 is positioned at the lower position by the lifter lifting mechanism 463, the upper end of the lifter blade 461 is positioned below the lower surface of the support member 432 of the transfer roller 431. In addition, the lifter blades 461 and 461 are relatively separated from each other in the X direction. For this reason, the lifter unit 46 does not interfere with the travel of the roller unit 43.

  On the other hand, when the lifter lifting mechanism 463 operates, the lifter blade 461 rises obliquely upward having the X-direction component and the Z-direction component as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 10, and finally the upper end comes into contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. At this time, the heights of the upper ends of the lifter blades 461 and 461 are the same, and the shapes of the lifter blades 461 and 461 are set so that the distance between the lifter blades 461 and 461 is extremely small in the X direction. Thereby, the blanket BL before the transfer roller 431 contacts can be supported by the lower stage 31 and the lifter blades 461 and 461, and the deflection of the blanket BL can be suppressed. As described above, even when a lifter unit that does not travel with the transfer roller 431 is used, the same effect as described above can be obtained.

  Further, the lifter unit 46 of the above embodiment has a lifter blade 461 which is a blade-like member whose upper surface is a contact surface, and the blanket BL by the transfer roller 431 with the lifter blade 461 supporting the blanket BL from below. Is pushed up. In order to avoid the lifter blade 461 from rubbing the lower surface of the blanket BL, the lifter blade 461 moves away from the blanket BL after the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL. Instead of this, the following configuration may be adopted.

  FIG. 11 is a view showing another modification of the lifter unit. More specifically, FIG. 11A is a view of the transfer roller block including the lifter unit of this modified example viewed from the X direction, and FIG. 11B and FIG. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a roller block. In the description of this modification, the same components as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 11A, the lifter unit 47 of this modification includes a cylindrical roller-shaped lifter roller 471 extending in parallel with the XZ plane and having the X direction as a longitudinal direction. The lifter roller 471 is supported by a support frame 474 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the X direction, and is supported by a lifter lifting mechanism attached to the plate member 45 so as to be movable up and down. Specifically, a ball screw 473 is attached to a frame 472 erected on the plate member 45, and a nut portion attached to the ball screw 473 is integrated with the support frame 474. The ball screw 473 is rotated by the operation of the motor 475 connected through the coupling 477, and thereby the support frame 474 is moved up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the lifter roller 471 is moved up and down.

  The motor 475 is controlled by a lifter lifting control unit 96 provided in the control unit 9. The lifter roller 471 moves up and down as the motor 475 rotates in response to a control signal from the lifter lifting control unit 96. As described above, the frame 472, the ball screw 473, the support frame 474, the motor 475, and the coupling 477 constitute a ball screw mechanism, and the ball screw mechanism functions as a lifter lifting mechanism. The lifter lifting mechanism is not limited to such a ball screw mechanism, and various types of driving mechanisms can be used.

  Similar to the lifter blade 441 in the above embodiment, the lifter lifting mechanism elevates the lifter roller 471 below the blanket BL held by the lower stage 31 and moves away from the blanket BL, and the upper end is the lower surface of the blanket BL. It is possible to move up and down between the abutting positions that abut against the abutment. The lifter roller 471 can be moved up and down independently of the transfer roller 431. At the contact position, the upper end portion of the lifter roller 471 is positioned at the same height in the Z direction as the upper surface 31 a of the lower stage 31. Therefore, when the lifter roller 471 is in the contact position, the upper end portion of the lifter roller 471 and the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31 are located in the same horizontal plane. Thereby, the blanket BL in which the lower stage 31 and the lifter roller 471 are in contact with the lower surface is supported in a horizontal posture.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, in this modification, the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL while the lifter roller 471 is in contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. Similarly to the lifter blade 441 in the above-described embodiment, the lifter roller 471 functions to hold the blanket BL in a horizontal posture when the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL, thereby preventing the blanket BL from being displaced.

  Similar to the above embodiment, after the transfer roller 431 pushes up the blanket BL and presses it against the substrate SB, the transfer roller 431 travels in the Y direction. At this time, the lifter roller 471 supported by the same plate member 45 as the transfer roller 431 also travels in the Y direction integrally with the transfer roller 431. When the lifter roller 471 is separated from the blanket BL prior to running, the lifter roller 471 is different only in the shape of the contact portion with the blanket BL, and its action is not different from the action of the lifter blade 441 in the above embodiment. .

  On the other hand, in this modified example, as shown in FIG. 11C, the lifter roller 471 can travel in the Y direction while being in contact with the lower surface of the blanket BL. As the lifter roller 471 rotates, rubbing against the blanket BL is prevented. Further, since the lifter roller 471 supports the blanket BL, it is possible to suppress the blanket BL from being bent and maintain its posture even after the lifting hand 331 or the like is retracted downward for roller running. If the upper end portion of the lifter roller 471 is kept running at the same height as the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31, the horizontal posture of the blanket BL can be more stably maintained.

  The upper end portion of the lifter roller 471 may protrude slightly above the upper surface 31a of the lower stage 31, but in order to perform the transfer well, the blanket BL is prevented from coming into contact with the substrate SB by being pushed up by the lifter roller 471. Is desirable. Therefore, it is preferable that the upper end portion of the lifter roller 471 is at least lower than the upper end portion of the transfer roller 431 in a state where the blanket BL is pushed up, and the lifter roller 471 contacts the blanket BL at a position below the transfer roller 431.

  Thus, as the “support member” of the present invention, for example, a roller-shaped member can be used in addition to the blade-shaped member. When such a roller-shaped support member is provided, it is not necessary to further raise and lower the support member after contacting the lower surface of the blanket BL. Therefore, a mechanism for raising and lowering the support member alone is not necessarily required. Therefore, for example, a combination of a mechanism for raising and lowering the transfer roller 431 and the lifter roller 471 integrally by raising and lowering the plate member 45 and a mechanism for raising and lowering the transfer roller 431 relative to the plate member 45 and the lifter roller 471. It is also possible to constitute a transfer roller block.

  In the above embodiment, the roller unit 43 and the lifter unit 44 (or the lifter unit 47) are supported by a roller lifting mechanism and a lifter lifting mechanism provided on a single plate member 45, respectively, so that the transfer can be performed. The roller 431 and the lifter blade 441 (or the lifter roller 471) can be moved up and down independently. Instead, for example, a roller unit and a lifter blade (or lifter roller) that does not have a lift raising / lowering mechanism are attached to a plate member that can move up and down, and in a predetermined Z-direction range, the transfer roller 431 and the lifter blade 441 (or The lifter roller 471) may move up and down integrally.

  Further, although the gap sensor 446 is provided in the above embodiment, as described above, the positioning of the lifter blade 441 can be controlled by mechanical abutment or prior teaching work. In this case, the gap sensor 446 is May be omitted.

  Further, the lifter blade 441 in the above embodiment is a flat plate member whose length in the X direction is substantially the same as that of the transfer roller 431, and covers most of the opening length of the lower stage 31 in the X direction. However, since the blanket BL is largely bent at the central portion in the X direction of the blanket BL, it is sufficient that at least this portion is supported. Therefore, the length of the lifter blade 441 in the X direction may be shorter than that of the transfer roller 431. However, from the viewpoint of preventing the bending between the pair of opposing lifting hands 331 and 341, the length of the lifter blade 441 is larger than the distance between the lifting hands 331 and 341 in the X direction. It is preferable to do.

  The above embodiment is a transfer device for transferring a transfer object such as a pattern carried on the blanket BL to the substrate SB. However, the technical idea of the present invention is limited to the transfer device for transferring such a pattern or the like. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a technique of bonding two plate-like bodies without using a pattern or the like.

  As described above, the specific embodiment has been described by way of example. In the present invention, for example, the second holding means has a flat upper surface and is in contact with the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the second plate-like body. A frame-shaped support stage having a center portion corresponding to the lower surface center portion of the second plate-like body and serving as a support surface for supporting the shaped body, and the upper surface of the support member is the same height as the support surface of the support stage. The structure which supports the 2nd plate-shaped body in the position may be sufficient. According to such a configuration, since the second plate-like body is supported at the same height on both sides of the part where the roller member first comes into contact, the horizontal posture of the second plate-like body is maintained between these, and the second plate-like body is bent. Can be minimized.

  Further, for example, after the roller member abuts against the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, the support member is separated from the second plate-like body, and then the roller member is moved to the second plate-like body. The structure which moves along the lower surface of a shape-like body may be sufficient. The support member maintains the posture of the second plate-like body when the roller member abuts on the second plate-like body, and the support member also remains on the second plate-like body after the roller member abuts on the second plate-like body. It is not always necessary to be in contact. By making the roller member move after the support member is separated from the second plate-like body, the support member can be retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the roller member.

  Further, for example, the roller member and the support member may be configured to move integrally. The support member positioned in front of the roller member in the moving direction of the roller member can become an obstacle when the roller member is traveling. Such a problem does not occur because the support member moves integrally with the roller member. At this time, if the support member is separated from the second plate-like body, the support member can avoid rubbing the surface of the second plate-like body.

  Alternatively, for example, the support member has a roller shape having an axis parallel to the axis of the roller member, and is in contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body at a position below the roller member, and the second integrally with the support member. The structure which moves along the lower surface of a plate-shaped body may be sufficient. In such a configuration, sliding of the second plate-like body is avoided by the roller member rolling. In addition, even when the roller member is moving, the support member supports the second plate-like body, so that the posture of the second plate-like body can be maintained more stably.

  In these cases, for example, the roller member and the support member may be attached to the same moving member, and the position in the height direction may be changed independently of each other. According to such a configuration, the roller member and the support member can be moved together by moving a single moving member, and the height direction positions of the two can be changed independently of each other. It is possible to make contact and separation in the order described.

  Further, for example, in the present invention, the support member may have a contact portion at the upper end extending in a direction parallel to the extending direction of the roller member. According to such a structure, the bending along the extending direction of a roller member can be suppressed effectively, and a positional accuracy can be improved more.

  Further, for example, auxiliary support means provided so as to be able to be separated from and brought into contact with the center portion of the lower surface of the second plate-like body is provided, and the auxiliary support means is located at the center of the lower surface of the second plate-like body at a position in the moving direction of the roller member. The second plate-like body may be supported from below by abutting against the portion, and the roller member may be allowed to pass away from the second plate-like body as the roller member moves. According to such a structure, since the effect | action which maintains the attitude | position of a 2nd plate-shaped body is further improved, the position shift resulting from the bending of a 2nd plate-shaped body can be suppressed more effectively.

  In this case, the auxiliary support means may further include a plurality of auxiliary support members, each of which partially contacts the lower surface of the second plate-like body and supports the second plate-like body. By arranging the auxiliary support member in this manner, it is possible to maintain the posture of the second plate-like body as a whole, but some bending is unavoidable in the portion that is not supported. By applying the present invention in such a case, it is possible to reduce the bending of the second plate-like body.

  In addition, for example, a gap detecting means for detecting the gap amount between the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body is further provided, and the height of the support member is set based on the gap amount detected by the gap detecting means. It may be configured. The gap amount between the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body is measured, and the height of the support member is set based on the result, so that the posture of the second plate-like body is more reliably maintained. Can be.

  Further, for example, the first holding means may have a flat contact surface that contacts the upper surface of the first plate-like body. The first plate member receives pressure from the roller member via the second plate member. By bringing the first plate-like body into contact with the flat surface, it is possible to prevent the first plate-like body from being bent by pressing from the roller member, and to proceed the transfer favorably.

  Further, for example, an alignment unit that changes the relative position between the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction may be further provided. By providing such alignment means, it is possible to adjust the horizontal position of the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body. However, if a new misalignment occurs between the alignment state and the actual contact between the first plate and the second plate, the effect is diminished. By applying the present invention to such a configuration, the transfer position can be controlled with higher accuracy.

  The present invention can be suitably applied to a process of transferring an object to be transferred such as a pattern or a thin film onto various substrates such as a glass substrate and a semiconductor substrate. Further, the technical idea of the present invention can also be applied when two plate-like bodies are brought into direct contact with each other without using a pattern or the like.

1 Transfer device 21 Upper stage (first holding means)
21a (upper stage) lower surface (contact surface)
31 Lower stage (second holding means, support stage)
31a Upper surface (lower surface) (support surface)
33, 34 Lifting hand unit (auxiliary support means)
37 Alignment mechanism (alignment means)
45 Plate member (moving member)
94 Alignment control unit (alignment means)
331-334, 341-344 Lifting hand (auxiliary support member)
431 Transfer roller (roller member)
441 Lifter blade (support member)
441a (lifter blade) upper surface (contact portion)
446 Gap sensor (gap detection means)
471 Lifter roller (support member)
BL blanket (second plate)
SB substrate (first plate)

Claims (15)

First holding means for holding the first plate-like body in a horizontal posture;
By holding the peripheral edge of the second plate-like body, the upper surface of the second plate-like body is in close proximity to the lower surface of the first plate-like body and the lower surface of the second plate-like body is A second holding means for holding the upper surface side in a horizontal posture in which the lower surface central portion facing the first plate-like body is opened;
A roller member having a roller shape extending along the lower surface of the second plate-like body;
A support member configured to be able to be separated from and contacted with the lower surface of the second plate-like body, and supporting the second plate-like body from below by being in contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body;
In a state where the roller member is separated from the second plate-like body, at a position closer to the center side of the second plate-like body than a portion of the lower surface of the second plate-like body that the roller member first contacts, The support member is in contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body to support the second plate-like body;
With the support member supporting the second plate-like body, the roller member abuts against the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, and the roller member is A transfer device that moves along a lower surface of the second plate-shaped body while pressing the second plate-shaped body against the first plate-shaped body.   The second holding means has a flat upper surface and is in contact with the lower surface of the peripheral edge of the second plate-like body to serve as a support surface for supporting the second plate-like body. A frame-shaped support stage having a center portion corresponding to the opening is provided, and the support member supports the second plate-like body with an upper surface positioned at the same height as the support surface of the support stage. 2. The transfer apparatus according to 1.   After the roller member abuts against the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, the support member separates from the second plate-like body, and then the roller member The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device moves along a lower surface of the second plate-like body.   The support member has a roller shape having an axis parallel to the axis of the roller member, and is integrally formed with the support member while being in contact with the lower surface of the second plate-like body at a position below the roller member. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device moves along a lower surface of the second plate-like body.   The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the roller member and the support member are integrally moved along a lower surface of the second plate-like body.   5. The roller member and the support member are attached to the same moving member that moves along the lower surface of the second plate-like body, and the positions in the height direction can be changed independently of each other. Or the transfer apparatus according to 5;   The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the support member has an abutting portion extending in a direction parallel to an extending direction of the roller member at an upper end. Provided with auxiliary support means provided so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the lower surface central portion of the second plate-like body,
The auxiliary support means supports the second plate-like body from below by contacting the lower plate center portion of the second plate-like body at a front position in the moving direction of the roller member, and moves the roller member. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer member is caused to pass through the roller member while being separated from the second plate-like body.   The transfer device according to claim 8, wherein the auxiliary support means includes a plurality of auxiliary support members that respectively support the second plate-like body by partially contacting the lower surface of the second plate-like body.   Gap detecting means for detecting a gap amount between the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body is provided, and the height of the support member is set based on the gap amount detected by the gap detecting means. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer device is a transfer device.   The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the first holding unit has a flat contact surface that contacts an upper surface of the first plate-like body.   The transfer device according to claim 1, further comprising an alignment unit that changes a relative position between the first holding unit and the second holding unit in a horizontal direction. While holding the first plate-like body in a horizontal posture and holding the peripheral edge of the second plate-like body, the upper surface of the second plate-like body is in close proximity to the lower surface of the first plate-like body, And a holding step of holding the second plate-like body in a horizontal posture in which the upper surface side of the lower surface of the second plate-like body is opposed to the first plate-like body and the lower surface central portion is opened;
A roller disposing step of disposing a roller member having a roller shape extending along the lower surface of the second plate-like body at a position separated from the second plate-like body;
The upper end of the support member configured to be able to come into contact with and separate from the lower surface of the second plate-like body is more than the second plate-like shape than the portion of the lower surface of the second plate-like body that the roller member first comes into contact with. A support step of supporting the second plate-like body from below by contacting the portion on the center side of the body;
With the support member supporting the second plate-like body, the roller member abuts against the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, and the roller member, And a transfer step of moving along the lower surface of the second plate-shaped body while pressing the second plate-shaped body against the first plate-shaped body.   In the transfer step, after the roller member comes into contact with the second plate-like body and presses the second plate-like body against the first plate-like body, the support member is separated from the second plate-like body, The transfer method according to claim 13, wherein the roller member is moved along the lower surface of the second plate-like body.   The transfer method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein, in the transfer step, the support member moves along the lower surface of the second plate-like body integrally with the roller member.

Images