JP2023119841A - Operation control device and exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technology for enabling a user to input operation contents in an object device with less time and labor.SOLUTION: An operation control device 10 is a device for controlling operation of an object device 20. The operation control device 10 includes a display part 11, an input part 12, and a control part 13. The display part 11 displays a text input element to input unique identification information allocated to each operation content of the object device 20. The input part 12 receives an input of the identification information to the text input element. The control part 13 generates procedure data showing a series of operations to be executed by the object device 20 on the basis of the identification information inputted in the text input element.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to motion control devices and exposure devices.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a teaching device that generates a program for controlling motion of a robot is known (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In Patent Literature 1, the teaching device includes a display section and an input section. The user operates the icon displayed on the display unit using the input unit to input the action to be performed by the robot to the teaching device. The teaching device generates a control program based on the input.

In Patent Document 2, the motion of the robot is modeled by using symbols called nodes and arcs to represent the motion state of the robot, its change, and the relationship with the next motion state. In Patent Literature 2, a user inputs symbols into an input unit to input motions of a robot, and a computer generates a motion program based on the symbols.

WO2020-012558 JP-A-6-149345

However, the techniques of Patent Literatures 1 and 2 require the user to have a deep knowledge of the motion input method. Of course, even if the actual worker does not have specialized knowledge, if an instructor with knowledge instructs the worker on the operation details using a communication means such as a telephone, the worker will operate according to the instruction. It is possible to enter the contents. However, it is not easy and troublesome for the operator to perform a predetermined operation according to the input screen on the display unit while the instructor explains the icons and symbols.

Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technology that allows a user to input operation details of a target device into the device with less effort.

A first aspect is an operation control device for controlling the operation of a target device, the display displaying a text input element for inputting unique identification information assigned to each operation content of the target device. an input unit for receiving input of the identification information to the text input element; and generating procedure data indicating a series of operations to be executed by the target device based on the identification information input to the text input element. and a control unit.

A second aspect is the motion control device according to the first aspect, wherein the display unit displays a plurality of motion input elements respectively corresponding to the content of the motion, and the control unit controls the text input element. When there is an input to an element, the procedure data is generated based on the identification information input to the text input element, and when there is an operation to the plurality of action input elements, the above Generate procedural data.

A third aspect is the motion control device according to the second aspect, wherein the display unit displays an operator that moves based on an input to the input unit, and the operator moves the plurality of motion inputs. The identification information assigned to the one of the plurality of motion input elements is displayed when one of the elements is proximate.

A fourth aspect is the operation control device according to the second or third aspect, wherein the input unit receives input of start and end of a storage mode for inputting the series of operations, and the control unit operates the target device in response to the operation of the plurality of operation input elements in the storage mode.

A fifth aspect is the operation control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the input unit performs the series of operations based on the identification information input to the text input element. An input is received for creating the procedure data based on the identification information input to the text input element while causing the target device to execute.

A sixth aspect is the motion control device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the identification information includes numbers.

A seventh aspect is an exposure apparatus, and includes an operation control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, and a direct drawing device, which is the target device.

According to the first and seventh aspects, procedure data is created by inputting identification information. Therefore, if the instructor informs the user of the content to be entered into the text input element and the user enters the content into the text input element as it is, the procedure data is created. Therefore, the user can input the contents of the operation of the target device into the device with little effort.

According to the second aspect, it is possible to generate procedure data using a plurality of input methods, thereby improving convenience for the user.

According to a third aspect, the identification information is displayed when the manipulator is brought into proximity with the action input element. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the display contents from becoming complicated. Also, since the identification information is displayed, the user can recognize the correspondence relationship between the identification information and the action input element.

According to the fourth aspect, since the target device is operated in the storage mode, the user can determine whether the input content is appropriate based on the operation of the target device.

According to the fifth aspect, since a series of operations are actually realized by the target device, the user can judge whether the input content is appropriate.

According to the sixth aspect, the identification information can be configured with simple information.

It is a figure which shows roughly an example of a structure of the apparatus using an operation control apparatus. It is a side view showing an example of composition of a direct drawing device roughly. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a direct drawing device; FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of a control unit; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the motion control device; It is a figure which shows roughly an example of the input screen displayed on a display part. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an input screen different from the input screen of FIG. 6; 4 is a flow chart showing a specific example of a first input method; It is a figure which shows an example of procedure data roughly. 9 is a flow chart showing a specific example of the second input method; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an input example for a text input element; 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the motion control device; FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing part of another embodiment of an input screen; 7 is a flow chart showing an example of an operation for displaying identification information; It is a figure which shows an example of an input screen roughly.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the drawings are shown schematically, and for the convenience of explanation, the configuration may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. Also, the interrelationships between the sizes and positions of the components shown in the drawings are not necessarily described accurately and may be changed as appropriate.

In addition, in the description given below, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, a detailed description thereof may be omitted to avoid duplication. Also, in each drawing, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system may be shown as appropriate. Here, the Z-axis is the axis along the vertical direction.

Also, even if ordinal numbers such as “first” or “second” are used in the description below, these terms are used to facilitate understanding of the content of the embodiments. are used for convenience and are not limited to the orderings that can occur with these ordinal numbers.

When expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships are used (e.g., "in one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "perpendicular", "centered", "concentric", "coaxial", etc.), the expressions are , unless otherwise specified, not only the positional relationship is strictly expressed, but also the relatively displaced state in terms of angle or distance within the range of tolerance or equivalent function. When expressions indicating equality (e.g., “same”, “equal”, “homogeneous”, etc.) are used, unless otherwise specified, the expressions not only express quantitatively strictly equality, but also tolerances or It shall also represent the situation where there is a difference in obtaining the same degree of function. When an expression indicating a shape (e.g., "square" or "cylindrical") is used, the expression is not only a geometrically exact representation of the shape, but also a similar effect, unless otherwise specified. In the range where is obtained, for example, a shape having unevenness or chamfering is also represented. When the expression "comprising", "comprises", "comprises", "includes" or "has" is used, the expression is not an exclusive expression excluding the presence of other elements. When the expression "at least one of A, B and C" is used, the expression includes A only, B only, C only, any two of A, B and C, and A, B and all of C.

<Overview of equipment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of an apparatus 100 using an operation control device 10. As shown in FIG. The device 100 includes a motion control device 10 and a target device 20 . The operation control device 10 is a device for controlling the operation of the target device 20 . The operation control device 10 can accept user input regarding the content of the operation to be executed by the target device 20 . The motion control device 10 generates procedure data D1 based on the input. The procedure data D1 is data indicating a series of operations to be executed by the target device 20 . Since the procedure data D1 indicates the operation of the target device 20, it can be understood as a type of operation program.

Although the target device 20 is not particularly limited, the direct drawing device 20A is adopted as the target device 20 in this embodiment. Therefore, the apparatus 100 employing the direct drawing apparatus 20A as the target apparatus 20 will be described below. In this case, the apparatus 100 can also be called an exposure apparatus.

<Overview of Direct Drawing Device>
FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the direct drawing device 20A, and FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the direct drawing device 20A. The direct drawing device 20A is a device that irradiates (exposes) an object to be processed with modulated light for exposure. The processing object includes the substrate W, for example. A layer of a photosensitive material such as a resist is formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. The substrate W may be, for example, a disk-shaped semiconductor substrate, a rectangular plate-shaped glass substrate, or any other substrate.

In the example of FIGS. 2 and 3, the direct drawing device 20A includes a stage 21, an exposure section 22, and a relative movement mechanism . The stage 21 holds the substrate W in a horizontal posture. The horizontal posture referred to here is a posture in which the thickness direction of the substrate W is along the Z-axis direction. The exposure unit 22 emits modulated light onto the main surface of the substrate W held by the stage 21 . The relative movement mechanism 23 moves at least one of the stage 21 and the exposure unit 22 along the horizontal direction to scan the main surface of the substrate W with the modulated light.

<Stage>
The stage 21 is a portion for holding the substrate W (also called a holding portion). The stage 21 has, for example, a flat upper surface parallel to the horizontal plane. The stage 21 can hold, for example, a substrate W placed horizontally on a flat upper surface. Here, as an example, a plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the stage 21 . The stage 21 can hold the substrate W fixed on the upper surface of the stage 21 by forming a negative pressure (suction pressure) in these plurality of suction holes.

<Relative movement mechanism>
In the examples of FIGS. 2 and 3, the relative movement mechanism 23 moves the stage 21 along the horizontal direction. As a specific example, the relative movement mechanism 23 moves the stage 21 in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction here), sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction here), and rotation direction (rotation direction around the Z-axis (θ-axis here)). direction)). 2 and 3, the relative movement mechanism 23 includes a first movement mechanism 231, a second movement mechanism 232, and a rotation mechanism 233.

The rotation mechanism 233 rotates the stage 21 around the rotation axis A. As shown in FIG. The rotation axis A is an axis that passes through the center of the upper surface of the stage 21 and is perpendicular to the upper surface. As the stage 21 rotates, the substrate W held by the stage 21 also rotates around the rotation axis A. As shown in FIG. The rotation mechanism 233 includes, for example, a shaft (not shown) that is attached to the back side of the stage 21 and extends along the rotation axis A, and a rotation drive (not shown) that is provided at the lower end of the shaft and rotates the shaft. (eg, rotary motor). Here, the stator of the rotary motor of the rotary mechanism 233 is provided on the upper surface of the support plate 234 . The support plate 234 has a plate-like shape and is provided in a posture in which its thickness direction is along the Z-axis direction.

The first moving mechanism 231 moves the support plate 234 along the sub-scanning direction (for example, the X-axis direction). As a result, the rotation mechanism 233 provided on the support plate 234 and the stage 21 move integrally along the sub-scanning direction. By this movement of the stage 21, the substrate W held by the stage 21 also moves along the sub-scanning direction. The first moving mechanism 231 includes, for example, a linear motor. A stator of the first moving mechanism 231 is provided on the support plate 235 , and a moving element of the first moving mechanism 231 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 234 . The support plate 235 has a plate-like shape and is provided in a posture in which its thickness direction is along the Z-axis direction.

The second moving mechanism 232 moves the support plate 235 along the main scanning direction (for example, the Y-axis direction) intersecting the sub-scanning direction. As a result, the first moving mechanism 231 provided on the supporting plate 235, the supporting plate 234, the rotating mechanism 233, and the stage 21 move integrally along the main scanning direction. By this movement of the stage 21, the substrate W held by the stage 21 also moves along the main scanning direction. The second moving mechanism 232 includes, for example, a linear motor. A stator of the second moving mechanism 232 is provided on the base 25 , and a moving element of the second moving mechanism 232 is attached to the lower surface of the support plate 235 .

The second moving mechanism 232 moves the stage 21 along the main scanning direction within a moving range in which the substrate W held by the stage 21 can cross directly below the exposure section 22 .

<Exposure part>
The exposure unit 22 is provided vertically above the substrate W held by the stage 21 (see FIG. 2). The exposure unit 22 is an optical unit that irradiates the upper surface of the substrate W with modulated light, and includes, for example, a light source, an illumination optical system, a spatial light modulator, and a projection optical system, all of which are not shown. The light source includes, for example, a laser oscillator that emits laser light, and emits the light to the illumination optical system. The illumination optical system includes various lenses, converts the light into linear light elongated in the X-axis direction, and emits the linear light to the spatial light modulator. A spatial light modulator spatially modulates the line of light at a controllable spatial modulation rate. Spatial light modulators are, for example, grating light valves. The spatial light modulator is controlled based on pattern data to be exposed on the upper surface of the substrate W. FIG. The pattern data is, for example, CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data of a circuit pattern to be formed on the substrate W. FIG. Light spatially modulated by the spatial light modulator (that is, modulated light) enters the projection optical system. The projection optical system includes various lenses and images the modulated light onto the top surface of the substrate W. FIG.

The relative movement mechanism 23 rotates the stage 21 with respect to the exposure unit 22 around the rotation axis A, so that the rotational position of the substrate W with respect to the exposure unit 22 can be adjusted. By moving along the sub-scanning direction, the upper surface of the substrate W can be scanned with the modulated light. Thereby, the upper surface of the substrate W can be exposed to light in a predetermined pattern.

Note that the direct drawing apparatus 20A may include various configurations other than the above configuration. For example, the direct drawing apparatus 20A includes a load port for loading/unloading a carrier containing a plurality of substrates W, a substrate transport unit for transporting substrates W one by one between the load port and the stage 21, and a stage 21. Various configurations such as a sensor for detecting the position and a camera for imaging the upper surface of the substrate W may be provided.

<Operation control device>
The operation control device 10 can receive user input regarding the content of the operation to be executed by the direct drawing device 20A, and can generate procedure data D1 that defines the operation of the direct drawing device 20A based on the user input. As shown in FIG. 1, the operation control device 10 includes a display section 11, an input section 12, a control section 13, and a storage section .

The display unit 11 is, for example, a display such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 11 is controlled by the control unit 13 and displays an input screen for controlling the direct drawing device 20A. An example of the input screen will be described later.

The input unit 12 is an input device that receives input from a user, and includes, for example, a keyboard and a mouse. When the user makes an input to the input unit 12 , the input unit 12 outputs input information indicating the content of the input to the control unit 13 .

The control unit 13 receives input information from the input unit 12, controls the display unit 11 based on the input information, and generates procedure data D1 for the direct drawing device 20A based on the input information. An example of the procedure data D1 will be described later. The control unit 13 can also output a control signal to the direct drawing device 20A based on the procedure data D1. Since the direct drawing device 20A operates according to the control signal, the series of operations indicated by the procedure data D1 are executed by the direct drawing device 20A.

The storage unit 14 is a non-temporary storage unit, such as a memory. The storage unit 14 stores procedure data D1.

Such a motion control device 10 can provide a user interface between a user and the direct drawing device 20A.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of the control section 13. As shown in FIG. The control unit 13 is an electronic circuit device, and may have a data processing device 131 and a storage unit 132, for example. The data processing device 131 may be an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit). The storage unit 132 may have a non-temporary storage unit 134 (eg, ROM (Read Only Memory) or hard disk) and a temporary storage unit 135 (eg, RAM (Random Access Memory)). In the example of FIG. 4, a data processing device 131 and a storage unit 132 are connected to each other via a bus 133 . The non-temporary storage unit 134 may store, for example, a program that defines processing to be executed by the control unit 13 . By the data processing device 131 executing this program, the control unit 13 can execute the processing specified in the program. Of course, part or all of the processing executed by the control unit 13 may be executed by a hardware circuit such as a logic circuit.

As will be described in detail later, the control unit 13 generates the procedure data D1 based on user input, and causes the storage unit 14 to store the procedure data D1. The series of operations are, for example, operations that are directly executed by the drawing apparatus 20A during maintenance, and can also be called a maintenance recipe.

The user inputs a maintenance recipe execution instruction to the input unit 12 during maintenance of the direct drawing apparatus 20A. The control unit 13 reads the procedure data D1 from the storage unit 14 in response to the input, and directly outputs a control signal to the drawing device 20A based on the procedure data D1. Since the direct drawing apparatus 20A operates based on the control signal, it executes a series of operations (maintenance recipe in this case) indicated by the procedure data D1. As a result, maintenance is performed on the direct drawing apparatus 20A.

The user inputs the contents of the operations constituting the maintenance recipe into the input unit 12 in order to cause the control unit 13 to create such procedure data D1. The control unit 13 comprehends the operation contents of the maintenance recipe based on the input information from the input unit 12, and creates procedure data D1 indicating the maintenance recipe.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of the above operation of the operation control device 10. As shown in FIG. The user inputs the contents of a series of operations (here, a maintenance recipe) to the input unit 12 (step S1). A specific example of an input method for the contents of a series of actions will be described later.

Next, the control unit 13 grasps the contents of the series of operations input to the input unit 12, and creates procedure data D1 indicating the contents of the operations in a predetermined format (step S2). An example of the procedure data D1 will also be described later.

Next, the control section 13 stores the procedure data D1 in the storage section 14 (step S3). Thereby, the procedure data D1 is stored in the storage unit 14 .

Since the procedure data D1 is stored in the storage unit 14 in this way, the user can directly cause the drawing apparatus 20A to execute the operation of the procedure data D1 without inputting the operation contents again.

In the following, first, a specific example of a series of operations (here, a maintenance recipe) will be described, and then an example of an input method for the details of the series of operations (that is, a specific example of step S1) will be described.

<Specific example of a series of actions>
Here, for simplicity, an example of a series of operations for the first moving mechanism 231 of the direct drawing apparatus 20A will be described. A series of operations includes, for example, the following five first to fifth operations in this order.

The first operation is to turn on the first moving mechanism 231 . Turning on the first moving mechanism 231 here includes, for example, turning on a power switch (not shown) provided between the first moving mechanism 231 and a power source (not shown). To cause the first moving mechanism 231 to perform the first action, the control section 13 outputs a first control signal instructing the first action to the direct drawing device 20A. The first control signal includes, for example, command information instructing to turn on the power switch of the first moving mechanism 231 .

The second operation is return to origin of the first moving mechanism 231 . Returning to the origin here means that the mover of the first moving mechanism 231 moves to a position where the mover of the first moving mechanism 231 can be detected by an origin position sensor (not shown) provided at the origin position of the first moving mechanism 231 . Say. To cause the first moving mechanism 231 to perform the second action, the control section 13 outputs a second control signal instructing the second action to the direct drawing device 20A. The second control signal includes, for example, command information instructing return to origin.

The third operation is movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the first designated position. In order to cause the first moving mechanism 231 to perform the third action, the control section 13 outputs a third control signal instructing the third action to the direct drawing device 20A. The third control signal includes command information instructing movement to the specified position and parameter information indicating the value of the specified position.

The fourth operation is movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the second specified position. To cause the first moving mechanism 231 to perform the fourth operation, the control unit 13 outputs a fourth control signal instructing the fourth operation to the direct drawing device 20A. The fourth control signal, like the third control signal, includes command information instructing movement to a specified position and parameter information indicating the value of the specified position. The third control signal and the fourth control signal have the same command information and different parameter information.

A fifth operation is to turn off the first moving mechanism 231 . Turning off the first moving mechanism 231 here includes, for example, turning off a power switch provided between the first moving mechanism 231 and the power supply. To cause the first moving mechanism 231 to perform the fifth operation, the control unit 13 outputs a fifth control signal instructing the fifth operation to the direct drawing device 20A. The fifth control signal includes, for example, command information instructing to turn off the power switch of the first moving mechanism 231 .

<Method of Inputting a Series of Actions (Specific Example of Step S1)>
In the present embodiment, the user can input the contents of a series of actions to the action control device 10 using either of the two first input methods and second input methods described below.

<First input method>
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the input screen M1 displayed on the display unit 11. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 6, the display unit 11 displays a plurality of action input elements E1 each indicating the content of various actions of the direct drawing device 20A on the input screen M1.

In addition, in the example of FIG. 6, the display unit 11 also displays the operator P1. The manipulator P1 moves within the input screen M1 based on the input to the input unit 12 by the user. Manipulator P1 can also be called a cursor or a pointer. The position of the manipulator P1 is controlled by spatial position manipulation of the mouse of the input unit 12, for example. When the user makes an input on the input unit 12 while the manipulator P1 is positioned near the action input element E1, an operation is performed on the action input element E1 near the manipulator P1. This selection operation is realized by clicking the mouse of the input unit 12, for example.

In the example of FIG. 6 , a plurality of motion input elements E1 inside the frame marked with “X” are input elements for the first moving mechanism 231 . Here, as an example, a plurality of action input elements E1a to E1e among the action input elements E1 for the first moving mechanism 231 will be described. The action input element E1a is an input element indicating ON of the first moving mechanism 231, such as a button. The action input element E1b is an input element that indicates turning off of the first moving mechanism 231, and is, for example, a button. The operation input element E1c is an input element indicating return to origin of the first moving mechanism 231, and is, for example, a button. The action input element E1d is an input element indicating movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to a specified position, and is, for example, a button. The action input element E1e is an input element for inputting a value at a specified position, such as a text box. The action input element E1e is not necessarily a text box, and may be another type of input element such as a list box or pull-down menu for selecting a value at a specified position from multiple candidate values.

In the example of FIG. 6, the input screen M1 also displays a screen switching element E2 for displaying another input screen. When the screen switching element E2 is operated, the display unit 11 switches the display screen from the input screen M1 to another input screen.

FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an input screen M2, which is an example of an input screen different from the input screen M1. In the example of FIG. 7, the display unit 11 displays the mode switching element E3 on the input screen M2. The mode switching element E3 is an input element for switching between starting and ending the storage mode described below, and is, for example, a check box. The storage mode is a mode in which the contents of a series of actions can be input to the action control device 10 by the user's operation on the action input element E1. The control unit 13 switches the mode from the normal mode to the storage mode in response to the operation of the mode switching element E3, and switches the mode from the storage mode to the normal mode in response to the operation of the mode switching element E3 during the storage mode. switch. In other words, the input unit 12 receives input indicating the start and end of the storage mode for inputting a series of operations.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a specific example of the first input method. The flowchart in FIG. 8 corresponds to a specific example of step S1 in FIG. First, the user makes an input to the input unit 12 and operates the mode switching element E3 (step S11). The control unit 13 switches the mode from the normal mode to the storage mode in response to the input. The control unit 13 recognizes that the contents of the action input during this storage mode are actions that form a series of actions.

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 and sequentially inputs the contents of a series of operations to the control unit 13 . As a specific example, first, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the action input element E1a (step S12). In response to the operation of the motion input element E1a, the control unit 13 stores the ON of the first moving mechanism 231 as the first motion in the storage unit 132, for example (step S13).

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the action input element E1c (step S14). In response to the operation of the action input element E1c, the control unit 13 stores the origin return of the first moving mechanism 231 in the storage unit 132, for example, as a second action to be executed after the first action (step S15). ).

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to input the value of the specified position (specifically, the value of the first specified position) to the action input element E1e (step S16). As a more specific example, the user inputs 100 μm to the operation input element E1e. Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the action input element E1d (step S17). In response to the operation on the action input element E1d, the control unit 13 moves the first moving mechanism 231 to the first specified position input to the action input element E1e by the third action executed next to the second action. As an operation, for example, it is stored in the storage unit 132 (step S18).

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to input the value of the designated position (specifically, the value of the second designated position) to the action input element E1e (step S19). As a more specific example, the user inputs 0 μm to the action input element E1e. Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the action input element E1d (step S20). In response to the operation of the action input element E1d, the control unit 13 causes the movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the second specified position input to the action input element E1e by the fourth action executed next to the third action. As an operation, for example, it is stored in the storage unit 132 (step S21).

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the action input element E1b (step S22). In response to the operation of the action input element E1b, the control unit 13 causes the storage unit 132, for example, to store turning off of the first moving mechanism 231 as a fifth action to be executed after the fourth action (step S23).

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the mode switching element E3 (step S24). The control unit 13 switches the mode from the storage mode to the normal mode in response to the operation of the mode switching element E3. The control unit 13 recognizes that all the motions (here, the first to fifth motions) input during the storage mode constitute a series of motions.

Next, the control unit 13 converts the format of the series of actions (specifically, the first to fifth actions) stored in the storage unit 132 to generate procedure data D1 indicating the series of actions in a predetermined format. (step S2 in FIG. 5). Next, the control unit 13 causes the storage unit 14 to store the generated procedure data D1 (step S3 in FIG. 5).

FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of procedure data D1. FIG. 9 shows a display screen when the display unit 11 displays the procedure data D1 as text data. In the example of FIG. 9, the procedure data D1 includes a header part HD1 and an operation procedure part RD1. The header part HD1 shows formal information, and the operation procedure part RD1 shows each operation constituting a series of operations arranged in order of execution from the top. In the operation procedure section RD1 of FIG. 9, the first movement mechanism 231 is turned off as the first movement, the first movement mechanism 231 returns to the origin as the second movement, and the first movement mechanism 231 is designated as the third movement. The movement to the position (100 μm), the movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the second specified position (0 μm) as the fourth operation, and the turning off of the first moving mechanism 231 as the fifth operation are in this order from the top. is indicated.

As described above, by the first input method, the user can input the contents of a series of actions to the action control device 10, and the control section 13 can create the procedure data D1 indicating the series of actions. .

However, the user must be aware of the contents of various input elements in the input screens M1 and M2 related to the first input method and how to operate them, as well as the contents of a series of operations. There is a need. It is difficult for a user who does not have such knowledge to input the contents of a series of operations.

In addition, it is also possible for a knowledgeable instructor to communicate the operation details to the user by communication means such as a telephone. In this case, since the instructor does not need to go to the site, it is possible to communicate the operation details to the user while staying at a remote location far from the site. However, as the content of a series of actions becomes more diverse, the user needs to operate more action input elements E1 and more screen switching elements E2, and the operation becomes more complicated. In this case, it becomes difficult for the user to carry out the operation content transmitted from the instructor as it is, and it takes a long time for the instructor to explain the operation.

<Second input method>
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the motion control device 10 can input the contents of a series of motions also by the second input method described below.

In the example of FIG. 7, the display unit 11 displays a text input element E4 on the input screen M2. The text input element E4 is an input element for inputting the identification information ID1 described below as text data, and is, for example, a text box. The identification information ID1 is information unique to the action input element E1 assigned to each action input element E1. That is, the identification information ID1 assigned to different action input elements E1 is different from each other. Since the action input element E1 indicates the content of the action of the direct drawing device 20A, the identification information ID1 is also information unique to the content of each action assigned for each content of the action. A correspondence relationship between the action input element E1 and the identification information ID1 is set in advance and stored in the storage unit 14 as correspondence relationship data. Table 1 is a table showing an example of correspondence data. All pieces of identification information D1 assigned to all action input elements E1 are different from each other, and the same identification information ID1 cannot be assigned to a plurality of action input elements E1.

In the example of Table 1, the identification information ID1 includes numbers, and more specifically, it is represented by a combination of alphabets and numbers. Such identification information ID1 can also be called an identification code. In the example of Table 1, the identification information ID1 assigned to the action input elements E1a and E1b are "C1" and "C2", respectively, and the identification information assigned to the action input element E1c is "C7". The identification information ID1 assigned to the element E1d is "C8", and the identification information ID1 assigned to the action input element E1e is "C9". The input unit 12 receives the input of these identification information ID1 to the text input element E4.

The user inputs the identification information ID1 of the action input elements E1 corresponding to the contents of a plurality of actions forming a series of actions into the text input element E4 in order of execution. As a specific example, the user performs input to the mouse of the input unit 12 to select the text input element E4, and in this state, performs input to the keyboard of the input unit 12 to input the identification information ID1. Note that the action input element E1e is an input element for inputting a parameter value (here, the value of the specified position), so when the user inputs the identification information ID1 of the action input element E1e, the identification information ID1 and The parameter value is also entered in the text input element E4.

In the example of FIG. 7, the display unit 11 also displays an execution input element E41 on the input screen M2. The execution input element E41 is arranged near the text input element E4. The execution input element E41 is an input element, such as a button, operated by the user when the input of the plurality of pieces of identification information ID1 to the text input element E4 is completed.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing a specific example of the second input method. The flowchart in FIG. 10 corresponds to a specific example of step S1 in FIG. First, the user performs input to the input unit 12, and inputs a plurality of identification information ID1 assigned to a plurality of action input elements E1 constituting a series of actions to the text input element E4 in order of execution (step S31). Based on the information input from the input unit 12, the control unit 13 generates text data indicating a plurality of input identification information ID1, and controls the display unit 11 to display the text data in the text input element E4. Let

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an input example for the text input element E4. In the example of FIG. 11, "C1C7C9_100_C8C9_0_C8C2" as text data is input to the text input element E4. In the example of FIG. 11, immediately after "C9" of the identification information ID1, a number is shown between underscores, which is an example of a distinguishing symbol. This number indicates the parameter value (here, the value of the specified position) corresponding to "C9" of the identification information ID1. The distinguishing symbol is a symbol for distinguishing between the identification information ID1 and the parameter value. The text data input to the text input element E4 indicates a series of actions from the first action to the fifth action described above. Specifically, "C1" indicates the first operation, "C7" indicates the second operation, "C9_100_C8" indicates the third operation, "C9_0_C8" indicates the fourth operation, and "C2" indicates the second operation. 5 shows the operation.

Next, the user performs input to the input unit 12 to operate the execution input element E41 (step S32).

Next, the control section 13 generates the procedure data D1 in response to the operation of the execution input element E41 (step S2 in FIG. 5). Specifically, the control unit 13 controls the content of a series of operations based on the plurality of pieces of identification information ID1 input to the text input element E4, their arrangement order, and the correspondence data stored in the storage unit 14. is grasped, and procedure data D1 indicating the content of the series of operations is created. Referring to the example of FIG. 11, the control unit 13 determines the content of the first action based on the leading alphabet "C" and the following number "1" in the text input element E4. 231 is turned on, and based on the next alphabet "C" and the next number "7", the content of the second operation is specified as returning the first moving mechanism 231 to the origin. Further, the control unit 13 specifies the value of the specified position as 100 μm based on the next alphabet “C”, the next number “9”, and the next number surrounded by distinguishing symbols. and the following number "8", the content of the third operation is specified as movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the first designated position "100 μm". Further, the control unit 13 specifies that the value of the specified position is "0" μm based on the next alphabet "C", the next number "9", and the next number surrounded by distinguishing marks. Further, based on the next alphabet "C" and the next number "8", the content of the fourth operation is specified as movement of the first moving mechanism 231 to the second designated position "0 μm". . Furthermore, the control unit 13 specifies that the content of the fifth operation is to turn off the first moving mechanism 231 based on the next alphabet "C" and the next number "2". The control unit 13 creates procedure data D1 indicating the first to fifth actions in a predetermined format. Then, the control unit 13 stores the procedure data D1 in the storage unit 14 (step S3 in FIG. 5).

As described above, even with the second input method, the user can input the contents of a series of operations to the operation control device 10, and the control section 13 can create the procedure data D1 indicating the series of operations. can.

Moreover, according to the second input method, the user does not need to switch input screens many times, and only needs to input the identification information ID1 and the parameter value to the text input element E4. Therefore, the user can directly input the contents of the operation of the drawing device 20A to the operation control device 10 with little effort. In addition, even if the user does not have knowledge of the identification information ID1, if the input content is transmitted from the instructor, the user simply inputs text data such as letters, numbers, and symbols as instructed. can be appropriately input to the input unit 12. Also, if the text data itself can be obtained from the instructor by communication means, the text data can be copied and pasted into the text input element E4. Note that the control unit 13 is provided with such copy and paste functions.

Also, in the above example, the control unit 13 supports both the first input method and the second input method. That is, when there is an input to the text input element E4, the control unit 13 generates the procedure data D1 based on the identification information ID1 input to the text input element E4, and the operation to the plurality of action input elements E1 is performed. If there is, procedure data D1 is generated based on the operation. According to this, the convenience for the user can be improved.

<Confirmation of implementation>
In the above example, the user inputs the contents of a series of motions to the motion control device 10, and the control section 13 creates the procedure data D1 based on the input. Below, the control unit 13 causes the input series of operations to be directly executed by the drawing device 20A, and generates the procedure data D1 indicating the series of operations. Thereby, the user can directly confirm the propriety of the input content by the actual operation of the drawing apparatus 20A. A specific description will be given below.

FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of the above operation of the operation control device 10. As shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 12, after the user inputs the action content (after step S1), the control section 13 causes the drawing device 20A to directly execute the action indicated by the input content (step S4). In the following, as a specific example, first, the first input method will be described as an example. For example, when an operation is performed on the action input element E1a in step S12 of FIG. 8, the control unit 13 responds to the operation by outputting a first control signal instructing to turn on the first moving mechanism 231 to the direct drawing device 20A. do. The direct drawing device 20A turns on the power switch based on the first control signal. Similarly, when the operation input element E1c is operated in step S14, the control unit 13 responds to the operation by outputting a second control signal instructing the first moving mechanism 231 to return to the origin to the direct drawing device 20A. do. The first moving mechanism 231 of the direct drawing apparatus 20A moves the mover (and thus the support plate 234) to the origin position based on the second control signal. Thereafter, similarly, the control unit 13 causes the drawing device 20A to directly execute the operation each time the content of the operation is input.

Next, the control unit 13 generates procedure data D1 (step S2), and stores the procedure data D1 in the storage unit 14 (step S3).

According to such an operation, the input operation is actually performed by the direct drawing device 20A, so that the user can confirm the propriety of the input contents by the operation of the direct drawing device 20A. If the input content is incorrect, the mode switching element E3 is operated again to switch the mode, so that a series of operations can be input to the operation control device 10 again. Specifically, the user may operate the mode switching element E3 to temporarily terminate the storage mode, and then operate the mode switching element E3 again to resume the storage mode.

The same applies to the second input method. For example, the control unit 13 generates the procedure data D1 while operating the direct drawing device 20A in response to the operation of the execution input element E41. Specifically, in step S32, when the user performs an input to the input unit 12 and operates the execution input element E41, the control unit 13 responds to the operation by inputting the identification information ID1 input to the text input element E4. Based on this, the contents of the series of operations are grasped, and the procedure data D1 is generated while causing the drawing apparatus 20A to directly execute the series of operations.

In short, the operation to the execution input element E41 causes the drawing device 20A to directly execute a series of operations based on the identification information ID1 input to the text input element E4, while performing the operation based on the identification information ID1 input to the text input element E4. function as a trigger for creating the procedure data D1. The input unit 12 receives an input that serves as the trigger.

Such an operation also allows the user to confirm the propriety of the input content by the actual operation of the direct drawing apparatus 20A. If the input content is incorrect, the user can re-input the series of motions to the motion control device 10 by re-inputting the identification information ID1 to the text input element E4.

<Display of identification information>
In the second input method, as described above, unique identification information ID1 is assigned to action input element E1. However, the unique identification information ID1 may be assigned not only to the operation input element E1 but also to all input elements included in the input screen. The input elements here are elements that can be operated by the user, and include various elements such as buttons and text boxes.

The control unit 13 may cause the display unit 11 to display the identification information ID1. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing part of another embodiment of the input screen M1. In the example of FIG. 13, the display unit 11 displays identification information ID1 corresponding to each input element near each input element. For example, in each screen switching element E2, a combination of alphabets "A" and "B" and numbers is displayed with an underscore as the identification information ID1. Further, in each action input element E1, a combination of the alphabet "C" and a number is displayed with an underscore as the identification information ID1.

When the identification information ID1 is displayed on the input screen M1, the user can easily visually recognize the correspondence relationship between the identification information ID1 and the input elements. Therefore, even if the designator communicates the operation content to the user with the identification information ID1, the user can easily specify the input element corresponding to the identification information ID1 specified by the designator from the input screen. For example, when the instructor instructs the user to operate "A1" and "B1" as the identification information ID1, the user finds "A1" from the input screen, and the screen switching element E2 of "Axis" in its vicinity. , then find "B1" on the input screen, and operate the screen switching element E2 of "X/Y" in the vicinity thereof. Thereby, the user can cause the display unit 11 to display the input screen M<b>1 showing the operation input element E<b>1 related to the first moving mechanism 231 .

Moreover, in the above example, the identification information ID1 is a list of several digits (for example, 5 digits or less) of alphabets and numbers unique to the input element, so the identification information can be composed of simple information. Also, since the number of digits of the identification information ID1 is short, the user can easily search for the identification information ID1 on the input screen. Further, since the identification information ID1 is not conceptually meaningful information, the user can search for the identification information ID1 from the input screen without thinking about its meaning.

For comparison, a case in which the user specifies an input element using information (for example, name) that includes the meaning of the input element will be described. The information has a relatively large amount of information, has a large number of characters, and is not necessarily unique to the input element. For example, on the input screen M1, there are two action input elements E1 to which "Home" is given, and it is difficult for the user to specify the action input element E1.

On the other hand, the identification information ID1 is an enumeration of several digits unique to the input element and is not conceptually meaningful information, so the user can easily specify the identification information ID1 from the input screen M1.

<Temporary display of identification information ID1>
In the example of FIG. 13, all identification information ID1 assigned to all input elements is displayed. Therefore, the input screen M1 becomes somewhat complicated. Therefore, the control unit 13 may cause the display unit 11 to display the identification information ID1 only under a predetermined condition. For example, the control unit 13 may display the identification information ID1 assigned to the input element only when the manipulator P1 approaches the input element.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation for displaying the identification information ID1. First, the control unit 13 identifies the position of the manipulator P1 on the input screen (step S41). Next, the control unit 13 obtains the distance between the operator P1 and each input element in the input screen, and determines whether or not the distance is equal to or less than a threshold value (step S42). For example, the threshold is set in advance and stored in the storage unit 14 . As a specific example, when the operator P1 overlaps the input element, the control unit 13 determines that the distance is equal to or less than the threshold.

When the distance is greater than the threshold, the control section 13 executes step S41 again. When the distance is equal to or less than the threshold, the control unit 13 displays the identification information ID1 assigned to the input element near the input element (step S43).

FIG. 15 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the input screen M1. In the example of FIG. 15, the operator P1 overlaps the action input element E1a, and at this time, "C1" of the identification information ID1 assigned to the action input element E1a is displayed near the action input element E1a. In the example of FIG. 15, identification information ID1 assigned to other input elements is not displayed.

According to such operation, the identification information ID1 is displayed only when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the input screen from becoming complicated.

Although the operation control device 10 and the device (eg, the exposure device) 100 have been described in detail as above, the above descriptions are illustrative in all aspects and are not intended to be limiting. It is understood that numerous variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Each configuration described in each of the above embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

For example, the control unit 13 does not necessarily have to support both the first input method and the second input method, and may support only one of them.

10 motion control device 100 exposure device (apparatus)
11 display unit 12 input unit 13 control unit 14 storage unit 20 target device 20A target device (direct drawing device)
E1, E1a to E1e action input element E4 text input element E41 execution input element ID1 identification information

Claims (7)

An operation control device for controlling the operation of a target device,
a display unit for displaying a text input element for inputting unique identification information assigned for each operation content of the target device;
an input unit that receives input of the identification information to the text input element;
and a control unit that generates procedure data indicating a series of operations to be executed by the target device based on the identification information input to the text input element. The motion control device according to claim 1,
The display unit displays a plurality of motion input elements corresponding to the content of the motion,
The control unit
when there is an input to the text input element, generating the procedure data based on the identification information input to the text input element;
A motion control device that generates the procedure data based on the operation when the plurality of motion input elements are operated. The motion control device according to claim 2,
The display unit
displaying an operator that moves based on an input to the input unit;
A motion control device that displays the identification information assigned to the one of the plurality of motion input elements when the manipulator approaches one of the plurality of motion input elements. The motion control device according to claim 2 or 3,
The input unit receives input for starting and ending a storage mode for inputting the series of operations,
The control unit
A motion control device that operates the target device in response to manipulation of the plurality of motion input elements in the storage mode. The motion control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The input unit creates the procedure data based on the identification information input to the text input element while causing the target device to execute the series of operations based on the identification information input to the text input element. A motion control device that accepts input for The operation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The motion control device, wherein the identification information includes numbers. A motion control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6;
and a direct writing device that is the target device.

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