JP2531653Y2 - Base plate equipment for exposure equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a base plate apparatus for positioning and holding a mask film in an exposure apparatus used for photolithography of a printed board or the like.

[Conventional technology]

When printing a single pattern onto many raw films one after another in the exposure equipment used for photolithography such as printed circuit boards, the mask film is positioned on the surface of the base plate device as an exposure table The raw film is laid one by one on the mask film fixed on the surface of the base plate device and baked.

In this baking, the mask film and the raw film need to be mounted and fixed in a state where they are accurately positioned with respect to the base plate device, but each time the baking operation is removed from the base plate device for each baking operation. While raw film should be positioned each time it is mounted in the state where it is positioned on the base plate device,
The mask film must be immovably held accurately positioned on the surface of the base plate device until the intended number of raw films have been baked.

Therefore, the state where the mask film is accurately positioned with respect to the surface of the base plate device can be maintained, for example, by the method described in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H10-260, 1988.
As shown in FIG. 7 in Japanese Patent Publication No. 108329, a mask film positioned and attached to the surface of a base plate device is bonded and fixed using an adhesive tape, or the position of a mask film positioned on the surface of the base plate device is determined. A peripheral groove connected to the vacuum device is engraved at a position facing the peripheral edge of the mask film attached and attached, and the peripheral groove forms the peripheral edge of the mask film on the surface of the base plate device by this peripheral groove. Means such as adsorption and fixation were adopted.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the means for attaching and fixing the mask film to the surface of the base plate device using an adhesive tape is troublesome since the operation of bonding and fixing the mask film with the adhesive tape is a manual operation, and dust and dust adhere to the adhesive tape. Therefore, there has been a problem that the surface of the base plate device as an exposure table is stained, which causes defective exposure.

Also, in the means for immovably holding the mask film on the surface of the base plate device using the suction action of the circumferential groove,
If the suction force is too strong, the soft mask film may be deformed.Therefore, the strength of the suction force acting on the mask film from the circumferential groove is limited. Therefore, the immovable fixing of the mask film to the surface of the base plate device is performed. Was uncertain.

Further, in the case of utilizing the suction action of the peripheral groove, the fixing of the mask film is achieved only by the suction action of one peripheral groove. Therefore, the suction force by the circumferential groove becomes extremely weak, and there is a problem that the mask film is immovably held on the surface of the base plate device and cannot be reached at all.

Therefore, the present invention has been devised in order to solve the above-described problems in the related art, and it is possible to secure the immovable holding of the mask film by using the suction force exerted by the circumferential groove without deforming the mask film. It is an object of the present invention to increase the degree to a certain extent, and to make sure that the immovable attachment and holding of the mask film to the surface of the base plate device is reliable and stable.

[Means for solving the problem]

Means of the present invention for solving the above technical problem include: a transparent plate for positioning and mounting a mask film on a flat surface; and a peripheral edge of the mask film positioned and mounted on the surface of the transparent plate. A plurality of circumferential grooves engraved circumferentially and multiplexly at a position facing the portion, for each of the circumferential grooves, having an intake hole communicating the inside of the circumferential groove with the back surface of the transparent plate, Having the same number of vacuum devices as the peripheral groove, each of which is individually connected to the peripheral groove via an intake hole.

The number of the circumferential grooves engraved on the surface of the transparent plate is preferably two, and two vacuum devices (6) are provided correspondingly.

Further, a plurality of intake holes are preferably provided in each circumferential groove (2) at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential groove.

[Action]

Since the plurality of peripheral grooves engraved on the surface of the transparent plate are independently provided in multiple layers, each peripheral groove independently exerts a suction holding force on the mask film. Therefore, the suction holding force of the mask film on the transparent plate is obtained by combining the suction holding force exerted by each circumferential groove.

For this reason, the force of the individual circumferential grooves adsorbing and holding on the transparent plate surface without deforming the soft mask film,
Even if it is insufficient to hold the mask film immovably on the transparent plate surface, the suction holding force of the mask film on the transparent plate surface by the circumferential groove is the sum of the suction holding force exerted by the multiple circumferential grooves. Therefore, by providing the necessary number of circumferential grooves, the mask film is securely, firmly and stably immovably held on the surface of the transparent plate without causing deformation of the soft mask film.

Further, since each of the peripheral grooves is connected to a dedicated vacuum device, even if a leak occurs in one peripheral groove and the attraction force of the peripheral groove to the mask film is reduced, the peripheral grooves are not connected to each other. Does not reduce the suction force of the other circumferential grooves, whereby stable and reliable suction holding of the mask film by the circumferential grooves is achieved.

Further, since the mask film portion adsorbed by the inner circumferential groove is in a fixed state, the attraction force of the outer circumferential groove to the mask film is reduced to such an extent that the soft mask film is slightly deformed. Even if it is strengthened, the deformation of the mask film caused by the suction force of the outer peripheral groove is limited to only the part adsorbed to the outer peripheral groove, and does not affect other parts, so the inner side is not affected. By increasing the capacity of the vacuum device connected to the outer circumferential groove as compared with the vacuum device connected to the circumferential groove, the suction holding force on the mask film becomes sufficiently strong.

From this, by increasing the capacity of the vacuum device connected to the outer circumferential groove compared to the capacity of the vacuum device connected to the inner circumferential groove, the number of provided circumferential grooves is reduced to at least two. can do.

In addition, by providing a plurality of suction holes provided in each circumferential groove at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential groove, suction force can be exerted substantially uniformly over the entire length of the circumferential groove, and thereby a stable mask film can be produced. Adsorption retention can be achieved.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The illustrated embodiment shows a configuration of a base plate device of a one-sided exposure apparatus in which an exposure light source (not shown) is arranged below a transparent plate 1, FIG. 1 is a plan view, and FIG. is there.

The transparent plate 1 having a flat upper surface, which is a front surface, has a rectangular thick flat plate shape, and a double circumferential groove 2 is engraved on a peripheral edge of the surface.

The peripheral groove 2 is provided at a position facing the peripheral edge of the mask film 5 where the pattern of the mask film 5 is not drawn when the mask film 5 is mounted on the surface of the transparent plate 1 in a state where the mask film 5 is positioned. .

At the center of each side of both circumferential grooves 2, an intake hole 3 communicating the circumferential groove 2 with the back surface of the transparent plate 1 is opened in a form penetrating the transparent plate 1 up and down. A vacuum device 6 is connected to the opening on the rear surface side of the transparent plate 1 via a connection pipe 4 for each of the circumferential grooves 2.

The capacity of the vacuum device 6 connected to the outer peripheral groove 2 is set to be greater than that of the vacuum device 6 connected to the inner peripheral groove 2, and the outer peripheral groove 2 has a larger capacity than the inner peripheral groove 2. It is set so that the holding force of the groove 2 against the mask film 5 is increased.

On the surface of the transparent plate 1, a bank rubber 7 as packing is provided at a position outside the outer circumferential groove 2 so as to surround the mask film 5 positioned and mounted. The plate-like holding plate 9 is placed and assembled via the substrate to constitute an exposure table device of the exposure apparatus.

An example of the operation of baking the raw film 9 will be described below in order.

After mounting the mask film 5 on the surface (upper surface) of the transparent plate 1 in a state where the mask film 5 is positioned, both vacuum devices 6 are operated, and the mask film 5 is immovably adsorbed and held on the surface of the transparent plate 1 by the circumferential groove 2. Attachment of the film 5 to the transparent plate 1 is achieved.

From this state, the raw film 9 is placed on the mask film 5 in a state where the raw film 9 is positioned, and then the holding plate 8 is mounted on the transparent plate 1 via the bank rubber 7, and a suction device (not shown)
The air between the transparent plate 1 and the holding plate 8 is sucked, and the raw film 9 is pressed by the holding plate 8 on the mask film 5 on the transparent plate 1 by using the suction action without generating a gap. .

When the raw film 9 is pressed against the mask film 5, the exposure light source installed below the transparent plate 1 is operated to achieve the exposure of the raw film 9.

When the exposure of the raw film 9 is achieved, the suction device is stopped to release the suction action, the holding plate 8 is opened, the exposed raw film 9 is taken out, and the next raw film 9 is placed on the mask film 5. Take out and attach and repeat the above operation.

Both vacuum devices 6 continue to operate until the exposure of all the raw films 9 set in advance is completed.

Although the above embodiment has been described with reference to one-sided exposure, in the case of double-sided exposure, a base plate device according to the present invention may be provided on the upper side instead of the holding plate 8.

[Effect of the invention]

Since the present invention has the above configuration, the following effects can be obtained.

Since a plurality of circumferential grooves for sucking the mask film are provided, the total suction holding force of the mask film exerted by each circumferential groove can be used as the suction holding force of the mask film with respect to the transparent plate. The mask film can be strongly attracted to the transparent plate without causing deformation, so that immovable attachment of the mask film to the transparent plate can be reliably achieved.

Each peripheral groove is connected to one independent vacuum device, so even if a leak occurs in an arbitrary peripheral groove, the suction force on the mask film of the other peripheral groove does not decrease, Thus, stable and immovable holding of the mask film with respect to the transparent plate can be maintained.

The mask film part sucked by the inner peripheral groove,
Since the form is fixed by the suction, even if the suction force of the outer peripheral groove is strong and the mask film portion sucked by the outer peripheral groove is deformed, this deformation is not caused. It has no effect on the center side of the mask film, so that the mask film can be more strongly suction-held while maintaining the proper posture of the mask film, and a good exposure process can be obtained. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the embodiment shown in FIG. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1; transparent plate, 2; circumferential groove, 3; intake hole, 4; connecting pipe, 5; mask film, 6; vacuum device, 7; bank rubber, 8; holding plate, 9;
Raw film.

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A transparent plate (1) for positioning and mounting a mask film (5) on a flat surface, and a mask film (5) positioned and mounted on the surface of the transparent plate (1). A plurality of circumferential grooves (2) engraved circumferentially and multiplely at a position facing the peripheral edge portion, and the transparent plate (1) inside the circumferential groove (2) for each of the circumferential grooves (2). ), And the same number of vacuum devices (6) as the number of the circumferential grooves (2), which are individually connected to the respective circumferential grooves (2) via the suction holes (3). And a base plate apparatus of the exposure apparatus. 2. A base plate device for an exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two peripheral grooves (2) are provided and two vacuum devices (6) are provided. 3. A base plate apparatus for an exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of intake holes (3) are provided in each circumferential groove (2) at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential groove (2).