JP2836437B2 - Exposure apparatus and exposure method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus and an exposure method, and more particularly, to an exposure apparatus and an exposure method in an exposure step required for manufacturing a color filter or the like by a photolithography method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a color filter is manufactured by a photolithography method by, for example, forming a predetermined pattern through a photomask 3 on a glass substrate 1 coated with a pigment-dispersed photopolymerizable color resist 2 as shown in FIG. Exposure,
Development is performed by repeating this process by the number of colors.

In order for the photopolymerizable color resist 2 to undergo a photopolymerization reaction by light irradiation, when oxygen molecules are present on the resist surface, radicals generated in the resist combine with oxygen molecules that have permeated and diffused into the resist. This is not preferable because it does not contribute to the polymerization of the monomer and suppresses the reaction.

For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, conventionally, the most common method is to provide an oxygen barrier film 4 of polyvinyl alcohol or the like on the surface of a resist to eliminate oxygen molecules on the surface of the resist 2 applied on the glass substrate 1. It is.

[0005]

However, providing such an oxygen barrier film 4 requires a coating and drying process of the oxygen barrier film 4, and the defect rate and the length of the process in this process are problematic. ing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. HEI 1-195445 discloses a method of exposing a resist made of an acryloid photosensitive resin while blowing an inert gas such as nitrogen into the resist. Since the other one of the stages that covers the gap between the coated substrates from three sides is open, the surrounding air diffuses and it is difficult to sufficiently replace the substrate with nitrogen gas or the like. Further, according to the configuration described in this publication, there is a problem that it is difficult to easily respond to a change in the size of the base material, and the entire table needs to be replaced.

An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus and an exposure method capable of performing stable patterning without providing an oxygen barrier film.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, an exposure apparatus according to the present invention has a photomask fixing frame formed in a rectangular frame shape and a resist disposed below the frame. A light source that exposes the substrate from above the frame via a photomask fixed to the upper portion of the frame, and a detachable cartridge-type nozzle member is attached to each side of the frame on each side. During exposure, nitrogen gas is introduced into the frame from three directions through the nozzle member, and oxygen molecules are excluded from the frame from the remaining one direction.

Further, according to the exposure method of the present invention, a photomask is fixed on a photomask fixing frame formed in a rectangular frame shape, and a substrate coated with a resist is arranged below the frame. While introducing nitrogen gas into the frame from three directions via a cartridge type nozzle member detachably attached to each side of the four sides, and removing oxygen molecules from the other direction to the outside of the frame, The substrate is exposed from above the frame via the photomask.

[0010]

According to the structure of the present invention, exposure is carried out while introducing nitrogen gas into the photomask fixing frame from three directions and removing oxygen molecules in the frame from the other direction to the outside of the frame. The oxygen molecules on the surface of the resist to be exposed are removed, and the radicals generated in the resist generate the next radical without binding to the oxygen molecules, so that the photopolymerization proceeds promptly.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of an embodiment of the exposure apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a plan view of a photomask fixing frame, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 1, a photomask 3 is provided on a photomask fixing frame 7 formed in a rectangular frame shape.
Is fixed, and a glass substrate 6 coated with a resist is disposed on the substrate table 5 below the frame 7. A light source (not shown) is provided above the frame 7,
A predetermined pattern is exposed on the glass substrate 6 via the photomask 3.

A detachable cartridge type nozzle member 8 is attached to each of the four sides inside the frame 7, and the nozzle member 8 has a plurality of nozzle holes 8a in its longitudinal direction. Further, the nozzle holes 8a are formed so as to be inclined slightly upward toward the inside of the frame when the frame is mounted (see FIGS. 2 to 5).

In the above configuration, when nitrogen gas is introduced from the nitrogen gas introduction ports 9a to 9c provided on three sides of the frame 7, the introduced nitrogen gas is supplied to the through holes 7a to 7c which are also provided in the frame 7. Through the nozzle holes 8a of the three nozzle members 8 through 7c, they flow into the frame 7. On the other hand, the oxygen molecules existing in the frame 7 flow out and diffuse into the frame 7 and are further discharged from the nozzle holes 8a of the remaining one nozzle member 8 through the through holes 7d. It is discharged out of the frame 7 from the outlet 9d. That is, nitrogen gas is introduced into the frame 7 from three directions through the four nozzle members 8 of the frame 7 and at the same time oxygen molecules existing in the frame 7 are moved out of the frame from the remaining one direction. Oxygen molecules existing near the surface of the resist are removed by the nitrogen gas without providing an oxygen barrier film as in the related art on the surface of the resist to be exposed.

Therefore, when the exposure is performed in such a state that the nitrogen gas is sufficiently substituted in the exposure region, a part of the radicals generated in the resist is replaced with the oxygen molecules already existing in the resist. Although there is bonding, there is no oxygen molecule newly penetrating or diffusing into the resist, so that the photopolymerization reaction proceeds promptly thereafter.

According to the structure of this embodiment, oxygen molecules present in the frame 7 are discharged out of the frame via the nozzle member 8, but the surrounding air outside the frame is diffused into the frame. Therefore, sufficient replacement with nitrogen gas is possible.

If several types of nozzle members 8 having different sizes are prepared in advance, for example, when the size of the glass substrate 6 to be exposed is changed, only the nozzle members 8 need be replaced without replacing the entire frame 7. It can be easily handled by replacement, which is convenient for work.

[0019]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, nitrogen gas is introduced into the frame from three directions through the nozzle member attached to the frame for fixing the photomask and from the other direction. Oxygen molecules are eliminated outside the frame, so that exposure can be performed in a state where the inside of the frame is sufficiently replaced by nitrogen gas and oxygen molecules on the resist surface are eliminated, so that an oxygen barrier film as in the related art is used. A stable patterning can be performed without providing a pattern.

Further, according to the present invention, the step of forming the conventional oxygen barrier film is not required, so that the defective rate is reduced and the steps are shortened, thereby improving the productivity.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily respond to a change in the size of the substrate to be exposed, by replacing only the cartridge type nozzle member.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of an exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a photomask fixing frame.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a nozzle member.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing a conventional exposure method.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a conventional exposure method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 glass substrate 2 resist 3 photomask 4 oxygen blocking film 5 substrate table 6 resist coated glass substrate 7 photomask fixing frame 7 a to 7 d through hole 8 nozzle member 8 a nozzle hole 9 a to 9 c nitrogen gas inlet 9 d oxygen molecule exhaust Exit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroto Okada 1-1-1, Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshimasa Ishii 1-1-1, Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03F 7/20-9/02 H01L 21/30 509

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A frame for fixing a photomask formed in a rectangular frame shape, and a photomask fixed on an upper portion of the frame on a resist-coated substrate disposed below the frame. A light source for exposing from above is provided, and a detachable cartridge type nozzle member is attached to each of the four sides of the frame, and at the time of exposure, nitrogen gas is supplied from three directions through the nozzle member. An exposure apparatus, wherein an oxygen molecule is introduced into a frame and oxygen molecules are excluded from the frame from the remaining one direction. 2. A photomask fixing frame formed in the shape of a rectangular frame, a photomask is fixed on the upper portion of the frame, and a substrate coated with a resist is disposed below the frame. Nitrogen gas is introduced into the frame from three directions through a detachably mounted cartridge-type nozzle member, while oxygen molecules are excluded from the frame from the remaining one direction. An exposure method, wherein the substrate is exposed through a mask.