JP3483428B2 - Exposure apparatus and device manufacturing 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 a device manufacturing method for manufacturing a liquid crystal panel or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a coating / developing device for coating a photosensitive member on a substrate which is an object to be exposed for forming a liquid crystal panel and developing a substrate which has been exposed by an exposing device is connected to the exposing device for coating. In the photolithography process in which the exposure and development processes are collectively performed, when exposing using the exposure apparatus, a large number of substrates to be exposed with the same mask are carried into the exposure apparatus from the coating machine and the exposure processing is performed. Done. At this time, in the exposure apparatus, the alignment between the mask and the exposure apparatus is performed immediately before the first substrate is loaded from the coating machine and subjected to the exposure process. In recent years, along with the reduction in the production cost of liquid crystal panels, in such a photolithography process, a production line has been drawn in which a larger number of substrates are continuously exposed using the same mask.

[0003]

In such a conventional technique, when the number of substrates is relatively small, scanning exposure is performed on the substrates while the mask is correctly positioned with respect to the exposure apparatus. As shown in FIG.
The pattern 43 of the mask transferred above has the correct arrangement. However, when exposing a larger number of substrates, it is only necessary to align the mask with the exposure apparatus just before exposing the first substrate. Fluctuation of
The position of the mask with respect to the exposure apparatus is changed, and as shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of mask patterns 4 exposed on the substrate 27 are exposed.
The mutual positional relationship of 3 is displaced with time. For this reason, pattern misalignment becomes defective in the process of bonding the liquid crystal panel pixel pattern and the liquid crystal RGB filter after the photolithography process.

[0004] An object of the present invention, the device manufacturing method, having a fixed positional relationship between the pattern cross is exposed several times on the substrate, it is to make it positional deviation does not occur.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention aligns a mask with respect to an apparatus, and then sequentially aligns a plurality of substrates with respect to the mask and a mask pattern onto the substrate. in line arm by <br/> scan production process exposure, after exposure for the first substrate of the plurality of substrates, as well as aligned with respect to the mask again device, said exposure, Mask and substrate
While scanning and moving in sync with each other
Multiple exposures on the substrate through the projection optical system
The plurality of substrates is formed by scanning and exposing an area.
Through a coating device that sequentially coats the photoreceptor on those substrates.
Substrate that has been exposed and exposed to the developing device.
Are sequentially developed, and the alignment of the mask is performed by applying the coating.
From the equipment to the substrate to be supplied to the exposure equipment
The feature is that it is performed based on a signal indicating that the coating process is completed.
The device manufacturing method is as follows.

[0006]

More specifically, for example, in the above-mentioned exposure apparatus, a mask pattern is moved in plural steps on a substrate through a projection optical system while scanningly moving and stepwise moving the mask and the substrate in synchronization with each other. The plurality of substrates are sequentially supplied through a coating device that sequentially coats the photosensitive members on the substrates, and the exposed substrates are sequentially developed by a developing device. Yes,
The exposure apparatus also includes a positioning of the mask, from the coating apparatus, der to perform on the basis of a future signal indicating that the coating process is finished with respect to the substrate supplied to the exposure device
It

Further, the substrates sequentially supplied through the coating device are sequentially supplied from a plurality of cassettes containing the substrates, and the mask is aligned by exposing the first substrate from each cassette. Just before each line
U Alternatively, the alignment of the mask is performed for each substrate before exposing each substrate .

According to this, when the exposure processing of a large number of substrates is performed, the mask and the exposure apparatus can be set not only immediately before the exposure processing of the first substrate but also during the exposure apparatus of the large number of substrates. Since the alignment is performed, the drift of the mask stage with the passage of time and the component of magnification variation due to the heat of the mask are eliminated, the position of the mask with respect to the device is prevented, and a plurality of patterns are exposed on the substrate. The positional relationship of is kept constant.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 (A) is a view showing a state in which an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is combined with a coating / developing apparatus, and FIG. 1 (B) is a side view of the exposure apparatus. Is. FIG. 3 shows a mask used in this exposure apparatus. 3, 23 Fig. 1 (B) liquid crystal panel pixel pattern 41 and the mask alignment mer to be transferred to the substrate 27 of the
Click 42 is a mask which is formed on a quartz glass.

In FIG. 1B, reference numeral 24 is a mask 23.
A mask stage having a scanning exposure function in the Y direction, and a pattern such as a transistor for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel formed by an ordinary photolithography means. Glass substrate. Reference numeral 28 denotes a substrate stage that holds the substrate 27 and is movable in the XYθ directions, and has a function of performing scanning exposure in the Y direction. Reference numeral 26 denotes a well-known mirror projection optical system configured by combining convex-concave mirrors, and the mask 23 in which the mask alignment mark 42 and the mask reference mark 33 shown in FIG. 3 are positioned at predetermined positions by the mask stage 24 by the observation optical system 22. Pattern image is projected on the substrate 27 at the same size. 21 is a mask 2 at the exposure position with light of a specific wavelength
3 is an illumination optical system that illuminates the liquid crystal panel pixel pattern 41 on the mask 23 onto the substrate 27 by exposing the pattern on the mask 23 onto the photosensitive layer on the substrate 27. 25 is a main body structure on which the substrate stage 28 and the mask stage 24 are mounted, 31 and 32 are motors for moving the respective stages 24 and 28 in the direction parallel to the drawing (Y direction), 29 and 3
0 is each stage 24, 28, that is, the mask 23 and the substrate 27.
Is a measuring instrument for monitoring the position of, for example, a laser interferometer.

The control circuit 34 controls the motors 31 and 3 based on the stage position information of the laser interferometers 29 and 30 during scanning exposure.
By controlling the driving amount to the stage 2, the stages 24, 2
8 are moved in synchronization with each other. As a method of this control, for example, the motors 31 and 32 are driven at a constant voltage to drive the stages 24 and 28 at a constant speed, and the positions of the stages 24 and 28 measured by the laser interferometers 29 and 30 are adjusted. A corresponding drive amount is supplied to each motor 31, 32 to move each stage 24, 28.

1A and 6 show a photolithography process, and 7 to 10 in FIG. 1A are cassettes in which a plurality of substrates 27 for performing the photolithography process are loaded. The substrates 27 in the cassettes are subjected to the photolithography process for all the substrates in the cassettes 7 to 10 by performing the series of photolithography processes described below one by one (FIG. 6). Reference numeral 3 denotes a coating device that coats the substrate 27 to be exposed with a photosensitive liquid. The substrate 27 that has been coated is carried into the exposure device 1 by the carry-in / carry-out mechanism 6 (step S63), and the exposure process (step S66) The substrate 27 which has been exposed and which has been exposed is again loaded and unloaded by the loading / unloading mechanism 6
Is transferred from the exposure device 1 to the developing device 2 for developing the photosensitive layer (step S67), and the developing process is performed (step S68). The developed substrate is returned to the original cassette.

The coating / developing device control circuit 12 for controlling the coating / developing devices 2 and 3 is, as shown in FIG.
When the photolithography process of the substrate in 0 is started (step S61), the mask numbers and the mask numbers used for the exposure are selected from the mask rack 35 in which the plurality of masks 23 attached to the exposure apparatus of FIG. Cassette 7-1
Data 13 of the number of substrates within 0 is transmitted as mask designation data to the exposure apparatus control circuit 11 (mask designation communication)
Yes (step S62). The exposure apparatus 1 that has received the mask designation data carries in the first substrate of the first cassette into the apparatus (step 63), and immediately before the exposure processing of this substrate, the mask of the designated number from the mask rack 35. The mask is loaded onto the mask stage 24 by the mask loading / unloading mechanism 36, and the above-described mask alignment is performed (step S64,
S65).

Thereafter, the exposure processing of a plurality of substrates is performed according to the flowchart of FIG. 6 (steps S66 to S).
69, S63, S64), just before the exposure apparatus 1 completes the exposure of the number of substrates instructed by the mask designation communication for the cassette being processed, that is, the next substrate, that is, the first substrate of the next cassette. Then, the mask alignment is performed again (steps S64 and S65). [Application Example of the Invention] In the above embodiment, the mirror projection optical system 26 is used.
However, it is of course possible to use a lens projection engineering system instead.

Although the alignment between the exposure device and the mask is performed every time the processing for four cassettes is started, the same timing is used when the exposure processing is not limited to four and more cassettes are processed. It is also possible to obtain more stable mutual alignment performance between liquid crystal panel patterns by aligning the mask with.

Further, although it has been stated that the mutual relation of a plurality of liquid crystal panel patterns is maintained correctly, the mask alignment is performed in the same manner also in the production of semiconductor chips, so that the silicon wafers can be more closely aligned. It is also possible to obtain stable mutual alignment performance between the respective patterns of the semiconductor chip.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of liquid crystal panel patterns or the like transferred onto a substrate have a stable mutual positional relationship for each substrate. Therefore, the production yield of liquid crystal panels and the like is improved, and the panel production cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view showing a photolithography process in which an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is combined with a coating / developing apparatus, and a side view of the exposure apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the exposure apparatus of FIG.

3 is a top view of the mask of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an exposed substrate.

FIG. 5 is a top view of another exposed substrate.

6 is an operation flowchart of the apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: exposure device, 2: developing device, 3: coating device, 4: carry-in operation, 5: carry-out operation, 6: carry-in / carry-out mechanism, 7 to 10:
Cassette: 11: exposure device control circuit, 12: coating / developing device control circuit, 13: mask designation communication, 21: illumination optical system, 22: observation optical system, 23: mask, 24: mask
Stage, 25: Main body structure, 26: Mirror projection optical system, 27: Substrate, 28: Substrate stage, 29: Mask Y
Axis control laser interferometer, 30: Plate Y-axis control laser interferometer, 31: Mask Y-axis drive motor, 32: Plate Y
Axial drive motor, 33: mask reference mark, 34: control circuit, 35: mask rack, 36: mask loading / unloading mechanism, 4
1: liquid crystal panel pixel pattern, 42: mask alignment pattern, 43: exposed mask pattern.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mask is aligned with an exposure apparatus,
Then, in a device manufacturing method of sequentially performing alignment with respect to the mask and exposing the mask pattern onto the substrate for the plurality of substrates, after exposing the first substrate of the plurality of substrates, the mask is again exposed. When aligning with the exposure device
In the exposure, the mask and the substrate are synchronously scanned and moved.
In addition, while moving in steps, the mask pattern is projected
Scanning exposure to multiple exposure areas on the substrate through the academic system
The plurality of substrates are sequentially sensed by the
Sequentially supplied and exposed through a coating device that coats light
The substrates subjected to the
Alignment of the scre
A message that the coating process on the substrate to be supplied to the equipment is complete.
Device manufacturing method, which is performed based on 2. The substrates sequentially supplied through the coating device are sequentially supplied from a plurality of cassettes containing the substrates, and the masks are aligned by exposing the first substrate from each cassette. a device manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that for each cassette immediately before. Wherein positioning of said mask, device manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that for each substrate before exposure of each substrate.