JP3612941B2

JP3612941B2 - Sensor element manufacturing method and sensor element manufacturing apparatus

Info

Publication number: JP3612941B2
Application number: JP15598697A
Authority: JP
Inventors: 直樹村田
Original assignee: Nok Corp
Current assignee: Nok Corp
Priority date: 1996-10-31
Filing date: 1997-05-29
Publication date: 2005-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 2017-05-29
Also published as: JPH10180601A

Description

【発明の属する技術分野】
本発明はセンサ素子の製造方法及びセンサ素子の製造装置、例えば、圧力センサや荷重センサ等に用いられるダイヤフラムを被加工物とする研磨装置や露光装置に関するものである。
【従来の技術】
一般に、圧力センサ、荷重センサ等に用いられるセンサ素子は、一端が閉塞された筒状をなし、閉塞されている部分にひずみゲージが蒸着、スパッタリング等の成膜法により所定のパターンで形成されるものである。
従来、この種のセンサ素子の製造工程のうち研磨工程に用いられる研磨装置として、図７に示すようなものが一般的である。
被製造物１０１を挿入し得る穴を複数箇所に設けたホルダ１０５は研磨盤１０８上に配置されガイド１０７で保持されている。研磨時にはホルダ１０５の穴に、被製造物１０１を挿入する。そして、その上部から、基準となる水平面１０３ａを有した、硬質物質（セラミックス等）製の平行板１０３を被製造物１０１に当接させ、錘１０２をその平行板の上に配置する。
このように被製造物１０１を研磨盤１０８に押圧させた状態で、研磨盤１０８を作動させることにより研磨が行なわれる。
複数の被製造物１０１を同時に研磨する場合、研磨前の高さのばらつきにより、低い被製造物には研磨初期に押圧力が発生せず、ホルダ穴内で揺動、傾斜を起こし、被研磨面に「だれ」（端部の平面度の悪化）が発生する場合がある。
【発明が解決しようとする課題】
この「だれ」の防止策として、図８のように、平行板１０３と被製造物１０１とをワックス（ろう）１０９などの再剥離可能な接着剤を用いて固定する方法が取られる場合がある。
しかし、このような方法ではワックス等の塗布及び剥離といった比較的面倒な工程が必要となり、生産性の低下につながるという欠点があった。
これに対し、本出願人は特開平８−１３２３４４号において、図６のように、複数の被製造物１０１を薄板１１０に嵌合もしくは溶接し、これを一単位として研磨をする方法を提案してきた。
これにより、複数のセンサ素子を同時に製造でき、非常に生産性は向上した。しかし、被製造物を嵌合或は溶接する際、薄板に若干のひずみが生じることが起こり得る。そして、薄板にひずみが生じてしまうと、被製造物１０１と研磨盤１０８との間の押圧力が不均一となり、被製造物の高さのばらつき及び被製造物の底面と研磨面との平行度の悪化を引き起こす可能性があるため、その更なる改善が望まれていた。
本発明は上記の従来技術の課題を解決するためになされたもので、その目的とするところは、容易に被製造物を着脱でき、且つ、高さのばらつきを補正し、平行度に優れた状態で平面度を向上できるセンサ素子の製造方法及びセンサ素子の製造装置を提供することにある。
ところで、特開平８−１３２３４４号に述べられているセンサ素子の製造方法は研磨方法以外にも、センサ素子の製造工程全般にわたって用いることができるが、やはり、薄板にひずみが生じると被加工面の平行度が悪化し問題が生じ得た。
例えば、フォトリソグラフィ加工における露光工程では、上記のように複数の被製造物１０１を薄板１１０に嵌合もしくは溶接し、これを一単位として処理する場合、薄板１１０に生じたひずみやそりが原因で、薄板全体を露光治具上に固定する平行台１１１と被製造物１０１の間に隙間が生じることがあった（図９）。
このため、平行台１１１に設けたピン１１２を被製造物１０１の穴１０１ａにはめ込み、更に真空吸着用穴１１１ａから空気を吸引し、被製造物１０１を平行台１１１に所定の位置で真空吸着固定するという従来の方法がうまくいかない場合があった。
被製造物が平行台にしっかりと圧接されていない状態で、フォトマスクを被製造物表面に密着しようとすると、図１０のように、被製造物に対するフォトマスク１１３の密着時に、フォトマスク１１３表面が被製造物に接触した後に被製造物の傾きが変化するため、被製造物表面のレジスト１１４とフォトマスク１１３表面との間に摩擦が生じる場合があった。これにより、レジスト１１４がフォトマスク１１３に固着したり、レジスト１１４に亀裂が生じたりしていた。この結果、レジスト１１４がマスク１１３に付着して、加工物表面からはがれる現象（スティッキング）が発生し、これによる不良（パターン不良）が発生していた。本発明は上記の従来技術の課題を解決するためになされたもので、その目的とするところは、容易に被製造物を着脱でき、且つ、高さのばらつきを補正し、平行度に優れた状態で研磨、露光、その他の処理を施すことができるセンサ素子の製造方法及びセンサ素子の製造装置を提供することにある。
【課題を解決するための手段】
上記目的を達成するために本発明にあっては、複数の被製造物を、一枚の薄板に固着し、これを一単位として処理することにより、一端が閉塞された略筒状のセンサ素子を同時に複数製造するセンサ素子の製造方法において、
前記複数の被製造物の位置決め基準となる基準面を設け、該基準面に対し、前記被製造物に設けられた被基準面をばね状弾性部材によって圧接しつつ被処理面に処理を施すことを特徴とする。
これにより、基準面と、製造物の非基準面が、確実に密接した状態で処理が行なわれるので、処理中の被製造物の揺動を防止し、複数の被製造物の被処理面が確実に位置決めされつつ同時に処理を行なうことができる。
前記処理は研磨加工またはフォトリソグラフィ加工であることは好適である。これにより、薄板のひずみや反り等に拘らず、被製造物を確実に位置決めしつつ複数の被製造物を同時に研磨、露光することができる。
一端が閉塞された略筒状のセンサ素子を同時に複数製造するため、複数の被製造物を、一枚の薄板に固着し、これを一単位として研磨するセンサ素子の製造装置において、
必要とする研磨精度以上の平面度を有する基準面を備えた平行板と、該基準面と対向する位置に、該基準面と平行をなす研磨面を備えた研磨盤と、を有し、
基準面と研磨面との間に前記一単位の被製造物を挟み込んで研磨する際、被製造物を基準面に対し圧接するばね状弾性部材を設けたことを特徴とする。
これにより、被製造物の揺動を防止し、被製造物を平行板に均一の押圧力で押圧した状態で被製造物に対し高精度な研磨を行なうことができる。
前記被製造物の被研磨面を前記研磨盤側に露出させる穴を有し、該穴から被製造物の被研磨面を露出した状態で、被製造物を前記ばね状弾性部材を介して前記平行板の基準面に圧接させるホルダを設けたことを特徴とする。
これにより、被製造物を平行板に接着剤で固定する方法に比べ、被製造物の着脱が容易に行なえる。また、複数の被製造物を同時に、精度よく研磨することができる。
一端が閉塞された略筒状のセンサ素子を同時に複数製造するため、複数の被製造物を、一枚の薄板に固着し、これを一単位としてフォトリソグラフィ加工するセンサ素子の製造装置において、
基準面を備えた平行台と、該基準面と対向する位置に、該基準面と平行をなすフォトマスクを支持したフォトマスクホルダと、を備え、
基準面と、フォトマスクとの間に前記被製造物を挟み込んでフォトマスクを被製造物の被加工面に密着させて露光を行なう際、基準面と被製造物とを圧接するばね状弾性部材を設けたことを特徴とする。
これにより、露光時、フォトマスクを被加工面に密着する際に、被加工面が安定して平行度を有さないことによるスティッキングの発生を抑えることができる。
一単位の被製造物の被加工面をフォトマスク側に露出させる穴を有するカバーを設け、前記フォトマスクホルダと前記平行台を、平行を保ちつつ近接させることにより、フォトマスクが、カバー及びばね状弾性部材を介して、被製造物を平行台の基準面に圧接し、その状態で、被製造物の被加工面にフォトマスクを圧着させることを特徴とする。
従って、簡単な構成で、複数の被製造物に対し同時に、スティッキングによるパターン不良の少ないフォトリソグラフィ加工を行なうことができる。
【発明の実施の形態】
以下に図面を参照して、この発明の好適な実施の形態を例示的に詳しく説明する。ただし、この実施の形態に記載されている構成部品の寸法、材質、形状、その相対配置などは、特に特定的な記載がないかぎりは、この発明の範囲をそれらのみに限定する趣旨のものではない。
（実施の形態１）
図１，図２に本発明の第１の実施の形態に係るセンサ素子の製造方法を用いたセンサ素子の製造装置として研磨装置を示す。
この実施の形態に示す研磨装置は、一端が閉塞された筒状をなすと共に、周面が大径部と小径部の２段に形成されるセンサ素子の製造工程の一部であって、一端が閉塞された筒状をなすものの周面を大径部と小径部の２段に加工した複数の被製造物を一単位として研磨することにより、複数のセンサ素子を同時に製造するようにしたものである。
また、これは、被製造物の高さのばらつき、平行度、平面度が悪化する原因を、被製造物の揺動及び押圧力の不均一にあるとし、それを防止する方法として、平行板と被製造物とをお互いに固定することを考えたものである。
特に、本実施の形態では被製造物として、複数の圧力センサダイヤフラムを対象とする。一般に用いられているダイヤフラムは高さ５ｍｍ、直径６．５ｍｍ程度のものである。
このように板状の被製造物に比べて底面積、縦横比が小さい被製造物を研磨する際には、研磨面における剪断応力による、被製造物全体に働く回転モーメントが大きいため、平行板に対する被製造物の被基準面の垂直抗力が一様ではなくなる。よって、被製造物の被基準面と被研磨面の平行度及び被研磨面の平面度が悪化する。
従って、被製造物の着脱の容易性、及び、固定精度を得るには、被製造物の被基準面と、平行板の基準面を直接、強固に接触させることが必要であり、本実施の形態では、固定の手段として、被製造物１の被基準面１ａと、平行板３の基準面３ａとの間に押圧力を発生させるばね状弾性部材としての押圧板４を有したホルダ５を用いた。
次に、この研磨装置について詳細に説明する。
平行板３は被製造物１に比して硬度の高い材質で、必要とする研磨精度以上の平面度を持つ基準面３ａを有している。この基準面３ａに、ホルダ５を固定するための複数のめねじ穴を設ける。めねじはブッシングなどによる方法を用いて設けてもよい。
ホルダ５は、被製造物１を挿入するための複数の取付穴、及び、押圧板４がある程度可動であるようにするための溝もしくは穴、及び、ねじ取付穴を有する。被製造物１を押える押圧板４は、被製造物１の形状、寸法により金属材料による板ばね、コイルスプリング、ゴムパッド等、適したものであればどのような押圧手段でも用いることができる。
押圧板４は各々の被製造物１に対して押圧力を発生させる構造となっている。被製造物１取付の際は、押圧板４を介して、ホルダ５の穴に配置し、ホルダ５と平行板３とをねじ６によって締結する。ホルダ５と平行板３の固定の手段は押圧板４の反発力に対して十分大きな力を発生し、更に研磨時の外力、振動に耐え、着脱が容易であれば、ねじ以外の方法を用いることも可能である。
ホルダ５と平行板３の締結によって押圧板４は被製造物１とホルダ５により挟まれ、この反発力により、被製造物１の被基準面１ａと平行板３の基準面３ａとの間に押圧力が発生し、強固な固定が実現する。
研磨を行なう際は研磨盤８上に平行板３を被製造物１ごと載せ、ガイド７を装着して更に必要な研磨圧力に応じた重量の錘２を載せ、被研磨面１ｂが研磨盤８に圧接した状態で研磨盤８を研磨面８ａと平行に作動させ研磨する。
研磨終了後に、被製造物１を取りはずす場合は、取付と逆の操作を行えばよい。
このように、被製造物を押圧板によって平行板に押圧しつつ研磨することにより、被製造物の高さ方向の寸法のばらつきが大きくても、被製造物は高いものから順に研磨されて徐々に全体の高さがそろって行き、低いものも、ホルダ穴内で揺動、傾斜を起こすことなく、最後に全体の高さが均一の寸法に仕上げられることになる。
更に、特開平８−１３２３４４号のように、複数の被製造物１を薄板と嵌合・溶接したものを１単位の被製造物として研磨する場合にも、押圧板４による反発力を十分なものにすれば、図２のように本願研磨方法を用いて、薄板の反り、ひずみを矯正することができる。
よって、反り、ひずみが発生した場合でも、研磨圧力のばらつきを防止することができるため、高さのばらつき、平行度の悪化を防止することが可能である。
（実施例）
直径約５ミリ、高さ約５ミリの円柱形状の被製造物を保持板に１９個溶接し、これを１単位として３単位を同時に研磨した。
ここで保持板は、１００μｍ程度の厚みの金属製、例えば耐蝕性に優れるステンレス等からなる可撓性を有する薄板１０，１１０であって、被製造物の小径部が挿入し得る穴をエッチング、打ち抜き等により複数箇所に穿設したものである。
上記のような保持板に複数の被製造物を保持するには、各穴に被製造物の小径部を挿入して、各穴の周縁部と被製造物の大径部との間をシリーズ溶接等により一体に固着する。
そして保持板に保持した１９個の被製造物を一単位として、３単位同時に一つの研磨盤上に位置し、その上部に錘を載置して各被製造物を研磨盤の方向に押圧して研磨した。
これは特開平８−１３２３４４号に述べられているセンサ素子の製造方法に該当するものである。
そして、図６に示す従来の研磨方法と、ばね状弾性部材を用いた、図２に示す本願発明の研磨方法とを実施し、結果を比較した。
高さの標準偏差、被基準面に対する被研磨面の平行度、被研磨面の平面度をそれぞれ下の表１に示す。
【表１】

この表により、本願発明の研磨方法によると、高さのばらつきを補正し、平行度に優れた状態で平面度を向上できることが分かる。
（実施の形態２）
図３に本発明の第２の実施の形態に係るセンサ素子の製造方法を用いたセンサ素子の製造装置として露光装置の概要を示す。
その装置は上記図２の場合と同様に、複数の被製造物１を薄板１０と嵌合・溶接したものを１単位の被製造物として露光処理するものであり、水平基準面を有する平行板としての平行台１１、被製造物１の被加工面１ｂをフォトマスク１２側に露出させる穴１３ａを有するカバー１３、カバー１３と薄板１０の間に介在させるばね状弾性部材としての押圧板４、フォトマスク１２を支持するフォトマスクホルダ１４、を備えている。
平行台１１の基準面１１ｂは硬度の高い物質にて構成されており、また、被製造物１に高さのばらつきに比べて同程度以上の平面度を有している。この基準面１１ｂに位置合わせ用のピン１１ａが２本取付けられている。ピン１１ａはセンサ素子の内径に合わせるのが望ましいが、必要精度によっては平行台１１の基準面１１ｂに外径に応じた穴または溝を設けてもよい。また、ピンの数は一度に露光する被製造物１の数と同数でもよい。
平行台１１及びフォトマスクホルダ１４は、ピン１１ａに合わせてのせられた被製造物１に、正確にフォトマスク１２が密着するように位置合わせされている。
押圧板４は第１の実施の形態に用いられたものと同一のものでよく、図４に示す様に、一枚の板に穴４ａが設けられ、その穴の内周に板ばね部４ｂを有する構成になっている。そして、板ばね部４ｂは一方に軽く曲げられている。
カバー１３の厚さは、単に被製造物１の上に、押圧板４を介して乗せた状態では、被製造物１の被加工面１ｂがカバー１３上面よりも若干低くなる厚さであって、しかも、カバー１３を押圧した場合には、押圧板４が薄くなることにより、確実に穴１３ａから被加工面１ｂが突出する厚さにしなければならない。
また、押圧板４の弾性力は、フォトマスクホルダ１４が下降し、フォトマスク１２がカバー１３を押圧する押圧量で容易に薄くなる程度であって、しかも、その押圧力により、押圧板４が薄くなって、カバー１３の穴１３ａから被製造物１の被加工面１ｂが突出する前に、薄板１０のひずみや反りが矯正される程度の弾性力に設定しなければならない。
このように構成された装置においてフォトマスク１２密着時の動作を図５を用いて説明する。
まず、フォトマスク１２を装着したフォトマスクホルダ１４を下降させる（ａ）。
フォトマスク１２がカバー１３と接触し、カバー１３上面を押圧することにより薄板１０のひずみ、そりが矯正され、被製造物１の被基準面と平行台１１の基準面との隙間が消滅する（ｂ）。
押圧板４の板ばね部の曲がりが小さくなり、押圧板４全体が薄くなってフォトマスク１２と、被製造物１の被加工面１ｂが密着する（ｃ）。
その後、フォトマスクホルダ１４を上昇させ、フォトマスク１２を離す段階では（ｂ）〜（ａ）へと戻る。
すなわち、フォトマスク１２の密着と離脱は、薄板１０のひずみ、そりが完全に矯正された、平行度に優れた状態で行なうことができ、スティッキングを防止し、レジストはがれを抑制することができる。また、従来の様に真空吸引固定をする必要がなく、生産性が向上する。
（他の実施の形態）
上記実施の形態及び実施例では被製造物として、大径部と小径部を有したものを用いたが、本発明はこれに限定されるものではなく、棒状のものであれば、角柱状や円柱状などのセンサ素子の製造にも適宜応用されるものである。
【発明の効果】
本発明は、基準面に対し、被製造物に設けられた被基準面をばね状弾性部材によって圧接しつつ被処理面に処理を施すので、薄板のひずみや反り等に拘らず、複数の非製造物に対し、同時に、且つ、揺動することなく確実に位置決めされた状態で、処理を施すことができ、生産性に優れ、高精度な、センサ素子の製造を実現することができる。
その処理が研磨加工またはフォトリソグラフィ加工であれば、薄板のひずみや反り等に拘らず、被製造物を確実に位置決めしつつ複数の被製造物を同時に研磨、露光することができる。
必要とする研磨精度以上の平面度を有する基準面を備えた平行板と、該基準面と対向する位置に、該基準面と平行をなす研磨面を備えた研磨盤と、を有し、
基準面と研磨面との間に一単位の被製造物を挟み込んで研磨する際、被製造物を基準面に対し圧接するばね状弾性部材を設けたので、簡易な構成で、被製造物の揺動を防止し、被製造物を平行板に均一の押圧力で押圧した状態で被製造物に対し高精度な研磨を行なうことができ、センサ素子の生産性を向上させることができる。
被製造物の被研磨面を前記研磨盤側に露出させる穴を有し、該穴から被製造物の被研磨面を露出した状態で、被製造物を前記ばね状弾性部材を介して前記平行板の基準面に圧接させるホルダを設ければ、被製造物を平行板に接着剤で固定する方法に比べ、被製造物の着脱が容易に行なえ、複数の被製造物を同時に、精度よく研磨することができるので、センサ素子の生産性を向上させることができる。
基準面を備えた平行台と、該基準面と対向する位置に、該基準面と平行をなすフォトマスクを支持したフォトマスクホルダと、を備え、基準面と、フォトマスクとの間に被製造物を挟み込んでフォトマスクを被製造物の被加工面に密着させて露光を行なう際、基準面と被製造物とを圧接するばね状弾性部材を設ければ、露光時、フォトマスクを被加工面に密着する際に、被加工面が安定して平行度を維持するため、スティッキングの発生を抑えることができ、センサ素子の品質を向上することができる。
一単位の被製造物の被加工面をフォトマスク側に露出させる穴を有するカバーを設け、前記フォトマスクホルダと前記平行台を、平行を保ちつつ近接させることにより、フォトマスクが、カバー及びばね状弾性部材を介して、被製造物を平行台の基準面に圧接し、その状態で、被製造物の被加工面にフォトマスクを圧着させれば、簡単な構成で、複数の被製造物に対し、同時にスティッキングによるパターン不良の少ないフォトリソグラフィ加工を行なうことができ、生産性のよいセンサ素子を提供することができる。
【図面の簡単な説明】
【図１】図１は本願発明の第１の実施の形態に係る研磨装置の概略断面図である。
【図２】図２は実施例の実験に用いられた本願発明に係る研磨装置の概略断面図である。
【図３】図３は本願発明の第２の実施の形態に係る露光装置の概略断面図である。
【図４】図４は本願発明の第２の実施の形態に係る露光装置に用いられるばね状弾性部材の説明図である。
【図５】図５は本願発明の第２の実施の形態に係る露光装置におけるフォトマスクの密着の説明図である。
【図６】図６は従来技術に係る研磨装置の概略断面図である。
【図７】図７は従来技術に係る研磨装置の概略断面図である。
【図８】図８は従来技術に係る研磨装置の概略断面図である。
【図９】図９は従来技術に係る露光装置の概略断面図である。
【図１０】図１０は従来技術に係る露光装置におけるスティッキングの説明図である。
【符号の説明】
１，１０１…被製造物
１ａ…被基準面
１ｂ…被研磨面
２，１０２…錘
３，１０３…平行板
３ａ…基準面
４…押圧板
５，１０５…ホルダ
６…ねじ
７，１０７…ガイド
８，１０８…研磨盤
８ａ…研磨面
１０９…ワックス
１０，１１０…薄板
１１…平行台
１２，１１３…フォトマスク
１３…カバー
１４…フォトマスクホルダ
１１４…レジストBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sensor element manufacturing method and a sensor element manufacturing apparatus, for example, a polishing apparatus or an exposure apparatus that uses a diaphragm used for a pressure sensor, a load sensor, or the like as a workpiece.
[Prior art]
In general, a sensor element used for a pressure sensor, a load sensor or the like has a cylindrical shape with one end closed, and a strain gauge is formed in a predetermined pattern by a film forming method such as vapor deposition or sputtering in the closed portion. Is.
Conventionally, as a polishing apparatus used in the polishing process among the manufacturing processes of this type of sensor element, the one shown in FIG. 7 is generally used.
A holder 105 provided with a plurality of holes into which the workpiece 101 can be inserted is disposed on the polishing board 108 and held by a guide 107. The workpiece 101 is inserted into the hole of the holder 105 during polishing. Then, a parallel plate 103 made of a hard material (ceramics or the like) having a reference horizontal plane 103a is brought into contact with the article to be manufactured 101 from above, and the weight 102 is disposed on the parallel plate.
Polishing is performed by operating the polishing board 108 in a state where the workpiece 101 is pressed against the polishing board 108 in this manner.
When polishing a plurality of workpieces 101 at the same time, due to the height variation before polishing, no pressing force is generated on the lower workpieces at the initial stage of polishing, causing rocking and tilting in the holder hole, and the surface to be polished. In some cases, “sag” (deterioration of the flatness of the end portion) may occur.
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In order to prevent this “sag”, there is a case where a method of fixing the parallel plate 103 and the workpiece 101 using a releasable adhesive such as wax 109 as shown in FIG. .
However, such a method has a disadvantage that a relatively troublesome process such as application and peeling of wax or the like is required, leading to a decrease in productivity.
On the other hand, the present applicant has proposed in JP-A-8-132344 a method in which a plurality of articles 101 are fitted or welded to a thin plate 110 and polished as a unit as shown in FIG. It was.
Thereby, a plurality of sensor elements can be manufactured at the same time, and the productivity has been greatly improved. However, when fitting or welding the workpieces, some distortion may occur in the thin plate. When the thin plate is distorted, the pressing force between the workpiece 101 and the polishing board 108 becomes non-uniform, the variation in the height of the workpiece, and the parallel between the bottom surface of the workpiece and the polishing surface. Further improvement has been desired because it may cause worsening of the degree.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to easily attach and detach the product, correct the height variation, and have excellent parallelism. An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor element manufacturing method and a sensor element manufacturing apparatus capable of improving flatness in a state.
Incidentally, the sensor element manufacturing method described in JP-A-8-132344 can be used throughout the manufacturing process of the sensor element in addition to the polishing method. The parallelism deteriorated and could cause problems.
For example, in the exposure process in the photolithography process, when a plurality of articles 101 are fitted or welded to the thin plate 110 as described above and processed as a unit, the thin plate 110 may be distorted or warped. In some cases, a gap was generated between the parallel table 111 for fixing the entire thin plate on the exposure jig and the product 101 (FIG. 9).
For this reason, the pin 112 provided on the parallel table 111 is fitted into the hole 101a of the workpiece 101, air is further sucked from the vacuum suction hole 111a, and the workpiece 101 is fixed to the parallel table 111 by vacuum suction at a predetermined position. In some cases, the conventional method of doing this did not work.
When the photomask is to be brought into close contact with the surface of the product in a state where the product is not firmly pressed against the parallel table, the surface of the photomask 113 is in contact with the photomask 113 against the product as shown in FIG. Since the inclination of the product changes after it contacts the product, there may be friction between the resist 114 on the surface of the product and the surface of the photomask 113. As a result, the resist 114 is fixed to the photomask 113 or the resist 114 is cracked. As a result, the resist 114 adheres to the mask 113, causing a phenomenon (sticking) that is peeled off from the surface of the workpiece, resulting in a defect (pattern defect). The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and the object of the present invention is to easily attach and detach the product, correct the height variation, and have excellent parallelism. An object of the present invention is to provide a sensor element manufacturing method and a sensor element manufacturing apparatus that can perform polishing, exposure, and other processes in a state.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, a substantially cylindrical sensor element whose one end is closed by fixing a plurality of products to one thin plate and treating it as a unit. In the method of manufacturing a sensor element for manufacturing a plurality of
A reference surface serving as a positioning reference for the plurality of workpieces is provided, and the processing surface is processed while the reference surfaces provided on the workpiece are pressed against the reference surfaces by spring-like elastic members. It is characterized by.
This ensures that the reference surface and the non-reference surface of the product are in close contact with each other, so that the workpieces being processed are prevented from swinging, and the processed surfaces of a plurality of products are Processing can be performed simultaneously while being reliably positioned.
The treatment is preferably a polishing process or a photolithography process. As a result, it is possible to simultaneously polish and expose a plurality of workpieces while positioning the workpieces reliably, regardless of the distortion or warpage of the thin plate.
In order to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of substantially cylindrical sensor elements whose one ends are closed, a plurality of articles to be manufactured are fixed to one thin plate and polished as a unit.
A parallel plate provided with a reference surface having a flatness greater than the required polishing accuracy, and a polishing disc provided with a polishing surface parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface;
A spring-like elastic member that presses the workpiece against the reference surface when the unit of the workpiece is sandwiched between the reference surface and the polishing surface for polishing is provided.
Thus, the workpiece can be prevented from swinging, and the workpiece can be polished with high accuracy in a state where the workpiece is pressed against the parallel plate with a uniform pressing force.
It has a hole for exposing the surface to be polished of the workpiece to the polishing disc side, and the workpiece to be polished is exposed through the spring-like elastic member in a state where the surface to be polished of the workpiece is exposed from the hole. A holder is provided that is brought into pressure contact with the reference plane of the parallel plate.
Thereby, compared with the method of fixing a to-be-produced object to a parallel plate with an adhesive agent, attachment or detachment of a to-be-produced object can be performed easily. In addition, a plurality of products can be simultaneously polished with high accuracy.
In order to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of substantially cylindrical sensor elements whose one ends are closed, in a sensor element manufacturing apparatus for fixing a plurality of manufactured objects to one thin plate and performing photolithography processing as a unit,
A parallel table provided with a reference surface, and a photomask holder that supports a photomask parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface;
A spring-like elastic member that presses the reference surface and the workpiece when performing exposure by sandwiching the workpiece between the reference surface and the photomask and bringing the photomask into close contact with the workpiece surface of the workpiece. Is provided.
Thereby, at the time of exposure, when the photomask is brought into close contact with the surface to be processed, the occurrence of sticking due to the fact that the surface to be processed is stable and does not have parallelism can be suppressed.
A cover having a hole that exposes a surface to be processed of a unit of a product to the photomask side is provided, and the photomask holder and the parallel base are brought close to each other while keeping the parallel, so that the photomask is covered with the cover and the spring. The workpiece is pressed against the reference surface of the parallel table via the elastic member, and in this state, a photomask is pressure-bonded to the workpiece surface of the workpiece.
Accordingly, with a simple configuration, photolithography processing with few pattern defects due to sticking can be simultaneously performed on a plurality of manufactured objects.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified. Absent.
(Embodiment 1)
1 and 2 show a polishing apparatus as a sensor element manufacturing apparatus using the sensor element manufacturing method according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
The polishing apparatus shown in this embodiment has a cylindrical shape with one end closed, and a part of the manufacturing process of the sensor element in which the peripheral surface is formed in two stages of a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion. A plurality of sensor elements are manufactured at the same time by polishing the peripheral surface of a cylindrical shape with a closed diameter as a unit of a plurality of workpieces processed into two stages of a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion. It is.
In addition, the reason why the variation in the height, parallelism, and flatness of the workpiece is deteriorated is that the swing of the workpiece and the pressing force are uneven. And the product to be manufactured are considered to be fixed to each other.
In particular, in the present embodiment, a plurality of pressure sensor diaphragms are targeted as manufactured articles. A generally used diaphragm has a height of about 5 mm and a diameter of about 6.5 mm.
Thus, when polishing a product having a smaller bottom area and aspect ratio than a plate-shaped product, the rotational moment acting on the entire product due to the shear stress on the polishing surface is large. The normal resistance of the reference surface of the product to be manufactured is not uniform. Therefore, the parallelism between the reference surface and the surface to be polished and the flatness of the surface to be polished deteriorate.
Therefore, in order to obtain the ease of attachment and detachment of the workpiece and the fixing accuracy, it is necessary to directly and firmly contact the reference surface of the workpiece and the reference surface of the parallel plate. In the embodiment, a holder 5 having a pressing plate 4 as a spring-like elastic member that generates a pressing force between the reference surface 1a of the workpiece 1 and the reference surface 3a of the parallel plate 3 is used as a fixing means. Using.
Next, the polishing apparatus will be described in detail.
The parallel plate 3 is made of a material having a hardness higher than that of the article to be manufactured 1 and has a reference surface 3a having a flatness greater than the required polishing accuracy. A plurality of female screw holes for fixing the holder 5 are provided in the reference surface 3a. The female screw may be provided using a method such as a bushing.
The holder 5 has a plurality of mounting holes for inserting the product 1, grooves or holes for allowing the pressing plate 4 to move to some extent, and screw mounting holes. As the pressing plate 4 for pressing the article 1 to be manufactured, any pressing means can be used as long as it is suitable, such as a leaf spring, a coil spring, and a rubber pad made of a metal material depending on the shape and size of the article 1 to be manufactured.
The pressing plate 4 has a structure for generating a pressing force for each workpiece 1. When the workpiece 1 is attached, the holder 5 and the parallel plate 3 are fastened with screws 6 through the pressing plate 4 and placed in the hole of the holder 5. The means for fixing the holder 5 and the parallel plate 3 generates a sufficiently large force with respect to the repulsive force of the pressing plate 4, and if it can withstand external force and vibration during polishing and can be easily attached and detached, a method other than a screw is used. It is also possible.
When the holder 5 and the parallel plate 3 are fastened, the pressing plate 4 is sandwiched between the workpiece 1 and the holder 5, and this repulsive force causes a gap between the reference surface 1 a of the workpiece 1 and the reference surface 3 a of the parallel plate 3. A pressing force is generated, and solid fixation is realized.
When polishing, the parallel plate 3 is mounted on the polishing board 8 together with the product 1, the guide 7 is mounted, and the weight 2 having a weight corresponding to the required polishing pressure is further mounted. The polishing disk 8 is operated in parallel with the polishing surface 8a in a state where it is in pressure contact with the surface, and polishing is performed.
When the workpiece 1 is removed after the polishing is completed, an operation reverse to the attachment may be performed.
In this way, by polishing the workpiece while pressing the workpiece against the parallel plate by the pressing plate, the workpiece is polished in order from the highest even if the variation in the dimension in the height direction of the workpiece is large. As a result, the overall height is uniform and the lower one is finished in a uniform dimension without causing rocking or tilting in the holder hole.
Further, as in JP-A-8-132344, when a plurality of products 1 fitted and welded to a thin plate are polished as a unit of product, the repulsive force by the pressing plate 4 is sufficient. If it is a thing, the curvature and distortion of a thin plate can be corrected using this polishing method as shown in FIG.
Therefore, even when warping or distortion occurs, variations in polishing pressure can be prevented, and therefore variations in height and deterioration in parallelism can be prevented.
(Example)
Nineteen cylindrical workpieces having a diameter of about 5 mm and a height of about 5 mm were welded to a holding plate, and 3 units were polished at the same time using this as a unit.
Here, the holding plate is made of metal having a thickness of about 100 μm, for example, flexible

thin plates

10 and 110 made of stainless steel or the like having excellent corrosion resistance, and etches a hole into which a small-diameter portion of the product can be inserted, A plurality of holes are formed by punching or the like.
To hold a plurality of workpieces on the holding plate as described above, insert a small diameter part of the workpiece into each hole and series between the peripheral edge of each hole and the large diameter part of the workpiece. It is fixed integrally by welding or the like.
Then, the 19 manufactured objects held on the holding plate are set as one unit, and 3 units are simultaneously positioned on one polishing board, and a weight is placed on the upper part to press each manufactured article in the direction of the polishing board. And polished.
This corresponds to the sensor element manufacturing method described in JP-A-8-132344.
And the conventional grinding | polishing method shown in FIG. 6 and the grinding | polishing method of this invention shown in FIG. 2 using the spring-like elastic member were implemented, and the result was compared.
Table 1 below shows the standard deviation of the height, the parallelism of the surface to be polished with respect to the reference surface, and the flatness of the surface to be polished.
[Table 1]

From this table, it can be seen that according to the polishing method of the present invention, the variation in height can be corrected and the flatness can be improved with excellent parallelism.
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 3 shows an outline of an exposure apparatus as a sensor element manufacturing apparatus using the sensor element manufacturing method according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
As in the case of FIG. 2, the apparatus exposes a plurality of workpieces 1 fitted and welded to the thin plate 10 as a unit of the parallel plate having a horizontal reference plane. A parallel plate 11, a cover 13 having a hole 13 a that exposes the processed surface 1 b of the workpiece 1 to the photomask 12 side, a pressing plate 4 as a spring-like elastic member interposed between the cover 13 and the thin plate 10, A photomask holder 14 for supporting the photomask 12 is provided.
The reference surface 11b of the parallel table 11 is made of a material having high hardness, and the manufactured product 1 has a flatness equal to or higher than that of the height variation. Two alignment pins 11a are attached to the reference surface 11b. Although it is desirable to match the pin 11a with the inner diameter of the sensor element, a hole or groove corresponding to the outer diameter may be provided on the reference surface 11b of the parallel table 11 depending on the required accuracy. Further, the number of pins may be the same as the number of articles 1 to be exposed at a time.
The parallel table 11 and the photomask holder 14 are aligned so that the photomask 12 is in close contact with the workpiece 1 placed on the pins 11a.
The pressing plate 4 may be the same as that used in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, a hole 4a is provided in one plate, and a leaf spring portion 4b is provided on the inner periphery of the hole. It has the composition which has. And the leaf | plate spring part 4b is bent lightly by one side.
The thickness of the cover 13 is such that the processed surface 1b of the manufactured product 1 is slightly lower than the upper surface of the cover 13 when the cover 13 is simply placed on the manufactured product 1 via the pressing plate 4. In addition, when the cover 13 is pressed, the thickness of the processed surface 1b must be surely protruded from the hole 13a by making the pressing plate 4 thin.
In addition, the elastic force of the pressing plate 4 is such that the photomask holder 14 is lowered and the photomask 12 is easily thinned by the pressing amount by which the photomask 12 presses the cover 13. Before the processed surface 1b of the workpiece 1 protrudes from the hole 13a of the cover 13, the elastic force must be set to such an extent that the thin plate 10 can be distorted and warped.
The operation of the apparatus configured as described above when the photomask 12 is in close contact will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the photomask holder 14 to which the photomask 12 is attached is lowered (a).
When the photomask 12 comes into contact with the cover 13 and presses the upper surface of the cover 13, the distortion and warpage of the thin plate 10 are corrected, and the gap between the reference surface of the product 1 and the reference surface of the parallel table 11 disappears ( b).
The bending of the leaf spring portion of the pressing plate 4 is reduced, the entire pressing plate 4 is thinned, and the photomask 12 and the work surface 1b of the workpiece 1 are in close contact with each other (c).
Thereafter, when the photomask holder 14 is raised and the photomask 12 is released, the process returns to (b) to (a).
That is, the adhesion and separation of the photomask 12 can be performed in a state where the distortion and warpage of the thin plate 10 are completely corrected and excellent in parallelism, and sticking can be prevented and resist peeling can be suppressed. Further, there is no need for vacuum suction fixing as in the prior art, and productivity is improved.
(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment and examples, a product having a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion was used as an article to be manufactured. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is appropriately applied to the manufacture of a sensor element having a cylindrical shape.
【The invention's effect】
In the present invention, the surface to be processed is processed while the reference surface provided on the workpiece is pressed against the reference surface by the spring-like elastic member. Processing can be performed on the product at the same time and in a state of being reliably positioned without swinging, and it is possible to realize manufacture of a sensor element with excellent productivity and high accuracy.
If the process is a polishing process or a photolithography process, a plurality of products can be polished and exposed at the same time while reliably positioning the products regardless of the distortion or warpage of the thin plate.
A parallel plate provided with a reference surface having a flatness greater than the required polishing accuracy, and a polishing disc provided with a polishing surface parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface;
When polishing by sandwiching one unit of the workpiece between the reference surface and the polished surface, a spring-like elastic member that presses the workpiece against the reference surface is provided. Oscillation is prevented, and the workpiece can be polished with high accuracy in a state where the workpiece is pressed against the parallel plate with a uniform pressing force, and the productivity of the sensor element can be improved.
It has a hole for exposing the surface to be polished of the workpiece to the polishing board side, and the workpiece to be polished is exposed to the parallel through the spring-like elastic member in a state where the surface to be polished of the workpiece is exposed from the hole. By providing a holder that press-contacts the reference surface of the plate, it is easier to attach and detach the product to be bonded to the parallel plate with an adhesive, and multiple workpieces can be polished simultaneously and accurately. Therefore, the productivity of the sensor element can be improved.
A parallel stage having a reference surface, and a photomask holder supporting a photomask parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface, and being manufactured between the reference surface and the photomask When a photomask is placed in close contact with the work surface of the work piece with the object sandwiched between them, a spring-like elastic member that presses the reference surface and the work piece is provided, and the photomask is processed during exposure. When closely contacting the surface, the surface to be processed stably maintains the parallelism, so that the occurrence of sticking can be suppressed and the quality of the sensor element can be improved.
By providing a cover having a hole for exposing the processed surface of one unit product to the photomask side, and bringing the photomask holder and the parallel base close to each other while maintaining parallelism, the photomask becomes a cover and a spring. If a workpiece is pressed against a reference surface of a parallel table via a cylindrical elastic member, and a photomask is pressure-bonded to the workpiece surface in that state, a plurality of workpieces can be obtained with a simple configuration. On the other hand, photolithographic processing with few pattern defects due to sticking can be performed at the same time, and a sensor element with high productivity can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a polishing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a polishing apparatus according to the present invention used in an experiment of an embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view of an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a spring-like elastic member used in an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of photomask adhesion in an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a polishing apparatus according to the prior art.
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a polishing apparatus according to the prior art.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a polishing apparatus according to the prior art.
FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of an exposure apparatus according to the prior art.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of sticking in an exposure apparatus according to the prior art.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101 ... Product 1a ... Reference surface 1b ... Polished surface 2,102 ... Weight 3,103 ... Parallel plate 3a ... Reference surface 4 ... Pressing plate 5,105 ... Holder 6 ...

Screw

7, 107 ... Guide 8 , 108: Polishing disk 8a ... Polishing surface 109 ...

Wax

10, 110 ... Thin plate 11 ... Parallel plate 12, 113 ... Photomask 13 ... Cover 14 ... Photomask holder 114 ... Resist

Claims

In a sensor element manufacturing method for manufacturing a plurality of substantially cylindrical sensor elements closed at one end simultaneously by fixing a plurality of articles to be manufactured to a single thin plate and treating them as a unit. Provide a reference surface that serves as a positioning reference for
The reference surface provided on the product to be manufactured is pressed against the reference surface by a spring-like elastic member that generates a pressing force on each product to correct the warpage and distortion of the thin plate. A method of manufacturing a sensor element, wherein a process surface is processed.

The method for manufacturing a sensor element according to claim 1, wherein the treatment is a polishing process.

The sensor element manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the processing is photolithography.

In order to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of substantially cylindrical sensor elements whose one ends are closed, a plurality of articles to be manufactured are fixed to one thin plate and polished as a unit.
A parallel plate having a reference surface having a flatness greater than the required polishing accuracy;
A polishing machine provided with a polishing surface parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface;
It has a hole that exposes the surface to be polished of the workpiece to the polishing disk side, and the workpiece to be polished is exposed to the parallel through the spring-like elastic member in a state where the surface to be polished of the workpiece is exposed from the hole. A holder pressed against the reference surface of the plate;
Have
When the one unit of product is sandwiched between a reference surface and a polished surface for polishing, the product is placed in the hole of the holder via the spring-like elastic member, and the holder and the parallel An apparatus for manufacturing a sensor element , wherein a plate is fixed and the workpiece is polished while being pressed against the parallel plate by a spring-like elastic member .

In order to simultaneously manufacture a plurality of substantially cylindrical sensor elements whose one ends are closed, in a sensor element manufacturing apparatus for fixing a plurality of manufactured objects to one thin plate and performing photolithography processing as a unit,
A parallel platform with a reference surface;
A photomask holder that supports a photomask parallel to the reference surface at a position facing the reference surface;
A cover having a hole that exposes a processed surface of the one-unit product to the photomask side;
A spring-like elastic member interposed between the cover and the thin plate;
With
By bringing the photomask holder and the parallel table close to each other while maintaining parallelism, the photomask press-contacts the workpiece to the reference surface of the parallel table via the cover and the spring-like elastic member, and in this state, An apparatus for manufacturing a sensor element, wherein a photomask is pressure-bonded to a processing surface of an object to be manufactured.