JP4176819B1 - Exposure method and exposure apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The substrate (1) is fixedly supported on the main surface of the square substrate support member (11). A photomask (2) on which a pattern is drawn is arranged at a position covering the photosensitive layer of the substrate (1). The pattern is transferred to the substrate by irradiating the photosensitive layer of the substrate (1) with light through the photomask (2). At the time of exposure, the photomask (2) and the substrate (1) are in uniform contact with each other, and the substrate support member (11) and the substrate (1) are deformed into a desired curved shape. Yes. The substrate support member (11) has a first axis extending in the same direction as the first pair of side edges facing each other, or a second axis extending in the same direction as the second pair of side edges facing each other. The substrate is bent together with the substrate (1) while the amount of bending is individually controlled around the axis. Thereby, the dimension of the pattern is substantially changed and transferred to the substrate (1).
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an exposure method for transferring a pattern to a substrate by arranging a photomask on which a pattern is drawn and a substrate on which a photosensitive layer is formed in an overlapping manner, and irradiating the substrate with light through the photomask. The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus.

Conventional technology

  Conventionally, in order to form a conductive pattern or the like on the surface of a printed circuit board or the like, a substrate having a photosensitive layer formed on the surface and a photomask on which the pattern is drawn are arranged to overlap, and light is transmitted to the substrate through the photomask. An exposure method for transferring a pattern to a photosensitive layer on a substrate surface by irradiation has been widely performed.

  In this exposure method, it is necessary to align a number of conductive holes or the like provided in advance on almost the entire surface of the substrate with a pattern drawn on a photomask. For alignment, a plurality of alignment marks provided at positions corresponding to each other between the photomask and the substrate are used.

  The alignment marks provided on each of the substrate and photomask are read by an optical sensor such as a CCD camera in a state of overlapping each other, and based on the data, the amount of misalignment between the alignment marks on the substrate and photomask Is calculated. According to this calculation result, either the substrate or the photomask is moved in the X axis direction, the Y axis direction, and the θ direction included in the plane of the substrate or the photomask so as to match the positions of the alignment marks, The substrate and the photomask are aligned.

  After aligning the substrate and the photomask, the substrate is irradiated with light through the photomask, whereby the pattern drawn on the photomask is transferred onto the photosensitive layer on the substrate surface, and the exposure process is completed.

  However, the distance between a plurality of alignment marks on the photomask and the substrate, that is, the pitch between the alignment marks is determined by the manufacturing error, temperature, humidity change, or heat treatment up to the exposure process. It fluctuates due to deformation such as shrinkage. As a result, an error occurs in the pitch between the plurality of alignment marks attached to the photomask and the substrate. As a result, it is difficult to completely match all the alignment marks between the photomask and the substrate.

  Therefore, by irradiating the photosensitive layer of the substrate with light through the photomask in a state where the photomask and the substrate are in uniform contact with each other and the photomask and the substrate are curved concavely or convexly with respect to each other, There has been considered an exposure method in which a pattern drawn on a mask is transferred to a substrate while changing its dimensions substantially.

  The principle of this exposure method will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 15A shows a state in which the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 having the same length L are uniformly contacted and stacked in a planar shape. A pattern is drawn on one main surface 2A of the photomask 2. In addition, you may use as the photomask 2 what stuck the thin film with which the pattern was drawn to the glass plate. The thickness T2 of the commonly used glass photomask 2 is around 5 mm. When the substrate 1 is a printed circuit board, the thickness T1 is often 1 mm or less. In addition, the center line 2C of the thickness T2 of the photomask 2 and the center line 2B of the thickness T1 of the substrate 1 are indicated by alternate long and short dash lines.

  Next, FIG. 15B shows a state in which the photomask 2 and the substrate 1 are bent together so that the substrate 1 side of the photomask 2 is concave with the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 being in contact with each other. Is shown. As shown in the drawing, since the photomask 2 has a large thickness T2, the substrate 1 side contracts and the opposite side extends with the center line 2C of the thickness T2 as a boundary line. The substrate 1 extends on the photomask 2 side with the center line 2B having the thickness T1 as a boundary line, and contracts on the opposite side. However, since the thickness T1 of the substrate 1 is considerably thinner than that of the photomask, the amount of expansion / contraction on the front and back surfaces of the substrate 1 is slight.

  As a result, in the portion where the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are in contact with each other, the length of the photomask 2 relative to the substrate 1 is the reduction amount S1 of the surface of the photomask 2 on the substrate 1 side and the surface of the substrate 1 on the photomask 2 side. Is substantially reduced by the sum of the expansion amount S2. Therefore, when exposed in this state, the pattern drawn on the main surface 2A of the photomask 2 is reduced in proportion to this value and transferred to the substrate 1.

  FIG. 15C shows a state in which the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are bent in the opposite direction to the case of FIG. 15B. In this case, the length of the photomask 2 relative to the substrate 1 at the portion where the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are in contact with each other is such that the extension amount S1 ′ of the surface of the photomask 2 on the substrate 1 side and the photomask 2 side of the substrate 1 on the photomask 2 side. It is substantially expanded by the sum of the surface reduction amount S2 ′.

  When exposed in this state, the pattern drawn on the main surface 2A of the photomask is substantially enlarged in proportion to this value and transferred to the substrate 1.

  According to this exposure method, even if the size of the pitch between the alignment marks on the substrate is different for each substrate, the size of the pitch between the alignment marks on one photomask is substantially changed to change the position of the substrate. It can be close to the dimension of the pitch between alignment marks. As a result, it is possible to accurately transfer the pattern drawn on the photomask to a predetermined position on the substrate without impairing productivity and suppressing an increase in cost.

  The conventional exposure method and the conventional exposure apparatus used therefor will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional side view of a conventional exposure apparatus, and FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a photomask and a photomask support member omitted.

  The conventional exposure apparatus includes a substrate support member 4 for supporting the substrate 1, a base member 5 for supporting the substrate support member 4, and a photomask support member 12 for supporting the outer edge portion of the photomask 2. ing.

  The photomask support member 12 is structured to be able to approach and separate from the substrate support member 4 by being guided by a guide mechanism (not shown) by a drive mechanism (not shown).

  Further, the photomask support member 12 is arranged so as to approach and separate from the frame 15, the position regulation pin 19 and the coil spring 18 for regulating the position within the support surface of the photomask 2, and the substrate support member 4. The photomask 2 includes a presser plate spring 16 for allowing a predetermined amount of movement and a spacer 17 that connects the frame 15 and the presser plate spring 16 to support the photomask 2. Yes.

  A sealing member 9 is provided on the substrate support member 4 so as to surround the substrate 1. The surface of the substrate 1 opposite to the exposure surface 1 a is in contact with the substrate support member 4. The substrate support member 4 can suck and hold the substrate 1 by a negative pressure acting through the vacuum suction hole 10 and can release the suction and hold of the substrate 1 by releasing the negative pressure.

  The base member 5 is provided with an actuator 6 for applying a pressing force or a pulling force to the substrate support member 4. Between the substrate support member 4 and the base member 5, a plurality of connecting members 7 that restrain movement other than the inclination of the substrate support member 4 are uniformly arranged so as to surround the actuator 6.

  First, the alignment mark on the substrate 1 and the alignment mark on the photomask 2 are read by an optical sensor such as a CCD camera 3, and the shift amount between the alignment marks on the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 is based on the read data. Is calculated (FIG. 12). According to the calculation result, the actuator 6 is operated to bend the substrate support member 4 together with the substrate 1 into a desired uniform spherical shape (FIG. 13). Thereafter, the photomask support member 15 is lowered toward the substrate support member 4 by a driving mechanism (not shown), and the photomask 2 and the sealing member 9 are brought into contact with each other. Thereby, the space region surrounded by the substrate 1, the substrate support member 4 and the photomask 2 is sealed by the sealing member 9. Next, this space region is decompressed by means such as a vacuum pump (not shown). Due to the differential pressure, the photomask 2 comes into uniform contact with the substrate 1 while being curved so as to follow the substrate 1. By bending the photomask 2 to follow the substrate 1, the pitch between the alignment marks drawn on the photomask surface on the side facing the substrate 1 changes.

  In this state, the CCD camera 3 reads the alignment mark on the substrate 1 and the alignment mark on the photomask 2 again, and calculates the amount of deviation between the alignment marks on the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 based on the read data. To do. If the calculated value is equal to or less than the predetermined deviation amount, the substrate 1 is irradiated with light 8 through the photomask 2 for exposure (FIG. 14).

  However, it has been found that the above-described conventional exposure method and exposure apparatus are insufficient. The conventional exposure method and exposure apparatus are effective only when the deformation of the substrate is uniform because the substrate is curved into a uniform spherical shape. As for the actual dimensional change of the substrate, a change in one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction may be larger than the other change. In addition, the resulting dimensional change may not be uniform along the X axis or the Y axis. In either case, since the deformation of the substrate is not uniform, the conventional exposure method and exposure apparatus cannot match the alignment mark pitch of the photomask and the alignment mark pitch of the substrate, and the photomask The drawn pattern cannot be matched with the conductive holes of the substrate.

  Further, in the conventional substrate support method in the exposure apparatus, the support force of the substrate is not sufficient, and a relative positional shift occurs between the substrate support member and the substrate when the substrate support member is curved. For this reason, the substantial change amount of the pattern dimension was smaller than the amount required for practical use.

  Therefore, the present invention provides an exposure method and an exposure apparatus that can perform exposure by matching the scale of the substrate and the scale of the photomask over the entire area even when the deformation of the substrate is not uniform. And to ensure a practically sufficient amount of dimensional change.

In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention,
A photomask on which a pattern is drawn is disposed at a position covering the photosensitive layer of the substrate having a photosensitive layer formed on the surface, and the photomask and the substrate are brought into uniform contact with each other, and then the substrate is passed through the photomask. In the exposure method of transferring the pattern to the substrate by irradiating light to the photosensitive layer of
A plate-like substrate support member having a rectangular shape as a whole and having a first pair of side edges facing each other and a second pair of side edges facing each other is prepared,
The substrate is fixedly supported on the main surface of the substrate support member without causing a relative shift so that the photosensitive layer faces the surface on which the pattern of the photomask is drawn,
The substrate support members are individually arranged around a first axis extending in the same direction as the first pair of side edges or a second axis extending in the same direction as the second pair of side edges. The substrate support member is deformed into a desired curved shape together with the substrate by bending the substrate while controlling the amount of bending,
Irradiating light to the photosensitive layer through the photomask in a state where the photomask and the substrate are in uniform contact with each other and the substrate support member and the substrate are deformed into the desired curved shape. Thus, an exposure method is provided, wherein the pattern is transferred to the substrate while substantially changing the dimension of the pattern.

  When the substrate support member is bent about the first axis or about the second axis, the substrate support member is bent at a plurality of positions along each of the first and second axes. It is preferred to control the amounts individually.

  The curvature of the substrate support member about the first axis is performed by applying a force or moment to the side edges of the first pair, and the curvature about the second axis is This can be done by applying a force or moment to the second pair of side edges.

  A plurality of alignment marks are provided at positions corresponding to each other on the photomask and the substrate, the alignment marks are detected by a mark detection unit, and the alignment marks of the photomask are detected based on the detected data. A pitch deviation amount between the substrate and the alignment mark may be calculated, and the bending amount of the substrate support member may be controlled according to the calculation result.

  The mark detection means can be a CCD camera.

  The pattern is made larger on the photomask, and at the time of exposure, the substrate support member is curved together with the substrate in a convex shape with respect to the photomask so that the surface of the substrate on which the photosensitive layer is formed is formed. The size is substantially enlarged to a predetermined size, and the photomask is made to follow the substrate to substantially reduce the size of the pattern to a predetermined size, and then the pattern. Can be transferred to the substrate.

According to the present invention, the photomask on which the pattern is drawn and the substrate on which the photosensitive layer is formed are brought into uniform contact with each other, and then the photosensitive layer on the substrate is irradiated with light through the photomask. An exposure apparatus used in an exposure method for transferring a pattern to the substrate,
A substrate supporting member for fixing and supporting the substrate over the entire surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the photosensitive layer is formed, and a first pair of side edges facing each other and a second facing each other A substrate support member having a pair of side edges and a fixed support mechanism for fixing and supporting the substrate without causing relative displacement,
A photomask support member for supporting the photomask such that the surface of the photomask on which the pattern is drawn faces the photosensitive layer;
A drive mechanism for moving the substrate support member and the photomask support member relative to each other so that the photomask uniformly contacts and follows the substrate;
A plurality of first operating points provided along side edges of the first pair of the substrate support members;
By applying a force or moment to the plurality of first action points, the substrate support member is curved with the substrate as a center about a first axis extending in the same direction as the side edges of the first pair. A first deformation mechanism for causing
A plurality of second operating points provided along side edges of the second pair of the substrate support members;
By applying a force or moment to the plurality of second action points, the substrate support member is curved with the substrate as a center about a second axis extending in the same direction as the second pair of side edges. A second deformation mechanism for causing
A guide mechanism for guiding relative movement between the substrate support member and the photomask support member during operation of the drive mechanism;
A light irradiation device for irradiating the photosensitive layer of the substrate with light through the photomask;
An exposure apparatus is also provided.

The first deformation mechanism is capable of controlling the magnitude of the force or moment to be applied to each of the plurality of first action points to a predetermined amount,
The second deformation mechanism can control the magnitude of the force or moment to be applied to each of the plurality of second action points to a predetermined amount.

  The first deformation mechanism or the second deformation mechanism may include a motor.

  Alternatively, the first deformation mechanism or the second deformation mechanism may include a mechanism driven by air pressure.

Mark detection means for detecting a plurality of alignment marks respectively provided at positions corresponding to each other of the photomask and the substrate;
Based on the data detected by the mark detection means, the calculation means for calculating the amount of deviation of the pitch between the alignment mark of the photomask and the alignment mark of the substrate,
The magnitude of the force or moment that at least one of the first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism acts on at least one of the first action point and the second action point according to the calculation result of the calculation means. The bending amount of the substrate support member may be controlled by adjusting the thickness.

  The photomask support member may have a structure that allows a predetermined amount of movement of the photomask in a direction toward and away from the substrate.

  The photomask support member may have a position regulation mechanism for regulating the position of the photomask within the support surface of the photomask support member.

  The fixed support mechanism may include a plurality of grooves or ridges formed on a surface of the substrate support member that fixes and supports the substrate.

  The fixed support mechanism includes a plurality of grooves formed on a surface of the substrate support member for fixing and supporting the substrate, and at least one vacuum suction hole provided at a bottom portion of the groove and connected to a negative pressure source. May be included.

  The at least one vacuum suction hole provided at the bottom of the plurality of grooves may be connected to a negative pressure source for each groove or for each group including the plurality of grooves.

  The thickness of the substrate support member can be 5 mm or more.

  The first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism can be placed on a base member for supporting the substrate support member.

  Thus, according to the present invention, a practically sufficient amount of dimensional change can be secured, and even if the substrate is deformed in various modes, the substrate and the photomask can be curved correspondingly, Exposure can be performed with the scale of the substrate and the scale of the photomask matched over the entire region.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side view of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state before a substrate is deformed together with a substrate support member. FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional side view of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state after the substrate is deformed together with the substrate support member. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to the AA arrow view in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between alignment marks provided on both the substrate and the photomask when the substrate and the photomask are curved in the conventional method. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between alignment marks provided on both of the substrate and the photomask when the substrate and the photomask are curved in an embodiment of the method of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the positional relationship between alignment marks provided on both the substrate and the photomask when the substrate and the photomask are curved in another aspect of the method of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an exposure apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, showing a state before the substrate is deformed together with the substrate support member. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an exposure apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and corresponds to a view taken along the line BB in FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of the exposure method according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fixing support mechanism for a substrate support member. A is a plan view. B is a cross-sectional view cut along a plane passing through one groove. C is a diagram showing a cross-sectional shape of a groove of a fixed support mechanism. D is a figure which shows another cross-sectional shape of a groove | channel. FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a conventional exposure apparatus with a photomask and a photomask support member omitted. FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional side view of a conventional exposure apparatus, showing a state before the substrate is deformed. FIG. 13 is a schematic sectional side view of a conventional exposure apparatus, and shows a state after the substrate is deformed. FIG. 14 is a schematic sectional side view of a conventional exposure apparatus, and shows a state in which an exposure operation is performed by deforming a photomask. FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of an exposure method performed by curving a substrate and a photomask.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

  The contents of the present invention described above will be described with reference to the drawings. 9A to 9C are cross-sectional views for explaining the principle of the present invention.

  FIG. 9A shows a state in which the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 that are fixed in close contact with the substrate support member 11 so as not to cause a relative misalignment and the photomask 2 are uniformly contacted and stacked in a planar shape. ing.

  A pattern is drawn on one main surface 2A of the photomask 2. In addition, you may use as the photomask 2 what stuck the thin film with which the pattern was drawn to the glass plate. The thickness T2 of the commonly used glass photomask 2 is about 5 mm. When the substrate 1 is a printed circuit board, the thickness T1 of the substrate 1 is often 1 mm or less. In addition, the center line 2C of the thickness T2 of the photomask 2 and the center line 2D of the thickness obtained by combining the thickness T1 of the substrate 1 and the thickness T3 of the substrate support member 4 are indicated by alternate long and short dash lines.

  Next, FIG. 9B shows that the photomask 2, the substrate 1, and the substrate support member 11 are arranged so that the substrate 1 side of the photomask 2 is concave with the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 being in contact with each other. Both are shown bent. As shown in the figure, the photomask 2 has the center line 2C having a thickness T2 as a boundary line, the substrate 1 side contracts, and the opposite side extends.

  On the other hand, since the substrate 1 is bent in a state where the substrate 1 is tightly fixed so as not to cause a relative displacement with respect to the substrate support member 11, the thickness T1 of the substrate 1 and the thickness T3 of the substrate support member 11 are matched. The center line 2D having a certain thickness is used as a boundary, and the whole is on the extension side. As a result, the surface of the substrate 1 facing the photomask 2 extends by S3.

  Compared with the single substrate 1 in FIG. 15, the substrate 1 in FIG. 9 integrated with the substrate support member 11 can be considered to be thicker by the thickness T3 of the substrate support member 11. Accordingly, the extension amount S3 of the substrate 1 in FIG. 9B is larger than the extension amount S2 of the substrate 1 in FIG. 15B. As a result, the length of the photomask 2 relative to the substrate 1 at the portion where the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are in contact with each other is the reduction amount S1 of the surface of the photomask 2 on the substrate 1 side and the surface of the substrate 1 on the photomask 2 side. Is substantially reduced by the sum of the expansion amount S3. When exposed in this state, the pattern drawn on the main surface 2A of the photomask 2 is reduced in proportion to this value and transferred to the substrate.

  FIG. 9C shows a state where the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are bent in the opposite direction to that in FIG. 9B. In this case, the length of the photomask 2 relative to the substrate 1 at the portion where the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are in contact with each other is the extension amount S1 ′ of the surface of the photomask 2 on the substrate 1 side with respect to the length of the substrate 1. And the reduction amount S3 ′ of the surface of the substrate 1 on the photomask 2 side is substantially expanded.

  In any case, since S3> S2 and S3 ′> S2 ′, it is possible to ensure a larger amount of dimensional change than before.

  As can be understood from the above description, it is advantageous that the thickness T3 of the substrate support member 11 is thick as long as there is no hindrance in bending. This is because the dimensional change amount of the substrate 1 increases as the thickness T3 of the substrate support member 11 increases with the same bending amount. Therefore, the thickness of the substrate support member 11 is desirably 5 mm or more.

  1 to 3 show an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The exposure apparatus includes a substrate support member 11 for supporting the substrate 1, a photomask support member 12 for supporting the photomask 2, and a substrate so that the photomask 2 is in uniform contact with the substrate 1 and follows it. A drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the support member 11 and the photomask support member 12 relative to each other, and a guide for guiding the relative movement between the substrate support member 11 and the photomask support member 12 when the drive mechanism operates. A mechanism (not shown) and a light irradiation device (not shown) for irradiating the photosensitive layer of the substrate 1 with light through the photomask 2 are provided.

  A plurality of grooves are provided on the upper surface of the substrate support member 11 (only the grooves 38 are shown here). At the bottom of the groove, at least one vacuum suction hole connected to a negative pressure source is provided (only the vacuum suction hole 38a is shown here). These grooves and vacuum suction holes constitute a fixed support mechanism for fixing and supporting the substrate 1 on the main surface of the substrate support member 11. The substrate support member 11 can adsorb and hold the substrate 1 on the upper surface by vacuum suction from the vacuum suction hole 38a or the like. Conventionally, only the vacuum suction hole exists on the surface of the substrate support member and no groove is provided (see FIG. 12). However, in the present invention, the groove is provided in association with the vacuum suction hole. Thereby, the substrate can be sucked and held using a larger area. Therefore, the substrate can be fixed and held more reliably than before, and the occurrence of relative displacement between the substrate and the substrate support member can be prevented. The fixed support mechanism will be described in detail later based on FIG.

  The substrate support member 11 is supported by the base member 14 via the support column 13. The support column 13 is connected to the lower center surface of the substrate support member 11 via a leaf spring (not shown) or the like, and does not prevent the substrate support member 11 from being bent.

  The photomask support member 12 includes a frame 15, an elastic element such as a pressing plate spring 16, a spacer 17 that connects the frame 15 and the pressing plate spring 16, a biasing element such as a coil spring 18, and a position And a regulation pin 19. When the photomask 2 approaches and separates from the substrate 1, the holding plate spring 16 allows a predetermined amount of movement in the direction in which the photomask 2 approaches and separates from the substrate 1. The coil spring 18 and the position regulation pin 19 serve to regulate the position of the photomask 2 with respect to the photomask support member 12 within the support surface of the photomask support member.

  The substrate support member 11 has a rectangular shape as a whole, and has a first pair of side edge portions 20 facing each other and a second pair of side edge portions 21 facing each other. A plurality of rods 22 extending downward are provided along each of the first pair of side edges 20. Similarly, a plurality of rods 23 extending downward are provided along each of the second pair of side edge portions 21. The portions where the rods 22 are attached to the side edge portions 20 serve as a plurality of first operation points at which a force or a moment is applied to bend the substrate support member 11. Similarly, the location where the rod 23 is attached to the side edge portion 21 becomes a plurality of second action points where a force or a moment is applied to bend the substrate support member 11.

  The exposure apparatus includes a pair of first deformation mechanisms 24 for bending the substrate support member 11 and a pair of second deformation mechanisms 25. The first deformation mechanism 24 includes a plurality of actuators 26 mounted on the base member 14, a force transmission bar 27 attached to the rod tips of the plurality of actuators 26, and a plurality of force transmissions provided along the bars 27. And a roller 28. Each of the rollers 28 is positioned so that a pressing force can be applied to the lower end of the rod 22. The second deformation mechanism 25 has the same configuration and includes a plurality of actuators 29, a force transmission bar 30, and a force transmission roller 31.

  The actuators 26 and 29 can be motors. Alternatively, the actuators 26 and 29 may be of a piston / cylinder type using air pressure.

  When the actuator 26 of the first deformation mechanism 24 is operated to apply a pressing force to the lower end of the rod 22 via the force transmission bar 27 and the force transmission roller 28, the first pair of side edges 20 of the substrate support member 11. A bending moment is applied to the attachment point of the rod 22 with respect to, that is, a plurality of first action points. By this bending moment, the substrate support member 11 is bent around the first axis 32 extending in the same direction as the side edge portion 20. Similarly, when the actuator 29 of the second deformation mechanism 25 is operated, the substrate support member 11 is bent around the second shaft 33 extending in the same direction as the side edge portion 21.

  The substrate 1 is bent together with the substrate support member 11. If the photomask 2 is moved so as to be in uniform contact with the substrate 1 after the substrate 1 is curved, the photomask 2 is also curved following the substrate 1.

  A pattern drawn on the surface of the photomask 2 facing the substrate 1 is made large, and the substrate 1 is convex with respect to the photomask 2 so that the pattern is always transferred with a substantially reduced dimension. It is preferable that the exposure is performed in a state where the photomask 2 is made to follow the substrate 1.

  This is because by gradually following the photomask 2 from the center to the periphery of the substrate 1, the possibility that air is trapped between the two becomes small.

  After the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are uniformly contacted, the substrate 1 and the substrate support member 11 may be curved, and the photomask 2 may follow the curve so that both are curved.

  In the present invention, the first deformation mechanism 24 and the second deformation mechanism 25 are individually operated, whereby the amount of bending around the first axis 32 of the substrate support member 11 and the second axis 33 around. The amount of bending can be individually controlled.

  Further, by making the amount of operation of each of the plurality of actuators 26 of the first deformation mechanism 24 different, the force acting on each rod 22 and thus acting on each of the plurality of first action points. It can be controlled to adjust the magnitude of the moment to a predetermined amount. The second deformation mechanism 25 can perform the same operation. Thus, when the substrate support member 11 is bent, the amount of bending of the substrate support member 11 can be individually controlled at a plurality of positions along the first shaft 32 or the second shaft 33.

  By using the force transmission bars 27 and 30, the number of actuators 26 and 29 to be used is smaller than the number of moment application points. The number of action points can be arbitrarily changed by increasing or decreasing the number of force transmission rollers 28 and 31. If there are two actuators for one force transmission bar, the amount of curvature of the substrate support member 11 at a plurality of positions along the axes 32 and 33 can be continuously changed. As described above, the force transmission bars 27 and 30 can simplify the structure and facilitate the control.

  The advantages provided by the individual control of the bending amount according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  4 to 6 show a state in which the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 overlap each other.

  A plurality of alignment marks 34 and 35 (four in the illustrated example) are provided at positions corresponding to each other between the photomask 2 and the substrate 1.

  When aligning the substrate 1 and the photomask 2, the alignment marks 34 and 35 are detected by a mark detection means such as a CCD camera, and the pitch deviation between the alignment marks 34 and 35 is detected based on the detected data. The amount is calculated, and the bending amount is controlled according to the calculation result. The exposure apparatus according to the present invention can be provided with mark detection means and calculation means for this purpose.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram when the alignment marks are to be matched by the bending method in the conventional exposure method.

  In the conventional bending method, since the substrate 1 is bent into a uniform spherical shape, the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 is determined in each of the vertical direction and the horizontal direction in the drawing when the photomask 2 is made to follow it. The pitch can only be changed at a certain rate.

  For this reason, even if the alignment marks 34a to 34d of the photomask 2 are to be aligned with the alignment marks 35a to 35d of the substrate 1, in reality, they can only be brought close to the positions of the alignment marks 34a 'to 34d'.

  Eventually, the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 could not be aligned with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1.

  FIG. 5 shows that the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 is made to coincide with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1 even when the position of the alignment mark is shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining what can be done.

  In the present invention, predetermined forces f1 and f2 (or moments) having the same magnitude are applied to each of the first pair of side edges by the first deformation mechanism, and the second deformation mechanism Since forces f3 and f4 (or moments) having the same magnitude but different from f1 and f2 can be applied to each of the side edges of the pair, the curvature of the substrate support member around the horizontal axis in the figure. The amount and the amount of curvature of the substrate support member about the longitudinal axis can be individually controlled.

  Accordingly, the amount of curvature of the substrate 1 is controlled in the same manner, and therefore, the pitch change of the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 due to the photomask 2 following the substrate 1 is different between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the drawing. Amount.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, by selecting a predetermined force f1, f2 (or moment) and force f3, f4 (or moment), the alignment mark 35 of the photomask 2 is aligned with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1. 34 can be matched.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining that the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 can be matched with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1 even when the substrate 1 is further complicatedly deformed.

  In this case, in order to make the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 coincide with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1, the pitch change amount of the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 is changed between the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in the figure. It must be variable at multiple positions along each.

  In the present invention, the forces f1, f2, f3, f4 (or moments) applied to the respective side edge portions of the substrate support member by the first and second deformation mechanisms are represented by the horizontal axis and the vertical axis in the figure. Therefore, the amount of curvature of the substrate support member can be individually controlled at the plurality of positions.

  Accordingly, the amount of curvature of the substrate 1 supported by the substrate support member is similarly controlled. Therefore, the amount of change in the pitch of the alignment mark 34 of the photomask 2 due to the photomask 2 following the substrate 1 is shown in the figure. Different values can be obtained at a plurality of positions along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, by applying forces f1, f2, f3, and f4 (or moments) to a plurality of positions at predetermined values, the alignment mark 35 of the photomask 2 is aligned with the alignment mark 35 of the substrate 1. 34 can be matched.

  7 and 8 show another embodiment of the exposure apparatus according to the present invention. The difference from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is that the driving device 36 as the first and second deformation mechanisms applies a force, not a moment, to each side edge of the substrate support member 11. Is. A plurality of drive devices 36 are provided along each of the side edge portions 20 and 21 of the substrate support member 11. The drive device 36 is placed on the base member 14, and the distal end of the operating rod 37 of the drive device 36 is connected to the lower surfaces of the side edges 20 and 21 of the substrate support member 11 using a universal joint or the like. Yes.

  Each drive device 36 can be operated individually, and can apply a pulling force and a pressing force to a plurality of positions along the side edges 20 and 21 of the substrate support member 11. Therefore, the exposure apparatus shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 can be aligned as described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 10 shows a specific configuration of a fixing support mechanism for fixing and supporting the substrate 1 on the main surface of the substrate supporting member 11 without causing relative displacement. The fixed support mechanism includes a plurality of grooves 38, 39, and 40 formed on the upper surface of the substrate support member 11, that is, the surface that fixes and supports the substrate 1. Instead of the groove, a peak (not shown) may be provided. These grooves 38, 39, 40 or ridges serve to hold the substrate 1 on the substrate support member 11.

  The fixed support mechanism also includes these grooves 38, 39, 40 and at least one vacuum suction hole 38a, 39a, 40a provided at the bottom of these grooves 38, 39, 40 and connected to a negative pressure source. It can be set as the structure containing. Each vacuum suction hole 38a, 39a, 40a is connected to a negative pressure source. FIG. 10B shows a structure in which the vacuum suction hole 38 a in the groove 38 is connected to the negative pressure source 41. The substrate 1 is adsorbed and fixed on the substrate support member 11 by a negative pressure from a negative pressure source.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the grooves 38, 39, 40 can be formed so as to be isolated from each other. In this case, a separate negative pressure source may be provided for each groove. Alternatively, the two grooves 38 shown in FIG. 10A are the first group of grooves, the two grooves 39 are the second group of grooves, and the one groove 40 is the third group of grooves. A separate negative pressure source may be provided. In either case, a negative pressure is applied to the substrate 1 so that the substrate 1 can be sufficiently fixed and supported on the substrate support member 11 even when air leakage occurs in some areas.

  A groove 42 is formed in the substrate support member 11 so as to surround the grooves 38, 39, and 40. The groove 42 is provided at a position matching the outer periphery of the substrate 1. As shown in FIG. 10C, since the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 1 is located in the groove 42, the mechanical “cracking” between the outer peripheral edge and the groove 42 helps to hold the substrate 1. Therefore, this groove 42 can also be included in the fixed support mechanism. Further, when the substrate 1 and the photomask 2 are in close contact with each other due to the presence of the groove 42, the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 1 can escape into the groove 42, so that the photomask 2 is damaged by the outer peripheral edge of the substrate 1. It can be prevented from cracking.

  Although FIG. 10C shows a groove having a quadrangular cross section, as shown in FIG. 10D, the grooves 38, 39, 40, and 42 may have a V-shaped cross section.

  As a modification of the exposure apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a first deformation mechanism 24 and a second deformation mechanism 25 are disposed inside the rods 22 and 23, and a tensile force is applied to the lower ends of the rods 22 and 23. An exposure apparatus in which a moment is applied to the side edges 20 and 21 of the substrate support member 11 by applying the above is also within the scope of the present invention.

  As still another modification of the exposure apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, both the pressing force and the pulling force can be applied to the lower ends of the rods 22 and 23, and the side edges 20 and 21 of the substrate support member 11 are provided. An exposure apparatus in which positive and negative moments are selectively given to is also within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (18)

A photomask on which a pattern is drawn is disposed at a position covering the photosensitive layer of the substrate having a photosensitive layer formed on the surface, and the photomask and the substrate are brought into uniform contact with each other, and then the substrate is passed through the photomask. In the exposure method of transferring the pattern to the substrate by irradiating light to the photosensitive layer of
A plate-like substrate support member having a rectangular shape as a whole and having a first pair of side edges facing each other and a second pair of side edges facing each other is prepared,
The substrate is fixedly supported on the main surface of the substrate support member without causing a relative shift so that the photosensitive layer faces the surface on which the pattern of the photomask is drawn,
The substrate support members are individually arranged around a first axis extending in the same direction as the first pair of side edges or a second axis extending in the same direction as the second pair of side edges. The substrate support member is deformed into a desired curved shape together with the substrate by bending the substrate while controlling the amount of bending,
Irradiating light to the photosensitive layer through the photomask in a state where the photomask and the substrate are in uniform contact with each other and the substrate support member and the substrate are deformed into the desired curved shape. To transfer the pattern onto the substrate while substantially changing the dimension of the pattern. When the substrate support member is bent about the first axis or about the second axis, the substrate support member is bent at a plurality of positions along each of the first and second axes. 2. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the amount is individually controlled. The bending of the substrate support member about the first axis is performed by applying a force or moment to the side edges of the first pair, and the bending about the second axis is The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the exposure method is performed by applying a force or a moment to the side edges of the second pair. A plurality of alignment marks are provided at positions corresponding to each other on the photomask and the substrate, the alignment marks are detected by a mark detection unit, and the position of the photomask is based on the detected data. 4. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein a deviation amount of a pitch between the alignment mark and the alignment mark of the substrate is calculated, and a curvature amount of the substrate support member is controlled according to the calculation result. . The exposure method according to claim 4, wherein the mark detection means is a CCD camera. The pattern is made larger on the photomask, and at the time of exposure, the substrate support member is curved together with the substrate in a convex shape with respect to the photomask so that the surface of the substrate on which the photosensitive layer is formed is formed. The size is substantially enlarged to a predetermined size, and the photomask is made to follow the substrate to substantially reduce the size of the pattern to a predetermined size, and then the pattern. The exposure method according to claim 1, wherein the process is transferred to the substrate. An exposure in which a photomask on which a pattern is drawn and a substrate on which a photosensitive layer is formed are brought into uniform contact with each other, and then the pattern is transferred to the substrate by irradiating light to the photosensitive layer of the substrate through the photomask. An exposure apparatus used in a method,
A substrate supporting member for fixing and supporting the substrate over the entire surface of the substrate opposite to the surface on which the photosensitive layer is formed, and a first pair of side edges facing each other and a second facing each other A substrate support member having a pair of side edges and a fixed support mechanism for fixing and supporting the substrate without causing relative displacement,
A photomask support member for supporting the photomask such that the surface of the photomask on which the pattern is drawn faces the photosensitive layer;
A drive mechanism for moving the substrate support member and the photomask support member relative to each other so that the photomask uniformly contacts and follows the substrate;
A plurality of first operating points provided along side edges of the first pair of the substrate support members;
By applying a force or moment to the plurality of first action points, the substrate support member is curved with the substrate as a center about a first axis extending in the same direction as the side edges of the first pair. A first deformation mechanism for causing
A plurality of second operating points provided along side edges of the second pair of the substrate support members;
By applying a force or moment to the plurality of second action points, the substrate support member is curved with the substrate as a center about a second axis extending in the same direction as the second pair of side edges. A second deformation mechanism for causing
A guide mechanism for guiding relative movement between the substrate support member and the photomask support member during operation of the drive mechanism;
A light irradiation device for irradiating the photosensitive layer of the substrate with light through the photomask;
An exposure apparatus comprising: The first deformation mechanism can control the magnitude of the force or moment to be applied to a predetermined amount at each of the plurality of first action points.
The second deformation mechanism can control the magnitude of the force or moment to be applied to a predetermined amount at each of the plurality of second action points.
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The first deformation mechanism or the second deformation mechanism includes a motor.
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 or 8. The first deformation mechanism or the second deformation mechanism includes a mechanism driven by air pressure.
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7 or 8. Mark detection means for detecting a plurality of alignment marks respectively provided at positions corresponding to each other of the photomask and the substrate;
Based on the data detected by the mark detection means, the calculation means for calculating the amount of deviation of the pitch between the alignment mark of the photomask and the alignment mark of the substrate,
The magnitude of the force or moment that at least one of the first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism acts on at least one of the first action point and the second action point according to the calculation result of the calculation means. The amount of bending of the substrate support member is controlled by adjusting the thickness,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The photomask support member has a structure that allows a predetermined amount of movement of the photomask in a direction approaching and separating from the substrate.
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The photomask support member has a position regulating mechanism for regulating the position of the photomask within the support surface of the photomask support member;
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The fixed support mechanism includes a plurality of grooves or ridges formed on a surface of the substrate support member that fixes and supports the substrate.
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. A plurality of grooves formed on a surface of the substrate support member for fixing and supporting the substrate; and at least one vacuum suction hole provided at a bottom of the groove and connected to a negative pressure source; including,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The at least one vacuum suction hole provided at the bottom of the plurality of grooves is connected to a negative pressure source for each groove or for each group including the plurality of grooves,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 15. The thickness of the substrate support member is 5 mm or more,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7. The first deformation mechanism and the second deformation mechanism are mounted on a base member for supporting the substrate support member,
The exposure apparatus according to claim 7.

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