JP4268447B2 - Substrate holder, substrate processing apparatus, substrate inspection apparatus, and methods of use thereof - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a substrate holder that stably holds a substrate on a plate surface, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate inspection apparatus, and methods for using them.
[0002]
[Prior art]
It is generally employed in the field of semiconductor manufacturing, for example, to perform measurement, processing, inspection and the like of a substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holder.
In this semiconductor manufacturing field, for example, when a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate such as a photomask or reticle is precisely measured, processed, or inspected, the substrate held by the substrate holder is bent. And is required to be flat.
However, conventional substrate holders that support the peripheral and side surfaces of the substrate and support the front and back surfaces of the substrate at three points cause the substrate to bend due to its own weight, making accurate measurements difficult. There was a problem of becoming.
For this reason, conventionally, various technologies have been proposed that can suppress the deflection of the substrate or correct the deflection so that the measurement or the like can be performed as accurately as possible (for example, (See Patent Documents 1 and 2).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-61111
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-20904
[0004]
In the technique described in Patent Literature 1, a frame-shaped XY stage for placing a substrate is provided, and the substrate placed on the XY stage is detected by a detection system including a detection optical system. The pattern formed in the above is detected. In this case, when the substrate is placed on the frame-shaped XY stage, the central portion of the substrate falls into the central portion of the XY stage and bends in a curved shape. Therefore, the detection system is disposed below the XY stage, and the pattern surface of the reticle The pattern coordinate of the reticle is measured in the same state as that when the reticle is placed on the exposure apparatus, and the influence of deflection is removed.
[0005]
In the technique described in Patent Document 2, in order to remove the influence of the deflection of the substrate due to the uneven temperature distribution in the substrate on the measurement result, the temperature of the substrate is measured, and the measurement result and the thermal expansion coefficient of the substrate are calculated. Is corrected to eliminate the influence of the temperature unevenness.
However, since all of the techniques described in these patent documents are based on the premise that the substrate bends, there is a problem in that there is a limit in improving the accuracy of measurement and the like.
[0006]
Therefore, the substrate is placed on a plate having a flat surface with high rigidity and high accuracy so that the substrate does not bend, and the substrate is pressed against the flat surface of the plate with a vacuum chuck or the like. A way to do this is also considered.
However, even with this method, since the flatness of the substrate is closely related to the flatness of the flat surface of the plate on which the substrate is placed, the plate may be bent or the flat surface of the plate may be slightly distorted. These are reflected in the flatness of the substrate, which makes it difficult to perform precise measurement.
In addition, when a substrate is adsorbed to a plate by a vacuum chuck, if particles or air pools occur between the flat surface of the plate and the substrate, the substrate will bend at that portion, making accurate measurement difficult. There is.
When such a problem occurs, there also arises a problem that measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained. That is, since the substrate placed on the plate is deformed instead of the original shape of the substrate itself, the following problems arise.
For example, when shape measurement such as flatness of a substrate is performed a plurality of times on the same substrate, the degree of deformation of the substrate differs every time it is placed on a plate, so measurement reproducibility cannot be obtained, and measurement accuracy is further improved. It also causes a decline.
Further, when a pattern or the like is present on the substrate, such as a photomask, when the substrate placed on the plate is deformed, the pattern dimensions and pattern shape are also deformed accordingly. As a result, pattern measurement accuracy and coordinate measurement accuracy are degraded.
Further, the reproducibility and accuracy in the inspection / measurement of the substrate is reduced by the movement of the substrate in addition to the deformation of the substrate.
Furthermore, in recent years, as typified by substrates such as liquid crystal glass substrates and photomasks for manufacturing liquid crystal devices, the substrate size tends to increase (for example, a rectangular substrate having a side of 300 mm or more). As a result, the degree of deformation (such as the amount of deflection) due to the weight of the substrate itself increases, and the surface area of the substrate increases, so that the above-described problem becomes more prominent.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and does not cause deformation (deflection) from the original shape of the substrate itself and does not move in a positioned state (particularly, A substrate holder, a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate inspection apparatus, and the like, which can hold a large substrate), improve reproducibility and accuracy, and perform measurement, processing, inspection, etc. with high accuracy The purpose is to provide usage of
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, the substrate holder of the present invention has a side of 300 mm or more.squareA substrate holder for stably holding a substrate at a predetermined position on a plate surface, wherein the fluid layer is interposed between a lower surface of the substrate and the plate surface and forms a fluid layer for levitating the substrate By the forming means and the fluid layerSurfacedTo stably hold the substratepluralPositioning means,pluralThe positioning means has an elastic body and an abutting member attached to the elastic body and abutting against the substrate.And the abutting member is disposed so that the moving direction is different, and the substrate isThe contact member is brought into contact with the lower surface of the substrate in a state where the pressure of the fluid layer and the weight of the substrate are balanced, and the substrate is placed at a predetermined position on the plate surface. It is configured to position.
  According to this configuration, since the fluid layer lifts the substrate in a non-contact state with the plate surface with a uniform force, it is possible to eliminate the deflection of the substrate due to its own weight. Moreover, since the positioning means is provided, the movement of the substrate can be restricted. Further, since the positioning means abuts the substrate floating on the fluid layer from the plate surface side and positions the substrate at a predetermined position, the influence of the positioning means abutting on the substrate can be minimized.
  The fluid forming the fluid layer may be a liquid, but using a gas such as air or nitrogen has the advantage of eliminating the need to remove the fluid in a subsequent process. Moreover, as a board | substrate, a photomask blank, a photomask, or the glass substrate used for these may be sufficient, for example. Examples of the glass substrate material include synthetic quartz and fluorine-doped quartz.
[0009]
  The positioning means includes an elastic body provided on the plate surface and a contact member attached to the elastic body and contacting the substrate, and the contact member is disposed on the lower surface of the floating substrate. Use the one that regulates the movement of the substrate by abutmenting.
  Therefore,The substrate and the positioning means can always be kept in contact with each other. That is, when the substrate is lifted by the fluid layer, the contact member also rises in a state of being in contact with the substrate due to the elastic force of the elastic body. By properly adjusting the floating height position of the substrate by the fluid layer and the elastic force of the elastic body, it becomes possible to position and fix the substrate within the minimum range that does not affect measurement etc. .
[0010]
  The plurality of positioning means are arranged so that the moving directions of the contact members are orthogonal to each other.You can also
  Further, the contact member may have a reduced pressure adsorbing member.
  The advancing / retreating movement of the contact member may be performed by a driving body such as a motor or an actuator, but may be performed manually.
[0011]
The substrate holder configured as described above can be applied to any apparatus that needs to hold a substrate while maintaining flatness with high accuracy.
For example, the substrate holder having the above-described configuration can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus having irradiation means for irradiating the surface of the substrate positioned and held by the substrate holder with processing light such as an electron beam or laser light. It is.
Examples of this type of substrate processing apparatus include, for example, a drawing apparatus or an exposure apparatus for forming a pattern by irradiating a laser beam on a substrate such as a photomask blank coated with a photoresist. .
In the process of forming a pattern, the accuracy of the pattern to be formed greatly depends on the holding state of the substrate for forming the pattern. For example, in the process of forming a pattern, if the substrate for forming the pattern (for example, a photomask blank or a semiconductor substrate) is deformed, the pattern to be formed is formed according to the degree of deformation of the substrate. become.
Furthermore, if the substrate for forming the pattern moves during the process of forming the pattern, the positional accuracy of the pattern to be formed is lowered. In particular, in manufacturing a photomask, the process of forming a pattern using a drawing apparatus or an exposure apparatus is the most important process, and it can be said that the quality of the photomask is almost determined in this process. is there. Similarly, the process of transferring a photomask pattern to a semiconductor substrate is a very important process in semiconductor manufacturing.
Therefore, the substrate holder of the present invention that can hold the substrate without being bent (deformed) and without being moved (positioned) is provided for forming a pattern by irradiating a laser beam. It is particularly effective when used in a drawing apparatus or an exposure apparatus.
As another substrate processing apparatus, SOI (Silicon on Insulator) technology for producing single crystal silicon by irradiating irradiation damage by ion implantation, activating implanted impurities, and recrystallizing polycrystalline silicon using a laser beam. An annealing treatment apparatus such as the above, and a CVD treatment apparatus that selectively forms a film on a semiconductor substrate.
[0012]
The substrate holder configured as described above detects inspection light irradiation means for irradiating inspection light onto the surface of the substrate positioned and held by the substrate holder, and detects light on the surface of the substrate based on the inspection light. The present invention can also be applied to a substrate inspection apparatus provided with a light detection means.
Examples of this type of substrate inspection device include an inspection device that measures the flatness of a substrate and a coordinate measurement device that measures a pattern formed on the surface of the substrate.
Using the substrate holder of the present invention, the substrate held without being bent (deformed) and not moved (positioned) is the original one that the substrate has confidence when measuring the flatness. Flatness can be measured, and flatness can be measured with high reproducibility and accuracy.
In addition, when measuring the coordinates of a pattern on a substrate such as a photomask, the original pattern can be obtained by holding the substrate without bending (without deformation) and without moving in a positioned state. Since it is possible to perform pattern length measurement and coordinate measurement without deformation in the dimensions and pattern shape, coordinate measurement can be performed with high reproducibility and accuracy.
[0013]
  The object of the present invention can also be achieved by the substrate holding method according to claim 7 or 8.
  That is, the substrate holding method of the present invention has a side of 300 mm or more.squareA substrate holding method for stably holding a substrate at a predetermined position on a plate surface, wherein a fluid layer is formed between the substrate and the plate surface, and the substrate is floated from one surface side. When,The substrate isLevitated by the fluid layer and attached to an elastic body on at least the lower surface of the substrate in a state where the pressure of the fluid layer and the weight of the substrate are balancedpluralAbut the abutment member,The substrateA positioning step for positioning in a plane substantially parallel to the plate surface;In the positioning step, the plurality of contact members arranged so as to move in different directions are brought into contact with the lower surface of the substrate to position the substrate at a predetermined position on the plate.A positioning step.
  The substrate holding method of the present invention can be applied to any method that needs to hold a substrate while maintaining flatness with high accuracy. For example, the substrate holding method of the substrate positioned and held using the substrate holding method can be applied. A substrate processing method provided with an irradiation step for irradiating the surface with processing light such as an electron beam or a laser beam, or an inspection light irradiation step for irradiating the surface of the substrate positioned and held using the substrate holding method with inspection light The present invention can also be applied to a substrate inspection method provided with.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
In the following description, a glass substrate used for a photomask, a reticle, or the like will be described as an example of the substrate. However, the present invention is not limited to such a glass substrate, but a Cr film, a MoSi film, or the like. The present invention can be applied to all types of substrates such as a transmittance control film, a glass substrate provided with an ITO film, a resin substrate, and a metal substrate. Examples of the glass substrate material described below include synthetic quartz and fluorine-doped quartz.
[0015]
[Description of substrate holder]
FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view illustrating a configuration of a substrate holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates a state in which a fluid layer is formed between a plate surface and a substrate. It is sectional drawing of a board | substrate holder.
The substrate holder 1 of the first embodiment is similar to a stage 11 having a flat surface (hereinafter referred to as a plate surface) 11a in a horizontal plane and a glass substrate S placed on the plate surface 11a of the stage. And a guide frame 12 provided on the stage 11 so as to surround the glass substrate S.
[0016]
An air chamber 11 d for storing compressed air is formed inside the stage 11. The air chamber 11d is connected to an air supply means such as a blower (not shown) so that the air supplied from the air supply means is maintained at a constant pressure. The plate surface 11a is formed with a large number of air blowing holes 11b penetrating to the air chamber 11d, and the air in the air chamber 11d is blown out from each of the air blowing holes 11b at a substantially uniform flow rate. It has become so. In the substrate holder 1 of FIG. 1, for convenience of illustration, six rows and four columns of air blowing holes 11b are illustrated, but the arrangement and number of the air blowing holes 11b are not limited thereto.
In this embodiment, a fluid layer forming means that floats the glass substrate S by forming a fluid layer between the glass substrate S and the plate surface 11a by the air supply means, the air chamber 11d, and the air blowing hole 11b. Is configured.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 2, when the air supply means is driven in a state where the glass substrate S is placed on the plate surface 11a to supply air into the air chamber 11d, the air in the air chamber 11d becomes the air blowing hole 11b. To the bottom surface of the glass substrate S. The air blown toward the lower surface of the glass substrate S flows toward the periphery of the glass substrate S, and is released into the atmosphere from the gap between the guide frame 12 and the periphery of the glass substrate S. Thereby, a fluid layer (air layer) is formed between the glass substrate S and the plate surface 11a.
When the glass substrate S rises to a predetermined height position, the pressure of the air forming the fluid layer and the weight of the glass substrate S are balanced, and the glass substrate S is held at the height position.
[0018]
Concave portions 11c are formed at a plurality of locations (three locations in this embodiment) on the plate surface 11a. Positioning means 13 for positioning the glass substrate S in the floating state is provided in the recess 11c (see FIG. 1).
Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the positioning means 13 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining the configuration and operation of the positioning means in this embodiment.
FIG. 3A shows a state before the glass substrate S is supplied to the substrate holder 1. As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the positioning means 13 is attached to a mountain-shaped leaf spring 15 having one skirt attached to the bottom of the recess 11c in a cantilevered state, and the top of the leaf spring 15. The contact member 14 is in contact with the lower surface of the glass substrate S. The contact member 14 is preferably formed of a material that does not damage the lower surface of the glass substrate S and does not easily slip between the glass substrate S, for example, urethane resin or rubber. It is good to form by etc. The elastic force of the leaf spring 15 may be selected to be sufficiently small with respect to the weight of the substrate S. Preferably, the elastic force of the leaf spring 15 is appropriately selected within a minimum range in which the substrate S is not distorted according to the flying height position of the substrate S by the fluid layer.
[0019]
FIG. 3B shows a state when the glass substrate S is supplied to the substrate holder 1. As shown in FIG. 3B, when the glass substrate S is placed on the plate surface 11a in a state where air is not blown out from the air blowing hole 11b (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the glass substrate S comes into contact with its own weight. The member 14 is pushed back toward the recess 11c against the elastic force of the leaf spring 15 and is stored in the recess 11C.
FIG. 3C shows a state in which air is blown out from the air blowing hole 11b and the glass substrate S is floated.
As shown in FIG. 3 (c), when air is blown out from the air blowing hole 11b to raise the glass substrate S, the contact member 14 rises in a state of being in contact with the glass substrate S along with the rising. .
At this time, the elasticity of the leaf spring 15 is such that the movement of the glass substrate S can be restricted without pressing the contact member 14 against the glass substrate S more than necessary. The inconvenience that the glass substrate S is partially bent by the elastic force can be avoided.
[0020]
In addition, in the case of the positioning means 13 using the leaf | plate spring 15 like this embodiment, the direction which can suppress the movement of the glass substrate S is restrict | limited to a linear direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 3A, the contact member 14 does not move in the Y-axis direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 3), but slightly in the X-axis direction as the leaf spring 15 is deformed. Since it moves, it is difficult for the single positioning means 13 to position the substrate S in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, three positioning means (hereinafter, the three positioning means are indicated by reference numerals 13A, 13B, and 13C in FIG. 4) are arranged so that the moving direction of the contact member 14 is orthogonal. . That is, the direction of the leaf spring 15 of the two positioning means 13A and 13B is directed in the X-axis direction, and the direction of the leaf spring 15 of the remaining positioning means 13C is directed in the Y-axis direction. By doing so, the two positioning means 13A, 13B in which the leaf spring 15 faces the X-axis direction restricts the movement of the glass substrate in the Y-axis direction, and the positioning means 13C in which the leaf spring 15 faces the Y-axis direction, The movement of the glass substrate S in the X-axis direction is restricted. Thereby, the glass substrate S can be positioned in the XY plane.
Furthermore, positioning can be performed with higher accuracy by providing the contact member 14 with a reduced-pressure suction mechanism that lightly fixes the glass substrate S with an attractive force that does not cause instability factors such as deflection and levitation to the glass substrate S. Will be able to.
[0021]
The positioning means is not limited to the one having the above-described configuration, and positioning can be performed by restricting movement of the floating glass substrate S in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction without giving deflection to the glass substrate S. In this case, another configuration may be used. In the above description, the glass substrate S is placed on the plate surface 11a without blowing air from the air blowing hole 11b, and then the glass substrate S is floated by blowing air from the air blowing hole 11b. However, the glass substrate S may be supplied onto the plate surface 11a in a state where air is blown out from the air blowing holes 11b.
5 and 6 are explanatory views of a substrate holder according to the second embodiment of the present invention using positioning means of another configuration, FIG. 5 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 6 is the second embodiment. It is sectional drawing explaining the procedure of the board | substrate holding | maintenance by the positioning means of a form.
[0022]
In this embodiment, the positioning means 23 is attached to a guide frame 22 provided on the stage 21.
The positioning means 23 includes a contact member 25 that can move forward and backward in contact with the side surface of the glass substrate S from the peripheral direction of the floating substrate S, and a solenoid that moves the contact member 25 forward and backward with respect to the glass substrate S. It is comprised from the drive body 24. FIG.
There are a plurality of contact members 25 on each side of the rectangular guide frame 22 (in the example shown in FIG. 5) so that the contact members 25 can contact the side surfaces of the glass substrate S from the four circumferences of the rectangular glass substrate S. Two on the short side and four on the long side). The driving body 24 is provided corresponding to each of the contact members 25.
A single driving body may be arranged on each side of the guide frame 22, and a plurality of contact members 25 arranged on the same side may be moved forward and backward simultaneously by this single driving body.
The drive body 24 is controlled by a drive command from a control device (not shown). For example, the timing of moving the contact member 25 forward and backward by driving the drive body 24 may be such that the drive body 24 is driven after a lapse of a predetermined time from the start of air blowing, a photoelectric sensor or the like is provided, The driving body 24 may be driven when the photoelectric sensor detects the substrate S that has floated to the height position.
[0023]
6A, two glass substrates S are supplied to the substrate holder in a state in which the driving body 24 is stopped, that is, in a state in which the contact member 25 is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the glass substrate S. To do.
As shown in FIG. 6B, when the air in the air chamber 21d is blown out from the air blowing hole 21b and the glass substrate S is lifted to a predetermined height position, as shown in FIG. Drive.
Thereby, the contact member 25 contacts the side surface of the glass substrate S from the periphery of the glass substrate S, thereby restricting the movement of the glass substrate S in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.
In order to minimize the partial deflection of the glass substrate S caused by the contact of the contact member 25, the tip of the contact member 25 is lightly placed on the side surface of the glass substrate S when the driving body 24 is driven. It is preferable to adjust the stroke of the abutting member 25 in advance so as to make contact.
[0024]
[Description of substrate processing apparatus]
The substrate holders 1 and 2 having the above configuration can be used in a substrate processing apparatus used when manufacturing a photomask blank, a photomask, or the like.
In this case, the substrate processing apparatus includes irradiation means for irradiating the surface of the substrate positioned and held by the substrate holders 1 and 2 with an electron beam or a laser beam, and the electron beam or the laser beam from the irradiation means. By irradiation, a predetermined process such as drawing a pattern on the substrate or correcting the pattern formed on the substrate is performed.
Examples of such a substrate processing apparatus include a drawing apparatus or an exposure apparatus for forming a pattern by irradiating a laser beam on a substrate such as a photomask blank coated with a photoresist.
[0025]
[Description of board inspection equipment]
Next, a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting a substrate will be described.
In the following description, an inspection apparatus for inspecting the flatness of a substrate will be described as an example. As this type of inspection apparatus, an oblique incidence interference method and a normal incidence interference method are known. In the following description, an oblique incidence interference method will be described as an example.
[0026]
In the oblique incidence interference method, as shown in FIG. 7, for example, a He-Ne laser is used as a light source for inspection light, and light and dark stripes (interference fringes) appearing when the optical path difference of the parallel light flux of this laser becomes an integral multiple of the wavelength used. Measure the flatness by reading.
As shown in FIG. 7A, the oblique incidence interference type substrate inspection apparatus 5 transmits only a laser power source 51, a laser tube 52 that generates He—Ne laser light, and laser light having a predetermined wavelength. Filter 53, objective lens 54 and diffuser plate 55 for diffusing the laser beam, motor 56 for driving the diffuser plate 55, collimator lens 57 for converting the diffused laser beam into a parallel beam, and prism The main unit 58, the Fresnel plate 60, the screen 61, and a plurality of mirrors M1 to M5 for adjusting the optical path of the laser beam are schematically configured.
[0027]
FIG. 7B is a diagram showing the relationship between the parallel light flux and the optical path difference, and is an enlarged view of the sample (glass substrate S) and prism master 58 portion of FIG. 7A.
As can be seen from FIG. 7 (b), the optical path difference δ represents the refractive index of air as n.₀When the refractive index of the prism is n, it can be expressed by the following formula.
[0028]
δ = n₀(P1P2-P2P3) -nTP3
Note that P1P2, P2P3, and TP3 indicate distances between the points in FIG. 7B.
here,
P1P2 = 2n₀/ Cosθ ’
TP3 = P1P3sinθ = 2d₀From tanθ ’and sinθ
δ = 2n₀/ Cosθ'-2d₀tanθ ’・ sinθ
n₀From sinθ ′ = nsinθ,
δ = 2n₀d₀cosθ '+ λ ・ β / 2π
Since the phase change β = π at P3,
δ = 2n₀d₀cosθ '+ λ / 2
When this optical path difference is an integral multiple of the wavelength used, interference fringes are generated, so the surface height d of the substrate S where the fringes occur₀Is
d₀= Λ / 2n₀cos θ ′ · (m−1 / 2) m: integer
It becomes.
In other words, the flatness measurement uses interference fringes that appear when the optical path difference of the parallel light flux of the laser is an integral multiple of the wavelength used, and therefore must be held without moving the substrate during the measurement. Further, the flatness measurement needs to be performed in the original shape of the substrate itself. Therefore, reproducibility of flatness measurement is achieved by applying the substrate holder of the present invention that can hold a substrate without being moved in a positioned state and without bending, that is, without deformation, to the measurement of flatness. And the accuracy can be improved effectively.
[0029]
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.
For example, in the first embodiment, the positioning means 13 has been described as being provided at three locations, but may be four or more locations. Moreover, although the leaf | plate spring 15 is used as an elastic body, if the movement of the board | substrate S in the predetermined direction can be controlled, other forms of springs, such as a helical spring, can be used.
In the second embodiment, the positioning means 23 moves the abutting member forward and backward by a solenoid. However, as long as the abutting member can be moved forward and backward, the driving body is not limited to a solenoid, but a cylinder or It may be a motor or the like. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the contact member is moved forward and backward by the driving body, but the contact member may be moved forward and backward by a manual operation.
[0030]
In the above description, air is used to float the glass substrate S. However, nitrogen gas or other inert gas may be used depending on the type of device, the substrate, or the like. Furthermore, as a fluid for floating the glass substrate S, a gas such as air has been described as an example. However, the fluid is not limited to a gas and may be a liquid such as water. In this case, by selecting a liquid having a specific gravity larger than that of the glass substrate S as a liquid to be used, buoyancy is generated in the glass substrate S, and the glass substrate S can be levitated more effectively. However, when a gas such as air is used, there is an advantage that an operation such as removing a fluid in the next process becomes unnecessary.
The present invention is not limited to an untreated glass substrate, and can be applied to a glass substrate provided with a transmittance control film such as a Cr film or a MoSi film, an ITO film, or the like.
[0031]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the substrate is floated from the plate surface using a fluid such as air and the contact member is contacted from the lower surface or the side surface of the substrate, positioning of the substrate is minimized. Measurement, processing, inspection and the like can be performed with high accuracy while maintaining the flatness of the substrate itself. In particular, the present invention has a great effect when applied to a large substrate that is likely to bend due to its own weight.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view illustrating a configuration of a substrate holder according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate holder showing a state in which a fluid layer is formed between the plate surface and the substrate.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged view for explaining the configuration and operation of the positioning means in the first embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement form of positioning means.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a substrate holder according to a second embodiment of the present invention using other positioning means, and is a plan view thereof.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a substrate holder according to a second embodiment of the present invention using other positioning means, and is a sectional view for explaining a substrate holding procedure.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing an example of a substrate inspection apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
1, 2 Substrate holder
11, 21 stages
11a, 21a Plate surface
11b, 21b Air outlet hole
11c recess
11d, 21d air chamber
12,22 Guide frame
13, 23 Positioning means
14 Contact member
15 Leaf spring (elastic body)
24 Driving body
25 Contact member

Claims (10)

A substrate holder for stably holding a rectangular substrate having a side of 300 mm or more at a predetermined position on a plate surface,
A fluid layer forming means interposed between the lower surface of the substrate and the plate surface to form a fluid layer for levitating the substrate;
A plurality of positioning means for stably holding the substrate levitated by the fluid layer;
Wherein the plurality of positioning means, and the elastic member is attached to the elastic member, as well as have a contact with the contact member to the substrate, the person moving direction of the contact member is arranged to be different, the substrate is the fluid The contact member is brought into contact with the lower surface of the substrate in a state where the pressure of the fluid layer and the weight of the substrate are balanced, and the substrate is positioned at a predetermined position on the plate surface. A substrate holder characterized by that.   The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein a gas is used as the fluid forming the fluid layer, and a leaf spring is used as the elastic body. The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of positioning means are arranged so that the moving directions of the contact members are orthogonal to each other .   The substrate holder according to claim 1, wherein the contact member includes a reduced-pressure adsorption member. A substrate processing apparatus having the substrate holder according to claim 1,
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: irradiation means for irradiating an electron beam or a laser beam on the surface of the substrate positioned and held by the substrate holder. A substrate inspection apparatus having the substrate holder according to claim 1,
Inspection light irradiation means for irradiating the surface of the substrate positioned and held by the substrate holder with inspection light;
Light detecting means for detecting light on the surface of the substrate based on the inspection light;
A board inspection apparatus comprising: A substrate holding method for stably holding a rectangular substrate having a side of 300 mm or more at a predetermined position on a plate surface,
A fluid layer forming step of forming a fluid layer between the substrate and the plate surface, and floating the substrate from one surface side;
The substrate is levitated by the fluid layer, and a plurality of contact members attached to an elastic body are brought into contact with at least the lower surface of the substrate in a state where the pressure of the fluid layer and the weight of the substrate are balanced. Positioning the substrate in a plane substantially parallel to the plate surface ,
In the positioning step, the plurality of contact members arranged so as to have different movement directions are brought into contact with the lower surface of the substrate to position the substrate at a predetermined position on the plate. Substrate holding method.   The substrate holding method according to claim 7, wherein the substrate is a photomask blank, a photomask, or a substrate used therefor. A substrate processing method using the substrate holding method according to claim 7 or 8,
A substrate processing method comprising: irradiating a surface of the substrate positioned and held using the substrate holding method with a processing light. A substrate inspection method using the substrate holding method according to claim 7 or 8,
An inspection light irradiation step of irradiating inspection light onto the surface of the substrate positioned and held by using the substrate holding method.

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