JP4532998B2 - Ventilator for chemical measures in exposure process - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus for an exposure process and a chemical countermeasure method for an exposure process, in which air from which a chemical substance has been removed is supplied to the exposure apparatus in an exposure process in which a mask pattern is printed on a substrate using the exposure apparatus. .

In the exposure process, which is one of the manufacturing processes of substrates such as liquid crystal panels and semiconductors, the exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus (see Patent Document 1) for performing the process is installed is generated from the finishing material and others by performing the exposure process. Chemical substances (anions (for example, sulfate ions (for example, sulfate ions (such as air that flows in when a substrate coated with a resist in the resist coating process is carried into the exposure chamber)) that flows into the exposure chamber from a process other than the gas or the exposure process. SO ₄ ²⁻ ), nitrogen oxides (NO _X ^−, etc.), cations (eg ammonium ions (NH ₄ ⁺ )), organic substances, etc. are filled with air, and the exposure apparatus ventilates the air. is doing. The presence of a chemical substance in the air ventilated by the exposure apparatus causes the reactive substance to deposit on the surface of the lamp or lens of the exposure apparatus, and as a result, the amount of exposure light decreases.

  Therefore, in order to maintain a constant exposure light quantity, it is necessary to stop the exposure apparatus, clean the surface of the lamp and lens, and replace the lamp and lens if the deposited reactants cannot be removed sufficiently even after cleaning. was there.

  However, since the frequency of cleaning and replacement increases, there is a problem that the cost of the lamp and lens to be replaced becomes high, and the production amount decreases due to the stop of the exposure apparatus.

  Therefore, conventionally, in order to reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and the lens, a countermeasure (hereinafter referred to as “exposure device” ventilates the clean air by supplying air (clean air) from which chemical substances have been removed to the entire exposure chamber. , Chemical measures).

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a specific example of a conventional chemical countermeasure device. As shown in FIG. 10, the chemical countermeasure apparatus 500 includes an exposure apparatus 501 that includes a lamp house 501 a that stores a lamp and a lens for exposure and has a ventilation opening, an air intake 501 b, and the like, and an exposure apparatus in which the exposure apparatus 501 is installed. The chamber 502 includes an air cleaner 503 that cleans air, and a duct 504 that supplies air (clean air) exhausted by the air cleaner 503 to the exposure chamber 502. In this configuration, when the air cleaner 503 is operated, the air cleaner 503 exhausts the clean air, and the exhausted clean air is supplied to the entire exposure chamber 502 from the ceiling surface of the exposure chamber 502 through the duct 504. . The exposure apparatus 501 ventilates the clean air supplied to the exposure chamber 502 via the air intake port 501b. In addition, the lamp house 501a ventilates the clean air supplied to the exposure chamber 502 through the ventilation port.

  With this device, deposition of reactive substances on the surface of the lamp and lens can be suppressed, and as a result, the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens can be reduced. In addition, problems such as an increase in the cost of replacement lamps and lenses and a decrease in production due to stoppage of the exposure apparatus have been improved.

JP-A-7-130607

  However, the conventional chemical countermeasures can reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamps and lenses, but there is a problem that they are not always sufficient.

  Further, when a large exposure apparatus (for example, an exposure apparatus that handles a large substrate) is installed, an exposure chamber to be installed is necessarily enlarged. Therefore, when the conventional chemical countermeasures are applied to a wide exposure chamber, there is a problem that the number of air cleaning facilities must be increased, resulting in an increase in capital investment costs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, can sufficiently reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacement of lamps and lenses, and increase air cleaning equipment in a wide exposure chamber in which a large exposure apparatus is installed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a chemical countermeasure ventilation device for an exposure process and a chemical countermeasure method for an exposure process that can be applied without any problem.

In order to achieve such an object, the chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process of the present invention is a chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process in which a mask pattern is baked onto a substrate using the exposure apparatus. Is provided with first air supply means for directly supplying the light to the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system of the exposure apparatus.

  In this apparatus having such a feature, air from which chemical substances have been removed is directly supplied to the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or projection optical system of the exposure apparatus, so that an illumination optical system including a lamp and a projection optical system including a lens are provided. It is possible to sufficiently reduce the chemical substances and their reactive substances existing in the vicinity of the. That is, the air in the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system can be sufficiently cleaned. As a result, the apparatus can further suppress the deposition of the reactive substance on the surface of the lamp or lens. That is, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. As a result, the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens can be sufficiently reduced, and the cost of the detergent and tools necessary for cleaning the lamp and lens and the cost of the replacement lamp and lens can be further reduced. Can do. That is, the running cost can be further reduced. In addition, since the frequency of stopping the exposure apparatus is reduced by reducing the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in production due to the stop of the exposure apparatus.

  In addition, since this apparatus supplies locally the air from which chemical substances have been removed, the chemical substances present in the vicinity of the lamp and lens and their reaction substances are sufficiently reduced without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. be able to. As a result, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. Further, in the conventional chemical countermeasure, when the exposure chamber is large, it is necessary to install many air purifiers. However, since this apparatus directly supplies the air from which the chemical substance has been removed, it is not necessary, and the capital investment cost can be reduced.

Furthermore, chemical measures ventilator exposure step of the present invention, in the chemical measure ventilator exposure process described above, has a housing that covers the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system, said first One air supply means supplies the air to the casing.

  This apparatus having such a feature has a housing that covers the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system, and supplies air from which chemical substances have been removed to the housing. Since it is limited to the inside, the air in the vicinity of the lamp and lens can be further sufficiently cleaned, and fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. In addition, the inside of the housing becomes positive pressure from the outside, and the inflow of air containing a chemical substance into the housing can be prevented.

  In addition, since the space for supplying clean air is limited to the inside of the housing, this device can sufficiently clean the air in the vicinity of the lamp and lens even with a small amount of clean air. Can be further suppressed. Thereby, an inexpensive air cleaner with a low blowing capacity can be used, and the initial running cost can be further reduced. Also, by reducing the air volume, the electricity cost consumed by the air purifier can be suppressed and the frequency of filter replacement can be reduced, so that the running cost can be further reduced.

Further, the chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process of the present invention is the above- described chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process, wherein the second air supply for supplying air from which the chemical substance has been removed to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus is provided. The apparatus further includes means.

  Since this apparatus having such characteristics supplies air from which chemical substances have been removed to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus, the exposure apparatus main body can be maintained at a positive pressure from the outside. Thereby, for example, during maintenance of the exposure apparatus, it is possible to prevent the chemical substance from flowing into the exposure apparatus.

Also, the chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process of the present invention is the above- described chemical countermeasure ventilator of the exposure process, the temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the air to a predetermined temperature, and the air that has passed through the casing. And a fourth air supply means for supplying the air controlled to the predetermined temperature by the temperature control means to the exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus is installed. It is characterized by.

  This apparatus having such a feature supplies the air that has passed through the housing covering the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system to the temperature control means, and controls the temperature of the supplied air to a predetermined temperature by the temperature control means. Since the air controlled to a predetermined temperature is supplied to the exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus is installed, the clean air supplied to the housing can be reused to clean the air in the exposure chamber. Further, the exposure chamber can be kept at a positive pressure from the outside. Thereby, for example, during maintenance of the exposure apparatus, it is possible to prevent the chemical substance from flowing into the exposure chamber.

Further, the present invention relates to chemical countermeasures exposure step, the chemical countermeasures exposure step of the present invention, the chemical protection method for an exposure process for printing a mask pattern on a substrate using an exposure apparatus, removing a chemical substance The air is directly supplied to the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system of the exposure apparatus.

  In this method having such a feature, the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is directly supplied to the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or projection optical system of the exposure apparatus. Therefore, the illumination optical system including the lamp and the projection optical system including the lens are provided. It is possible to sufficiently reduce the chemical substances and their reactive substances existing in the vicinity of the. That is, the air in the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system can be sufficiently cleaned. As a result, the method can further suppress the deposition of reactants on the surface of the lamp or lens. That is, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. As a result, the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens can be sufficiently reduced, and the cost of the detergent and tools necessary for cleaning the lamp and lens and the cost of the replacement lamp and lens can be further reduced. Can do. That is, the running cost can be further reduced. In addition, since the frequency of stopping the exposure apparatus is reduced by reducing the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in production due to the stop of the exposure apparatus.

  In addition, since this method directly supplies the air from which the chemical substances have been removed, the chemical substances existing in the vicinity of the lamp and lens and their reaction substances are sufficiently reduced without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. be able to. As a result, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. Further, in the conventional chemical countermeasure, when the exposure chamber is large, it is necessary to install many air purifiers. However, since the present method directly supplies the air from which the chemical substance has been removed, it is not necessary, and the capital investment cost can be reduced.

  In the present invention, the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is directly supplied to the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system of the exposure apparatus. Therefore, the chemical present in the vicinity of the illumination optical system including the lamp and the projection optical system including the lens is present. Substances and their reactants can be reduced sufficiently. That is, the air in the vicinity of the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system can be sufficiently cleaned. As a result, the present invention can further suppress the deposition of the reactive substance on the surface of the lamp or lens. That is, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. As a result, the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens can be sufficiently reduced, and the cost of the detergent and tools necessary for cleaning the lamp and lens and the cost of the replacement lamp and lens can be further reduced. Can do. That is, the running cost can be further reduced. In addition, since the frequency of stopping the exposure apparatus is reduced by reducing the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in production due to the stop of the exposure apparatus.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is directly supplied locally, the chemical substance existing in the vicinity of the lamp and the lens and its reaction substance are sufficiently reduced without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. be able to. As a result, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber. Further, in the conventional chemical countermeasure, when the exposure chamber is large, it is necessary to install many air purifiers. However, according to the present invention, since the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is directly supplied locally, it is not necessary and the capital investment cost can be reduced.

  Further, the present invention has a casing that covers the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system, and supplies air from which the chemical substance has been removed to the casing, so that the space for supplying clean air is limited to the inside of the casing. Therefore, the air in the vicinity of the lamp and lens can be further sufficiently cleaned, and fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. In addition, the inside of the housing becomes positive pressure from the outside, and the inflow of air containing a chemical substance into the housing can be prevented.

  In addition, since the present invention limits the space for supplying clean air to the inside of the housing, the air in the vicinity of the lamp and lens can be sufficiently cleaned even with a small amount of clean air, and the lamp and lens are fogged. Can be further suppressed. Thereby, an inexpensive air cleaner with a low blowing capacity can be used, and the initial running cost can be further reduced. Also, by reducing the air volume, the electricity cost consumed by the air purifier can be suppressed and the frequency of filter replacement can be reduced, so that the running cost can be further reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is supplied to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus, the exposure apparatus body can be maintained at a positive pressure from the outside. Thereby, for example, during maintenance of the exposure apparatus, it is possible to prevent the chemical substance from flowing into the exposure apparatus.

  Further, according to the present invention, air that has passed through a housing that covers the illumination optical system and / or the projection optical system is supplied to the temperature control means, and the temperature of the supplied air is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature control means. Since the controlled air is supplied to the exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus is installed, the clean air supplied to the housing can be reused to clean the air in the exposure chamber. Further, the exposure chamber can be kept at a positive pressure from the outside. Thereby, for example, during maintenance of the exposure apparatus, it is possible to prevent the chemical substance from flowing into the exposure chamber.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus for an exposure process and a chemical countermeasure method for an exposure process according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. First, prior to describing an embodiment of the present invention, an outline of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIGS. 1-6 is a figure which shows the structural examples 1-6 of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus (henceforth a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus) of the exposure process concerning this invention in order. As shown in FIG. 1, a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 100 according to Configuration Example 1 of the present invention includes an exposure apparatus 101 including a lamp house 101a in which a lamp and a lens for exposure are housed, and an exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus 101 is installed. 102, an air purifier 103 for purifying the air, and a duct 104 for guiding the air purified by the air purifier 103 (clean air) to the vicinity of the lamp house 101a. The air purifier 103 includes a fan that takes in and exhausts air, and a filter that filters the taken-in air to remove chemical substances. The air cleaner 103 may have a temperature control function that controls the temperature of the air to a predetermined temperature, and may exhaust clean air having a predetermined temperature. As shown in the drawing, one end of the duct 104 is connected to the air cleaner 103 and the other end is arranged in a space near the lamp house 101a.

  In the above configuration, when the air purifier 103 is operated, the air purifier 103 exhausts the clean air as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, and the exhausted clean air passes through the duct 104 in the vicinity of the lamp house 101a. Supplied directly.

  As described above, according to the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 100 of the configuration example 1 of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the air from which the chemical substance has been removed is directly supplied to the vicinity of the lamp house 101a of the exposure apparatus 101. It is possible to sufficiently reduce chemical substances and their reaction substances existing in the vicinity of the lamp house 101a. That is, the air in the vicinity of the lamp and lens housed in the lamp house 101a can be sufficiently cleaned. As a result, the apparatus can further suppress the deposition of the reactive substance on the surface of the lamp or lens. That is, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed. As a result, the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamp and lens can be sufficiently reduced, and the cost of the detergent and tools necessary for cleaning the lamp and lens and the cost of the replacement lamp and lens can be further reduced. Can do. That is, the running cost can be further reduced. Further, since the frequency of stopping the exposure apparatus 101 is reduced by reducing the frequency of cleaning and replacement of the lamps and lenses, it is possible to further prevent a decrease in production due to the stop of the exposure apparatus 101.

  In addition, since this apparatus directly supplies the air from which the chemical substance has been removed, the chemical substance existing in the vicinity of the lamp and lens and its reaction substance are sufficiently affected without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber 102. Can be reduced. As a result, the fogging of the lamp and lens can be further suppressed without being affected by the size of the exposure chamber 102. Further, in the conventional chemical countermeasure, when the exposure chamber 102 is wide, it is necessary to install many air purifiers 103. However, since this apparatus directly supplies the air from which the chemical substance has been removed, it is not necessary, and the capital investment cost can be reduced.

  In the configuration examples 1 to 6 of the present invention, the duct 104 is not an essential configuration. In the configuration examples 1 to 4 of the present invention, the exposure chamber 102 is not an essential configuration. For example, you may install the air cleaner 103 in the position which can send clean air to the vicinity of the lamp house 101a. Thereby, clean air can be directly supplied to the vicinity of the lamp house 101a without using the duct 104. Further, in the conventional chemical countermeasure, clean air is supplied to the entire exposure chamber. However, since this apparatus supplies clean air directly to the vicinity of the lamp house 101a, it is not necessary to prepare the exposure chamber 102 depending on the situation. Good. Thereby, initial running cost can be reduced.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the chemical countermeasure ventilation device 100 of the configuration example 2 of the present invention may further include a housing 105 that covers the lamp house 101a. Thereby, since clean air can be supplied limited to the space in the housing | casing 105, the vicinity of the lamp house 101a can fully be filled with clean air. Moreover, since the inside of the housing | casing 105 is a positive pressure from the outside, the inflow of the chemical substance to the housing | casing 105 can be prevented. Here, the housing 105 is connected to the duct 104 so that clean air exhausted through the duct 104 can be taken in. Note that the position where the duct 104 is connected in the housing 105 is not particularly limited. Moreover, the shape of the housing | casing 105 is not specifically limited, For example, a dome shape may be sufficient like the structural example 3 of this invention shown in FIG. The air cleaner 103 may be installed in the housing 105. Thereby, clean air can be supplied into the housing 105 without using the duct 104.

  Further, the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 100 of the present invention may further supply clean air to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101. Specifically, as in the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 100 of the configuration example 4 of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, the duct 104 is extended to the housing 105 and the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101, so that the air cleaner 103 Clean air to be exhausted may be supplied to the housing 105 and the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101. Thereby, since the exposure apparatus 101 can be maintained at a positive pressure from the outside, the inflow of a chemical substance to the exposure apparatus 101 can be prevented during maintenance of the exposure apparatus 101, for example. In the configuration example 4 of the present invention shown in FIG. 4, clean air is supplied to the housing 105 and the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101 using a single air cleaner 103, so that the air intake port is It is not necessary to newly prepare an air purifier for supplying clean air. Thereby, the capital investment cost can be reduced. An air cleaner and a duct that guides the clean air exhausted by the air cleaner to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101 are newly provided, and the clean air exhausted by the newly provided air cleaner is exposed through the duct. You may supply to the air intake of the apparatus 101. FIG. Further, clean air exhausted by a newly provided air cleaner may be supplied to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 101 without a duct. Here, in the configuration example 4 of the present invention, the branch position of the duct 104 is not limited as illustrated.

  Further, the chemical countermeasure ventilator 100 of the present invention exhausts the air that has passed through the housing 105, controls the temperature of the exhausted air to a predetermined temperature, and supplies the exposure air to the exposure chamber 102 again. May be. Specifically, as in configuration example 5 of the present invention shown in FIG. 5, the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 100 takes in air and controls the temperature of the taken-in air to a predetermined temperature to exhaust the exposure chamber 102. A temperature controller 106 installed outside, a duct 107 that connects the temperature controller 106 and the housing 105, and a duct 108 that guides clean air controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 106 to the exposure chamber 102. You may prepare. Thereby, the air in the exposure chamber 102 can be cleaned by reusing the clean air supplied to the housing 105. Further, since the inside of the exposure chamber 102 has a positive pressure from the outside, it is possible to prevent the chemical substance from flowing into the exposure chamber 102 when the exposure apparatus 101 is maintained, for example. The temperature controller 106 may be installed in the exposure chamber 102 so that the clean air in the housing 105 can be directly taken in without passing through the duct 107. Thereby, the clean air controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 106 can be exhausted directly to the exposure chamber 102 without passing through the duct 107 and the duct 108. The temperature controller 106 may further include an air cleaning function.

  Furthermore, like the configuration example 6 of the present invention shown in FIG. 6, the chemical countermeasure ventilation device 100 may be configured to implement both the configuration examples 4 and 5 of the present invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Thereby, clean air can be supplied to the lamp house 101a, the exposure apparatus 101, and the exposure chamber. Here, in the configuration example 6 of the present invention, the branch position of the duct 104 is not limited as illustrated.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7, the Example 1 of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus concerning this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of the first embodiment of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus according to the present invention. The chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 200 according to the first embodiment includes an exposure apparatus 201 including a lamp house 201a, an exposure chamber 202 in which the exposure apparatus 201 is installed, a chemical filter and a ULPA filter, and an air cleaner installed outside the exposure chamber 202. The apparatus 203, a housing 204 made of a plurality of flat plates covering the lamp house 201a, a chamber 205 covering the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 201, and the air cleaner 203, the housing 204 and the chamber 205 are connected as shown in the figure. And a duct 206. The lamp house 201a has a ventilation port. One end of the duct 206 is connected to the housing 204 at a position where clean air is blown out almost directly above the lamp house 201a as shown in the figure. Further, the chamber 205 is disposed indirectly (with an interval of about 10 mm) with respect to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 201. That is, a gap of about 10 mm is provided between the chamber 205 and the exposure apparatus 201. Here, in FIG. 7, in describing this configuration, a part of the flat plate (the upper surface and the front side surface) constituting the housing 204 is not described for convenience. However, when implementing the present Example 1, the housing | casing 204 is provided with the flat plate which is not described in FIG.

  In the above configuration, when the air cleaner 203 is operated, the air cleaner 203 exhausts the clean air filtered by the chemical filter and the ULPA filter, and the clean air passes through the duct 206 and enters the housing 204 and the chamber 205. Supplied directly. The lamp house 201a ventilates clean air in the housing 204 from the ventilation port. The exposure apparatus 201 takes in clean air supplied to the chamber 205 from the air intake and ventilates it.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, since the housing 204 that covers the lamp house 201a is provided, the inflow of air containing a chemical substance into the housing 204 can be sufficiently prevented. Further, since clean air is supplied to a relatively limited space in the housing 204, the air in the vicinity of the lamp house 201a can be sufficiently cleaned. As a result, it is possible to sufficiently delay the clouding of the lamp and lens housed in the lamp house 201a. Further, since clean air is supplied to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 201, for example, when the exposure apparatus 201 is maintained, the inflow of chemical substances to the exposure apparatus 201 can be prevented. In addition, the clean air exhausted through the duct 206 is not directly supplied to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 201, but the air intake of the exposure apparatus 201 is disposed through a chamber 205 arranged with a gap from the exposure apparatus 201. Since the air is supplied to the inlet, for example, the vibration of the duct 206 generated when the air cleaner 203 is stopped can be prevented from propagating to the exposure apparatus 201, and adverse effects on the exposure apparatus 201 due to vibration propagation (for example, damage to parts) ) And the like can be prevented.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 8, Example 2 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention is demonstrated in detail.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second embodiment of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment includes a lamp house 301a having an air intake port 301a1 and an exhaust port 301a2, an exposure machine main body 301b, a main machine room 301c, a sub machine room 301d, and an air intake. An exposure apparatus 301 including an inlet 301e, an exposure chamber 302 in which the exposure apparatus 301 is installed, a wet humidifier 303 that removes chemical substances in the air and controls the humidity and temperature of the air, cations and anions in the air, An air purifier 304 having a chemical filter for removing organic substances and the like, a chamber 305 covering the air intake port 301a1, a duct 306 and a duct 307 are configured. The duct 306 is disposed as shown in the figure, and guides the clean air exhausted by the wet humidifier 303 to the exposure chamber 302 and the air cleaner 304. The duct 307 is arranged as shown, and guides the clean air exhausted by the air purifier 304 to the air intake 301e, the sub machine room 301d, and the chamber 305. The floor surface of the exposure chamber 302 has a plurality of ventilation openings.

  In the above configuration, when the wet humidifier 303 and the air purifier 304 are operated, the wet humidifier 303 exhausts the clean air having the predetermined temperature and the predetermined humidity from which the chemical substances are removed, and the exhausted clean air passes through the duct 306. Then, it is supplied to the exposure chamber 302 and the air cleaner 304. The air cleaner 304 further cleans and exhausts the supplied clean air, and the further purified air passes through the duct 307 and is supplied to the air intake port 301e, the sub machine room 301d, and the chamber 305. The clean air in the chamber 305 is taken into the lamp house 301a through the air intake port 301a1 and exhausted into the exposure chamber 302 from the exhaust port 301a2. The clean air exhausted into the exposure chamber 302 reaches every corner of the exposure chamber 302 through a ventilation port provided on the floor surface of the exposure chamber 302.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, the clean air supplied to the air inlet 301e, the sub machine room 301d, and the chamber 305 is filtered by the wet humidifier 303 and the air cleaner 304. The exposure apparatus 301 and the chamber 305 can be filled with even cleaner air. Thereby, the lamp | ramp and lens which were accommodated in the lamp house 301a can be exposed with much cleaner air. In addition, since the inside of the lamp house 301a has a positive pressure from the outside, the inflow of air from the exposure chamber 302 to the lamp house 301a can be prevented. In addition, since the air supplied to the air cleaner 304 is processed by the wet humidifier 303, the frequency of replacing the chemical filter of the air cleaner 304 can be reduced. Thereby, running cost can be reduced. Further, since the lamp house 301a has the exhaust port 301a2, clean air having a high cleanliness supplied to the chamber 305 can be supplied to the exposure chamber 302 via the exhaust port 301a2. That is, the air in the exposure chamber 302 can be cleaned by reusing the clean air having a high cleanliness. Thereby, since the inside of the exposure chamber 302 becomes a positive pressure from the outside, the inflow of air from the outside of the exposure chamber 302 can be prevented.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 9, Example 3 of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third embodiment of the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9, a chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 400 according to the third embodiment includes an exposure apparatus 401 having a lamp house 401a having an exhaust port, and an exposure chamber 402 having a clean room 402a in which an exposure apparatus 401 is installed. A fan for taking in air, a chemical filter for filtering air to remove chemical substances, an air cleaner 403 having a temperature control function for controlling the temperature of air to a predetermined temperature, a chamber 404 covering the lamp house 401a, A chamber 405 that covers the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 401, a duct 406 that guides the clean air exhausted by the air cleaner 403 to the chamber 404 and the chamber 405, and an exhaust port that is adjacent to the chamber 404 and exhausted from the lamp house 401a. A chamber 407 for storing clean air, and a clean sky stored in the chamber 407 A temperature controller 409 having a fan 408 for exhausting air and controlling the temperature of the air to a predetermined temperature, a duct 410 for guiding clean air exhausted by the fan 408 to the temperature controller 409, and a temperature And a duct 411 that guides clean air exhausted by the controller 409 to the clean room 402a. The floor surface of the exposure chamber 402 has a plurality of ventilation openings. The chamber 405 is disposed with a gap between it and the exposure apparatus 401. Further, as shown in the drawing, a chamber 412 that covers the air inlet of the exposure apparatus 401 and the chamber 405 and has a plurality of ventilation openings is provided in the exposure chamber 402. In the underfloor space of the exposure chamber 402, an exhaust valve 413 that exhausts the air in the exposure chamber 402 to the outside in one direction is provided. The clean room 402a also includes an exhaust valve 414 that exhausts the air in the clean room 402a in one direction and a plurality of ventilation ports, and the ventilation port of the clean room 402a and a part of the ventilation ports of the chamber 412 overlap as shown in the figure. Thus, it is installed adjacent to the chamber 412.

  In the above configuration, when the air cleaner 403 and the temperature controller 409 are operated, the air cleaner 403 exhausts the clean air from which the chemical substance has been removed, and the exhausted clean air passes through the duct 406 and the chamber 404 and the chamber. 405. The clean air in the chamber 404 flows into the chamber 407 through the vent of the lamp house 401a. The clean air in the chamber 407 is exhausted to the underfloor space of the exposure chamber 402 through a ventilation port provided on the floor surface of the exposure chamber 402 as shown in the drawing, or is sucked by the fan 408 and heated through the duct 410. Guided to the key 409. The clean air in the chamber 405 passes through the air intake port of the exposure apparatus 401 and flows into the exposure apparatus 401. The clean air that has flowed into the exposure apparatus 401 is exhausted into the under-floor space of the exposure chamber 402 through a ventilation port provided on the floor surface of the exposure chamber 402 as shown in the figure. The clean air sucked by the fan 408 and guided to the temperature controller 409 via the duct 410 is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 409. The clean air controlled to a predetermined temperature is supplied to the clean room 402a through the duct 411. Part of the clean air in the clean room 402a flows into the exposure chamber 402 via the exhaust valve 414. The clean air that has flowed into the exposure chamber 402 through the exhaust valve 414 flows into the chamber 412 through the vent of the chamber 412. As shown in the drawing, the clean air that has flowed into the chamber 412 is exhausted from the ventilation port provided on the floor surface of the exposure chamber 402 into the underfloor space of the exposure chamber 402 or flows into the clean room 402a again. The clean air that has flowed into the underfloor space of the exposure apparatus 402 flows into the chamber 412 and moves to the clean room 402a through the ventilation port, or is exhausted out of the exposure chamber 402 through the exhaust valve 413, as shown in the figure. .

  As described above, according to the third embodiment, since the clean air supplied to the chamber 404 and the chamber 405 is filtered by the air purifier 403, the chamber 404 and the chamber 405 can be filled with clean air. it can. Thereby, clean air can be supplied to the lamp and lens stored in the lamp house 401a. Moreover, since the clean air supplied to the chamber 404 flows into the chamber 407 through the exhaust port of the lamp house 401a, when the clean air in the chamber 407 is reused, the clean air is not filtered again with a chemical filter. Also good. The clean air stored in the chamber 407 is controlled to a predetermined temperature by the temperature controller 409 and then supplied to the exposure chamber 402 again. Therefore, the clean air stored in the chamber 407 is reused to recycle the clean air in the exposure chamber 402. The air can be cleaned and the room temperature can be kept constant. In addition, since a plurality of ventilation openings are provided on the floor surface of the exposure chamber, the clean air supplied to the chamber 404 and the chamber 405 can be circulated in the exposure chamber 402. In addition, a part of the clean air that has moved to the under-floor space of the exposure chamber 402 is exhausted to the outside of the exposure chamber 402 in one direction via the exhaust valve 413, so that the pressure in the exposure chamber 402 increases due to excessive supply of air. The atmospheric pressure in the exposure chamber 402 can be kept constant. The clean room 402a may be divided into a region A including an air intake for taking in clean air from the duct 411 and the ventilation valve 414, and a region B including a ventilation port using a flat plate. Thereby, the clean air that has flowed into the area A of the clean room 402 a through the duct 411 flows into the exposure chamber 402 through the exhaust valve 414. Then, the clean air that has moved to the exposure chamber 402 flows into the chamber 412 through the ventilation port of the chamber 412, and further flows into the region B through the ventilation port in the portion where the chamber 412 and the region B are adjacent to each other. . That is, the air flow can be unidirectional.

  As described above, the ventilator for chemical countermeasures in the exposure process and the chemical countermeasure method in the exposure process according to the present invention provide the exposure apparatus with air from which chemical substances have been removed in the exposure process in which the mask pattern is printed on the substrate using the exposure apparatus. Can be supplied.

  In addition, the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus and the exposure chemical countermeasure method according to the present invention can effectively reduce the frequency of cleaning and replacement of lamps and lenses, and can be used to clean large-scale exposure apparatuses. It can be applied without increasing the equipment.

  Moreover, the chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus and the chemical countermeasure method of the exposure process according to the present invention can be suitably implemented particularly in the manufacturing industry that handles liquid crystal panels and semiconductors, and are extremely useful.

It is a figure which shows the structural example 1 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example 2 of the ventilator for chemical countermeasures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example 3 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example 4 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example 5 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structural example 6 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of Example 1 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of Example 2 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of Example 3 of the ventilator for chemical measures concerning this invention. It is a figure which shows the specific example of the conventional chemical countermeasure.

Explanation of symbols

100 Chemical ventilation equipment 101 Exposure equipment
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101a Lamp house 102 Exposure chamber 103 Air cleaner 104 Duct 105 Case 106 Temperature controller 107, 108 Duct 200 Chemical countermeasure ventilation apparatus 201 Exposure apparatus
201a lamp house 202 exposure chamber 203 air cleaner 204 housing 205 chamber 206 duct 300 chemical countermeasure ventilation device 301 exposure device
301a lamp house
301a1 Air intake
301a2 Exhaust port
301b Exposure unit body
301c Main machine room
301d Sub machine room
301e Air intake 302 Exposure chamber 303 Wet humidifier 304 Air cleaner 305 Chamber 306 Duct 307 Duct 400 Chemical countermeasure ventilation device 401 Exposure device
401a Lamp house 402 Exposure chamber
402a clean room 403 air purifier 404 chamber 405 chamber 406 duct 407 chamber 408 fan 409 temperature controller 410 duct 411 duct 412 chamber 413 exhaust valve 414 exhaust valve 500 chemical countermeasure device 501 exposure device
501a lamp house
501b Air intake port 502 Exposure chamber 503 Air cleaner 504 Duct

Claims (2)

In the ventilator for chemical countermeasures in the exposure process of baking the mask pattern on the substrate using the exposure device,
A housing that covers the lamp house, shuts off the supply of air from the exposure chamber to the lamp house that stores the lamp and lens and has a ventilation opening,
Air to remove chemical substance and the first air supply means for supplying directly within the housing,
Temperature control means for controlling the temperature of the air to a predetermined temperature;
Third air supply means for supplying air that has passed through the housing to the temperature control means;
Fourth air supply means for supplying air controlled to the predetermined temperature by the temperature control means to an exposure chamber in which the exposure apparatus is installed;
A ventilator for chemical measures in an exposure process, characterized by comprising: Second air supply means for supplying air from which the chemical substance has been removed to the air intake port of the exposure apparatus;
The ventilator for chemical measures for an exposure process according to claim 1 , further comprising:

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