JP6965884B2 - Substrate processing equipment and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing a predetermined process on a sheet substrate while transporting a flexible long sheet substrate in the elongated direction.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-146746 is wound in a roll shape in order to form an electronic device (organic EL display panel) on a strip-shaped flexible base material (flexible long plastic film). The flexible base material is pulled out and conveyed along the long direction, and the flexible base material is sequentially treated by a processing device that controls each of a plurality of forming steps arranged along the long direction. A roll-to-roll manufacturing system for winding in a roll is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-146746 discloses that an accumulator for adjusting the speed of a flexible base material between each forming step (processing apparatus) is provided, and an organic EL display panel is continuously produced. Has been done. In the case of such a roll-to-roll manufacturing line, one long flexible base material (flexible long sheet substrate) connected in a strip shape is continuously conveyed in the long direction. It is desirable that each of the plurality of processing devices constituting the production line continue to operate normally over the entire length (roll length) of the flexible substrate that is continuously conveyed.

However, depending on the processing device, in order to maintain the performance of the device or the quality of the manufactured electronic device, the processing operation of the sheet substrate is interrupted and the processing device adjustment work (consumables replenishment operation or refresh operation) is performed. , Cleaning operation, calibration operation, etc.) may be better. If the processing device that temporarily suspends processing is a patterning device (printing machine, inkjet printer, exposure device, transfer device, imprint device, etc.), the sheet substrate is stopped for adjustment work and the sheet is stopped. If the substrate is removed or loosened from the transfer roller or the like, the position of the pattern region formed on the sheet substrate after the processing is restarted may be significantly deviated from the position of the pattern region already formed before the adjustment work. ..

A first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that transports a long sheet substrate in the elongated direction and performs a predetermined treatment on the sheet substrate, and supports the sheet substrate with a cylindrical surface having a constant radius from the central axis. while supporting by bending the sheet substrate surface comprises a rotatable rotary drum about said central axis, and a processing mechanism for performing the predetermined processing on the sheet base plate, it is supported by the rotary drum the A transport mechanism that transports the sheet substrate in the elongated direction at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension to the sheet substrate, and a transfer mechanism that is arranged at a specific position in the transport path of the sheet substrate, and the sheet substrate is placed at the specific position. When the mooring mechanism capable of mooring and the transfer of the sheet substrate are temporarily stopped, the transfer mechanism is controlled so as to reduce the transfer speed of the sheet substrate, and when the transfer speed becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined value. A control device for controlling the mooring mechanism so that the sheet substrate is moored at the specific position is provided.

A second aspect of the present invention is to transport the sheet substrate is elongated in the longitudinal direction, said substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on the sheet substrate, each portion of the elongated direction of the sheet substrate The sheet substrate is conveyed in the long direction while measuring the amount of the sheet substrate conveyed so that the processing mechanism that performs the predetermined processing and the sheet substrate pass through the processing mechanism at a controlled speed. A mechanism, a tension applying mechanism that applies a predetermined tension to the sheet substrate conveyed by the conveying mechanism, a specific position on the sheet substrate in which the predetermined processing by the processing mechanism is temporarily interrupted, or the predetermined position. A specific position storage unit that stores a specific position at which the processing of the above is resumed based on the transportation amount measured by the transportation mechanism, and when the predetermined processing is temporarily interrupted, the specific position is specified. After storing in the position storage unit, the control device is provided for controlling the transfer mechanism so as to reduce the transfer speed of the sheet substrate by the characteristic of suppressing the occurrence of slippage of the sheet substrate in the transfer mechanism.

A third aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for transporting a long sheet substrate in a long direction and performing a predetermined process on the sheet substrate, and a process of applying the predetermined process to the sheet substrate. A mechanism, a transport mechanism for transporting the sheet substrate in the elongated direction so that the sheet substrate passes through the processing mechanism at a predetermined transport speed in a state where a predetermined tension is applied, the processing mechanism, and the transport. The control device is provided with a control device for managing the operation with the mechanism, and the control device can be transported before the transfer operation of the sheet substrate is stopped by the transfer mechanism or before the transfer operation is stopped. The grace determination unit that determines the grace of the length of the sheet substrate and the tension applied to the sheet substrate while the transfer mechanism reduces the transfer speed of the sheet substrate are applied to the grace determination unit. It is provided with a tension indicating unit that gives an instruction based on a determination result.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of the apparatus in the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the arrangement relationship of the support device (rotary drum) of a sheet substrate provided in the exposure apparatus of FIG. 2, and a drawing unit. It is a figure which shows each arrangement of the microscope objective lens of the alignment system which detects the drawing line of the spot light on the sheet substrate supported by the support device (rotary drum) of FIG. 3 and the alignment mark formed on the sheet substrate. .. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the apparatus which controls the exposure apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the flowchart of the control program for pausing the transfer of a sheet substrate in the exposure apparatus of FIG. It is a figure explaining the arrangement relation of the pattern formation area, the mark, and the drawing line formed on a sheet substrate. It is a figure which is incorporated as a subroutine in step 120 in FIG. 6, and shows the flowchart of the program for estimating the condition and state of the transfer stop of a sheet substrate. It is a figure which shows typically the state in the process of drawing a pattern of the exposure area on a sheet substrate by a drawing line. It is a figure explaining the expected stop state at the time of transport stop estimated in the case of the sheet substrate shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of another mechanism for mooring the seat substrate, a view showing the arrangement of the rotating drum and the nip roller in the XZ plane, and FIG. 11B shows an example of another mechanism for mooring the seat substrate. It is a figure which looked at the arrangement of a rotating drum and a nip roller in the XY plane. It is a figure which shows the flowchart which outlines the sequence of work which the exposure apparatus performs during pause. It is a figure explaining the state of the sheet substrate at the time of the temporary stop in 2nd Embodiment, and is developed in parallel with the XY plane. It is a schematic block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) by 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the storage device. It is a figure which shows the trigger mark formed on the sheet substrate. It is a perspective view which shows the schematic structure of the drawing unit. It is a perspective view which shows the schematic appearance structure of the device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) by 4th Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of graphically displaying the current operating state of each processing device constituting the device manufacturing system of FIG. 18 and the predicted transition of the operating state in the future on the operation screen of the host control device. ..

A substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to an aspect of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, with reference to preferred embodiments. It should be noted that the aspects of the present invention are not limited to these embodiments, but include those with various changes or improvements. That is, the components described below include substantially the same components or those that can be easily assumed by those skilled in the art, and the components described below can be appropriately combined. In addition, various omissions, substitutions or changes of components can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a roll-to-roll substrate processing apparatus, and the processing by the processing apparatus of FIG. 1 sheets a pattern for an electronic device in an exposure apparatus EX surrounded by a chamber CB. This is to expose a photosensitive layer such as a resist layer or a photosensitive silane coupling layer on the surface of the substrate P. In FIG. 1, the XY plane of the Cartesian coordinate system XYZ is parallel to the horizontal floor plane of the factory where the processing device is installed, and the Z-axis direction is the gravity direction perpendicular to the floor plane.

The sheet substrate P coated with the photosensitive layer and prebaked is mounted on a rotation shaft protruding in the −Y direction from the roll holding portion (first roll holding portion) EPC1 in a state of being wound around the supply roll FR. The roll holding portion EPC1 is provided on the side surface of the unwinding / winding portion 10 on the −X side, and is configured to be able to make fine movements in the ± Y direction as a whole. The sheet substrate P drawn out from the supply roll FR includes an edge sensor Eps1 attached to the unwinding / winding unit 10, a plurality of rollers having a rotation axis parallel to the Y axis, and a tension roller for applying tension and measuring tension. It is sent to the cleaning roller CUR1 attached to the cleaner portions 11 adjacent to each other in the + X direction via the RT1. The cleaning roller CUR1 is processed so that the outer peripheral surface has adhesiveness, and rotates in contact with each of the front surface and the back surface of the sheet substrate P to remove fine particles and foreign substances adhering to the front and back surfaces of the sheet substrate P. It consists of two rollers to be removed.

The sheet substrate P that has passed through the cleaner portion 11 is provided on the side wall of the chamber CB of the exposure apparatus EX in the Y direction via the nip roller NR1 provided so as to project in the −Y direction from the XZ surface of the tension adjusting portion 12 and the tension roller RT2. It is carried into the exposure apparatus EX through the opening CP1 formed so as to extend in a slot shape. The surface of the sheet substrate P on which the photosensitive layer is formed is on the upper side (+ Z direction) when passing through the opening CP1. The sheet substrate P exposed in the exposure apparatus EX is carried out through the opening CP2 formed on the side wall of the chamber CB in a slot shape in the Y direction on the −Z side of the opening CP1. .. At that time, the surface of the sheet substrate P on which the photosensitive layer is formed is on the lower side (−Z direction). The sheet substrate P carried out through the opening CP2 is a cleaner portion adjacent to each other in the −X direction via a tension roller RT3 and a nip roller NR2 provided so as to project from the XZ surface of the tension adjusting portion 12 in the −Y direction. It is sent to the cleaning roller CUR2 of 11. The cleaning roller CUR2 is configured in the same manner as the cleaning roller CUR1.

The sheet substrate P that has passed through the cleaner portion 11 has a plurality of tension rollers RT4, edge sensors Eps2, and a rotation axis parallel to the Y axis, which are attached to the lower portion of the side surface parallel to the XZ surface of the unwinding / winding portion 10. It is wound up by the recovery roll RR via the roller of. The recovery roll RR is provided on the lower part of the side surface of the unwinding / winding portion 10 on the −X side, and is configured as a roll holding portion (second roll holding portion) EPC2 so as to be able to move slightly in the ± Y direction as a whole. It is attached to the rotating shaft. The recovery roll RR winds up the sheet substrate P so that the photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P faces the outer peripheral surface side. As described above, each of the rotation shafts of the roll holding portions EPC1 and EPC2 and the various rollers provided in each of the unwinding / winding portion 10, the cleaner portion 11, and the tension adjusting portion 12 have a rotation center axis. The sheet substrate P is set to be parallel to the Y-axis, and the surface of the sheet substrate P is always conveyed in the long direction while being parallel to the Y-axis.

The roll holding unit EPC1 includes a motor and a gearbox (reducer) that apply a predetermined rotational torque to the supply roll FR, and the motor is a control unit of a transport mechanism based on the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT1. Servo controlled by. Similarly, the roll holding unit EPC2 includes a motor and a gearbox (reducer) that apply a predetermined rotational torque to the recovery roll RR, and the motor controls the transport mechanism based on the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT4. Servo controlled by the unit. Further, the measurement information from the edge sensor Eps1 that measures the displacement of one end (edge portion) of the sheet substrate P in the Y direction is a servomotor that moves the roll holding portion EPC1 (and the supply roll FR) in the ± Y direction. The displacement of the sheet substrate P toward the exposure apparatus EX through the edge sensor Eps1 is always suppressed within a predetermined allowable range. Similarly, the measurement information from the edge sensor Eps2 that measures the displacement of one end (edge portion) of the sheet substrate P in the Y direction is a servo that moves the roll holding portion EPC2 (and the recovery roll RR) in the ± Y direction. By moving the recovery roll RR in the Y direction according to the displacement of the sheet substrate P that is sent to the drive control unit of the motor and passes through the edge sensor Eps2 in the Y direction, the winding unevenness of the sheet substrate P is suppressed.

On the −Y direction side of each of the unwinding / winding unit 10, the cleaner unit 11, and the tension adjusting unit 12 constituting the transport mechanism shown in FIG. 1, a step portion extending in the X direction and installed on the factory floor surface. 13 is provided. The step portion 13 has a width of several tens of centimeters in the Y direction so that the operator can go up and perform adjustment work and maintenance work. Further, various electric wirings, piping for air-conditioning gas, piping for cooling liquid, and the like are laid inside the step portion 13. A cooling liquid is circulated on the + Y direction side of the step 13 to cool the power supply unit 14, the laser control unit 15 that controls the laser light source that generates the exposure beam, and the heat generating part such as the laser light source and the modulator. A chiller unit 16 for causing the laser, an air conditioning unit 17 for supplying a temperature-controlled gas, and the like are arranged in the chamber CB of the exposure apparatus EX.

In the above configuration, the nip roller NR1 and the tension roller RT2 attached to the tension adjusting unit 12 apply a substantially constant tension to the sheet substrate P on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus EX in the long direction (conveying direction). .. The tension roller RT2 is provided with a tension measuring unit (sensor), and can be moved in the ± Z direction in FIG. 1 by a servomotor so that the measured tension amount becomes a commanded value. The nip roller NR1 faces two parallel rollers with a constant pressing force, and while sandwiching the seat substrate P between them, one roller is rotationally driven by a servomotor to rotate the nip roller NR1 on the upstream side and the downstream side. The tension applied to the sheet substrate P can be divided by. The transfer speed of the seat substrate P can be actively controlled by rotationally driving one of the nip roller NR1 rollers by the servomotor. For example, when the rotation of the servomotor of the nip roller NR1 is servo-locked to a stopped state (speed zero), The seat substrate P can be locked (moored) at the position (specific position) of the nip roller NR1.

Similarly, the nip roller NR2 and the tension roller RT3 attached to the tension adjusting unit 12 apply a substantially constant tension to the sheet substrate P on the downstream side of the exposure apparatus EX in the long direction (conveying direction). The tension roller RT3 is provided with a tension measuring unit (sensor), and can be moved in the ± Z direction in FIG. 1 by a servomotor so that the measured tension amount becomes a commanded value. Since the nip roller NR2 is actively rotated and controlled by the servomotor like the nip roller NR1, the tension applied to the seat substrate P can be divided between the upstream side and the downstream side of the nip roller NR2. By servo-locking the rotation of the servomotor of the nip roller NR2 to the stopped state (zero speed), the seat substrate P is locked (moored) at the position (specific position) of the nip roller NR2.

Further, in the present embodiment, the servomotor that rotationally drives the supply roll FR and the servomotor that rotationally drives the nip roller NR1 are synchronously controlled according to the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT1, thereby performing the supply roll FR. A predetermined tension can be applied to the seat substrate P in the transport path from the to the nip roller NR1. Similarly, by synchronously controlling the servomotor that rotationally drives the recovery roll RR and the servomotor that rotationally drives the nip roller NR2 according to the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT4, the recovery roll RR from the nip roller NR2 A predetermined tension can be applied to the seat substrate P in the transport path up to.

By the way, as the sheet substrate P handled in the present embodiment, for example, a resin film (plastic), a foil made of a metal such as stainless steel or an alloy, or the like is used. Examples of the material of the resin film include polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyester resin, ethylene vinyl copolymer resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, cellulose resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, and vinyl acetate resin. Those containing 1 or 2 or more may be used. Further, the thickness and rigidity (Young's modulus) of the sheet substrate P may be within a range that does not cause creases or irreversible wrinkles due to buckling on the sheet substrate P during transportation. When making flexible display panels, touch panels, color filters, electromagnetic wave prevention filters, disposable sensor sheets, etc. as electronic devices, they are made of resin such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) with a thickness of about 25 μm to 200 μm. Sheets are used.

Further, the sheet substrate P may have a film structure made of a metal-based substance, an organic-based substance, an oxide, or the like laminated on one surface or both sides of a resin sheet such as PET or PEN. In particular, in the manufacture of electronic devices, in order to mount (solder) electronic components and form electrode layers for transistors, capacitors, sensors, etc., conductivity is provided by metallic substances such as copper and aluminum. A film (layer) having a predetermined thickness (for example, 1 μm to several tens of μm) laminated on a resin sheet is used, and the sheet substrate P may be one in which such a conductive layer is laminated. Further, in the sheet substrate P, in order to form an insulating layer such as a thin film transistor or a capacitor or a semiconductor layer on the sheet substrate P, an organic substance to be an insulating layer or an oxide-based substance to be a semiconductor layer is formed on a resin sheet. It may be laminated, or may have a multilayer structure in which a plurality of layers (for example, a conductive layer and a semiconductor layer) made of different substances are laminated.

As the sheet substrate P, for example, it is desirable to select a sheet substrate P having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is not significantly large so that the amount of deformation due to heat received in various treatments applied to the sheet substrate P can be substantially ignored. Further, the coefficient of thermal expansion can be reduced by mixing an inorganic filler such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, alumina, or silicon oxide with the base resin sheet. Further, the sheet substrate P may be a single layer of bendable ultrathin glass having a thickness of 100 μm or less manufactured by a float method or the like, and the above resin film, aluminum or copper may be formed on the ultrathin glass. It may be a laminated body in which a metal layer (foil) or the like is laminated.

By the way, the flexibility of the sheet substrate P means a property that the sheet substrate P can be flexed without being sheared or broken even when a force of about its own weight is applied to the sheet substrate P. .. In addition, flexibility also includes the property of bending by a force of about its own weight. Further, the degree of flexibility varies depending on the material, size, thickness of the sheet substrate P, the layer structure formed on the sheet substrate P, the environment such as temperature and humidity, and the like. In any case, the sheet substrate P is correctly attached to the transfer direction changing members such as various transfer rollers and rotary drums provided in the transfer path in the substrate processing apparatus (or exposure apparatus EX) of FIG. 1 according to the present embodiment. It can be said that the range of flexibility is such that the sheet substrate P can be smoothly conveyed without buckling and creases or breakage (tear or crack) when wound.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the exposure apparatus EX shown in FIG. 1, in which the exposure apparatus EX divides the exposure beams from the laser light sources LSa and LSb into six beams LB1 to LB6 in a time-divided manner. A direct drawing type pattern drawing device that distributes and supplies to each of the six drawing units U1 to U6, and each of the drawing units U1 to U6 scans a beam on the sheet substrate P by a rotating polygon mirror (polygon mirror). be. Since such a pattern drawing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, International Publication No. 2015/166910 pamphlet, detailed description of the configuration of the laser light sources LSa and LSb to the drawing units U1 to U6 will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, the seat substrate P carried in via the nip roller NR1 of the tension adjusting unit 12 is hung in the order of the guide roller R1, the tension roller RT5, the rotating drum DR, the tension roller RT6, the guide rollers R2, and R3. After that, the exposure apparatus EX is carried out and reaches the nip roller NR2. In FIG. 1, the tension roller RT2 is provided between the nip roller NR1 and the exposure apparatus EX, but it is omitted in FIG. Similarly, in FIG. 1, a tension roller RT3 is provided between the nip roller NR2 and the exposure apparatus EX, but it is omitted in FIG.

The rotary drum DR has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a constant radius from the center line parallel to the Y axis, and closely supports the sheet substrate P at about half the circumference of the outer peripheral surface in the + Z direction. The rotary drum DR functions as a support member that supports the surface of the sheet substrate P so as to be a stable surface (cylindrical surface) when the pattern is exposed on the sheet substrate P, and the rotary drive mechanism DV1 including a motor and the like. It also functions as a movable stage member that precisely feeds the surface of the sheet substrate P at a controlled speed in the elongated direction by rotational drive. The rotation angle position of the rotary drum DR and the amount of movement of the outer peripheral surface in the circumferential direction are detected by the encoder head (reading head) ECn of the encoder system. The information on the rotation angle position (or the amount of movement of the outer peripheral surface in the circumferential direction) of the rotary drum DR measured by the encoder head ECn is a control unit that collectively controls pattern drawing by the drawing units U1 to U6 (details in FIG. 5). It is sent to the alignment / stage control unit 58 in (described later), and the alignment / stage control unit 58 sends a drive signal for controlling the rotation of the rotary drum DR to the rotary drive mechanism DV1.

FIG. 3 shows a drawing line (scanning line) SL1 to SL formed by scanning a sheet substrate P supported along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR and beams Le1 to Le6 from each of the drawing units U1 to U6. It is a figure explaining the arrangement and the arrangement of each encoder head EC1a, EC1b, EC2a, EC2b. An explanation of such an arrangement relationship is disclosed in the above-mentioned International Publication No. 2015/166910 pamphlet, and further disclosed in the International Publication No. 2013/146184 pamphlet. The encoder heads EC1a and EC2a are scale portions (lattice-shaped scales) on the outer peripheral surface of the scale disk SDa mounted coaxially with the rotation center line AXo of the shaft Sft extending toward the end side in the −Y direction of the rotary drum DR. The encoder heads EC1b and EC2b are arranged so as to face each other, and the encoder heads EC1b and EC2b are arranged on the end side of the rotating drum DR in the + Y direction in a grid pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the scale disk SDb mounted coaxially with the rotating center line AXo. It is arranged so as to face the scale line of. The radius of the outer peripheral surface (scale surface) of the scale disks SDa and SDb may be substantially the same as the radius of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, but there may be a difference up to about several mm.

As shown in FIG. 3, the directions of the odd-numbered drawing lines SL1, SL3, and SL5 in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum DR and the encoder heads EC1a and EC1b in the circumferential direction of the scale disks SDa and SDb when viewed from the rotation center line AXo. The installation orientation of is set to match as much as possible in order to reduce the odd number during measurement. Similarly, the orientations of the even-numbered drawing lines SL2, SL4, and SL6 in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum DR and the installation orientations of the encoder heads EC2a and EC2b in the circumferential direction of the scale disks SDa and SDb when viewed from the rotation center line AXo. Is set to match as much as possible in order to reduce the Abbe error during measurement. The odd-numbered drawing lines SL1, SL3, SL5 and the even-numbered drawing lines SL2, SL4, SL6 are separated by a predetermined angle in the circumferential direction of the rotating drum DR, and are separated by each of the six drawing lines SL1 to SL6. The pattern to be drawn is spliced in the Y direction (width direction) on the sheet substrate P, which is the main scanning direction of each of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6. The area surrounded by the six drawing lines SL1 to SL6 is the pattern drawing area (drawing area), and the middle of the circumferential direction is the intermediate position Poc. It should be noted that matching the installation direction of the encoder head ECn with the direction of the corresponding drawing line SLn as much as possible means that the distance in the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface (or the scale surface of the scale disk SD) of the rotating drum DR is, for example, several mm. It means that the difference is set within, preferably within 1 mm.

Returning to the description of FIG. 2, a movable shutter (shutter) SH that mechanically shields the emitted beam is provided at each beam emission port of the laser light sources LSa and LSb of the exposure apparatus EX. In the present embodiment, the beam from the laser light source LSa is distributed to each of the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 by the optical modulation member OSM for beam switching into three beams LB1, LB3, and LB5. The beams from the laser light source LSb are distributed to the three beams LB2, LB4, and LB6 by the optical modulation member OSM for beam switching in each of the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6. An acoustic-optical modulation (deflection) element or the like is used as the optical modulation member OSM, and its function and operation are described in detail in the above-mentioned International Publication No. 2015/166910 pamphlet. The laser light sources LSa and LSb are composed of, for example, a fiber amplifier laser light source (harmonic conversion laser light source) that generates an ultraviolet pulse beam (wavelength 360 nm or less) having an oscillation frequency of several hundred MHz, and are exposed together with an optical modulation member OSM. It is attached to the platen BP1 arranged at the uppermost stage in the EX chamber CB. Since the laser light sources LSa and LSb and the optical modulation member OSM (and its driver circuit, etc.) serve as heat sources, a flow path for flowing a cooling fluid (liquid or gas) is formed inside the surface plate BP1. Therefore, the surface plate BP1 functions as a heat radiating member or a heat insulating member that suppresses the temperature inside the chamber CB from rising due to the heat from the heat generation source. At the same time, in the uppermost space in the chamber CB, clean air whose temperature and humidity are controlled, for example, air from which particles such as chemical substances (organic substances) have been removed by using a chemical filter in addition to a HEPA filter is specified. It is flushed at the flow rate of.

Each of the beams LB1 to LB6 distributed by the optical modulation member OSM is supplied to each of the drawing units U1 to U6 via the beam optical path adjusting mechanism BDU arranged below the surface plate BP1. The beam optical path adjustment mechanism BDU finely adjusts the beam optical path so that each of the beams LB1 to LB6 correctly injects the eccentricity error and the tilt error into each of the corresponding drawing units U1 to U6 within an allowable range. Includes a plurality of reflective mirrors, parallel flat glass, prisms, etc. whose angles and the like can be finely adjusted. A member that serves as a particularly large heat source is not provided in the beam optical path adjusting mechanism BDU, but in order to suppress fluctuations in the beam, the temperature is also contained in the middle space of the chamber CB in which the beam optical path adjusting mechanism BDU is housed. Clean air with controlled humidity is flowed at a predetermined flow rate.

Around the rotating drum DR, on the upstream side of the drawing units U1 to U6 with respect to the transport direction of the sheet substrate P, an alignment mark or the like formed on the sheet substrate P is placed on a two-dimensional image sensor (CMOS) via a microscope objective lens. An alignment system Amn that captures and detects images is provided. The image information of the alignment mark captured by the alignment system Amn is sent to the alignment / stage control unit 58, which will be described later in FIG. 5, and is used for alignment when each of the drawing units U1 to U6 draws a pattern on the sheet substrate P. used.

In the configuration of FIG. 2 above, the drive unit DVa including the motor for rotationally driving the nip roller NR1 and the drive unit DVb including the motor for rotationally driving the nip roller NR2 start rotating based on the command information from the transport control unit TPC. And stop control and rotation speed control. Further, the transport control unit TPC inputs each detection signal from the load cell or the like provided on the tension rollers RT5 and RT6, and determines the amount of tension applied to the seat substrate P between the tension roller RT5 and the rotary drum DR. , The amount of tension applied to the seat substrate P between the rotary drum DR and the tension roller RT6 is measured, and the tension amount is set to the specified value in the Z direction of each of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6. The position of is moved, or the damping coefficient (viscous resistance) when moving in the Z direction is adjusted. When the transfer of the sheet substrate P is temporarily stopped, the nip roller NR1 or the nip roller NR2, which is driven and controlled by the transfer control unit TPC, can function as a mooring member. The transport control unit TPC is connected to a main control unit 50 (described later in FIG. 5) that collectively controls the entire sequence and operation of the processing apparatus shown in FIG.

By the way, unlike the processing device of FIG. 1, the recovery roll RR does not provide the supply roll FR and the recovery roll RR on the same side (−X direction side) with respect to the exposure device EX, but the recovery roll RR sandwiches the exposure device EX. When installed on the opposite side (+ X direction side) of the supply roll FR, as shown in FIG. 2, the seat substrate P passes through the rotary drum DR, the tension roller RT7, and the roller R4, and the subsequent tension adjusting unit 12' Will be sent to. The tension adjusting unit 12'is provided with a nip roller NR2' that is rotationally driven by a driving unit DVc that receives command information from the transport control unit TPC. The nip roller NR2'functions in the same manner as the nip roller NR2, and the tension roller RT7 has a function of measuring the tension and adjusting the tension by the transfer control unit TPC in the same manner as the tension roller RT6. However, the processing device of the next process may be connected after the nip roller NR2'. Examples of the processing device in the next step include a post-baking device that heats the resist layer of the sheet substrate P after exposure, a developing device that develops / cleans the resist layer of the sheet substrate P after exposure, and a photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P. It was formed on a non-electrolytic plating device that precipitates plating nuclei according to the formed latent image, an etching device that performs etching according to the latent image formed on the photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P, or a photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P. There are printing devices and the like that selectively apply functional ink (ink containing nanoparticles such as metals, semiconductors, and insulators) according to the liquid-repellent property of the latent image.

Further, in the present embodiment, an information pattern (bar code or the like) indicating the position and state when the exposure process to the sheet substrate P by the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily stopped is engraved around the width direction of the sheet substrate P. A stamping device STP such as a laser marker is provided in the transport path of the sheet substrate P. The stamping apparatus STP stamps an information pattern immediately before or immediately after the exposure process is temporarily interrupted and before reducing a predetermined tension applied to the sheet substrate P being conveyed. The stamping device STP can also engrave an index pattern having a feature different from the shape of the alignment mark at a position that can be detected by the alignment system Amn. The index pattern can be used as a restart position when the exposure process for the sheet substrate P is restarted. The stamping device STP is also connected to the main control unit 50 (described later in FIG. 5), and the marking of the index pattern and the information pattern is controlled according to the timing of the pause. When such a stamping device STP is used, for example, as disclosed in the pamphlet of International Publication No. 2016/035842, the conditions and states of the processing applied to the sheet substrate P in each of the plurality of processing steps can be changed. It can also be left as a history on the sheet substrate P.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the alignment system Amn shown in FIG. 2 expanded on the XY plane. In the present embodiment, the four microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the Y direction. Will be done. As shown in FIG. 4, each of the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 detects a plurality of alignment marks (marks) MKm (MK1 to MK4) formed on the sheet substrate P. The plurality of alignment marks MKm (MK1 to MK4) are, for example, cross-shaped marks each formed within a range of 200 μm square, and are predetermined to be drawn in the exposed area W on the surface to be processed of the sheet substrate P. This is a reference mark for relatively aligning (aligning) the pattern of and the sheet substrate P. The plurality of microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 detect a plurality of alignment marks MKm (MK1 to MK4) on the sheet substrate P supported by the outer peripheral surface (circumferential surface) of the rotating drum DR. The plurality of microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 are from the irradiated area (the area surrounded by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6) on the sheet substrate P by the spot light of the beams LBn (LB1 to LB6) from the drawing units U1 to U6. Is also provided on the upstream side (−X direction side) of the sheet substrate P in the transport direction.

The alignment system Amn includes a light source that projects illumination light for alignment onto the sheet substrate P via the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14, and a local region (observation region) Vw11 to include an alignment mark MKm on the surface of the sheet substrate P. It has a two-dimensional image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS that images each enlarged image of Vw 14 at a high shutter speed while the sheet substrate P is moving in the transport direction. The image information (image data) captured by the two-dimensional image sensor of the alignment system Amn is image-analyzed by the alignment / stage control unit 58 (described later with reference to FIG. 5), and the alignment mark MKm (MK1) on the sheet substrate P is analyzed. ~ MK4) is detected at each position (mark position information). The illumination light for alignment is light in a wavelength range that has almost no sensitivity to the photosensitive layer on the sheet substrate P, for example, light having a wavelength of about 500 to 800 nm. The size of each observation area Vw11 to Vw14 on the sheet substrate P is set according to the size of the alignment marks MK1 to MK4 and the alignment accuracy (position measurement accuracy), but is about 100 to 500 μm square. Is.

A plurality of alignment marks (marks) MK1 to MK4 are provided around each exposure region W. A plurality of alignment marks MK1 and MK4 are formed on both sides of the sheet substrate P in the exposure region W in the width direction (Y direction) at regular intervals Dh along the elongated direction of the sheet substrate P. The alignment mark MK1 is formed on the −Y direction side of the sheet substrate P in the width direction, and the alignment mark MK4 is formed on the + Y direction side of the sheet substrate P in the width direction. Such alignment marks MK1 and MK4 are in the same position in the long direction (X direction) of the sheet substrate P when the sheet substrate P is not deformed due to a large tension or a thermal process. Arranged like this. Further, the alignment marks MK2 and MK3 are located between the alignment mark MK1 and the alignment mark MK4 in the width direction (short direction) of the sheet substrate P in the margins between the + X direction side and the −X direction side of the exposure region W. It is formed along. The alignment marks MK2 and MK3 are formed between the exposure region W and the exposure region W. The interval Dh of the alignment marks MK1 and MK4 in the long direction can be set to an arbitrary value according to the material, thickness, and rigidity of the sheet substrate P, but in the case of a sheet substrate having a large deformation rate with respect to tension, it is about 5 mm. It is good to set it to. Further, the distance Dh of the alignment marks MK1 and MK4 in the long direction is always formed to be the narrowest constant value (for example, 4 mm) regardless of the material, thickness, and rigidity (Young's modulus) of the sheet substrate P, and the sheet is formed. If the deformation of the substrate P is large, the alignment marks MK1 and MK4 are detected at each interval Dh while the sheet substrate P is being fed, and if the deformation of the sheet substrate P is small, every other one (interval 2Dh) or 2 Alignment marks MK1 and MK4 may be thinned out and detected every other time (interval 3Dh).

Further, the distance between the alignment mark MK1 arranged at the end on the −Y direction side of the sheet substrate P and the alignment mark MK2 in the margin portion in the Y direction, the distance between the alignment mark MK2 in the margin portion and the alignment mark MK3 in the Y direction, The distance between the alignment mark MK4 arranged at the end of the sheet substrate P on the + Y direction side and the alignment mark MK3 in the margin portion in the Y direction is set to the same distance. These alignment marks MKm (MK1 to MK4) may be formed together when the pattern layer of the first layer is formed on the sheet substrate P. For example, when the pattern of the first layer is exposed, the pattern for the alignment mark may also be exposed around the exposure region W where the pattern is exposed. The alignment mark MKm may be formed in the exposure region W. For example, it may be formed in the exposure region W and along the contour of the exposure region W. Further, a pattern portion at a specific position or a portion having a specific shape in the pattern of the electronic device formed in the exposure region W may be used as the alignment mark MKm.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus that comprehensively controls the substrate processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) according to the present embodiment. The transport control unit TPC and the stamping device STP shown in FIG. 2 are connected to the main control unit (main computer) 50, and the drawing control unit 52 is connected to the main control unit (main computer) 50. Further, an alignment / stage control unit 58 is connected to the drawing control unit 52. A drawing unit drive unit 54, a switching element drive unit 56, and laser light sources LSa and LSb are connected under the drawing control unit 52. The switching element drive unit 56 places each of the six acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM1 to AOM6 constituting the optical modulation member OSM at the rotational angle positions of the rotating polygon mirrors (polygon mirrors) PM of the six drawing units U1 to U6. Synchronously, the beams LBn (LB1 to LB6) are sequentially driven by a high-frequency signal and supplied to each of the corresponding drawing units U1 to U6 in a time-division manner. The beam LBa from the laser light source LSa is passed in series in the order of the acoustic and optical deflection elements AOM5, AOM3, and AOM1 corresponding to each of the odd-numbered drawing units U5, U3, and U1. In FIG. 5, the acoustic-optical deflection element AOM3 corresponding to the drawing unit U3 of the odd-numbered drawing units U5, U3, and U1 is turned on (deflection state), and the other acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM1 and AOM5 are turned off. The case where it is in a state (non-biased state) is shown. When the odd-numbered acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM5, AOM3, and AOM1 are all in the off state (non-deflection state) and the beam LBa or the leakage light beam having extremely low intensity is generated from the laser light source LSa, the damper. (Light absorber) Dmp absorbs the beam LBa and the leaked light beam.

Similarly, the beam LBb from the laser light source LSb is passed in series in the order of the acoustic and optical deflection elements AOM2, AOM4, and AOM6 corresponding to each of the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6. In FIG. 5, the acoustic-optical deflection element AOM4 corresponding to the drawing unit U4 of the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6 is turned on (deflection state), and the other acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM2 and AOM6 are turned off. The case where it is in a state (non-biased state) is shown. When the even-numbered acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM2, AOM4, and AOM6 are all off (non-deflection state), when a beam LBb or a leaked light beam is generated from the laser light source LSb, it is absorbed by the damper (light absorber) Dmp. Will be done.

The drawing unit drive unit 54 has a polygon drive circuit that controls the rotation speed of the motor that rotates each of the rotating polygon mirrors PM of the drawing units U1 to U6 with high accuracy. Further, each of the drawing units U1 to U6 includes an origin sensor that generates an origin signal at a timing immediately before each reflecting surface of the rotating polygon mirror PM projects the drawing beam LBn to the scanning start position on the sheet substrate P. ing. The polygon drive circuit precisely matches the rotation speeds of the rotating polygon mirrors PM of the drawing units U1 to U6 based on the origin signals generated from the drawing units U1 to U6, and the rotation angle of the rotating polygon mirrors PM. The motor of the rotating polygon mirror PM is controlled so that the phase is in a predetermined state. The setting of the rotation angle phase of the rotating polygon mirror PM is disclosed in detail in the International Publication No. 2015/166910 pamphlet. For example, of the rotating polygon mirror PM of each of the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5. This means that during rotation, only one of the drawing beams LB1, LB3, and LB5 is set at a timing such that it scans on the corresponding drawing lines SL1, SL3, and SL5. Similarly, during the rotation of the rotating polygon mirrors PM of the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6, only one of the drawing beams LB2, LB4, and LB6 has the corresponding drawing line SL2, It means that the timing is set so as to scan on SL4 and SL6.

The drawing control unit 52 connected to the main control unit 50 divides the pattern information (for example, the drawing area into a two-dimensional pixel map) to be drawn on the sheet substrate P by each of the drawing units U1 to U6, and divides the drawing area into two-dimensional pixel maps. In response to the origin signals from each of the storage unit that stores the logical value "0" or "1") and the drawing units U1 to U6 acquired via the drawing unit driving unit 54, It has a data transmission unit that converts pattern information (bitmap data) into bit serial drawing data and transmits it to each of the laser light sources LSa and LSb. When each of the laser light sources LSa and LSb is used as a fiber amplifier laser light source, the seed light that emits pulses in the infrared wavelength region in response to the clock pulse of the clock signal is amplified by the fiber amplifier, and then the ultraviolet wavelength region is amplified by the wavelength conversion element. It is converted into beams LBa and LBb (for example, 355 nm). Therefore, as disclosed in International Publication No. 2015/166910, the bit serial output from the data transmission unit synchronizes the state of the seed light incident on the fiber amplifier with the clock signals of the laser light sources LSa and LSb. By switching in response to various drawing data (logical value "0" or "1"), beam LBn (LB1 to LB6) for drawing whose intensity is modulated according to the drawing data can be obtained.

Further, the drawing control unit 52 drives each of the acoustic and optical deflection elements AOM1 to AOM6 in response to the origin signals from each of the drawing units U1 to U6 obtained via the drawing unit driving unit 54. In addition, any one of the odd-numbered acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM1, AOM3, and AOM5 is turned on in order, and any one of the even-numbered acoustic-optical deflection elements AOM2, AOM4, and AOM6 is turned on. Outputs a control signal that turns it on in order. In the case of FIG. 5, for example, the beam LBa from the laser light source LSa is deflected only by the odd-numbered acoustic-optical deflection element AOM3 and is incident on the corresponding drawing unit U3, so that the beam LB3 for drawing is a rotating polygon mirror. Scanned by PM, a pattern for one scanning line segment along the drawing line SL3 is drawn. At that time, the drawing data transmitted from the drawing control unit 52 to the laser light source LSa is generated based on the pattern information to be drawn by the drawing unit U3. Similarly, since the beam LBb from the laser light source LSb is deflected only by the even-numbered acoustic-optical deflection element AOM4 and is incident on the corresponding drawing unit U4, the drawing beam LB4 is scanned by the rotating polygon mirror PM. Then, the pattern drawing for one scanning line along the drawing line SL4 is performed. At that time, the drawing data transmitted from the drawing control unit 52 to the laser light source LSb is generated based on the pattern information to be drawn by the drawing unit U4.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the beam LBa emitted from the laser light source LSa is subjected to intensity modulation in response to the drawing data of the pattern information to be drawn by any one of the drawing units U1, U3, and U5. In the state, it is incident on the corresponding drawing unit Un. Similarly, the beam LBb emitted from the laser light source LSb is subjected to intensity modulation in response to drawing data of pattern information to be drawn by any one of the drawing units U2, U4, and U6, and the corresponding drawing unit is subjected to intensity modulation. It is incident on Un. Since the drawing data (bit serial) can be set to be transmitted at a frequency of 1/2 of the clock signal from the laser light sources LSa and LSb (one pixel can be drawn with two pulses of spot light), the clock. When the signal is 400 MHz (the same as the frequency of pulse emission of the beams LBa and LBb), the frequency of intensity modulation of the beams LBa and LBb based on the drawing data is 200 MHz at the maximum. This frequency is sufficiently higher than the maximum response frequency (approximately 50 MHz) of the beam intensity modulation (beam deflection) by the acousto-optic modulator (AOM).

The alignment / stage control unit 58 is based on image information from the alignment system Amn (including a two-dimensional image sensor provided corresponding to each of the four microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4. A mark position measuring unit is provided which analyzes an enlarged image of the alignment mark MKm on the sheet substrate P and measures the position and the amount of misalignment of each mark. Further, the alignment / stage control unit 58 determines the transport direction of the sheet substrate P (circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR) based on the measurement information from the encoder head ECn that detects the change in the rotation angle position of the rotary drum DR. ) Is provided with a counter circuit unit for measuring the amount of movement. The alignment / stage control unit 58 sets the rotation drive mechanism DV1 (see FIG. 2) based on the measurement information from the encoder head ECn or the measurement value by the counter circuit unit so that the moving speed of the seat substrate P matches the target speed. Control. Further, the alignment / stage control unit 58 starts drawing the exposure region W on the sheet substrate P in the X direction based on the measured value by the counter circuit unit and the position information of the alignment mark MKm measured by the mark position measurement unit. The position and the drawing end position are specified, and the information (timing) of the drawing start position and the drawing end position is sent to the drawing control unit 52.

As described above, according to the configuration of the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the sheet substrate P unwound from the supply roll FR and carried into the exposure apparatus EX has the exposure region W shown in FIG. Patterns for electronic devices are drawn (exposed) one after another on each of the sheet substrates P, and the sheet substrate P carried out from the exposure apparatus EX is wound up by the recovery roll RR. The transfer error of the sheet substrate P due to the entire transfer mechanism (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the sheet substrate P from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR, and the rotation polygon mirror PM in each drawing unit Un in the exposure apparatus EX. If the drive error, the relative position error and tilt error of the drawing lines SL1 to SL6, the drawing magnification error, the splicing error, etc. are within the permissible range, the sheet substrate P is continuously conveyed at a constant speed for electronic devices. Pattern can be repeatedly exposed on the sheet substrate P.

However, if the exposure apparatus EX is continuously operated for a long period of time, fluctuations with time may occur more or less. In particular, in the case of a direct drawing type pattern drawing device that scans the spot light of the beam, such as the exposure device EX according to the present embodiment, the beam intensity fluctuates, the position of the beam incident on the drawing unit Un, and the incident angle fluctuate. Etc. may significantly impair the quality of the pattern drawn on the sheet substrate P. In addition, when the temperature of each part in the exposure apparatus EX rises due to long-term operation, and in particular, when the hardware or housing holding the optical components in the beam optical path undergoes thermal deformation, the laser light sources LSa and LSb are used to form a sheet substrate. Since the diameter of the beam passing through the optical path to P is small, the position of the spot light (for example, 3 μm in diameter) projected on the sheet substrate P may fluctuate on the order of several microns. Further, due to thermal deformation of the hardware and the housing, the X direction (long direction of the sheet substrate P) between the observation regions Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system Amn shown in FIG. 4 and the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 by the drawing unit Un. The interval, the so-called baseline length, may fluctuate.

Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) of the present embodiment, the beam intensity fluctuates, the beam position and the incident angle fluctuate, or each part in the exposure apparatus EX while the sheet substrate P is exposed. If a temperature change or the like occurs, or if a transfer error occurs in the transfer path of the sheet substrate P from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR, the exposure process by the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily interrupted to temporarily interrupt the apparatus. Make adjustments to maintain the condition. Due to the adjustment work, the transfer operation of the sheet substrate P in the exposure apparatus EX and through the transfer mechanism (FIG. 1) is temporarily stopped. In the processing devices shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the nip rollers NR1, NR2 (NR2'), and the rotary drum DR give a transfer thrust to the sheet substrate P, and their drive units DVa, DVb, DVc, and the rotary drive mechanism. By shifting each motor of the DV1 to the stopped state, the transfer of the seat substrate P can be stopped.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a schematic control sequence (sequence control by a control program) for pausing the processing apparatus including the exposure apparatus EX. The flowchart (control sequence) of FIG. 6 can be executed by a computer that controls the entire processing device or a host computer of a factory where the processing device is installed, but here, it is executed in the main control unit 50 of FIG. It will be explained as being done. The control sequence of FIG. 6 is executed as interrupt processing when the main control unit 50 of the exposure apparatus EX or the control system of the transport mechanism generates some kind of stop request. The stop request is roughly divided into an emergency stop request issued when an abnormality (malfunction, etc.) that cannot be recovered immediately occurs in the device, and an operation of the device for a certain period of time (transportation of the sheet substrate P) such as adjustment work. ) Is stopped and there is a request for a temporary stop that can be restarted. The processing apparatus (including the exposure apparatus EX) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with a monitor for detecting various abnormalities and errors related to the transportation of the sheet substrate P. In the configurations shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main monitors are the tension rollers RT1 to RT7 for measuring the tension applied in the longitudinal direction of the sheet substrate P, and the end portion (edge portion) of the seat substrate P. Edge sensors Eps1 and Eps2 that measure the displacement in the width direction of.

As another monitor, when the alignment system Amn (including the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 cannot recognize the mark MKm formed at regular intervals Dh at the planned position. , It can be used as a sensor for detecting that a large error (abnormality) has occurred in the transportation of the sheet substrate P. Further, in the control circuit of the drive source (motor) such as each drive unit DVa, VDb, VDc, rotation drive mechanism DV1 in the processing device, an abnormality in the drive state (poor servo response, occurrence of hunting or vibration, abnormal heat generation) Etc.) are detected by a built-in monitor or sensor. The various drive units (drawing unit drive unit 54 and switching element drive unit 56 in FIG. 5) and the laser light sources LSa and LSb in the exposure apparatus EX also have sensors (light source monitors) that detect the operation and state of each function. It is provided.

Further, although not shown, wrinkles are detected on the sheet substrate P wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR of the exposure apparatus EX to detect vertical wrinkles extending in the elongated direction at random positions in the width direction. An generation monitor (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-221977, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-249159), a meandering detection sensor (for example, special feature) that detects meandering that occurs immediately before the sheet substrate P winds around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-233517, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-018557), etc. can be provided to detect a transfer error or a transfer defect of the sheet substrate P. Therefore, the main control unit 50 detects from the tension rollers RT1 to RT7, edge sensors Eps1, Eps2, alignment system Amn, monitors and sensors of various drive units, light source monitors, wrinkle generation monitors, meandering detection sensors, and the like. Information is sequentially collected, and it is immediately determined whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the transport mechanism or the exposure device EX.

By the way, in step 100 of the control sequence of FIG. 6, the main control unit 50 determines the transport state of the sheet substrate P or the transport state of the sheet substrate P based on the detection information of the sensors and monitors in various places in the processing device (exposure device EX and transport mechanism). When an abnormality has occurred or is predicted to occur in the near future by analyzing whether or not an abnormality that is difficult to recover has occurred in the operating state of the exposure apparatus EX, or whether or not an abnormality that is difficult to recover will be reached in the near future. Determines that an emergency stop is necessary.

[Emergency stop mode]
When it is determined that an emergency stop is necessary, the main control unit 50 has a time grace (margin) until the operation of the processing device (conveying mechanism and the exposure device EX) is completely stopped in the next step 102. Whether or not it is determined, and if there is a grace period, a sequence is executed in consideration of the response at the time of restart after step 120. When it is determined in step 102 that there is no time grace, the main control unit 50 stamps (imprints) an information pattern, a barcode, or the like on the sheet substrate P by the stamping device STP (FIG. 2) in the next step 104. ) Judge whether it is possible or not. Information patterns, barcodes, etc. that are driven onto the sheet substrate P by the stamping device STP include, for example, the address of the exposure region W (the address of the exposure region counted from the beginning of the sheet substrate P) at which the exposure process is interrupted, and the sheet substrate. It relates to the length from the starting point position in the long direction of P to the position where the exposure process is interrupted. As the information pattern or barcode to be input on the sheet substrate P, a code number indicating the cause of the emergency stop (mechanism or function determined to be abnormal), the date and time when the emergency stop is determined, and the like may be added.

Since it takes a considerable amount of time to input information patterns, barcodes, etc. by the stamping device STP, the main control unit 50 determines in step 104 whether or not stamping is possible in consideration of the time, and if possible. In the next step 106, the stamping device STP is activated and information patterns, barcodes, and the like are driven into the sheet substrate P. If it is determined in step 104 that the urgency is such that there is no stamp (driving) time, step 106 is omitted and the parameter setting of the sudden stop mode in step 108 is executed.

In the sudden stop mode, each rotation drive of the drive unit DVa, DVb, DVc, the rotation drive mechanism DV1, and the supply roll FR and the recovery roll RR is mainly performed so as to quickly transition to the transport stop state without damaging the seat substrate P. The control parameters (including control timing) of each part are set. In the case of a sudden stop, the tension applied to the seat substrate P (tension in the long direction) may fluctuate abruptly, so measurement is performed with tension rollers RT1 to RT7 so that excessive tension is not applied to the seat substrate P. Each rotation drive unit of the drive unit DVa, DVb, DVc, the rotation drive mechanism DV1, the supply roll FR, and the recovery roll RR is servo-controlled so that the tension amount to be applied does not deviate from the set range. The setting range of the tension amount changes depending on the material, thickness, Young's modulus (rigidity), friction coefficient, etc. of the sheet substrate P, but when the rotation speeds of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 and the rotating drum DR are suddenly changed, the tension is set. Due to the delay in the response of the servo, slippage occurs on the front surface portion and the back surface portion of the sheet substrate P that is in contact (close) with the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 and the rotating drum DR, and the sheet substrate P is damaged. Therefore, even in the sudden stop mode, the rotation speed of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 and the rotation speed of the rotating drum DR are reduced in synchronization with each other so as not to cause slippage as much as possible, and the target tension amount is reduced in response to the speed reduction. The tension control parameters are also set so that

In the sudden stop mode, if there is a time delay in cooperation between the control for reducing the rotation speed of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 and the rotary drum DR and the control for adjusting the tension amount given to the seat substrate P, the seat substrate After the tension applied to P is temporarily (instantaneously) extremely lowered, the tension may be released, and then the tension may be excessive. In such a case, a large slip may occur between the transfer roller or the rotary drum DR and the sheet substrate P, which may damage the sheet substrate P. In the sudden stop mode, at a minimum, it is necessary to stop the transfer of the sheet substrate P by the transfer control so as not to damage the sheet substrate P.

Next, in step 110, the main control unit 50 sends various control parameters set as the sudden stop mode to the transport control unit TPC in FIG. 2 and the alignment / stage control unit 58 in FIG. 5 as command values. Further, in step 110, the main control unit 50 also outputs a command indicating an emergency stop of operation to the drawing control unit 52 in FIG. In response to this, the drawing control unit 52 determines whether or not the exposure region W on the sheet substrate P is being exposed (drawing), or the exposure (drawing) for one exposure region W is completed and the next exposure region W is completed. A flag indicating whether or not the exposure was waiting for the start of exposure is sent to the main control unit 50. Further, the drawing control unit 52 stops sending drawing data (bit serial) to the laser light sources LSa and LSb, and outputs a command to close the movable shutter SH shown in FIG. The emergency stop is triggered when there is a serious problem with either the transport mechanism or the exposure apparatus EX and it cannot be recovered immediately. Especially in the case of an emergency stop due to a mechanical failure, parts replacement work and adjustment work are indispensable, so the time until restarting can be considerably long. During that time, when the sheet substrate P is left to be hung in the transfer path from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR, the sheet substrate P comes into contact with each of a large number of rollers that bend the transfer direction of the sheet substrate P. Deformation (bending habit) may occur in the portion due to the remaining tension.

Therefore, in the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, after the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped by the emergency stop due to the execution of step 110, the sheet substrate P is placed in the transfer path from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR. The tension is set to be almost zero (no tension state) or extremely small (low tension state) in all the parts of the seat substrate P that are hung. Specifically, the transport path from the supply roll FR to the nip roller NR1 (mooring position), the transport path from the nip roller NR1 (mooring position) including the rotating drum DR to the nip roller NR2, and NR2'(mooring position), and the nip roller. In each of the transport paths from NR2 to the recovery roll RR, the tension acting on the sheet substrate P is set to be almost zero (no tension state) or low tension state.

Here, the low tension state means that the sheet substrate P hung on the roller having the smallest diameter among a large number of rollers arranged in the transport path continues to stop for an expected stop time. Even in this case, it means that the tension amount (N / m) within a range that does not cause damage such as scratches or microcracks acts on the pattern or thin film (layer structure) formed on the sheet substrate P. .. Further, the non-tension state means that the sheet substrate P is hung with a large number of rollers and rotating drums DR in the transport path with almost zero frictional force. Many factors in the case of an emergency stop are some serious troubles, and it often takes a long time to solve the troubles. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the seat substrate P is in a non-tensioned state at the time of an emergency stop. It shall be stopped. In either case of emergency stop or temporary stop, after the sheet substrate P is stopped, the sheet substrate P in process in the transport path is put into a non-tension state and a low tension state by step 110. Set to either.

[Pause mode]
On the other hand, in step 100 of FIG. 6, when it is determined that a request for suspension is generated instead of an emergency stop, or in step 102, it is determined that an emergency stop is necessary but there is a time grace before the stop. If so, the main control unit 50 executes steps 120 to 124 and then steps 110. In steps 120 to 124, after interrupting the processing operation of the processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) for a short time, the processing operation is automatically restarted within a short time from the continuation of the processing interruption position on the sheet substrate P (steps 120 to 124). Includes a preparatory sequence (program) for (restarting). First, in step 120, the main control unit 50 interrupts the processing operation (transfer operation of the sheet substrate P) in the case of a pause request (time required from the time when the stop request is generated to the actual transfer stop). , Or stop time) Tsq, stop duration Tcs to continue the paused state, and the processing position Xpr on the sheet substrate P at the time when the stop request is generated, and the scheduled stop position to stop the sheet substrate P. The Xst and the tension value (tension amount) Fn given to the sheet substrate P are obtained by calculation and set as target values. If it is determined in step 102 that there is a time grace before the stop even though it is in the emergency stop mode, the stop time Tsq confirmed in step 120 is known at the time of determination in step 102. A grace time is set.

In the case of the exposure apparatus EX according to the present embodiment, several stages are set for the stop duration Tcs depending on the factor for pausing. For example, when dummy oscillation (emission) is performed when finely adjusting the settings in the laser light sources LSa and LSb for adjusting the intensity of the spot light for drawing, the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P are displayed for about 60 seconds. In the case of a mark detection retry operation (including an operation in which the sheet substrate is reverse-conveyed by a predetermined distance and then re-conveyed in the forward direction) when it is not correctly recognized by the alignment system Amn, it takes about 120 to 180 seconds, or more than one. In the case of the calibration operation for confirming the joint accuracy by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6, a predetermined rough stop duration Tcs such as 300 seconds to 500 seconds is prepared as a preset value. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the transfer of the sheet substrate P may be temporarily stopped by the processing device (post-process processing device) of the next process connected after the nip roller NR2'of the subsequent tension adjusting unit 12'. be. In that case, the transfer of the sheet substrate P in the exposure apparatus EX may be temporarily suspended in accordance with the suspension of the post-process processing apparatus. For that purpose, the stop request information indicating that the post-process processing device stops the transfer of the sheet substrate P, the expected stop duration information, and the like are sent to the main control unit 50, and the main control unit 50 is also exposed. It is preferable to provide a bidirectional communication function for sending stop request information indicating that the transfer of the sheet substrate P in the EX is stopped, information on the expected stop duration Tcs, and the like to the post-process processing apparatus.

As described above, when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is temporarily stopped depending on the situation in the exposure apparatus EX, the main control unit 50 is an appropriate one from the preset values prepared in advance corresponding to the stop factor in step 120. Is selected and set as the stop duration Tcs. When the transfer operation of the sheet substrate P in the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily stopped due to the situation on the post-process processing apparatus side, the main control unit 50 receives information on the stop duration sent from the post-process processing apparatus in step 120. The stop duration Tcs is set with reference to the stop time Tsq, or the stop time Tsq is set based on the stop request information sent from the post-process processing apparatus.

Here, referring to FIG. 7, a case where the sheet substrate P having a plurality of exposure regions W1a to W6a ..., W1b to W6b ... Sequentially exposed by the six drawing lines SL1 to SL6 is paused. An example will be described. FIG. 7 is a view showing the sheet substrate P wound around the rotating drum DR stretched in a plane in the elongated direction. For convenience, the elongated direction (conveyance direction) of the sheet substrate P is the X direction, and the sheet substrate is shown. The short direction (width direction) of P is the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the surface of the sheet substrate P is the Z direction. In FIG. 7, each of the exposure regions W1a to W6a and W1b to W6b is, for example, an region in which an electronic device for a display panel of a mobile terminal is formed, and the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet substrate P is defined as a long side. It is arranged in two chamfers. Each of the exposed areas (pattern forming areas) W1a to W3a and W1b to W3b has already been exposed by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6. In FIG. 7, the exposure areas W4a and W4b are exposed as shaded areas by the odd-numbered drawing lines SL1, SL3, and SL5, and the even-numbered drawing lines SL2, SL4, and SL6 are just exposed to the exposed areas W4a and W4b. Is in a state to start. Further, as described with reference to FIG. 4, a plurality of alignment marks MK1, MK2, MK3, and MK4 are formed on the sheet substrate P.

Further, in FIG. 7, an address marking pattern in which the distance in the long direction (X direction) is set to the distance XG (XG> Dh) in the formation regions of the marks MK1 and MK4 arranged on both sides in the width direction of the sheet substrate P. AP1 to AP3 are formed. The address marking patterns AP1 to AP3 are those in which the numbers increasing in order from the tip end side of the sheet substrate P are stamped or printed with a bar code or the like, and the observations of the microscope objective lenses AM11 and AM14 of the alignment system Amn are observed. The position and size are set so that they can be detected by the regions Vw11 and Vw14. The address marking patterns AP1 to AP3 may be detected by a dedicated address detection mechanism (bar code reader or the like) provided in addition to the alignment system Amn. In that case, the size of the address marking patterns AP1 to AP3 does not need to be contained in the observation areas Vw11 and Vw14 of the alignment system Amn, and is therefore set to a size that can be reliably read by a barcode reader or the like. Further, the distance XG can be set to an arbitrary value that is convenient for the management of the exposure process, but the exposure region Wna (W1a to W6a ...) Which is a formation region of one electronic device formed on the sheet substrate P. When determining according to the size of Wnb (W1b to W6b ...), As an example, the exposure areas Wna and Wnb are set to a distance of several to several tens in the long direction.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a pause request is generated while the pattern drawing operations are continuously executed by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 of the exposure apparatus EX, the main control unit 50 is set in step 120. Based on the stop time (time grace until stop) Tsq, the conditions and states for interrupting the drawing operation (exposure process) being executed and stopping the transfer of the sheet substrate P are shown in, for example, the flowchart shown in FIG. Set according to. The program that executes the flowchart of FIG. 8 can be incorporated as a subroutine in step 120 in FIG.

In step 130 of FIG. 8, the main control unit 50 confirms the processing position Xpr in which the pattern is actually drawn on the sheet substrate P. The processing position Xpr can be specified by the address marking patterns AP1 to AP3 on the sheet substrate P and the alignment marks MKn (particularly the marks MK1 and MK4). In the case of FIG. 7, the processing positions Xpr of the exposed areas W4a and W4b where the pattern drawing is performed are between the address marking pattern AP1 and the address marking pattern AP2, and are upstream from the address marking pattern AP1 (in FIG. 7). It is confirmed as an area between the second to fourth marks MK1 and MK4 (in the −X direction). The address marking pattern AP1 and the subsequent marks MK1 and MK4 have already been read and position-measured by an alignment system Amn or a barcode reader arranged on the upstream side of the drawing range (rectangular area including drawing lines SL1 to SL6). Therefore, just before the exposure apparatus EX starts drawing the pattern for the exposure regions W4a and W4b, the processing position Xpr on the sheet substrate P is also specified.

Further, in step 130, in consideration of a restart operation in which the transfer of the sheet substrate P is temporarily stopped, the drawing operation is interrupted for the stop duration Tcs, and then the transfer of the sheet substrate P is started again and the drawing operation is restarted. , The precise position in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface (seat substrate P) of the rotary drum DR measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb shown in FIG. 3 and the alignment / stage control unit (control unit) 58 shown in FIG. The information (encoder measurement value) is stored in the alignment / stage control unit 58 as the address marking pattern AP1 (same for AP2 and AP3) and the position information of the marks MK1 and MK4 in the long direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, within the circumferential range in which the sheet substrate P is tightly wound around the rotating drum DR, the positions of the address marking pattern AP1, the marks MK1 and the MK4 in the long direction are determined by the encoder measurement values. Uniquely identified.

In the next step 132, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not any one of the drawing units U1 to U6 is currently executing the drawing operation for the exposed areas Wna and Wnb on the sheet substrate P. In the state illustrated in FIG. 7, since the exposure areas W4a and W4b on the sheet substrate P are being exposed by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 of the drawing units U1 to U6, the main control unit 50 is in step 132. With "Yes", the next step 134 is executed. In step 134, the time until the drawing operation (exposure operation for the exposure areas W4a and W4b) currently being executed by the main control unit 50 is completed is estimated and calculated as the expected completion time Tdw. As shown in FIG. 7 (or FIG. 4), the drawing operation for the exposed areas Wna and Wnb on the sheet substrate P is started in advance by the odd-numbered drawing lines SL1, SL3, and SL5, and the even-numbered numbers in the subsequent line. It is completed by the drawing lines SL2, SL4, SL6 of. Therefore, the exposure areas W4a and W4b in the long direction (X direction) of the sheet substrate P, which are known in advance, are the exposure areas W4a and W4b according to the length Lw (mm) of the exposure areas W4a and W4b and the even numbered drawing lines SL2, SL4 and SL6 in the subsequent line. Position information Xp0 (encoder measurement value) when drawing is started, current position information Xp1 (encoder measurement value) measured by the encoder head ECn, ECnb, and transfer speed Vf (mm / S) of the sheet substrate P. ), The main control unit 50 estimates and calculates the expected completion time Tdw, and the transport length (movement amount) from the current position (Xp1) of the sheet substrate P until the drawing operation for the exposure areas W4a and W4b is completed. ) Calculate Lu and the completion position Xp2 (encoder measurement value).

FIG. 9 schematically shows a state in which a pattern is being drawn with respect to the exposure area W4a (W4b) by the odd-numbered drawing lines SL1 (SL3, SL5) and the even-numbered drawing lines SL2 (SL4, SL6). The encoder measurement value measured by the encoder heads EC2a and EC2b is the position information Xp0 of the drawing start by the drawing line SL2 when the + X side end of the exposure area W4a overlaps the drawing line SL2. Become. Assuming that the execution time of steps 130 to 134 in FIG. 8 is the current time, the encoder measurement value measured by the encoder heads EC2a and EC2b at the present time is the position information Xp1. The main control unit 50 calculates the transport length (movement amount) Lu of the sheet substrate P from the present time until the drawing is completed by the calculation of Lu = Lw− (Xp1-Xp0), and the encoder head EC2a corresponding to the transport length Lu. , The encoder measurement value by EC2b is estimated as the completion position Xp2. Further, the main control unit 50 obtains the expected completion time Tdw from the present time until the end on the −X side of the exposure region W4a overlaps with the drawing line SL2 by the calculation of Tdw = Lu / Vf. In the next step 136, the main control unit 50 compares the expected completion time Tdw with the stop time (time grace until stop) Tsq, and if Tsq> Tdw, sets the stop time Tsq in real time in step 138. After the reduction, steps 130 to 136 are executed again. The loop of steps 130 to 138 is repeatedly executed at regular time intervals (for example, 1 second to several seconds), and at the discretion of step 132, the loop exits to another step 144.

By the way, in step 136, the lengths of the predicted completion time Tdw and the stop time Tsq are simply compared, but the grace time until the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced and the transfer operation is completely stopped is the stop time Tsq. In some cases, the time required to reduce the transport speed of the sheet substrate P to zero may be determined in advance as the deceleration time Tva, and the length may be compared by (Tsq-Tva)> Tdw. Further, in the determination in step 136, it is also possible to determine whether or not the pattern drawing operation for the next exposure region W5a (W5b) can be completed within the stop time Tsq (or Tsq-Tva). As shown in FIG. 9, the distance between the exposure region W4a (W4b) currently being exposed and the next exposure region W5a (W5b) in the long direction (X direction) is defined as Lz (mm). In this case, the additional processing time Tad from the completion of the drawing operation for the exposure area W4a (W4b) to the completion of the drawing operation for the next exposure area W5a (W5b) is unique by Tad = (Lz + Lw) / Vf. I want to. Therefore, in step 136, it is determined whether or not the sum of the expected completion time Tdw and the additional processing time Tad does not exceed the stop time Tsq (or Tsq-Tva). If not, step 136 is set to "Yes". You may exit and proceed to step 138.

When considering the additional processing time Tad, the completion position Xp2 may be reset to the end of the next exposure region W5a (W5b) in the −X direction before exiting step 136 with “Yes” and returning to step 130. Therefore, the main control unit 50 obtains the expected completion time Tdw by using the value obtained by adding (Lz + Lw) to the transport length (movement amount) Lu calculated in step 134 for the next loop execution. In this way, by considering the additional processing time Tad, the exposed areas Wna and Wnb are exposed between the time when the request for temporary stop (or emergency stop) is generated and the time when the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P starts to be reduced. The number of can be maximized within the set downtime Tsq.

If it is determined in step 136 that the predicted completion time Tdw (or Tdw + Tad) exceeds the stop time Tsq (or Tsq-Tva), the main control unit 50 exits step 136 with "No" and executes step 140. The state determined as "No" in step 136 is a case where the set stop time Tsq is shorter than the expected completion time Tdw at which the drawing operation for the exposure regions W4a and W4b currently being exposed is completed. .. That is, it means that the drawing operation for the exposed areas W4a and W4b is stopped in the middle, and the conveying operation of the sheet substrate P is immediately stopped. Therefore, in this case, the exposure areas W4a and W4b that are currently exposed are registered in the main control unit 50 as drawing defects. The absolute positions (unique positions) of the exposed areas W4a and W4b on the sheet substrate P are registered as the processing positions Xpr specified by the address marking pattern AP1 and the marks MK1 and MK4 in the previous step 130. .. Further, information on the processing positions Xpr of the exposed areas W4a and W4b that cause drawing defects may be sent to the stamping apparatus STP described with reference to FIG. 2, and the information pattern may be stamped (marked) on the sheet substrate P. ..

Next, in step 142, when the main control unit 50 stops the transfer of the seat substrate P, the main control unit 50 has various types for each of the rotation drive mechanism DV1 and the drive units DVa to DVc controlled by the transfer control unit TPC shown in FIG. The control parameters (gain at the time of servo control, response time constant, feedback amount, etc.) are sent to the transfer control unit TPC. At the same time, the main control unit 50 applies a tension amount to the sheet substrate P in the transfer path from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR during the period from the start of deceleration of the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P to the complete stop. The set value (command value) of Fn or the change characteristic according to the speed change of the set value is transmitted to the transport control unit TPC. When reducing the initial transfer speed of the sheet substrate P suitable for the exposure process (pattern drawing) in the exposure apparatus EX, it is important not to damage the sheet substrate P. For example, when the sheet substrate P is fed at the initial transfer speed, the rotating drum is in a state where a relatively large amount of tension is applied to the sheet substrate P from the nip roller NR1 to the nip roller NR2 (or NR2') in FIG. If the rotation of the DR is suddenly stopped or the rotation of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (or NR2') is suddenly stopped, excessive tension is momentarily applied to the seat substrate P, or the rotating drum DR or the nip roller NR1 The sheet substrate P may be rubbed (slip) on the outer peripheral surface (contact surface) of NR2 (or NR2'). Therefore, while the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced to zero, the transfer control unit TPC monitors the tension amount measured by each load cell of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (or RT7) so as to reach the set value. , The rotation drive mechanism DV1, the drive unit DVa, DVb (or DVc) is controlled so that the rotation speed of the rotary drum DR and the rotation speeds of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (or NR2') decrease smoothly in synchronization with each other. ..

The program of FIG. 8 executed as the process in step 120 of FIG. 6 mainly suspends the operation of the exposure apparatus EX temporarily during the stop duration Tcs (the sheet substrate P is also stopped to be conveyed), and then re-sheets. It is premised that the exposure process for the substrate P is restarted. After interrupting the processing on the continuously conveyed sheet substrate P, it is preferable that the processing is restarted from the interrupted portion on the sheet substrate P in the same state as before the interruption and with the same accuracy. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the transport of the sheet substrate P is stopped, at least the sheet substrate P wound around the rotating drum DR does not slip more than the allowable amount on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. In addition, the deceleration rate of the rotation speed of the rotating drum DR and the amount of tension applied to the sheet substrates P on the upstream side and the downstream side of the rotating drum DR are adjusted. The adjustment amount and range are set according to the thickness and rigidity (Young's modulus) of the sheet substrate P, the friction between the sheet substrate P and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, and the like. If the sheet substrate P slides significantly in the longitudinal direction on the rotating drum DR while the speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced to zero, the exposure apparatus EX starts drawing the first exposure areas Wna and Wnb to be drawn when the operation is resumed. A large deviation occurs between the position and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb before the operation is interrupted, that is, the position in the transport direction (long direction) of the sheet substrate P, and the sheet substrate P It becomes difficult to start pattern drawing in a state where the exposure areas Wna and Wnb are precisely aligned with each other.

In particular, when the sheet substrate P slides and stops in the transport direction on the rotating drum DR, the marks MK1 and MK4 (or MK2 and MK3) to be detected by the alignment system Amn when the operation is restarted are different from the original positions. Or becomes undetectable. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the sheet substrate P slides on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR in the long direction while the rotation speed of the rotating drum DR is reduced from the initial value to zero, the slipping It is desirable to keep the allowable amount within the interval Dh in the transport direction of the marks MK1 and MK4 shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. Whether or not the sheet substrate P has slipped on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR is determined by continuously detecting the marks MK1 and MK4 by the alignment system Amn while reducing the transport speed of the sheet substrate P, and the mark MK1. , MK4 can be confirmed by storing the measured values by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb when they are detected one after another in the observation areas Vw11 and Vw14, and analyzing how much the difference is different with respect to the interval Dh. If the sheet substrate P is made of resin and has a thickness of less than 100 μm, the sheet substrate P itself is greatly deformed by heat treatment or due to an increase in water content after being subjected to wet treatment (ink application, liquid immersion, etc.). , The spacing (pitch) Dh of the marks MK1 and MK4 in the transport direction is set to about several mm.

If some tension is continuously applied in the transport direction of the sheet substrate P while the transport speed of the sheet substrate P is being reduced, slippage of the sheet substrate P on the rotating drum DR mainly occurs in the transport direction. It hardly occurs in the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet substrate P orthogonal to the transport direction. However, if the parameter setting of the transport control is improper and the tension is temporarily released due to a drastic decrease in tension, the sheet substrate P may slip in the width direction on the rotating drum DR. In the present embodiment, the transport control parameters are set so that tension is not released while the transport speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced to zero so that such slippage (side slip) in the width direction does not occur. Will be done. This is because the size of the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14 of the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 of the alignment system Amn is 1 mm square or less, so that when skidding occurs in millimeters, the alignment system Amn marks MK1 to MK4 after restarting. This is because it becomes impossible to capture.

Further, in step 142, the main control unit 50 determines the planned stop position Xst at which the seat substrate P stops, based on the control parameters (particularly the rate of change in speed) set when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped. The planned stop position Xst is calculated as a position (or a movement amount from the current position) of the outer peripheral surface (sheet substrate P) of the rotating drum DR measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb in the transport direction. Since the servo control of the transport system may vary slightly from the planned state depending on the characteristics (thickness, rigidity, etc.) of the seat substrate P, the planned stop position Xst determined in step 142 is the rotary drum. It may deviate slightly from the position (encoder measurement value) when the rotation of the DR actually stopped.

In steps 130 to 142 described above, while the determination in step 136 is passed by "Yes" and the loop is repeated, the exposure processing of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb (W4a and W4b in FIG. 7) during pattern drawing is completed. Then, the main control unit 50 determines step 132 as "No" and executes step 144. In step 144, a signal (drawing enable) for interrupting the drawing operation for the exposed areas Wna and Wnb (W5a, W5b and later in FIG. 7) following the exposed area where the exposure is completed is transmitted from the main control unit 50 to the drawing control unit 52 (drawing enable). It is sent to FIG. 5). Here, the first state is when the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 located upstream in the transport direction of the sheet substrate P are in the drawing operation, and the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 are in the drawing operation. The second state is when the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6 are in the drawing operation, and all the odd-numbered and even-numbered drawing units U1 to U6 are stopped in the drawing operation. Let the case be the third state. In the first state, it is unconditionally determined as "Yes" in step 132, and in the second state, the subsequent drawing operations of the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 in step 132 (the beam is the sheet substrate). The situation projected on P) is set to the prohibited state, and then it is determined to be "Yes", and when the third state is reached, it is determined to be "No" in step 132. As described above, when step 140 is executed, the drawing operation for the exposed areas Wna and Wnb during pattern drawing on the sheet substrate P becomes an exposure defect, and when step 144 is executed, the pattern is being drawn. The drawing operation for the exposed areas Wna and Wnb is completed correctly.

After executing step 144, the main control unit 50 executes step 142 described above in order to stop the transfer operation of the sheet substrate P, and the control parameter of the transfer system for stopping the transfer of the sheet substrate P. Setting, setting an appropriate tension amount Fn at the time of deceleration of the transport speed, and determining the planned stop position Xst.

The main control unit 50 executes step 122 of FIG. 6 after executing the final step 142 of the program of FIG. 8 above. In step 122, the processing operation as the exposure apparatus EX is stopped to stop the transfer of the sheet substrate P, and then the transfer operation of the sheet substrate P is started again after the stop duration Tcs elapses, and the processing by the exposure apparatus EX is performed. The situation at the time of restarting the operation is estimated (confirmed) in advance. In this step 122, mainly, along with various conditions set or determined in step 120 (steps 130 to 142 in FIG. 8), the characteristics of the transport system, the characteristics of the sheet substrate P, or the alignment system Amn and the encoder head ECna, Based on the position information of the marks MK1 to MK4 acquired so far by the ECnb, the sheet substrate P that normally restarts the pattern drawing operation from the unexposed exposed areas Wna and Wnb on the sheet substrate P. The conditions of transport control, etc. are comprehensively confirmed. In particular, at the time of restarting, each position of the marks MK1 to MK4 formed around or in the vicinity of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb to be newly exposed on the sheet substrate P is the rotation angle position of the rotary drum DR (encoder head ECna). , Encoder measurement value measured by ECnb), that is, during the stop duration Tcs, the position of the sheet substrate P in the transport direction is maintained on the rotary drum DR without deviation, and is re-established. It is desirable that the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 can be measured immediately by the alignment system Amn (microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) during operation.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the expected stop state at the time of transport stop estimated in step 122 in the sheet substrate P shown in FIG. 7 above. In FIG. 10, the exposure regions W4a and W4b shown in FIG. 7 are normally exposed, the exposure processing is prohibited from the subsequent exposure regions W5a and W5b, and the exposure is scheduled to stop in the middle of the next exposure regions W6a and W6b. It is assumed that the position Xst is set. The planned stop position Xst is obtained corresponding to the encoder measurement values by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb, but here, it is the average value of the encoder measurement values measured by each of the encoder heads EC1a and EC2a. The average value corresponds to the intermediate position Poc shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sheet substrate P is wound on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR by about 1/4 turn on each of the upstream side and the downstream side with respect to the intermediate position Poc. The position where the sheet substrate P starts to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR on the upstream side of the intermediate position Poc is defined as Xfa, and the position where the sheet substrate P separates from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR on the downstream side of the intermediate position Poc is defined as Xfb. That is, immediately after the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped, the sheet substrate P is supported between the positions Xfa and the position Xfb in a state where a predetermined tension is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. At this time, each observation region Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system Amn is located substantially at the center between the intermediate position Poc and the position Xfa on the sheet substrate P. Therefore, the position information of each of the marks MK1 to MK4 located on the downstream side (+ X direction in FIG. 10) of the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14 is the alignment system Amn, the encoder head ECna, ECnb, and the alignment / stage control unit 58. It is measured by the main control unit 50 and stored in the main control unit 50.

Since a large number of alignment marks MK1 to MK4 are provided at regular intervals from the head portion of the sheet substrate P, the measured marks MK1 to 1 in which the main control unit 50 is located downstream of the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14. All the position information of the MK4 may be stored, but the number may be limited to the number required for restarting after stopping. For example, each position information of the marks MK1 to MK4 attached to one or several of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb normally exposed on the downstream side of the planned stop position Xst (or the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14), or the stop. The position information of the marks MK1 to MK4 existing in the range up to the position Xfb on the downstream side of the planned position Xst (or the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14) may be limited and stored. If the address marking patterns AP1, AP2, etc. are within the existence range of the marks MK1 to MK4 to be stored on the downstream side of the planned stop position Xst (or the observation areas Vw11 to Vw14), the main control unit 50 is used. The address marking pattern APn may be stored.

The main control unit 50 starts the exposure process by restarting based on the position information of the marks MK1 to MK4 and the information of the address marking pattern APn acquired at the time of restarting. Wnb is set in step 122. For example, when the exposure areas W4a and W4b are normally exposed and stopped as shown in FIG. 10, it is desirable to restart the exposure process from the next exposure areas W5a and W5b. However, if the position measurement accuracy of the marks MK1 to MK4 detected by the alignment system Amn immediately before the exposure processing is stopped tends to decrease, the marks MK1 to MK4 associated with the next exposure areas W5a and W5b are observed. Is damaged or distorted, so even if the exposure processing for the next exposure areas W5a and W5b is skipped and the exposure processing is restarted from the next exposure areas W6a and W6b. good. The number of exposure areas Wna and Wnb to be skipped is not limited to one, but in order to increase productivity, it is preferable that the number of skips of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb is small.

Further, in step 122, the main control unit 50 starts to convey the sheet substrate P in the forward direction (+ X direction in FIG. 10) or in the reverse direction (−X direction in FIG. 10) at the start of restarting. Set whether to start. As shown in FIG. 10, the planned stop position Xst is set after the next exposure regions W5a and W5b located on the upstream side of the normally exposed exposure regions W4a and W4b. Therefore, in order to restart the normal exposure process from the next exposure regions W5a and W5b, it is necessary to transport the sheet substrate P in the reverse direction by a predetermined distance from the scheduled stop position Xst and then transport it in the forward direction. Further, in the case where the exposure processing is restarted from the exposure regions Wna and Wnb skipped by a predetermined number of minutes from the normally exposed exposure regions W4a and W4b, the exposure is performed after the transport speed of the sheet substrate P reaches the target speed. If there is time to start the process, the transfer may be started in the forward direction from the planned stop position Xst.

Further, in step 122, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not to continue applying a predetermined tension to the sheet substrate P during the transfer stop based on the length of the stop duration Tcs until the restart, and the tension amount when the tension is applied. , It is also confirmed whether or not the sheet substrate P is moored at a specific position. For example, if it is determined in step 100 of FIG. 6 that an emergency stop request is made and it is determined in step 102 that there is no time grace (immediate shutdown), is the stop duration Tcs set considerably longer? , Therefore, in step 122, the main control unit 50 determines that the tension applied to the seat substrate P is released after the transfer is stopped. Further, when the stop duration Tcs is short enough that the seat substrate P is not curled by a roller or the like due to the tension during the stop, a predetermined tension is applied. Further, even if the stop duration Tcs is long, when the sheet substrate P can be restored (restarted) without being removed from the rollers or the rotating drum DR in the transport path, the sheet substrate P is moored at a specific position. Judge that it will be in a non-tensioned state. In addition, depending on the length of the stop duration Tcs until the restart, the presence or absence of the need to remove (pull out) the sheet substrate P from the transfer path, etc., the presence or absence of tension applied to the sheet substrate P during the transfer stop, and the mooring The presence or absence is confirmed in advance. In the case of this embodiment, the specific position where the sheet substrate P is moored is any of the nip rollers NR1, NR2, and NR2'shown in FIG.

Next, the main control unit 50 executes step 124 of FIG. Step 124 is based on various conditions and states set in step 120 (steps 130 to 142 in FIG. 8) and conditions confirmed or set in step 122 until the transfer of the seat substrate P to stop operation is stopped. The sequence and timing of the transfer operation of the sheet substrate P are set, and each part in the exposure apparatus EX is set so that the sheet substrate P can be restarted after the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped. Further, in step 124, the stamping setting is performed in the same manner as in step 106, if necessary. The stamp information to be input here includes, for example, the position information of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb (address marking pattern APn, etc.) that cause drawing defects, the position information of the exposure areas Wna and Wnb that are skipped at the time of restart, and the restart. Information such as information on the transport direction (forward start or reverse start) of the sheet substrate P at the start. When the various settings in step 124 are completed, the main control unit 50 executes step 110. In the flowchart of FIG. 6, when step 110 is executed after step 108, it is an emergency stop mode, but when step 110 is executed after step 124, it is a stop mode in a restartable state. Therefore, a plurality of parameters sent to each control unit and drive unit may be set to different values from those in an emergency.

When step 110 is executed, the main control unit 50 instructs the drawing control unit 52 of FIG. 5 to perform a pattern drawing operation for stopping the operation, and at the same time, causes the rotary drum DR via the alignment / stage control unit 58. Instruct the rotation drive mechanism DV1 to reduce the rotation speed. At the same time, the main control unit 50 supports the transport control unit TPC of FIG. 4 so that the drive units DVa, DVb, and DVc decrease at an appropriate speed. The transport control unit TPC prevents the seat substrate P from slipping on the rotary drum DR in response to a decrease in the transport speed of the sheet substrate P (rotational speed of the rotary drum DR, each rotation speed of the nip rollers NR1, NR2, and NR2'). In addition, the tension amount by the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (RT7) is adjusted. When the exposure apparatus EX is operating normally, the sheet substrate P is fed at a normal transport speed (for example, a constant value in the range of 5 mm / sec to 20 mm / sec), so that the sheet substrate wound around the rotating drum DR. Tension is applied to the upstream side or the downstream side of P so that the sheet substrate P does not slip on the rotating drum DR at the normal transport speed. However, when the sheet substrate P is stopped by lowering it from the normal transport speed, the rotation speed of the rotating drum DR and the rotation speeds of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') are reduced in cooperation with each other. In the present embodiment, various parameters are set in steps 124, 110, etc. of FIG. 6 so that errors and timing deviations do not occur in the cooperation, and further, the response delays of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (RT7) are taken into consideration. Set.

The main control unit 50 determines that the transfer of the sheet substrate P has stopped when the rotation speeds of the rotary drum DR and the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') become zero. If the sheet substrate P does not slip on the rotating drum DR while the transport speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced to zero, the sheet substrate P is the drawing units U1 to U6 as described with reference to FIG. It stops at the scheduled stop position Xst where the relationship with the position of the drawing area (or the rotation angle position of the rotating drum DR) including the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 by each is uniquely specified. When the sheet substrate P stops without slipping on the rotating drum DR, the main control unit 50 is applied to the sheet substrate P according to the length of the stop duration Tcs confirmed or set in step 120 of FIG. Determine whether or not to adjust the amount of tension that is present, and if so, how much to adjust. Even when the transport speed of the sheet substrate P becomes zero, a constant tension is continuously applied to the sheet substrate P. Therefore, as described above, when the tension amount is continuously applied during the stop duration Tcs, the layer structure for the electronic device already formed on the sheet substrate P is formed on various rollers in the transport path. There is also a possibility of being damaged by contact with (R1, R2, R3, R4, RT5, RT6, RT7, etc.).

When adjusting the amount of tension applied to the sheet substrate P immediately after the transfer is stopped, the rotation of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') is performed in order to facilitate the management of the transfer position of the sheet substrate P at the time of restarting. It is preferable to adjust the amount of tension applied by the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (RT7) while keeping the stopped state. If the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') are stopped (servo-locked) without being rotationally driven, the seat substrate P will be moored at both the position of the nip roller NR1 and the position of the nip roller NR2 (NR2'). Become. Therefore, during the stop of operation, for example, even when the seat substrate P between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2 (NR2') is in a non-tension state, the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (RT7) cause the original operation at the start of restart. If a tension amount is applied, the seat substrate P can be returned to the original position immediately after the stop on the rotating drum DR. In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the sheet substrate P from laterally shifting in the short direction (width direction) on the rotary drum DR, the sheet substrate P always contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR during the stop duration Tcs. The amount of tension to be continued shall be continued to be given. However, a plurality of micropores (or fine grooves or porous members) for vacuum (decompression) adsorption are provided in a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR in the circumferential direction, and the transport speed of the sheet substrate P becomes zero. At that point, the back surface of the sheet substrate P may be brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR by means of micropores (or grooves or porous members) for vacuum (decompression) adsorption. In this case, since the rotation of the rotating drum DR is stopped, the micropores (or grooves or porous members) for vacuum (decompression) adsorption function as mooring members that lock the sheet substrate P in the transport path. .. In this way, when the sheet substrate P is vacuum (decompressed) and sucked on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, a flow path or a pipe for supplying the vacuum (decompression) is provided inside the rotating drum DR, and the flow drum or the pipe is provided inside the rotating drum DR. A piping mechanism connected to a vacuum (decompression) source outside the DR is required. A configuration in which a sheet substrate is suction-supported by a rotating cylinder such as a rotating drum DR is shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-026348 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-051782.

In addition, as a mechanism for mooring the sheet substrate P on the outer peripheral surface of the stopped rotating drum DR, for example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, a nip roller NRa capable of advancing and retreating may be provided around the rotating drum DR. .. FIG. 11A is a view of the arrangement of the rotating drum DR and the nip roller NRa in the XY plane, and FIG. 11B is a view of the arrangement of the rotating drum DR and the nip roller NRa in the XY plane. The nip roller NRa is located on the downstream side of the drawing area where the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 are located, and is arranged on the upstream side of the position where the sheet substrate P is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. It is rotatably provided around the. As shown in FIG. 11B, the width of the nip roller NRa is set in the axial direction (Y direction) so as to come into contact with both end portions in the width direction outside the exposure region W of the sheet substrate P. The rotation shaft Sfg that pivotally supports the nip roller NRa is provided at the tip of the arm member LA that swings and rotates around the rotation shaft AXg. The rotating shaft AXg is attached to a main body frame that pivotally supports the shaft Sft of the rotating drum DR, and due to the swing rotation of the arm member LA, the position of the nip roller NRa is such that the end portion of the seat substrate P is the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. The position is switched between a position where the rotating drum DR is pressed against the outer peripheral surface and a position away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR (the position indicated by the broken line in FIG. 11A).

Since the nip roller NRa is moored by pressing the sheet substrate P against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR that is stopped, it is made of rubber and synthetic resin (plastic, Teflon (registered, registered) so as not to damage the surface of the sheet substrate P. It may be a roller made of (trademark), vinyl, etc.), or a shape other than a roller that does not have a cylindrical surface and cannot rotate, for example, a strip-shaped pad having the same curvature as the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, or a simple plate-like roller. It may be a nip member (locking member) such as a pad. A felt material may be used as the nip member. Even when the sheet substrate P is moored to the rotary drum DR by a nip roller NRa as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B or a nip member other than the roller, the sheet substrate P is moored to the rotating drum DR in two directions, a long direction and a short direction. It can be locked so that it does not shift. As described above, when the mechanism for mooring the sheet substrate P on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR by vacuum (decompression) suction or the nip roller NRa (or nip member) is provided, the rotary drum DR is thereafter. Since the servo is locked so as not to rotate, the nip state of the seat substrate P by the nip rollers NR1, NR2, NR2'shown in FIG. 2 may be released. Further, when the sheet substrate P is not moored on the rotary drum DR but is moored by the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2'), the nip roller NR1 on the upstream side and the nip roller NR2 (NR2') on the downstream side of the rotary drum DR are moored. Either one may release the nip state of the sheet substrate P to be in the non-mooring state.

As described above, when the seat substrate P stops stably without slipping on the rotating drum DR, the rotation angle position (encoder measurement value) of the rotating drum DR and the respective positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the seat substrate P Since the relative relationship between the two does not change, the operation for resuming the pattern drawing process on the sheet substrate P after the elapse of the stop duration Tcs is easy. However, there is a possibility that the sheet substrate P slips on the rotating drum DR until the sheet substrate P is stopped by reducing the transport speed, or during the stop duration Tcs. The amount of slippage of the sheet substrate P in the elongated direction is preferably suppressed within the interval Dh of the alignment marks MK1 and MK4 shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 7 (FIG. 10) in the elongated direction (conveying direction). Is good. Further, assuming that the sheet substrate P slips on the rotating drum DR, it is preferable to provide a configuration capable of quantitatively measuring the slip amount. For that purpose, the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 normally detected just before the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P is decelerated are set by the alignment / stage control unit 58 shown in FIG. You can store it as a measured value.

Then, even while the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P is decelerating, the marks MK1 to MK4 are detected by the alignment system Amn, and the mark MK1 is detected for each interval Dh in the transfer direction with the stored encoder measurement value as a reference (starting point). , MK4 may be sequentially confirmed whether or not it is detected at the same position in the observation regions Vw11 and Vw14 of the alignment system Amn. If the marks MK1 and MK4 detected last before the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped are displaced without being detected at the same positions in the observation areas Vw11 and Vw14, the main control unit 50 stores the displacement amount as the slip amount. .. Depending on the magnitude of the stored slip amount, it can be determined whether or not the detection operation of the marks MK1 to MK4 by the alignment system Amn is required at the time of restarting. At the time of restart, the drive source (nip rollers NR1, NR2 and the rotary drum DR) of the transport mechanism is accelerated so that the seat substrate P has a predetermined transport speed, but at that time, the seat substrate P is also on the rotary drum DR. Various parameters of transport control (rate of increase in speed, amount of change in tension, etc.) are set so that the drum does not slip. Of course, while accelerating the transport speed of the sheet substrate P, the sheet substrate P may slip on the rotating drum DR. By confirming whether or not each position is detected, the amount of slippage can be quantitatively measured.

[Work and operation during suspension]
As described above, according to the sequence of FIGS. 6 and 8, after the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped and the pattern drawing operation is interrupted in the state as shown in FIG. 10, the main control unit 50 is for the work to be performed during the temporary stop. Perform the action. In the present embodiment, the main factors for issuing the pause request are (1) a retry operation in which the mark detection operation is redone when the position detection accuracy of the marks MK1 to MK4 by the alignment system Amn is significantly reduced, (2). Calibration work for calibrating the drawing system (laser light sources LSa and LSb to each drawing unit U1 to U6) and the drift related to the alignment system Amn in the exposure apparatus EX, and (3) various rollers in the transport path. It is assumed that three types of work, maintenance work for cleaning dust (foreign matter) adhering to the rotating drum DR, are required. FIG. 12 shows a schematic flowchart when the exposure apparatus EX performs at least one of the above three types of operations during the pause. The sequence control based on the flowchart of FIG. 12 is assumed to be executed by the main control unit 50, but may be executed under the control of the host computer in the factory. Further, the flowchart of FIG. 12 also estimates (simulates) the operation related to the work of each stop factor of the exposure apparatus EX during the pause before the pause. In the flowchart as shown in FIG. 12, the photosensitive layer coating processing device installed on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus EX or the wet processing device (development processing device or the like) for the photosensitive layer installed on the downstream side temporarily processes the processing. When the configuration is such that it can be stopped, it is similarly created for each of the coating processing apparatus and the wet processing apparatus based on necessary work factors as appropriate.

In FIG. 12, the main control unit 50 determines in the order of steps 300, 302, 304 whether the work during the suspension period is (1) retry operation, (2) calibration work, or (3) maintenance work. do. When a work or operation other than these three types of work is set, the main control unit 50 determines it in step 306, and when it is neither the above three types of work nor any other work, the main control unit 50 determines it. Perform the error handling in step 308. Normally, when a transition to the pause mode is requested, the stop duration Tcs and the like are set together with the work content that requires the pause. Therefore, unless there is some setting error, the error from step 306 to step 308 occurs. There is nothing to proceed with the process. The main control unit 50 also determines whether or not there is any setting error in each of steps 300, 302, 304, and 306. For example, when the stop duration Tcs deviates significantly from the length commensurate with the content of the work, each of steps 300, 302, 304, and 306 is determined to be "No", and step 308 is executed. .. In the other work of step 306, for example, it is connected to the processing device for the post-process connected after the tension adjusting unit 12'including the nip roller NR2'shown in FIG. 2, or to the upstream side of the exposure device EX. It also includes a waiting operation that temporarily stops the processing operation of the exposure device EX (putter drawing and transfer of the sheet substrate P) until the processing in the processing device for the previous process is delayed or stagnant and the situation is improved. ..

In step 308, when the amount of tension applied to the seat substrate P when the paused state is large, the tension is released, or the nip rollers NR1, NR2 (NR2'), NRa, etc. are used. The mooring of the sheet substrate P is released. By releasing the tension and mooring of the sheet substrate P, the sheet substrate P is not damaged. When step 308 is executed, it is no longer possible to automatically restart the operation, so the main control unit 50 issues an alarm and requests assistance by the operator.

When it is determined in step 300 that the retry operation is performed, the main control unit 50 makes each of some marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P detected before the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped in step 310. Perform the sequence (operation) to measure again. In this case, the rotating drum DR is rotated in the reverse direction by a certain angle so that the portion of the seat substrate P at the scheduled stop position Xst shown in FIG. 10 returns to the vicinity of the position Xfa. When the rotary drum DR is rotated in the reverse direction from the stopped state, the seat substrate P is placed on the rotary drum DR while synchronously controlling the rotary drive of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') and the rotary drive of the rotary drum DR. The seat substrate P is conveyed in the opposite direction at a low speed (low acceleration) while adjusting the tension amount so as not to slip. Since the main control unit 50 can recognize that the request for suspension is a retry operation as the work content in step 120 of FIG. 6, when the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P becomes zero, the previous step 120 The mooring operation of the seat substrate P by the nip roller NRa (or nip member) as described with reference to FIG. 11 and the mooring operation of the seat substrate P by the vacuum (decompression) suction portion on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR are not executed. In the retry operation, after the rotation of the rotary drum DR in the forward direction is stopped, the rotation in the reverse direction is immediately performed, so that the rotation is applied to the sheet substrate P on each of the upstream side and the downstream side of the rotary drum DR. The tension amount may be left large to suppress the slip of the seat substrate P when the rotating drum DR is rotated in the opposite direction. Regarding a method of re-detecting / re-measuring the alignment marks MK1 to MK4 by slightly returning the sheet substrate P originally transported in one direction in the opposite direction as in this retry operation, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-145971 It is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-095387.

If it is determined in step 300 that the retry operation is not performed, the main control unit 50 determines in the next step 302 whether or not the requested work content is a calibration work (calibration work), and if it is not a calibration work, the next step. In step 304 of the above, it is determined whether or not the work is maintenance work. Normally, there are three types of work that require suspension: retry operation, calibration work, and maintenance work. However, if suspension is required due to other factors, the main control unit 50 may perform other work in step 306. Determine if it is work (preset). In the other work set in this step 306, for example, when a large fluctuation occurs in the transport speed (processing length) of the sheet substrate P in the processing device on the upstream side or the downstream side of the exposure device EX, a certain period of time occurs. A mere waiting operation for interrupting the exposure process of the exposure apparatus EX is also included.

If it is determined in step 306 that it is not another preset operation, the main control unit 50 executes the error processing in step 308. Normally, step 308 is not executed because the factor for pausing and the work content during suspension are determined, but step 308 is taken into consideration when the type designation of the work content is omitted. Set the error handling of. In the error processing of step 308, since the work content is unknown, each drive unit releases the tension applied to the seat substrate P and also releases the mooring when the mooring operation is performed. It shifts to a stopped state in which it is controlled and does not restart in the same way that the exposure apparatus EX is stopped in the emergency stop mode.

[Retry operation]
On the other hand, if it is determined in the above step 300 that the retry operation is performed, the main control unit 50 issues a command to each drive unit, the alignment system Amn, or the like in step 310 to remeasure the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P. Send out. When the drawing position can be set normally again by re-measuring the marks MK1 to MK4, the main control unit 50 determines that the return is possible, and the preparatory operation for the return (scheduled stop position Xst of the sheet board P, Alternatively, a return operation to the restart position deviated from the planned stop position Xst by a predetermined length, etc.) is executed, and then step 320 is executed. In step 320, various parameters for restarting are set in each of the transfer control unit TPC and the drawing control unit 52 so that the sheet substrate P is transported in the original state again. Various parameters at the time of restart include the rotary drum DR so that the seat substrate P does not slip (microslip, etc.) on the rotary drum DR while the seat substrate P is accelerated from the stopped state to a constant speed. Information such as a control pattern for instructing the rotation speed of the sheet substrate P and a change pattern of the amount of tension given to the sheet substrate P is included. Further, as a result of re-measuring the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P in step 310, if the mark position cannot be specified or the measurement accuracy of the mark position cannot be secured, the main control unit 50 performs a retry operation. It is determined that the subsequent recovery is impossible, and the error processing in step 308 is executed. As a result, the exposure apparatus EX shifts to a stopped state in which it does not restart.

[Calibration work (calibration)]
Further, when it is determined in step 302 that the calibration work is performed, the main control unit 50 performs various measurement processes and adjustment processes based on the preset calibration contents in step 312, so that each unit in the exposure apparatus EX is performed. Send a command to. The calibration work includes a work performed in a state where the sheet substrate P is retracted from the outer peripheral space of the rotating drum DR and a work that can be performed without retracting, and further, the rotating drum DR is used for calibration. There is also work. When the seat substrate P is retracted from the outer peripheral space of the rotary drum DR, for example, in the main control unit 50, either one of the upstream nip roller NR1 and the downstream nip roller NR2 (NR2') shown in FIG. 2 is in a moored state ( (Rotation stopped state) is continued, and the other side sends the sheet substrate P by a predetermined length, and the sheet substrate P is set to be greatly slackened (becomes a non-tension state) between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2 (NR2'). do. As a result, the sheet substrate P can be displaced from the outer peripheral space of the rotary drum DR in the Y direction (width direction), and the sheet substrate P can be extracted from between the drawing units U1 to U6 and the rotary drum DR. The extracted sheet substrate P is manually locked to the device wall surface or the like on the side end side of the rotary drum DR by using an appropriate clip member.

When the sheet substrate P is retracted from between the rotating drum DR and the drawing units U1 to U6, the reference mark and the reference pattern formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR can be detected by the alignment system Amn, and the drawing unit. The reflected light monitors provided in each of U1 to U6 draw with each of the mutual position error, tilt error, joint error of the drawing lines SL1 to SL6, or the observation area (observation field) Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system Amn. An error in the mutual positional relationship with the lines SL1 to SL6 (baseline error) and the like can be measured by using the rotation of the rotating drum DR. In this way, an example of forming a reference mark or a reference pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR and calibrating the exposure apparatus EX (correction or adjustment based on the measured error) using the reference mark or the reference pattern is described in International Publication No. 2014. It is disclosed in Pamphlet No. 034161 or Pamphlet No. 2015/152217.

In addition, as the calibration work in the state where the sheet substrate P is retracted, the absolute value and variation of each intensity (light amount) of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6 emitted from each of the drawing units U1 to U6 are measured and drawn. Correction work to make each intensity of beams LB1 to LB6 uniform, and measurement of variation in focus position (condensing position) with reference to the outer peripheral surface (surface on which the reference pattern is formed) of the rotating drum DR of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6. Adjustment work, work to adjust the optical members in the drawing units U1 to U6 by measuring the dimensional (diameter) error of each spot light of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6, spherical aberration, etc., and each of the drawing lines SL1 to SL6. There is work such as confirming and adjusting the setting accuracy of the drawing magnification with respect to the main scanning direction (Y direction in FIG. 3) of the pattern drawn in. Also during these operations, the reflected light monitors provided in each of the drawing units U1 to U6 are used to detect the reflected light from the reference mark and the reference pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR for drawing. The intensity (light intensity) state, focus state, and spherical aberration state of the beams LB1 to LB6 can be measured. Further, a small hole or a recess having a diameter of about several millimeters is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, and a pinhole plate and a photoelectric element that receive each of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6 are embedded therein, and the photoelectric element is used. Based on the output signal, the state of the intensity (light amount) of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6, the focus state, the state of spherical aberration, and the like may be measured.

As a calibration work that can be performed even when the sheet substrate P is wound around the rotating drum DR, a movable shielding plate (shutter) is arranged at the incident position of each beam LB1 to LB6 of the drawing units U1 to U6, and the drawing units U1 to U1 to A protective sheet that has a light-shielding property against ultraviolet rays for exposure between the sheet substrate P wound around the rotating drum DR and the drawing units U1 to U6 in a state where the beams LB1 to LB6 are blocked from being incident on each of the U6s. Optical adjustment to adjust slight inclination and lateral displacement of the beams LB1 to LB6 passing through the optical paths of the laser light sources LSa, LSb, the optical modulation member OSM, and the beam optical path adjustment mechanism BDU shown in FIG. Work is feasible. For such optical adjustment, the beam tilt error and strike-slip error are measured at appropriate positions in the optical path from the laser light sources LSa and LSb to the inside of the beam optical path adjustment mechanism BDU (or the drawing units U1 to U6). A beam fluctuation detection system (including a lens, a mirror, a photoelectric element, an imaging element, etc.) is provided.

In the exposure apparatus EX that draws a pattern with spot light as in the present embodiment, it is important that the scanning position of the spot light by each of the drawing units U1 to U6 is stable, but from the laser light sources LSa and LSb. In the beam optical path to the sheet substrate P, there are also optical members that are easily affected by changes in the environment such as temperature (or humidity) and atmospheric pressure. Therefore, in the optical path in the exposure apparatus EX, optical components are arranged or a correction system is incorporated in an optical design (arrangement condition) so that beam fluctuation is suppressed even if there is an environmental change. However, there may be cases where the amount of beam fluctuation due to environmental changes is out of the permissible range. In such a case, the operation of the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily stopped so that the amount of beam fluctuation returns to the allowable range from the laser light sources LSa and LSb in the beam optical path adjusting mechanism BDU (or drawing units U1 to U6). Mechanical adjustment or electrical adjustment of optical parts and electro-optical parts in the optical path leading to (inside) is performed. This adjustment work can be performed automatically for the parts that can be electrically adjusted during the pause, based on the error information measured by the beam variation detection system, but it can also be performed manually.

When each part of the exposure apparatus EX is returned to the initial performance by the above calibration work, the main control part 50 determines that the recovery is possible, and the preparatory operation for the recovery (the scheduled stop position Xst of the sheet substrate P, or (Returning operation to the restart position, etc., which is deviated from the scheduled stop position Xst by a predetermined length, etc.) is executed, and then step 320 described above is executed. Further, if there is a possibility that a problem may occur in the exposure process after restarting without returning the performance to the original state even if the calibration work of step 312 is performed, the main control unit 50 cannot return after the calibration work. The determination is made, and the error processing of step 308 is executed. As a result, the exposure apparatus EX shifts to a stopped state in which it does not restart. Further, depending on the content of the calibration work, after the calibration work in step 312 is completed, the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P are detected by the alignment system Amn, and the image information and positions of the observed marks MK1 to MK4 are detected. We may also check the information. If it is necessary to detect the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P after the calibration operation, the main control unit 50 executes step 310 after step 312. Even when the sheet substrate P is removed from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, the non-nipped roller of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (NR2') is in the nip state during the preparatory operation for recovery. By rotating at a low speed, the sheet substrate P can be wound around the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR again. At that time, since the sheet substrate P is moored (locked) at the position of the nip roller NR1 or the nip roller NR2 (NR2'), each observation region Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system Amn, or the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 and the sheet substrate The position on P can be restored to a specific positional relationship immediately after the pause. However, since it is difficult to restore the positional relationship with micron accuracy, it is better to execute step 310.

[Maintenance work (maintenance)]
Now, in step 302, if the reason for the suspension is not the calibration work, the main control unit 50 determines in the next step 304 whether the reason for the suspension is maintenance work. When it is determined in step 304 that the maintenance work is performed, the main control unit 50 sets (prepares) each part in the exposure apparatus EX to a state suitable for the maintenance work based on the content of the maintenance work in step 314. In many cases, the maintenance work is performed manually (manually), so the main control unit 50 prepares so that the manual work can be performed. A typical example of maintenance work is cleaning work of members (various rollers and rotary drum DR) that come into contact with the sheet substrate P in the transport system in the exposure apparatus EX. In particular, the surface side on which the photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P is formed, such as the nip rollers NR1, NR2 (NR2') shown in FIG. 2, the roller R3, the tension roller RT5, or the various rollers shown in FIG. The photosensitive layer at the end of the sheet substrate P in the width direction (Y direction) may be finely peeled (crushed) to the order of millimeters or less and adhere to the roller in contact with the roller as foreign matter. When this foreign matter reattaches to the surface of the sheet substrate P and is carried to the positions of the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 in the exposure apparatus EX, the spot light by the drawing beams LB1 to LB6 is blocked, dimmed, or scattered. This will result in a significant deterioration in the drawing quality of the pattern. Further, if foreign matter adheres to or near the alignment marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P, an alignment error (mark cannot be detected, measurement accuracy is significantly reduced) may occur. Further, when such a foreign substance adheres to a specific portion on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, the sheet substrate P wound on the specific portion swells according to the size (thickness) of the foreign substance, and the identification thereof. In the portion, the focus error of the spot light may increase, which may deteriorate the drawing quality of the pattern.

Therefore, it is necessary to occasionally clean the outer peripheral surfaces of the various rollers and the rotary drum DR that make up the transport system. The timing and interval of cleaning are not particularly determined, but are set according to the material, thickness, adhesion, and the like of the photosensitive layer applied to the sheet substrate P. When, for example, the sheet substrate P coated with the photosensitive silane coupling agent is continuously exposed as the photosensitive layer, the photosensitive layer is a self-assembled monolayer that is chemically tightly bonded to the surface of the sheet substrate P. Since it is formed as a SAM film), it is unlikely to peel off. On the other hand, the photosensitive layer obtained by applying a liquid photoresist to a thickness on the order of microns and drying the photosensitive layer or the photosensitive layer of a dry film (thickness of several μm or more) comes into contact with a roller during transportation of the sheet substrate P. There is a possibility that it will become fine powder (foreign matter) and peel off. Therefore, when the sheet substrate on which the photosensitive layer having a high possibility of peeling off as fine powder is continuously processed, the frequency of cleaning is set high. The cleaning frequency is set based on the empirical rule at the time of actual device manufacturing, but it is optically determined whether or not a problematic foreign substance adheres to the outer peripheral surface of some rollers or the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR. An inspection mechanism such as a foreign matter inspection unit or a surface inspection unit to be inspected may be incorporated in the exposure apparatus EX, and the necessity of cleaning and the timing of cleaning may be determined based on the inspection result by the inspection mechanism. In this case, it is possible to generate (generate) a request signal for a temporary stop or an emergency stop based on the inspection result by the inspection mechanism.

As an inspection mechanism for inspecting whether or not foreign matter is attached to the outer peripheral surfaces of various rotating rollers and the rotating drum DR, for example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-184053 can be used, and the method is conveyed by the rollers. As an inspection mechanism for inspecting whether or not foreign matter is attached to the sheet substrate P, for example, the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-085869 can be used. In the inspection and cleaning work for foreign matter, the sheet substrate P is removed (loose) from the rotating drum DR and various rollers as in the previous calibration work, but the nip roller NR1 and nip roller NR2 (NR2) Since the seat substrate P is moored (locked) at any one of the positions of'), the seat substrate P can be returned to the position immediately after the pause on the rotary drum DR after the calibration work is completed. ..

Further, although maintenance work is not performed very frequently, a water cooling device for controlling the temperature of each part in the exposure apparatus EX, for example, a cooling medium (coolant liquid) in the chiller unit 16 shown in FIG. Replacement work, filter replacement work, setting work of cooling medium temperature and flow rate, etc. In particular, the cooling of the laser light sources LSa and LSb and the optical modulation member OSM shown in FIG. 2 is to stably scan each spot light of the drawing beams LB1 to LB6 on the sheet substrate P without fluctuation (drift). is important. The time required for the maintenance work of the chiller unit 16 differs depending on the maintenance content, but the control unit (CPU) in the chiller unit 16 is notified of the status information such as the control status, the maintenance content, and the time required for the maintenance to the main control unit 50. By providing a function (LAN port, etc.) to perform maintenance work, the approximate time required for maintenance work can be grasped in advance. Other maintenance work may include deterioration of the characteristics of various optical parts in the laser light sources LSa and LSb, and parts replacement work according to the usage time. When a mechanism for replacing an optical component in use with a spare optical component is provided in the laser light sources LSa and LSb, the component replacement is simply replacement after stopping the oscillation operation of the laser light sources LSa and LSb. Some are completed and some require adjustment after replacement. In the case of an optical component that requires adjustment after replacement, if a long time (for example, 30 minutes or more) elapses in the adjustment work, stop the pause mode and shift to the stop state (step 308) that does not restart. There is also.

When each part of the exposure apparatus EX is returned to the initial performance by the above maintenance work, the main control unit 50 determines that it can be restored, and prepares for the restoration (the planned stop position Xst of the sheet substrate P, or (Return operation to the restart position, etc., which is deviated from the scheduled stop position Xst by a predetermined length, etc.) is executed, and then step 320 described above is executed. Further, if there is a possibility that a problem may occur in the exposure process after restarting without returning the performance to the original state even if the maintenance work of step 314 is performed, the main control unit 50 cannot return after the maintenance work. The determination is made, and the error processing of step 308 is executed. As a result, the exposure apparatus EX shifts to a stopped state in which it does not restart. Further, depending on the content of the maintenance work, after the maintenance work in step 314 is completed, the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P are detected by the alignment system Amn, and the image information and positions of the observed marks MK1 to MK4 are detected. We may also check the information. When it is necessary to detect the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P after the maintenance work, the main control unit 50 executes step 310 after step 314.

[Other work]
As described above, step 306 is not always necessary, but when step 306 is set, other work (simply temporary of the exposure apparatus EX) in which the work during which the main control unit 50 is paused is preset. If it is determined (including stoppage), step 316 is executed. In step 316, a determination as to whether or not a return (restart) is possible after other work and a preparatory operation when the return is possible are executed. When the other work is simply a temporary stop of the exposure apparatus EX, it is determined that the operation of the processing apparatus (adjacent processing apparatus) on the upstream side or the downstream side is temporarily stopped and the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped. Therefore, the exposure apparatus EX may stand by in a stopped state until the adjacent processing apparatus resumes operation. Therefore, in such a case, in step 316, it is determined whether or not to restore (restart) the exposure apparatus EX, for example, based on the length of time from the stopped state to the restart of the adjacent processing apparatus. Therefore, the adjacent processing device is provided with a function of transmitting status information including information such as the time until restart and the cause of stoppage, and the main control unit 50 of the exposure apparatus EX receives the status information of the adjacent processing device. It is good to provide a function.

If it is determined in step 316 that the mark MK1 to MK4 can be restored (restarted), the main control unit 50 executes step 320, and if it is necessary to measure the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P after other work, the step Step 310 is performed after 316. As another work, when the exposure apparatus EX simply waits in a stopped state until the operation of the adjacent processing apparatus resumes, when the waiting time reaches, for example, 30 minutes or more, or when the waiting time is unknown, the process returns in step 316. Determined that (restart) is not possible, the main control unit 50 executes the error processing in step 308.

As described above, according to the sequence of FIG. 12, it is determined whether or not the exposure apparatus EX can be restarted from the situation where the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily stopped for various operations, and the control state of each part in the apparatus at the time of restarting is appropriately set. be able to. Further, in the present embodiment, when the exposure apparatus EX is returned from the stopped state after various operations, the specific position on the sheet substrate P, the detection position of the alignment system Amn (Vw11 to Vw14), and the drawing units U1 to U6. The relationship with each exposure position (SL1 to SL6) does not deviate significantly from the positional relationship immediately before stopping. Therefore, the time required for returning (restarting) is short, and the accurately positioned pattern drawing (exposure) operation can be continued from the state immediately after the transfer of the sheet substrate P is temporarily stopped.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the state of the sheet substrate P at the time of temporary stop in the second embodiment, and is a view of the sheet substrate P developed in parallel with the XY plane. In the second embodiment, rectangular exposure regions W1 to W4 having a long side in the long direction of the sheet substrate P are arranged on the sheet substrate P with the margin portion SSa or the margin portion SSb interposed therebetween. The margin SSa between the exposure region W1 and the exposure region W2 and between the exposure region W2 and the exposure region W3 is set at a narrow interval of, for example, several cm or less, and the margin SSb between the exposure region W3 and the exposure region W4 is set. For example, it is set at a wide interval of several cm or more. Margin SSb with a wide interval is provided on the sheet substrate P for each of a plurality of exposure regions Wn in order to moor with a nip roller NR1 (any one of NR2, NR2', and NRa) as a mooring member. The distance Lsx in the X direction between the center position of the margin SSb in the X direction and the intermediate position Poc, which is the center position between the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 on the rotating drum DR, is the Z direction of the tension roller RT5 shown in FIG. It may change slightly depending on the position of, but it is almost constant. Therefore, depending on the length of the exposure region Wn in the X direction (long direction), as shown in FIG. 13, when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped and the nip roller NR1 moored the margin SSb, the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 The drawing position by is located on the exposure area W1.

Therefore, when a mooring area such as a margin SSb is set on the sheet substrate P, when a request for temporary stop (or emergency stop) occurs, the main control unit 50 positions the margin SSb at the position of the nip roller NR1. When brought about, each drive mechanism is controlled so as to stop the transfer of the sheet substrate P. However, in the case of FIG. 13, when the margin portion SSb comes to the position of the nip roller NR1, the exposure area W1 is the position where the pattern is drawn by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6, so that there is a time margin before the operation is stopped ( (Except for the emergency stop), after the pattern drawing of the exposure area W1 is completed, the drawing operation for the next exposure area W2 is stopped, and the transfer stop sequence of the sheet substrate P is started. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 13, in the first embodiment, when the transport speed of the sheet substrate P becomes zero, the position of the nip roller NR1 is on the exposure region W4 outside the margin SSb. Probability is high. Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the pattern drawing of the exposure region W1 on the sheet substrate P is completed, the forward transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped, and then the sheet is stopped until the margin SSb stops at the position of the nip roller NR1. The substrate P is conveyed in the opposite direction at a low speed.

The relationship between the nip roller NR1 and the position on the sheet substrate P when the forward transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped is measured by the interval Lsx shown in FIG. 13 and the encoder head ECn for measuring the angular position of the rotating drum DR. Identified based on value. Further, based on the detection result of the address marking pattern APn shown in FIG. 10 and the detection position results of the alignment marks MK1 and MK4, the position of the margin SSb on the sheet substrate P in the transport direction can be specified. .. As a result, the mooring operation can be started with the margin SSb on the sheet substrate P stopped at the position of the nip roller NR1 (or NR2, NR2', NRa). Since the exposure region Wn is not formed in the margin portion SSb, the nip state by the mooring member such as the nip roller NR1 can be continued for a long time. Therefore, even if the sheet substrate P slips (rubs) against the mooring force (nip pressure) of the mooring member such as the nip roller NR1, the dimension of the margin SSb in the transport direction can be set longer. , The possibility of damaging the front and rear exposed areas W3 and W4 can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) according to the third embodiment. The device manufacturing system of FIG. 14 has, for example, a part of a pattern layer of a flexible display as an electronic device (one layer structure of a thin film transistor electrode layer, a bus line wiring layer, an insulating layer, a transparent electrode layer, and the like). This is a manufacturing line (flexible display manufacturing line). Flexible displays include, for example, organic EL displays and liquid crystal displays. This device manufacturing system is a roll-to-roll system in which various processes are continuously applied to the sheet substrate P sent out from the supply roll FR, and then the processed sheet substrate P is wound up by a recovery roll RR. There is. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the sheet substrate P sent out from the supply roll FR is wound up on the recovery roll RR at least through the processing devices PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, and PR5. In FIG. 14, it is an orthogonal coordinate system in which the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are orthogonal to each other. The X direction is the transport direction of the sheet substrate P in the horizontal plane, and is the direction connecting the supply roll FR and the recovery roll RR. The Y direction is a direction orthogonal to the X direction in the horizontal plane, and is a width direction of the sheet substrate P. The Z direction is a direction (vertical direction) orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction.

This processing device PR1 is a surface treatment device that performs plasma surface treatment on the sheet substrate P while conveying the sheet substrate P conveyed from the supply roll FR in the conveying direction (+ X direction) along the elongated direction. be. The surface of the sheet substrate P is modified by this processing device PR1, and the adhesiveness of the photosensitive functional layer is improved. The processing device PR2 is a film forming apparatus (coating apparatus) that performs a film forming process of the photosensitive functional layer while conveying the sheet substrate P conveyed from the processing apparatus PR1 in the conveying direction (+ X direction). The processing apparatus PR2 selectively or uniformly applies the photosensitive functional liquid on the surface of the sheet substrate P to selectively select the photosensitive functional layer (photosensitive thin film, coating layer, coating layer) on the surface of the sheet substrate P. Or form uniformly. Further, the processing device PR3 includes an exposure device EX that performs exposure processing while transporting the sheet substrate P sent from the processing device PR2 in the transport direction (+ X direction). The exposure apparatus EX of the processing apparatus PR3 irradiates the surface (photosensitive surface) of the sheet substrate P with an optical pattern corresponding to a pattern such as a circuit or wiring for a display panel. As a result, a latent image (modified portion) corresponding to the pattern is formed on the photosensitive functional layer. The processing device PR4 is a developing device that performs a wet development processing process while transporting the sheet substrate P transported from the processing device PR3 in the transport direction (+ X direction). As a result, a resist layer or the like having a pattern corresponding to the latent image appears on the photosensitive functional layer. The processing device PR5 is an etching device that performs etching processing using the photosensitive functional layer on which a pattern is formed as a mask while transporting the sheet substrate P transported from the processing device PR4 in the transport direction (+ X direction). As a result, patterns of wiring for electronic devices, conductive materials for electrodes, semiconductor materials, insulating materials, and the like appear on the sheet substrate P.

A first storage device BF1 capable of storing the sheet substrate P over a predetermined length is provided between the processing device PR2 and the processing device PR3, and the sheet substrate P is provided between the processing device PR3 and the processing device PR4. A second storage device BF2 capable of accumulating over a predetermined length is provided. Therefore, the sheet substrate P sent from the processing device PR2 is carried into the exposure device EX of the processing device PR3 via the first storage device BF1, and the processing device PR3 carries the sheet substrate P via the second storage device BF2. P is carried out to the processing device PR4. The processing devices PR1 to PR5 are arranged on the installation surface of the manufacturing factory. This installation surface may be a surface on the installation base or a floor. The processing device PR3 including the exposure device EX, the first storage device BF1, and the second storage device BF2 is a patterning device that forms a pattern for an electronic device on the sheet substrate P, and is a precision printing device instead of the exposure device EX. An apparatus or an inkjet printer may be used. In that case, the front and rear processing devices PR2 (deposition processing), processing device PR4 (development processing), and processing device PR5 (etching processing) are replaced with devices that perform another processing step.

The host control device 200 controls the processing devices PR1 to PR5, the first storage device BF1, and the second storage device BF2 of the device manufacturing system. The host control device 200 includes a computer and a storage medium in which the program is stored, and the computer executes the program stored in the storage medium to collectively control the device manufacturing system of the present embodiment. The upper control device 200 is provided with a stop sequence during an emergency of the exposure apparatus EX, or during work (also referred to as additional work) during temporary stop, or during restart, as described with reference to FIGS. 6, 8 and 12. You may memorize the program that executes the sequence of. The device manufacturing system of the present embodiment is provided with five processing devices PR1 to PR5, but may be provided with two or more processing devices PR. For example, the device manufacturing system of the present embodiment includes a total of two processing device PRs of processing devices PR2 and PR3, or processing devices PR3 and PR4, or a total of three processing device PRs of processing devices PR2 to PR4. It may be provided with.

The first storage device (storage device) BF1 and the second storage device (storage device) BF2 include nip rollers 500a and 500b on the carry-in side and nip rollers 503a and 503b on the carry-out side of the sheet substrate P, as shown in FIG. A plurality of fixed rollers 501a to 501d arranged in a row in the X direction, a plurality of dancer rollers 502a to 502e, and dancer rollers 502a to 502e are supported in a row in the X direction, and are supported in a row in the X direction in the Z direction along the columns 506a and 506b. It is composed of a support member 504 that moves up and down, and a control unit 508 that measures and drives the position of the support member 504 in the Z direction. The position information of the support member 504 in the Z direction measured by the control unit 508 corresponds to the length (accumulation length) of the sheet substrate P stored in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2, and is higher in FIG. It is also sent to the main control unit 50 of FIG. 5 together with the control device 200. Therefore, the main control unit 50 of the exposure apparatus EX reaches the current actual storage length or the storage limit length of the sheet substrate P stored in each of the storage device BF1 on the upstream side and the storage device BF2 on the downstream side. The accumulable length of the sheet substrate P can be grasped.

The storage devices BF1 and BF2 absorb the difference between the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the exposure apparatus EX and the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P passing through each of the upstream processing device PR2 and the downstream processing device PR4. Provided for. In the present embodiment, before the execution of the sequence for suspending the operation of the exposure apparatus EX, the host control device 200 or the main control unit 50 causes the actual accumulation length of the sheet substrate P at each of the accumulators BF1 and BF2 at that time. And the accumulable length. In the case of the production line of FIG. 14, since the sheet substrate P passes through the storage device BF1, the exposure device EX, and the storage device BF2 in this order, the time immediately before the operation of the exposure device EX (transportation of the sheet substrate P) is temporarily stopped. Then, the storage device BF1 on the upstream side is in a state where the sheet substrate P is hardly accumulated (actual storage length ≒ minimum storage length, storage possible length ≒ storage limit length), and the storage device BF2 on the downstream side is in a state where the sheet board P is hardly accumulated. It is preferable to keep the state in which the above is almost fully accumulated (actual accumulation length ≒ accumulation limit length, accumulation possible length ≈ zero).

As shown in FIG. 15, when the support member 504 that supports the dancer rollers 502a to 502e is located on the most negative side (lowermost side) in the Z direction, the fixed rollers 501a to 501d and the dancer rollers 502a to 502e (indicated by the broken line) The positional relationship in the Z direction is reversed, and the sheet substrate P can be linearly conveyed in the X direction from the nip rollers 500a and 500b on the carry-in side to the nip rollers 503a and 503b on the carry-out side. The state in which the sheet substrate P is linearly conveyed from the nip rollers 500a and 500b to the nip rollers 503a and 503b is a state in which the actual accumulation length is the minimum accumulation length (or zero). Further, when the support member 504 is located on the most positive side (topmost side) in the Z direction, the seat substrate P is alternately hung between the dancer rollers 502a to 502e and the fixed rollers 501a to 501d, and the nip roller 500a , 500b to the nip rollers 503a, 503b. When the support member 504 is located at the uppermost position, the length of the sheet substrate P accumulated between the nip rollers 500a and 500b and the nip rollers 503a and 503b becomes the accumulation limit length.

Therefore, when the host control device 200 or the main control unit 50 determines whether or not the exposure device EX can be temporarily stopped, the control unit 508 measures the actual storage length of the sheet substrate P in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2. Estimate based on the position of the support member 504 in the Z direction. Further, when the exposure apparatus EX stops the transport of the sheet substrate P, the time ΔTbf1 until the actual accumulation length of the accumulator BF1 reaches the accumulation limit length is set based on the carry-out speed of the sheet substrate P from the processing apparatus PR2. Estimate, and estimate the time ΔTbf2 until the actual storage length of the storage device BF2 reaches the minimum storage length based on the carry-in speed of the sheet substrate P into the processing device PR4. When both of these two times ΔTbf1 and ΔTbf2 are longer than the stop duration Tcs (explained in FIG. 6) of the pause, the host controller 200 or the main control unit 50 immediately suspends the pause sequence (FIG. 6, FIG. It is determined that FIGS. 8 and 12) are feasible. If at least one of the times ΔTbf1 and ΔTbf2 is shorter than the stop duration Tcs of the pause, it is determined that the pause sequence cannot be started immediately, and the host control device 200 determines that the actual accumulation in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2. Determine if the length can be adjusted. In a roll-to-roll manufacturing line as shown in FIG. 14, normally, the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P is set to be the same for all the processing devices PR1 to PR5, but depending on the processing device, it is temporarily set. It may be possible to increase or decrease the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P.

In the case of the production line of FIG. 14, when it is possible to temporarily reduce the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device PR2 on the upstream side of the exposure device EX from the normal specified speed, the storage device BF1 is thereby used. The actual accumulation length of is gradually shortened, and as a result, the time ΔTbf1 can be lengthened. Further, when it is possible to temporarily increase the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device PR4 on the downstream side from the specified speed, the actual storage length of the storage device BF2 gradually increases, and as a result, the actual storage length of the storage device BF2 gradually increases. The time ΔTbf2 can be lengthened. In the upper control device 200, in each of the processing device PR2 and the processing device PR4, the adjustment of such a transport speed (time ΔTbf1, ΔTbf2) has a stop time Tsq (explained in FIG. 6) which is a grace time until the operation is stopped. Determine if it is possible in the meantime. When the transfer speed (time ΔTbf1, ΔTbf2) can be adjusted within the stop time Tsq, the upper control device 200 temporarily transfers the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P in both the processing device PR2 and the processing device PR4, or one of them. The change is commanded, and the processing device PR2 or the processing device PR4 adjusts other control parameters so that the sheet substrate P is subjected to a predetermined process at the commanded transfer speed. When the transfer speed (time ΔTbf1, ΔTbf2) cannot be adjusted within the stop time Tsq, the host control device 200 tells the main control unit 50 that the storage lengths of the storage devices BF1 and BF2 cannot be adjusted. Along with notifying, a command to stop operation is sent to all the processing devices PR1 to PR5 on the production line. This means that the entire production line has to be stopped in order to carry out the additional work of the exposure apparatus EX.

However, by providing the storage devices BF1 and BF2 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the exposure device EX, the possibility that the operation of the exposure device EX can be temporarily stopped can be remarkably increased, whereby the other processing devices PR1, PR2, It is possible to execute additional work (retry, calibration work, maintenance work, etc.) of the exposure apparatus EX without suspending the operation of PR4 and PR5. As an example, when the specified value of the transport speed of the sheet substrate P in the production line is 10 mm / sec, the sheet substrate P advances by 0.6 m per minute, so that the accumulation length of about 30 minutes can be secured. The devices BF1 and BF2 have the number of times of folding back by the dancer rollers 502a to 502e and the fixed rollers 501a to 501d, and the Z of the dancer rollers 502a to 502e and the fixed rollers 501a to 501d so that the seat substrate P for about 18 m can be stored. The maximum separation dimension in the direction may be set. When the maximum distance between the dancer rollers 502a to 502e and the fixed rollers 501a to 501d in the Z direction is set to about 1.8 m, the number of times the sheet substrate P is folded back is about 10.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, even when the exposure apparatus EX (patterning apparatus) in the production line requires a short time additional work, the exposure apparatus without suspending the operation of the other processing apparatus. The operation of the EX (patterning device) can be suspended. Further, also in the third embodiment, as in the first or second embodiment, when the exposure apparatus EX (patterning apparatus) is restarted, the position on the sheet substrate P and the exposure position (drawing) are performed. Since the relative positional relationship with the lines SL1 to SL6) can be reproduced almost accurately, the rise time from the start of restart to the stable processing of the seat substrate P can be shortened, and the downtime can be reduced. Is obtained.

[Modification 1 regarding an exposure apparatus]
In each of the first, second, and third embodiments described above, the configuration in the case of using the direct drawing type exposure apparatus EX that exposes the pattern by the spot light of the scanning beam has been described, but the exposure of other exposure methods It may be a device. For example, a mask pattern formed on a flat mask or a cylindrical mask is illuminated with illumination light in the ultraviolet wavelength range, and transmitted light or reflected light from the mask pattern is projected onto the sheet substrate P by a proximity method or projection. ) Method may be used for exposure. In addition, using a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) or SLM (Spatial Light Modulator) in which a plurality of micromirrors whose attitudes can be changed are arranged in a matrix, and a microlens array, based on the CAD data of the pattern, It may be a maskless exposure machine that draws a pattern on a substrate in two dimensions.

[Modification 2 related to exposure apparatus]
When the exposure apparatus is operating normally, a pattern is continuously drawn or exposed on the sheet substrate P, so that the beam optical path in the exposure apparatus, each optical component, or the installation portion of each component is almost constant. It is often stable within the temperature range of (for example, within ± 0.5 ° C.). However, when the operating exposure apparatus is temporarily stopped, the operating state of the members and parts that can be heat sources in the exposure apparatus changes significantly, and the distribution of the environmental temperature in the exposure apparatus also changes significantly. Therefore, when a member or component that can be a heat source is activated at the time of restart, the distribution of the environmental temperature changes again, which may deteriorate the quality of the pattern transferred on the sheet substrate P immediately after the restart. There is also. Therefore, in the exposure apparatus EX described in the first embodiment (FIGS. 2 to 5), the oscillation of the laser light sources LSa and LSb is stopped during the pause, and the laser light sources LSa and LSb are stopped as shown in FIG. Even when the beam is shielded by the shutter SH installed immediately after the beam emission window, the acoustic and optical deflection elements AOM1 to AOM6 shown in FIG. 5 are driven On / Off under almost the same conditions as during operation. The switching element drive unit 56 continues to control. Further, the polygon mirror PMs in the drawing units U1 to U6 also continue to be controlled so as to rotate under substantially the same conditions (rotation speed) as during operation.

[Modification 3 related to exposure apparatus]
Further, in the damper (light absorber) Dmp shown in FIG. 5, the laser light source LSa, at the timing when the acoustic and optical deflection elements AOM1 to AOM6 are in the Off state while the exposure apparatus EX draws a pattern on the sheet substrate P, Since it absorbs the beams LBa and LBb from LSb, it can be a heat source. Therefore, when the oscillation of the beams LBa and LBb from the laser light sources LSa and LSb is stopped at the time of pausing, or when the beams LBa and LBb are shielded by the shutter SH, the temperature of the damper Dmp changes (decreases) significantly. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature change of the damper Dmp and a temperature control mechanism for keeping the temperature of the damper Dmp at the same temperature as the operating state. In addition, in order to suppress the heat of the damper Dmp from being transferred to the surrounding optical components and their installation portions, a heat insulating structure (ceramic heat insulating material, active cooling mechanism, etc.) may be provided around the damper Dmp. In addition, optics that change the temperature relatively quickly due to the transmission or reflection of the drawing beam when shifting from the operating state in which pattern drawing is performed continuously to the non-operating state in which pattern drawing is interrupted, or vice versa. If a member is present, it is preferable to provide an individual temperature control mechanism or heat dissipation mechanism so as to suppress a temperature change of the optical member.

[Modification 4 related to exposure apparatus]
When the operation of the exposure apparatus EX is stopped (the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped), the detection operation of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P by the alignment system Amn is also stopped. The alignment system Amn irradiates the photosensitive layer on the sheet substrate P with the illumination light for alignment in the non-photosensitive wavelength range, but stops the irradiation of the illumination light for alignment while the operation is stopped, and the alignment system The imaging operation of the two-dimensional image sensor (CCD, CMOS, etc.) that detects the magnified image of the marks MK1 to MK4 via the Amn objective lens is also stopped. As shown in FIG. 2, since the alignment system Amn is installed in a narrow space between the drawing units U1, U3, U5 and the rotating drum DR, the illumination light for alignment passes through the alignment system Amn. The temperature of the alignment system Amn itself tends to rise higher than the outside air temperature. Further, when the two-dimensional image sensor also continues the image pickup operation (also called the image capture operation or the shutter operation) at substantially constant time intervals, the drive circuit of the two-dimensional image sensor, the amplifier circuit of the image signal, etc. are exposed to the outside temperature. The temperature rises significantly. Therefore, while the exposure apparatus EX is in the stopped operation state, the illumination light for alignment of the alignment system Amn continues to irradiate the sheet substrate P (or the rotating drum DR), and the two-dimensional image pickup elements are marked MK1 to 1 during operation. The image pickup operation (image capture operation, shutter operation) may be controlled to continue at substantially the same interval as when the MK4 is detected and under the same conditions. As a result, even when the transition from the operating state to the non-operating state or the transition from the non-operating state to the operating state is performed, the alignment system Amn is stabilized at a temperature that is substantially constant higher than the outside air temperature. be able to.

Further, when the alignment illumination light is continuously passed through the alignment system Amn, the alignment illumination light is continuously projected at the same position on the sheet substrate P during the operation stop, so that the type of the photosensitive layer and the projection duration (stop continuation) are continued. Depending on the time Tcs), it may affect the photosensitive layer. Therefore, a movable shutter that shields the illumination light for alignment is provided immediately before or after the objective lens in the alignment system Amn, and when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped by the sequence of pause or emergency stop, A movable shutter may be inserted into the optical path to prevent the projection of the illumination light for alignment onto the sheet substrate P. Even in that case, the two-dimensional image sensor is controlled to continue the image pickup operation (image capture operation, shutter operation) at substantially the same interval and under the same conditions as when the marks MK1 to MK4 are detected during operation.

[Modification 5 related to exposure apparatus]
When the exposure processing to the plurality of exposure regions Wn (Wna, Wnb) of the sheet substrate P is the overlay exposure (second exposure), as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, each exposure region on the sheet substrate P Marks MK1 to MK4 and an address marking pattern APn drawn during the first exposure are formed on Wn (Wna, Wnb). Therefore, at the time of restarting, the marks MK1 to MK4 and the address marking pattern APn are detected by the alignment system Amn or the like, so that the exposure area (shot area) at which the pattern should be drawn first at the time of restarting and the drawing for the exposure area are drawn. The starting position is specified. In particular, the drawing start position is important for keeping the overlay accuracy within the permissible error range. Therefore, at the time of the first exposure, for example, as shown in FIG. 16, the trigger marks MTg1, MTg2, and MTg3 representing the drawing start position (start position) of each exposure area Wn (Wna, Wnb) are aligned on the sheet substrate P. It is formed at a position that can be detected by the system Amn or at a position that can be scanned by at least one of the drawing lines SL1 to SL6.

In FIG. 16, the three trigger marks MTg1, MTg2, and MTg3 are arranged in the margin between the exposure regions Wn and Wn-1 adjacent to each other in the transport direction (X direction), and each trigger mark MTgn is upward in the transport direction. It is formed in a trapezoid with the bottom and bottom side lined up. The dimension ΔLga between the upper base and the lower base of each trigger mark MTgn in the transport direction is about several tens of μm to several hundred μm, and the distance dimension between the upper base of each trigger mark MTgn and the head position of the exposure area Wn in the transport direction. ΔLgb is set to about several μm to several tens of μm. The dimension of the lower base of each trigger mark MTgn in the Y direction is set to about several tens of μm. The trigger mark MTg1 is arranged at almost the same position as the mark MK1 in the Y direction (position that can be detected by the microscope objective lens AM11 of the alignment system), and the trigger mark MTg3 is located at almost the same position as the mark MK4 in the Y direction (alignment system AM14). It is placed at a position that can be detected by. Since the trigger mark MTg2 is arranged at an intermediate position between the trigger marks MTg1 and MTg3 in the Y direction, it cannot be detected by the alignment systems AM12 and AM13. Further, the trigger mark MTg1 is arranged at a position that can be scanned by the spot light near the end of the drawing line SL1 in the Y direction, and the trigger mark MTg3 can be scanned by the spot light near the end of the drawing line SL6 in the Y direction. Placed in position. The trigger mark MTg2 is arranged at a position that can be scanned by spot light near the end of the drawing line SL3 or SL4 in the Y direction.

These marks MK1 to MK4 and trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3 are often formed as a metal layer on the sheet substrate P which has undergone a process (development treatment and etching or plating treatment) after the first exposure. Therefore, assuming that the first exposure immediately after the restart is performed on the exposure region Wn, the sheet substrate P is such that the margin portion is located on the upstream side with respect to the positions of the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 of the alignment system. The position when the trigger mark MTg1 is detected by the microscope objective lens AM11 of the alignment system (the position measured by the encoder head ECn in FIG. 3) while transporting the sheet substrate P in the forward direction at a constant speed. , The position when the trigger mark MTg3 is detected by the alignment system AM14 (the position measured by the encoder head ECn in FIG. 3) is stored.

After that, the trigger mark MTg1 is drawn based on the baseline length from the alignment system Amn to the odd-numbered drawing lines SL1, SL3, SL5, or the even-numbered drawing lines SL2, SL4, SL6, the feed amount of the sheet substrate P, and the like. Estimate the position to reach line SL1. When the trigger mark MTg1 comes to the position where it is scanned by the drawing line SL1, the drawing unit U1 continuously scans the spot light over a part of the drawing line SL1 including the trigger mark MTg1 in the Y direction. A rectangular pattern (dummy pattern) having a size including the trigger mark MTg1 is drawn with dummy data different from the drawing data of the actual pattern. The position of the dummy pattern on the sheet substrate P, especially the position in the transport direction (secondary scanning direction), is precisely determined by the encoder system (encoder head ECn, counter in the alignment / stage control unit 58) that measures the rotation angle position of the rotary drum DR. It is measured in. When drawing a dummy pattern, when the spot light scanning on the sheet substrate P along the drawing line SL1 crosses the trigger mark MTg1 (metal layer), the reflectance between the peripheral portion of the trigger mark MTg1 and the trigger mark MTg1 itself Reflected light (specular reflected light) whose intensity changes according to the difference is generated. If a photoelectric sensor that detects the reflected light is provided in the drawing unit U1, a position detection system (so-called alignment sensor) of the trigger mark MTg1 that uses the spot light of the beam LB1 for drawing as a measurement probe can be configured. ..

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a drawing unit U1 capable of detecting reflected light from the sheet substrate P (or the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR). The drawing beam LB1 projected from the beam optical path adjusting mechanism BDU (see FIG. 2) is bent in the X direction at a right angle by the mirror M10, and then bent in the Y direction by the mirror M11. The beam LB1 reflected by the mirror M11 is reflected in the X direction by the light splitting member (deflection beam splitter) BS1, is reflected in the Z direction by the mirror M12, and is reflected by the mirror M13 so as to travel in the X direction. The beam LB1 from the mirror M13 is projected onto the reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM via the mirror M14 in a state of being converged in the Z direction by the cylindrical lens CYa. The beam LB1 (scanning beam) reflected by the reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM passes through the f-θ lens FT, is reflected in the Z direction by the mirror M15, passes through the cylindrical lens CYb, and collects as spot light SP on the sheet substrate P. Be lit. With such a configuration, the spot light SP is mainly scanned in the Y direction by the rotation drive motor RM of the polygon mirror PM, and the drawing line SL1 is formed. The f-θ lens FT is a telecentric lens so that the main ray of the drawing beam LB1, which is the spot light SP, is perpendicular to the surface of the sheet substrate P (the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR) at any position on the drawing line SL1. It is designed to be. The telecentric system is a system in which the main ray of the drawing beam LB1 emitted from the f-θ lens FT is always parallel to the optical axis AXf of the f-θ lens FT. The cylindrical lenses CYa and CYb function as a surface tilt correction system for correcting the influence of a slight tilt of the reflective surface of the polygon mirror PM. Further, in FIG. 17, a plurality of appropriately arranged lenses in the optical path are not shown.

When the spot light SP is projected onto the sheet substrate P, specularly reflected light is generated with an intensity corresponding to the reflectance of the surface of the sheet substrate P. Since the f-θ lens FT is a telecentric system, the specular reflection light is transmitted through the cylindrical lens CYb, the mirror M15, the f-θ lens FT, the polygon mirror PM, the mirror M14, the cylindrical lens CYa, the mirror M13, and M12. , It returns to the optical dividing member BS1. The specularly reflected light transmitted through the light dividing member BS1 is received by the photoelectric sensor DT1. The photoelectric sensor DT1 is composed of a highly responsive PIN photodiode or the like, and outputs a photoelectric signal according to a change in the intensity of the specularly reflected light generated during the main scanning of the spot light SP. Further, in the drawing unit U1, a light source that projects a measurement beam toward the reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM in order to generate an origin signal representing the moment when the angle of each reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM reaches a predetermined angle. A unit 60a and a light receiving unit 60b that receives the measurement beam reflected by the reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM and outputs the origin signal are provided. When the rotation speed of the polygon mirror PM is known, the scanning position of the spot light SP on the drawing line SL1, that is, the position in the Y direction on the sheet substrate P is the passage of time with respect to the origin signal (pulse signal), for example. It can be grasped by the count value of the clock pulse of the clock signal of the laser light sources LSa and LSb. The light receiving surface of the photoelectric sensor DT1 is set in an optically conjugated relationship with the surface of the sheet substrate P (spot light SP) by a lens system (not shown) arranged in the optical path.

Therefore, the waveform change of the photoelectric signal from the photoelectric sensor DT1 in FIG. 17 is digitally sampled at high speed in response to the clock signals of the laser light sources LSa and LSb, and the waveform change is analyzed to draw a rectangular shape. The relative positional relationship (positional error between the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction) of the trigger mark MTg1 with respect to the position of the dummy pattern is obtained. Since the trigger mark MTg1 is formed in front of the start position of the exposure region Wn to be exposed by a known interval dimension ΔLgb, the spot of the beam LB1 for drawing is based on the obtained relative positional relationship. Correction for precisely adjusting the drawing start position by the optical SP to the start position of the exposure region Wn becomes possible immediately before the start of exposure in the exposure region Wn.

As described above, the other drawing units U2 to U6 are also provided with the same photoelectric sensor DT1 to provide a function of detecting the specularly reflected light, so that the positions of the other trigger marks MTg2 and MTg3 on the sheet substrate P can be determined. , It is possible to measure directly with the beam for drawing, and it is possible to perform superimposed exposure in a state of being precisely aligned from the head position of the exposure region Wn. Further, since the position measurement by the respective drawing beams of the trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3 is possible in two dimensions in the X direction and the Y direction in FIG. 16, the position in the Y direction of the pattern drawing by the drawing lines SL1 to SL6 is used. It is also possible to obtain a relative error of the exposure region Wn from the position in the Y direction and slightly shift the pattern drawing position in the Y direction so that the error is corrected.

As described above, in order to measure the position of the sheet substrate P (exposure area Wn) using the beam for drawing as a measurement probe, the dedicated trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3 are formed in advance at specific positions on the sheet substrate P. Instead of the trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3, alignment marks MK1 to MK4 may be used. Since the marks MK1 to MK4 are also formed as a metal layer by the process after the first exposure, they are exposed by monitoring the photoelectric signal of any of the photoelectric sensors DT1 provided in each of the drawing units U1 to U6. Immediately before the start of the pattern drawing operation for the region Wn, the head position of the exposure region Wn can be precisely specified, and the exposure process maintaining good overlay accuracy can be continued.

As described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, a specific pattern (or mark, or a specific pattern in a circuit pattern) on a sheet substrate P having a reflectance different from that of the surroundings using a drawing beam (exposure beam). The exposure sequence in which the position of is detected immediately before the start of the exposure operation with respect to the exposure region Wn and the relative position error is obtained and corrected is not limited to the exposure operation after the restart after the pause, and the exposure apparatus EX is the sheet. This can be performed while the normal exposure operation is continued on the substrate P. As a result, even if the tendency of each shape distortion of the exposure region Wn generated in response to the relatively large expansion and contraction or deformation of the sheet substrate P is different, precise superposition is performed for each exposure region Wn. Exposure is possible.

[Modification 6 related to exposure apparatus]
In each of the above embodiments, when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped at the time of temporary stop, the rotation of the rotating drum DR is also stopped. However, when the drive of the motor or the like that rotationally drives the rotary drum DR is stopped, the air conditioning state in the chamber CB (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the exposure apparatus EX changes, and drift due to the temperature change occurs during restart. It may occur. Therefore, in this modification, the rotating drum DR is continuously rotated under the same conditions as during operation while the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped. In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped, for example, after the sheet substrate P is moored by the nip roller NR1 on the upstream side, the tension by the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (RT7) is applied to the sheet substrate P. The nip roller NR2 (NR2') on the downstream side is slightly reversed until it does not act on. As a result, the sheet substrate P is locked between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2 (NR2') in a loose state. After that, the rotary drum DR is rotationally driven at the same speed as during operation so that the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR is slid on the back surface side of the loosened sheet substrate P.

In this case, the back surface side of the sheet substrate P may rub against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, so that the sheet substrate P may be scratched or dust (foreign matter) may be generated. When it is necessary to avoid the generation of scratches and dust, innumerable minute gas ejection holes are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR, pressure gas is supplied to the inside of the rotating drum DR, and gas is discharged from the gas ejection holes on the outer peripheral surface. Contact can be avoided by slightly floating the back surface of the sheet substrate P from the outer peripheral surface of the ejected and rotating drum DR. Further, after the seat substrate P is loosened between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2 (NR2'), an auxiliary roller having a small diameter or a high rigidity is formed between the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR and the seat substrate P. The holding roller may be moved so that the sheet substrate P is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum DR in the radial direction by inserting a simple round bar into a plurality of places.

[Modification 1 regarding the transport device]
As in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 14, when the storage devices BF1 and BF2 are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side of the exposure device EX, the stop duration Tcs of the pause of the exposure device EX is set. Manufacture when it becomes long and the limit of storage or sweeping of the sheet substrate P by the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is reached, or when it becomes necessary to make an emergency stop due to a serious trouble of any of the processing devices PR1 to PR5. The operation of the entire line will be stopped. In that case, the sheet substrate P stored in the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is given a predetermined tension between the nip rollers 500a and 500b on the carry-in side and the nip rollers 503a and 503b on the carry-out side shown in FIG. The transport is stopped as it is. Therefore, when both the processing device PR2 on the upstream side of the storage device BF1 and the exposure device EX on the downstream side are stopped, or both the processing device PR4 on the downstream side of the storage device BF2 and the exposure device EX on the upstream side are stopped. When the operation is stopped, the nip of the fixed rollers 501a, 501b, 503a, 503b, which are the nip rollers, is released so that the seat substrate P in the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is not tensioned, or the dancer rollers 502a to The support member 504 that supports the 502e is moved downward.

[Modification 1 regarding other processing devices]
As in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 14, when the exposure apparatus EX is combined in-line with a plurality of processing apparatus that controls the front and rear processing processes to process the sheet substrate P in a roll-to-roll manner. Although not shown in FIG. 14, a step of cleaning, drying, and heating the sheet substrate P after the wet treatment step of the sheet substrate P such as the film forming processing apparatus PR2, the developing processing apparatus PR4, and the etching processing apparatus PR5. Is required. In the drying / heating step, the drying (heating) time may be set according to the transport path length of the heating region for drying and the transport speed of the sheet substrate P. When stopping the operation of the entire production line based on the request for emergency stop, or when suspending any one of the wet treatment devices (PR2, PR4, PR5), the drying / heat treatment unit attached to the wet treatment device. However, the transfer of the sheet substrate P will be stopped. In the case of an emergency stop, it takes a long time for the serious trouble to be resolved and the system can be restarted. Stop blowing and lower the heating area to ambient temperature.

On the other hand, when the wet treatment device is temporarily stopped and the stop duration is relatively short, the heating set during normal operation is set by adjusting the drive of the heating heater and the ventilation of the temperature control gas. Decrease the target temperature of the region according to the expected downtime duration. As an example, when the sheet substrate P is a PET film, the glass transition temperature thereof is around 110 ° C., but in order to avoid large expansion and contraction, the heating temperature should be suppressed to about 100 ° C. However, if the sheet substrate P is exposed to a temperature of 100 ° C. in the heating region for a set time or longer due to the pause, the sheet substrate P may be significantly deformed. Therefore, when the stop duration for suspending the transfer of the sheet substrate P is short, the initial target temperature of 100 ° C. is lowered to, for example, about 70 ° C., and when the stop duration is long, the initial target temperature is 100 ° C. Is lowered to, for example, about 40 ° C. When the stop duration is short, the time from when the transfer of the sheet substrate P is stopped to when the transfer is restarted is short. Therefore, if the temperature of the heating region is significantly lowered, the heating region is returned to the original target temperature again. This is because it takes time.

In this way, by changing the temperature setting of the drying / heat treatment section after the wet treatment according to the expected stop duration of the pause, the original temperature can be obtained from the restart after the stop duration has elapsed. Drying and heat treatment can be resumed depending on the conditions. Moreover, it is possible to suppress thermal damage to the sheet substrate P during the pause. The target temperature set in the heating region of the drying / heat treatment unit may be dynamically changed as the expected stop duration elapses. For example, immediately after a pause, the target temperature is dropped once, then the target temperature is gradually raised as the stop duration elapses, and at the end of the stop duration, it continues to reach almost the initial target temperature. The temperature may be changed in a targeted or stepwise manner. In this way, while suppressing the power consumption in the drying / heat treatment unit, the processing under an appropriate temperature setting can be restarted at the expected restart timing, and the decrease in productivity can be suppressed.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a schematic appearance of a device manufacturing system (roll-to-roll integrated manufacturing line) according to the fourth embodiment, based on the manufacturing system described with reference to FIG. , The substrate supply unit 30A, the processing devices PR1, PR2, PR3, and the substrate recovery unit 30B are installed side by side in a row in the X direction, which is the transport direction (long direction) of the sheet substrate P, on the floor surface of the factory. Since the internal temperature and air conditioning state (states such as air volume and humidity) of each of the processing devices PR1, PR2, and PR3 are often set individually, the processing devices PR1, PR2, and PR3 are each in an appropriate chamber. Is housed in.

Of the two supply rolls FRa and FRb mounted on the substrate supply unit 30A, the supply roll FRa sends out the sheet substrate P, and the supply roll FRb is located near the end of the sheet substrate P from the supply roll FRa. A spare supply roll around which a new sheet substrate P to be joined is wound. The substrate supply unit 30A is formed by, for example, joining a sheet substrate cutting mechanism as disclosed in International Publication No. 2013/175882 pamphlet and joining one of the two sheet substrates P to the tip of the other sheet substrate. It has a mechanism. The substrate recovery unit 30B for recovering the sheet substrate P processed through the processing devices PR1, PR2, and PR3 includes a cutting mechanism and a joining mechanism configured in the same manner as the substrate supply unit 30A, and the substrate supply unit 30A has an XY surface. It is arranged inside (on the floor of the factory) by rotating it 180 degrees around the axis parallel to the Z axis. Although not shown in FIG. 18, two recovery rolls RRa and RRb for recovering the substrate can also be mounted on the substrate recovery unit 30B. In this way, the substrate supply unit 30A, which is equipped with two supply rolls and the sheet substrates are added and continuously supplied, and the substrate recovery unit 30B, which is equipped with the two collection rolls so that the sheet substrate can be continuously collected. However, it is also disclosed in the above-mentioned International Publication No. 2013/175882 pamphlet that it can be realized by the same mechanism.

The sheet substrate P carried out from the substrate supply unit 30A is subjected to processing of activation, cleaning, and charge removal of the surface of the sheet substrate P by the processing apparatus PR1, and then transferred to the processing apparatus (deposition processing apparatus) PR2. Sent. The processing apparatus PR2 is a die coater type coating portion PR2A in which a photoresist (liquid) as a photosensitive functional layer is coated on the surface of a sheet substrate P in a uniform thickness, and a solvent is evaporated from the coated photoresist. It is composed of a heat-drying portion PR2B that cures the photoresist. The heat-drying unit PR2B also has a function of prebaking the photoresist layer formed on the sheet substrate P, and is a transport path such that a high temperature (100 ° C. or lower) can be continuously applied to the sheet substrate P for a predetermined time. It has. The sheet substrate P carried out from the heat-drying section PR2B of the processing device PR2 is a processing device including an exposure device EX in which the storage devices BF1 and BF2 are arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side of the transport path, respectively, as in FIG. Sent to PR3. As shown in FIG. 15, for example, the storage device BF1 includes a plurality of dancer rollers 502a to 502e and a plurality of fixed rollers 501a to 501d, and the sheet substrate P warmed by the heating / drying unit PR2B is heated at room temperature (for example, 23 ° C.). ) Is equipped with a temperature control mechanism for cooling. This temperature control mechanism is configured to blow (circulate) a temperature control gas controlled at room temperature in a chamber covering the storage device BF1 at a predetermined flow rate, toward fixed rollers 501a to 501d (or dancer rollers 502a to 502e). Realized by a configuration in which a temperature-controlled temperature-controlled gas is injected from a nozzle, or a configuration in which the nip rollers 500a and 500b that the sheet substrate P carried into the storage device BF1 first contacts are controlled to a temperature lower than normal temperature. can,

The sheet substrate P (with photoresist) that has passed through the storage device BF1 is carried into the exposure device EX, and the pattern corresponding to the electronic device (circuit for display panel, wiring circuit for mounting electronic components, etc.) is a photoresist layer. Is exposed to. The exposure apparatus EX is a direct drawing type pattern drawing device as shown in FIGS. 2 and 17, a proximity type or projection type exposure device using a flat surface mask or a cylindrical mask, and maskless exposure using a DMD, SLM, or the like. Consists of one of the machines. The exposed sheet substrate P is sent to the processing device PR4 through the storage device BF2 on the downstream side. A latent image of a pattern corresponding to a portion irradiated with ultraviolet rays and a portion not irradiated with ultraviolet rays is transferred to the photoresist layer on the sheet substrate P after exposure, but in order to suppress bleeding of the latent image. A post-baking process that heats the sheet substrate P may be performed. In that case, the sheet substrate P may be heated by providing an electric heater, an infrared light source, a warm air injection nozzle, or the like in the chamber accommodating the storage device BF2. In the present embodiment, the processing apparatus PR4 has a developing processing unit PR4A that performs pure water cleaning after immersing the sheet substrate P in a developing solution to develop a photoresist layer, and a sheet substrate P that has been wet by the developing treatment and the cleaning treatment. It is composed of a drying processing unit PR4B that evaporates water from the body. A patterned resist layer is formed on the surface of the sheet substrate P dried by the drying processing section PR4B of the processing apparatus PR4, and the sheet substrate P is wound on a recovery roll (either RRa or RRb) by the substrate recovery unit 30B. Taken.

When an electrode pattern, a wiring pattern, or the like is formed on the sheet substrate P by the subtract method by the device manufacturing system of FIG. 18, copper (Cu) is formed on the surface of the sheet substrate P wound around the supply roll FRa. A conductive thin film (conductive layer) made of aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), indium tin oxide (ItO), etc. is formed, and in the processing apparatus PR2, a photoresist layer is applied on the conductive layer. Will be done. In FIG. 18, it is assumed that the sheet substrate P developed / dried by the processing apparatus PR4 is wound up by a recovery roll (RRa or RRb), but a wet processing apparatus that subsequently performs an etching treatment on the conductive layer. It is desirable to pass the sheet substrate P through PR5 (see FIG. 14), dry it, and then wind it up with a recovery roll.

Further, when an electrode pattern, a wiring pattern, or the like is formed on the sheet substrate P by an additive method (addition method) by the device manufacturing system of FIG. 18, the processing device PR2 is used as a photosensitive functional solution on the surface of the sheet substrate P. For example, a photosensitive plating-reducing agent as disclosed in International Publication No. 2016/1653525 (a polymer exposed with an amine group that removes the protecting group (fluorine group) by irradiation with ultraviolet rays and reduces metal ions. Material) solution is applied and dried. The processing device PR3 (exposure device EX) adjusts to the extent that the exposure amount (beam intensity) is corrected, and applies ultraviolet exposure light corresponding to the electrode and wiring patterns of the electronic device to the photosensitive functional layer of the sheet substrate P. Project. In the processing apparatus PR4, a plating solution for electroless plating (for example, containing palladium ions) is immersed in the surface of the sheet substrate P to precipitate plating nuclei (palladium) according to the shape of the electrode or wiring pattern. 1 Plating part, 2nd plating part that performs electroless plating with nickel phosphorus (NiP) on the plating core, cleaning part that cleans the sheet substrate P with pure water, and drying that dries the sheet substrate P It is composed of parts. In this case, an electrode pattern or a wiring pattern made of a metal layer of NiP is formed on the surface of the sheet substrate P wound by the recovery roll of the substrate recovery unit 30B.

In the present embodiment, in order to manage the overall state of the device manufacturing system shown in FIG. 18, or the individual states of the processing devices PR1 to PR4, the substrate supply unit 30A, and the substrate recovery unit 30B, the floor surface of the factory. A control rack RCU that can be moved on the top by casters or the like is provided. The control rack RCU is software related to data communication with the host computer of the factory, software related to control and communication of individual processing devices PR1 to PR4, board supply unit 30A, board recovery unit 30B, etc., and the operating state of the entire device manufacturing system. Computer (personal computer, etc.) LPC on which software related to monitoring / management of the system is installed, RMD, an input device consisting of a keyboard and switch board for inputting commands and data, and display and input of various information. It is equipped with a touch panel type display monitor DSP (for example, a 32-inch liquid crystal or organic EL panel) for the purpose. Various types of communication are performed by at least one of a wired system and a wireless system, but the individual processing devices PR1 to PR4, the substrate supply unit 30A, and the substrate recovery unit 30B (hereinafter collectively referred to as individual devices PR1 to PR4, 30A, 30B). During the performance confirmation operation, maintenance work, or adjustment work (calibration operation) of each performance (also referred to as), the front surface of each chamber of the individual devices PR1 to PR4, 30A, and 30B (on the −Y direction side in FIG. 18). It is preferable that one of the connectors installed on the surface) and the control rack RCU (computer LPC) are manually connected by an operator in a wired manner to perform various communications. This contributes to reducing selection errors of the individual devices PR1 to PR4, 30A, and 30B, which are the targets of important operations such as maintenance work and adjustment work.

Further, each of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B is provided with a touch panel type display monitor CSP for displaying the operating state and operating conditions of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B, and controlling the operating state, in front of the chamber. It may be provided in. As a result, even if the management or control of the device manufacturing system via the control rack RCU goes down due to a failure of the host computer of the factory, the computer LPC of the control rack RCU, or a failure of the communication environment, the individual devices PR2 to PR4, By individually controlling each of 30A and 30B by the operator via the display monitor CSP, the operation of the device manufacturing system can be continued as much as possible.

Instead of installing a touch panel type display monitor CSP on the outer wall of each chamber of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, 30B, a portable tablet terminal device (having a touch panel type display monitor) is used instead of the display monitor CSP. One tablet terminal device may be attached to the outer wall of the chamber of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B that require monitoring or operation. In this case, the tablet terminal device automatically recognizes whether or not it is mounted on any of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B, and communicates with the control computer incorporated in the mounted individual device to perform various types of devices. While sharing control information, it also collects and stores information on the operating status of the attached individual devices. Further, the tablet terminal device is configured to be able to communicate with the computer LPC of the control rack RCU, and any one of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B mounted with the computer LPC as the host computer and the tablet terminal device as the slave computer. One control, for example, an operation such as a calibration work or a maintenance work (work during the stop in FIG. 12) accompanied by a stop operation or the like may be controlled. As a result, the operator can check the inside through the confirmation window or the open door in front of the chamber of any of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B where the calibration work and the maintenance work are performed, and the tablet. You can also operate the terminal device. The tablet terminal device can be removed from the outer wall of the chamber and operated at hand once a communication link (connection) with any one of the target individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B is established.

FIG. 19 shows the display monitor DSP of the control rack RCU in FIG. 18, the display monitor CSP attached to the outer wall of the chamber, or the tablet terminal device by software for monitoring or managing the overall operating state of the manufacturing system of FIG. An example of the display screen displayed on the display monitor of is shown. In FIG. 19, the horizontal axis is time, and the operating status of the operating processing devices PR2 to PR4, the storage devices BF1 and BF2 at the current time, the operating status before the current time (past state), and the current time. Status information related to the expected operating conditions from to a predetermined time ahead is displayed graphically in vertical order. Although it does not appear on the display screen of FIG. 19, the status information of the processing device PR1 is similarly displayed on the processing device PR2 by operating the up / down scroll bar SCB at the right end of the screen upward. The time axis band 400 is displayed in minutes (or 30 seconds) at the upper part of the screen, and a marker 402 indicating the current time is displayed on the time axis band 400. The current time is also indicated by a numerical value in the frame 404 at the upper left corner of the screen. The current time in the frame 404 is updated and displayed in real time, and the status information of each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4, the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is also updated and displayed in real time. Therefore, when the position of the marker 402 is not dragged laterally on the time axis band 400, the time axis notation (time scale) displayed on the time axis band 400 and each of the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B are used. The status information and the status information are sequentially shifted to the left in real time on the screen.

Further, when the marker 402 is dragged and slid to the rightmost end on the time axis band 400, the current time becomes the rightmost end, and the time axis notation (time scale) of the time axis band 400 and the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A , 30B, and the status information of each of 30B are all updated and displayed in real time as the past state. Further, the left / right scroll bar SCB at the lowermost end of the screen is moved to the rightmost side in FIG. 19, but when the left / right scroll bar SCB is slid to the left, the time axis notation (time scale) of the time axis band 400 is obtained. ) And the status information of each of the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B are shifted to the left in real time on the screen, and the expected status information of the time zone ahead of the current time is displayed. At the lower left corner of the screen, there is a zoom-out button 405a that reduces the time axis (time scale) by 1/2 and 1/4 times, and a zoom-in button 405b that expands the time axis (time scale) by 2 times and 4 times. Is displayed. The status information of each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4 includes line graphs (speed graphs) Vpp2, Vpp3, and Vpp4 (referred to as Vpp when collectively referred to) corresponding to the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device. , Bar graphs (progress graphs) 410a and 410b (in the case of collectively referred to as 410) showing the processing progress status in the processing apparatus are displayed. The progress graph 410a shows the situation before the current time in dark blue, for example, and the progress graph 410b shows the expected situation after the current time in light blue, for example. For example, it turns red.

On the left side of the speed graphs Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4 and the progress graphs 410a and 410b corresponding to each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4, the reference of the transport speed of the sheet substrate P at the current time in the speed graphs Vpp2, Vpp3 and Vpp4. A bar graph (speed fluctuation graph) 406 that can be increased or decreased from the value at a glance is displayed. The reference value (reference speed) of the transfer speed is the standard transfer speed of the sheet substrate P set while being unwound from the supply roll FRa and wound by the recovery roll RR in the manufacturing system of FIG. Among the processing devices PR1 to PR4, the processing device PR3 (exposure device EX) that performs the patterning process is set to have a lower transfer speed of the sheet substrate P.

Although it depends on the method of the exposure apparatus, as an example, in the case of the spot scanning type direct drawing exposure apparatus as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the size and resolution of the spot light (minimum pixel size on the pattern data), The reference speed is set in the range of about 10 to 50 mm / sec according to the number of multiple scans of the spot light and the like. In a proximity method or projection method exposure device using a cylindrical mask, the reference speed is set in the range of about 20 to 100 mm / sec depending on the power of the light source (illuminance of the illumination light). .. In the speed fluctuation graph 406, when the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through each of the processing devices PR1 to PR4 is the reference speed, an arrow-shaped marker is displayed at an intermediate position in the vertical direction, and the transport speed is increased from the reference speed. When, an arrow-shaped marker is displayed above the intermediate position. The display range (%) of the speed fluctuation in the speed fluctuation graph 406 is set according to the speed change that can be adjusted or specified by each of the processing devices PR1 to PR4, and is, for example, ± 5% to the reference speed. It will be about ± 15%.

The status information for each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2 represents the state of the storage length of the sheet substrate P that can change between the minimum storage length (lower limit value) and the maximum storage length (upper limit value) with the time axis. Line graphs (accumulation length change graphs) Acc1 and Acc2 are displayed. Further, on the left side of each of the accumulation length change graphs Acc1 and Acc2, the ratio of the actual accumulation length of the sheet substrate P accumulated in each of the accumulation devices BF1 and BF2 at the current time within the accumulable range is graphically displayed. A bar graph (actual accumulated length graph) 408 that can be seen at a glance is displayed. In addition, each of the accumulation length change graphs Acc1 and Acc2 also displays a reference line showing the accumulation length which is half of the accumulable range.

In the display screen as described above, here, the progress graph 410 (410a, 410b) and the speed graph Vpp (Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4) showing the processing progress status of each of the processing devices PR2, PR3, and PR4 are interrupted. The stop display TSTP indicating the period of suspension of the device is displayed. The stop display TSTP is generated in response to the stop request information of the device operation interruption or suspension described in FIGS. 6 and 12, and is displayed with the expected stop duration Tcs. By visually recognizing the accumulation length status of the stop display TSTP or the storage devices BF1 and BF2, not only the past but also the future stop prediction from the current time to a certain time ahead and the transport status of the sheet substrate P can be determined. That is, the operating status of the production line can be intuitively grasped.

Hereinafter, a specific display example will be described with reference to the screen display of the display monitor DSP (or CSP) shown in FIG. In the period from the time (around 14:10) about 12 minutes before the current time shown in FIG. 19 to the current time, the processing apparatus PR2 uses the speed graph Vpp2 and the progress graph 410a to refer to the sheet substrate P at the reference speed. It can be seen that continuous processing was performed without stopping while transporting. Similarly, during that period, it can be seen from the speed graph Vpp3 and the progress graph 410a that the processing apparatus PR3 also continuously processed the sheet substrate P at a reference speed without stopping. On the other hand, regarding the processing device PR4 responsible for the developing and drying process, as shown in the speed graph Vpp4 and the progress graph 410a, the time tt1 (around 14:12) to the time tt2 (14:19) about 10 minutes before the current time. It can be seen that the stop display TSTP was interrupted and displayed until about minute), and the transfer of the sheet substrate P was temporarily stopped (the transfer speed was set to zero) and the process was interrupted. In the case of FIG. 19, the stop duration Tcs of the temporary stop (TSTP) of the processing device PR4 is about 7 minutes.

It is predicted that the processing device PR4 will be suspended in the period of time tt1 to tt2 before the time tt1. Therefore, the storage device BF2 provided between the processing device PR3 and the processing device PR4 determines the length of the sheet substrate P sent out from the processing device PR3 at the reference speed during the stop period (tt1 to tt2) of the processing device PR4. As shown in the accumulation length change graph Acc2, the accumulation length is adjusted to a sufficiently reduced state at the time tt1 so that the accumulation can be reliably performed. Further, the processing device PR2, which is responsible for the coating and drying process on the upstream side of the processing device PR3, is between the time tt3 (around 14:31) and the time tt4 (around 14:34) about 9 minutes after the current time. It is expected to pause for about 3 minutes, like the stop indication TSTP. This is displayed as a warning (Alert) at the bottom of the display screen of the display monitor DSP (CSP) as an event that occurs most recently from the current time. In order to continue the operation of the downstream processing device PR3 even during the stop period of the processing device PR2 at times tt3 to tt4, the storage device BF1 has a stop period before reaching the time tt3, as shown in the accumulation length change graph Acc1. During tt3 to tt4), the sheet substrate P is adjusted to have an accumulation length sufficient to be fed out toward the processing device PR3 at a reference speed.

Assuming that the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device PR4 is transported at the reference speed until the time tt1, the transport speed of the sheet substrate P carried into the processing device PR4 is zero during the stop period of the times tt1 to tt2. , The sheet substrate P sent out from the processing device PR3 at the reference speed is sequentially stored in the storage device BF1 at a constant time ratio. When the processing device PR4 restarts at time tt2 and the sheet substrate P can be conveyed, the processing device PR4 keeps up to time tt1 in order to reduce the sheet substrate P accumulated in the storage device BF2 to about half the storage length. The processing conditions of the above are modified, and the developing and drying step is executed while feeding the sheet substrate P at a speed faster than the reference speed from the time tt2 to the time tt5 (around 14:39). In this case, the processing device PR4 controls the development quality by the immersion time between the sheet substrate P and the developing solution, and the transport speed of the sheet substrate P is set to be faster than the reference speed. Therefore, the sheet as a processing condition. By adjusting the immersion length of the substrate P and the developer to be longer, the same development quality as before the time tt1 can be maintained. As described above, as the development processing unit PR4A for easily adjusting the processing conditions (development conditions) and easily maintaining the development quality, for example, JP-A-2016-07590 and JP-A-2016-219744 disclose. Wet processing equipment can be used. When the wet processing apparatus disclosed here is used, not only the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P and the contact length (immersion length) with the developing solution can be easily adjusted, but also the amount of the developing solution used can be reduced. The temperature control and concentration control of the liquid become easy.

In this way, the processing apparatus PR4 carries out the developing and drying step while feeding the sheet substrate P at a speed higher than the reference speed during the time tt2 to tt5, and along with this, the sheet substrate accumulated in the accumulating apparatus BF2. As shown in the accumulation length change graph Acc2, P gradually decreases the accumulation length, and at time tt5, the accumulation length becomes about half. At the time tt5, as shown in the speed graph Vpp4, the processing device PR4 gradually reduces the transport speed of the sheet substrate P and sets the reference speed at the time tt6 (around 14:45). During this time, the processing apparatus PR4 continues the developing and drying process while gradually shortening the immersion length between the sheet substrate P and the developing solution in accordance with the decrease in the conveying speed of the sheet substrate P.

On the other hand, at times tt3 to tt4 between times tt2 to tt5, the processing apparatus PR2 responsible for the coating and drying step is temporarily stopped for about 3 minutes. Therefore, the storage device BF1 sends the sheet substrate P that has been stored between the times tt3 and tt4 toward the processing device PR3 at the reference speed, and as shown in the storage length change graph Acc1, the storage length of the storage device BF1. Decreases by the length of the sheet substrate P determined by the product of the time (stop duration Tcs) of the processing device PR2 from time tt3 to tt4 and the reference speed. After the time tt4, as shown in the speed graph Vpp2, the processing device PR2 conveys the sheet substrate P again at the reference speed. From time tt6 to time tt7 (around 15:01), each of the processing devices PR2, PR3, and PR4 executes each process while transporting the sheet substrate P at a reference speed. At time tt7, the preparatory operation for the temporary stop of the processing device PR3, which is predicted (scheduled) as the next event, starts. The pause of the processing device PR3 is displayed on the stop display TSTP as a pause of about 5 minutes between the time tt9 and the time tt10 (around 15:30) in the future progress graph 410b of the processing device PR3. In the present embodiment, stop request information indicating that the processing device PR3 needs to be paused for about 5 minutes is generated at a time before the current time, and based on the stop request information, the stop request information is generated. Based on the simulation by the host computer and the computer LPC of the control rack RCU of FIG. 18 (predictive calculation using the same program as the parameter setting based on the work factor of the pause in the exposure apparatus described in FIG. 12). It is assumed that the timing for starting the pause is set as the time tt9.

If the processing device PR3 has not generated the stop request information at the current time, each of the speed graphs Vpp2, Vpp3, and Vpp4 after the time tt7 is described so as to continue to change at the reference speed, and the storage device BF1 , BF2, respectively, each of the accumulated length change graphs Acc1 and Acc2 is described so as to change with the accumulated length at the time tt5. The screen display of the display monitor DSP (CSP) as shown in FIG. 19 is set to be updated in near real time, for example, in a refresh cycle of every second (or every few seconds). Therefore, the progress graph 410b and the speed graph Vpp ahead of the current time are sequentially rewritten in the refresh cycle according to the result of the simulation based on the received stop request information.

Based on the status information of the processing devices PR2 to PR4 and the storage devices BF1 and BF2 shown in FIG. 19 at time tt7, when the operation of the processing device PR3 (transportation of the sheet substrate P) is temporarily stopped at time tt9, processing is performed. It is determined that the storage length of the sheet substrate P to be stored in the storage device BF1 on the upstream side of the device PR3 exceeds the storage limit (upper limit length), and the time from time tt7 to time tt8 (around 15:07) is about. In 6 minutes, the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device PR2 is gradually reduced from the reference speed. The processing apparatus PR2 gradually adjusts the amount of photoresist supplied from the die coater type coating head or the distance (gap) between the coating head and the sheet substrate P according to the decrease in the transport speed, and photo Control is performed so that the variation in the coating thickness of the resist is maintained within an allowable range. As a result, the accumulation length of the sheet substrate P in the accumulation device BF1 gradually decreases, and at the time of time tt9, the accumulation length becomes close to the lower limit length.

Further, when the operation of the processing device PR3 (transportation of the sheet substrate P) is temporarily stopped at time tt9, the accumulated length of the sheet substrate P accumulated in the storage device BF2 on the downstream side of the processing device PR3 is the lower limit length (minimum) that can be accumulated. It is determined that the speed becomes smaller than the length), and the transport speed of the sheet substrate P passing through the processing device PR4 is gradually reduced from the reference speed in about 6 minutes from the time tt7 to the time tt8 (around 15:07). The processing device PR4 is adjusted so as to gradually shorten the liquid contact length (immersion length) regarding the method of transporting the sheet substrate P and the developer as a processing condition according to the decrease in the transport speed, and has a constant development quality. Is controlled to maintain. As a result, the accumulated length of the sheet substrate P in the accumulating device BF2 gradually increases from almost half of the state, and becomes a value close to the upper limit length at the time tt9.

As shown in the speed graph Vpp3, the transport speed of the sheet substrate P in the processing device PR3 becomes zero from the reference speed at the time tt9, and the operation of the processing device PR3 is temporarily stopped for about 5 minutes until the time tt10. During this time, the processing devices PR2 and PR4 continue each processing while transporting the sheet substrate P at a speed slower than the reference speed. Due to the shutdown of the processing device PR3, the storage device BF1 processes over a length corresponding to the product of the transport speed of the sheet substrate P at the time tt9 in the speed graph Vpp2 and the stop duration Tcs of the processing device PR3. The sheet substrate P sent from the apparatus PR2 is accumulated. In the example of FIG. 19, at time tt10, the sheet substrate P is accumulated in the accumulator BF1 to a length of about half of the maximum accumulable length. Further, the storage device BF2 is a sheet that has been stored up to near the upper limit length over a length corresponding to the product of the transport speed of the sheet substrate P at the time tt9 in the speed graph Vpp4 and the stop duration Tcs of the processing device PR3. The substrate P is sent out to the processing device PR4 at a speed slower than the reference speed. In the example of FIG. 19, at time tt10, the storage device BF2 delivers the sheet substrate P until the length becomes about half of the maximum length that can be stored.

When the operation of the processing device PR3 is restarted at the time tt10 and the sheet substrate P starts to be conveyed again at the reference speed, the processing device PR2, Each of the PR4s controls the transfer speed of the sheet substrate P so as to gradually return (accelerate) to the reference speed. Therefore, during the time tt10 to tt11, the sheet substrate P slightly longer than the storage length at the time tt10 is accumulated in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in order to graphically and in real time display the processing state, transport state, storage state, etc. of the sheet substrate P in each of the processing devices PR1 to PR4, the storage devices BF1 and BF2, the host computer. And the control rack RCU in FIG. 18 can be simulated by a computer LPC or the like to confirm whether or not the device can be stopped as a future event, and to compare the status of the stopped device with other running devices. , You can intuitively check the operating status of the entire line.

The start time of the stop display TSTP of the processing device PR2 and the processing device PR3, which are future events with respect to the current time, is determined by a simulation under the condition of shifting to the temporary stop at the earliest. Therefore, depending on the device, it may be better to delay the start time of the pause from the stop display TSTP displayed in the simulation result on the screen. In such a case, the operator touches the stop display TSTP displayed as the simulation result and slides it backward on the time axis, or drags it with the mouse pointer to display the stop display TSTP within the settable range. It can be moved backwards. Further, in FIG. 19, between the time tt6 and the time tt7, the sheet substrate P is conveyed at the reference speed in any of the processing devices PR2 to PR4, and the accumulation length of the sheet substrate P is increased in any of the storage devices BF1 and BF2. It is almost stable without increasing or decreasing. In such a case, in preparation for the shutdown of the processing device PR3 at the time tt9, the timing of changing (decreasing) the transport speed of the sheet substrate P of the other processing devices PR2 and PR4 is set to a time approximately 25 minutes before the time tt9. Instead of tt7 (initial preparation start time), the time may be advanced to any of tt6, tt5, tt4, or a time in between. That is, it is possible to intentionally set a long initial preparation time of about 25 minutes from the time tt7 to the time tt9 (stop start) in FIG. 19, which is the initial time obtained on the simulation. At the time of setting, the broken line displayed at the position of time tt7 displayed on the display screen of the display monitor DSP (CSP) is dragged to the left side (direction of the current time on the time axis). When the time tt7 is time-shifted in this way, the host computer, the computer LPC of the control rack RCU of FIG. 18, and the like re-simulate the status information after the time tt7, and update the result to the display monitor DSP (CSP). indicate. Further, the present invention is not limited to a medium-scale or large-scale manufacturing system having four processing devices PR1 to PR4 and two storage devices BF1 and BF2 as shown in FIG. 18, and two processing devices and one storage device are provided. Even in the minimum manufacturing system, the same manufacturing control (transportation control) can be performed by the display monitor DSP (CSP) as shown in FIG.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of processing devices (PR1 to PR4) in which long sheet substrates (P) are sequentially passed in the elongated direction to perform different processes, and a plurality of processing devices (PR1 to PR4) with respect to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate. A control device that monitors or manages a device manufacturing system provided on either the upstream side or the downstream side of any of the processing devices of the above and equipped with a storage device capable of accumulating a sheet substrate over a predetermined length in a long direction. At least one of the plurality of processing devices is temporarily set based on the information on the transfer speed of the sheet substrate in each of the plurality of processing devices and the information on the storage length of the sheet substrate in the storage device. When stopped, a display monitor is provided that graphically displays the state of the speed change of the sheet substrate when adjusting the transport speed and the state of the change in the accumulation length according to the speed change, together with the time axis. It is possible to intuitively visually recognize the operating status including the temporary stop state of each processing device of the manufacturing system and the transport status of the sheet substrate, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of production control. Even when a series of manufacturing systems from the board supply unit 30A to the board recovery unit 30B shown in FIG. 18 are installed in each of a plurality of production lanes in the factory, the portable control rack RCU shown in FIG. 18 By moving the lane closer to each lane, the lane can be automatically recognized and status information or the like corresponding to the manufacturing system of the lane can be displayed on the display monitor DSP.

Claims (14)

A substrate processing device that conveys a long sheet substrate in the elongated direction and performs a predetermined process on the sheet substrate.
While supporting by bending the sheet substrate from the central axis in the support surface having a constant radius of the cylindrical surface, includes a rotatable rotary drum about said central axis, performs the predetermined processing on the sheet base plate processing Mechanism and
A transport mechanism that transports the sheet substrate in the elongated direction at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension to the sheet substrate supported by the rotary drum.
A mooring mechanism that is arranged at a specific position in the transport path of the sheet substrate and can moor the sheet substrate at the specific position.
When the transfer of the sheet substrate is temporarily stopped, the transfer mechanism is controlled so as to reduce the transfer speed of the sheet substrate, and when the transfer speed becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the sheet substrate is placed at the specific position. A control device that controls the mooring mechanism so that it is moored in
A substrate processing apparatus comprising. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.
The transport mechanism has a tension adjusting mechanism for adjusting the tension applied to the sheet substrate.
The control device controls the tension adjusting mechanism so that the tension applied to the sheet substrate is relaxed after the sheet substrate is moored at the specific position.
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.
The control device controls the tension adjusting mechanism so that the tension applied to the sheet substrate is relaxed when the pause continues for a predetermined stop time or longer.
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
Before SL anchoring mechanism is provided in a part of the supporting surface of the rotary drum, to anchor the sheet substrate on the rotary drum,
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The specific position is set to at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of said processing mechanism with respect to the elongate direction of the conveying path of the sheet substrate,
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The mooring mechanism is a clamp member that operably clamps at least a part of the front surface and the back surface of the sheet substrate.
The clamp member, when the transport speed of the sheet substrate is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, is switched to the clamping state from the released state by the control device,
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
The anchoring mechanism is a nip roller for transporting the sheet substrate rotates while sandwiching the sheet substrate in the longitudinal direction so
The nip roller is a time when the conveying speed of the sheet substrate is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value, is switched to the unrotatable state from a rotatable state by the control device,
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The control device controls the mooring mechanism so that the sheet substrate is moored at the specific position when the transport speed becomes substantially zero.
Board processing equipment. A substrate processing device that conveys a long sheet substrate in the elongated direction and performs a predetermined process on the sheet substrate.
A processing mechanism for performing a predetermined process for each portion of the long direction of the sheet substrate,
A transport mechanism that transports the sheet substrate in the long direction while measuring the transport amount of the sheet substrate so that the sheet substrate passes through the processing mechanism at a controlled speed.
A tension applying mechanism that applies a predetermined tension to the sheet substrate transported by the transport mechanism, and
A specific position on the sheet substrate where the predetermined processing by the processing mechanism is temporarily interrupted or a specific position where the predetermined processing is restarted is stored based on the transfer amount measured by the transfer mechanism. Specific position storage and
When the predetermined processing is temporarily interrupted, after the specific position is stored in the specific position storage unit, the transfer speed of the sheet substrate is suppressed by the characteristic of suppressing the occurrence of slippage of the sheet substrate in the transfer mechanism. A control device that controls the transport mechanism so as to reduce
A substrate processing apparatus comprising. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9.
The control device controls the tension applying mechanism so as to adjust the tension applied to the sheet substrate in response to a decrease in the transport speed in order to suppress the occurrence of slippage of the sheet substrate in the transport mechanism. do,
Board processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .
Pre Symbol The processing mechanism provided on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of one of the transport path of the sheet substrate, accumulating said across the sheet substrate into a sheet substrate while applying a predetermined tension to a predetermined length Equipped with a possible storage device,
Wherein the control device, when anchoring the sheet substrate in the specific position, that Gyosu control so that the predetermined tension applied to the sheet substrate stored in the storage device is reduced,
Board processor. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11.
The accumulator supports the sheet substrate by bending a plurality of times in the elongated direction, and at the same time, a plurality of dancer rollers that are movable for adjusting the accumulation length of the sheet substrate, and the plurality of dancer rollers. A tension adjusting mechanism for adjusting the tension applied to the sheet substrate applied to each of them is provided.
Wherein the control device controls the pre Symbol tension adjusting mechanism, to alleviate the predetermined tension applied to the sheet substrate, the substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing device that conveys a long sheet substrate in the elongated direction and performs a predetermined process on the sheet substrate.
A processing mechanism for applying the predetermined processing to the sheet substrate, and
A transport mechanism that transports the sheet substrate in the elongated direction so that the sheet substrate passes through the processing mechanism at a predetermined transport speed in a state where a predetermined tension is applied.
A control device for managing the operation of the processing mechanism and the transport mechanism is provided.
The control device is
A grace determination unit that determines a grace period for stopping the transfer operation of the sheet substrate by the transfer mechanism, or a grace period for the length of the sheet substrate that can be conveyed until the transfer operation is stopped.
A tension indicator unit that indicates the tension applied to the sheet substrate while the transfer speed of the sheet substrate is being reduced by the transfer mechanism based on the determination result of the grace determination unit.
A substrate processing apparatus comprising. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13.
The transport mechanism, by winding a portion of the long direction of the sheet substrate from a predetermined central axis cylindrical outer peripheral surface of constant radius, rotating to convey the sheet substrate is rotated about said central axis With the drum
A first tension adjusting unit provided on the upstream side of the rotating drum with respect to the transport direction of the sheet substrate and adjusting the tension of the sheet substrate entering the rotating drum.
The provided with respect to the conveying direction of the sheet substrate on the downstream side of the rotary drum, and a second tension adjustment unit for adjusting the tension of the sheet substrate exiting from the rotating drum,
Substrate processing equipment including.

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