JPH03290915A - Aligner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To measure a gradient of a feed table and reduce a size and weight by providing gradient sensors for sensing gradients of a surface plate and the feed table respectively and a calculator for calculating a gradient of the feed table based on the sensing results. CONSTITUTION:An aligner 1 has a box-like feed table 3 for example on a surface plate 2. The table 3 displaces a mask 6 and a substrate 7 with respect to exposure light so as to spread the exposure light on an approximately entire mask 6. Gradient sensors 8, 9 directly fixed to the upper face of th surface plate 2 and the table 3 respectively detect gradients of the surface plate 2 and the table 3. Outputs of the sensors 8, 9 are input to a calculator 10 respectively, a gradient of the table 3 with respect to the surface plate 2 is calculated based on difference between the outputs of the sensors 8, 9 so that a rotating displacement amount with an X-direction of the table 3 as an axis, that is a rolling angle, can be obtained.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Purpose of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a mask by, for example, moving a feeding table to displace a mask and a substrate in a direction perpendicular to the path of exposure light. The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern onto a substrate.

(Prior Art) For example, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and the like, an exposure apparatus is used that forms a circuit pattern on a substrate using exposure light. Some of these exposure apparatuses include a reflection mirror type in which the exposure light emitted from the light source is reflected by various mirrors and guided to the substrate.

That is, the reflective mirror type exposure apparatus is equipped with a feeding table that can move in one direction. Furthermore, the exposure device
A mask on which a pattern is formed and transmits exposure light, and a substrate whose surface is coated with a photosensitive agent and whose surface is irradiated with the exposure light transmitted through the mask are fixed to a feeding table and aligned with each other.

Then, the exposure apparatus moves the feed table to displace the mask and the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the path of the exposure light. Then, the exposure device transfers the circuit pattern onto the substrate by spreading exposure light over the entire mask and causing the photosensitive agent on the substrate to react in accordance with the pattern of the mask.

In addition, in such an exposure apparatus, if the feed table tilts due to rolling or yawing motion while traveling, a relative positional shift occurs between the exposure light, the mask, and the substrate.
Accurate transcription will no longer be possible. For this reason, conventionally, a non-contact position detector that uses optical interference, such as a laser length measuring device, is used to measure the relative deviation of the top surface of the feed table, for example, and calculate the rolling angle. Was.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Incidentally, in the above-mentioned exposure apparatus, in addition to measuring rolling motion, there are a number of detectors corresponding to the number of tables for measuring yawing motion and controlling the feed table. In addition, for measuring the table position, the number of detectors corresponding to one axis is required. Furthermore, the optical equipment used as a detector, such as an elt, is expensive.

Furthermore, in order to measure the rolling angle with a laser length measuring device, a mirror with a length that covers the stroke of the table is required. Length measuring mirrors require high flatness and roundness and are therefore very expensive to manufacture.

Therefore, in the conventional exposure apparatus, it has been difficult to reduce the cost of the system for measuring the inclination of the feed table.

Additionally, many optical instruments required complex adjustments to be made to measure tilt.

Furthermore, since a mount for fixing optical equipment such as an interferometer in space was required, it was difficult to make the exposure apparatus smaller and lighter.

An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus that can measure the inclination of a feed table without using optical equipment and is small and lightweight at low cost.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means and Effects for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a movable feed table on a surface plate, and transmits exposure light to the feed table. A circuit is formed on the mask by fixing a mask to be exposed and a substrate to be irradiated with the exposure light that has passed through the mask, and moving a feeding table to displace the mask and the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the path of the exposure light. In an exposure apparatus that transfers a pattern onto the substrate, a tilt sensor is provided on a surface plate and a feed table to individually detect the tilt of the surface plate and the feed table, and a tilt sensor is installed on a surface plate and a feed table to individually detect the tilt of the surface plate and the feed table. The reason is that it is equipped with an arithmetic unit that calculates the slope of .

By doing so, the present invention makes it possible to measure the inclination of the feed table without using optical equipment, thereby making it possible to reduce costs, size, and weight.

(Example) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

Figure 1 shows the main parts of an embodiment of the present invention.
is a reflective mirror type exposure apparatus used, for example, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. This exposure apparatus 1 has, for example, a box-shaped feed table 3 on a surface plate 2. Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 1 has guides 4.4 on the surface plate 2, which are machined with sufficiently high precision and arranged parallel to each other. The exposure apparatus 1 has a U-shaped engagement portion 5.5 protruding from the lower surface of the feed table 3 engaged with the guide 4.4.
A feed table 3 is supported on a surface plate 2 via a guide 4.4.

Here, it is conceivable to employ an air slide, a linear guide, or the like as the guide 4.4.

Further, the feeding table 3 fixes a mask 6 on which a circuit pattern is formed, and a substrate 7 whose plate surface is coated with a tourist agent. Further, the feeding table 3 has the mask 6 and the substrate 7 arranged on two opposing sides. The feed table 3 allows exposure light outputted from a light source (not shown) to pass through the mask 3 substantially perpendicularly and enter the inside of the feed table 3 . Then, the exposure light is caused to reach the substrate 7 via, for example, an optical system disposed inside the feed table 3, and is irradiated onto a predetermined position on the surface of the substrate 7.

Further, the feed table 3 is linearly driven by a drive source such as a motor, and travels in one direction, that is, in the X direction in the figure, along a guide 4.4. Then, the feed table 3 displaces the mask 3 and the substrate 7 with respect to the exposure light, and spreads the exposure light over substantially the entire mask 6. Then, the feeding table 3 causes the photosensitive agent on the substrate 7 to react in accordance with the pattern formed on the mask, and transfers the circuit pattern of the mask 6 onto the substrate 7.

Further, reference numeral 8.9 in the figure indicates an inclination sensor directly fixed to the upper surface of each of the surface plate 2 and the feed table 3. These inclination sensors 8.9 detect the inclinations of the surface plate 2 and the feed table 3 separately.

The tilt sensor 8.9 is based on the direction in which gravity acts, that is, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the Y direction in the figure.
A current proportional to the inclination of the moving feed table 3 with respect to the horizontal direction is generated and output as a detection result.

Furthermore, the outputs of the inclination sensors 8 and 9 are each outputted by a computing unit 10.
is input. Then, the computing unit 10 calculates the difference between the outputs of both inclination sensors 8.9, and calculates the inclination of the feed table 3 with respect to the surface plate 2 based on this difference. Then, the calculator 10 determines the amount of rotational displacement of the feed table 3 about the X direction, that is, the rolling angle.

Here, the posture of the feed table 3 is set so that the rolling angle is zero when it is stationary.

Furthermore, it is conceivable to employ an operational amplifier as shown in FIG. 1 as the arithmetic unit 10.

Furthermore, although not shown, the rolling angle may be determined by direct manual input from the inclination sensor 8.9 to the CPU, control unit 11, or the like.

In addition, in FIG. 1, the output of the operational amplifier that receives the detection result of the inclination sensor 8.9 is inputted to the control unit 11, and the control unit 11 sends a correction command signal according to the rolling angle of the feed table 3 to the board. I am sending it to the 7 side.

In other words, such an exposure apparatus 1 can measure the rolling angle of the feed table 3 without using optical equipment such as an optical interferometer.
This is performed using a tilt sensor 8.9 and a calculator]0.

Therefore, no optical equipment is required to measure the rolling movement of the feed table 3, and the cost of the system for measuring the inclination of the feed table 3 can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the rolling angle of the feed table 3 can be measured without using optical equipment, complicated adjustments for optical equipment are not required.

In addition, since there is no need for optical equipment to determine the rolling angle M], and because the tilt sensor 8.9 is directly fixed to the surface plate 2 and the feed table 3, the optical equipment can be There is no need for a stand to secure it inside. Therefore, it is possible to make the exposure apparatus 1 smaller and lighter.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the inclination of the feeding table 3 and the inclination of the surface plate 2 are detected and the inclination of the feeding table 3 with respect to the surface plate 2 is measured, the error due to the inclination of the surface plate 2 is corrected. The rolling angle of the feed table 3 can be determined by

In this embodiment, the state when the feed table 3 is stationary is used as a reference, and the rolling angle at this time is set to zero.
For example, if the feed table 3 is tilted even when it is stationary, the magnitude of the tilt when it is stationary is set as the initial value,
It is also possible to define the amount of variation from this initial value as the rolling angle.

Further, it is possible to correct the directions of the mask 6 and the substrate 7 based on the obtained rolling angle using various methods.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention provides a feed table capable of traveling nJ on a surface plate, and this feed table is irradiated with a mask that transmits exposure light and the exposure light that has passed through this mask. In an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern formed on a mask onto the substrate by fixing the substrate and moving a feed table to displace the mask and substrate in a direction perpendicular to the path of exposure light, a surface plate and The present invention is equipped with inclination sensors that are provided on each of the feed tables to individually detect the inclinations of the surface plate and the feed table, and an arithmetic unit that calculates the inclination of the feed table based on the detection results of these inclination sensors.

Therefore, the present invention has the advantage that it is possible to measure the inclination of the feed table without using optical equipment, and it is possible to reduce costs, size, and weight.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Exposure device, 2... Surface plate, 3... Feeding table, 6... Mask, 7... Substrate, 8.9... Tilt sensor, 10... Arithmetic unit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A movable feed table is provided on a surface plate, a mask that transmits exposure light and a substrate that is irradiated with the exposure light that has passed through this mask are fixed to this feed table, and the feed table is moved to pass through the mask and the substrate. In an exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern formed on the mask onto the substrate by displacing the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the path of exposure light, An exposure apparatus comprising: a tilt sensor that individually detects the tilt of the surface plate and the feed table; and a calculator that calculates the tilt of the feed table based on the detection results of these tilt sensors.