JPH0529036U - Exposure equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To provide an exposure apparatus capable of holding a photosensitive sheet flat by a depressurizing force even with a table having a recess. The laser plotter main body 1 is for exposing the photosensitive materials of both the hard glass dry plate 35 and the soft film F, and is provided with a Y table 4, an optical head 5, and a receiving means. .. The Y table 4 has suction holes 14 for sucking and holding the photosensitive material. The optical head 5 is arranged above the Y table 4. The receiving means is Y
When the film F is sucked and held on the Y table 4 by the recess 83 lower than the table surface, the pin 15 protruding and retracting in the recess 83, and the pin 15 being recessed and the suction hole 14 is used.
3 for communicating with the atmosphere.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, and more particularly to an exposure apparatus for exposing a photosensitive sheet with a flatbed scanning laser plotter.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 The laser plotter is widely used, for example, for creating a master pattern for a printed circuit board, for creating a mask pattern for an LCD (liquid crystal display device), and the like. The laser plotter is classified into a cylindrical scanning type that exclusively uses a flexible photosensitive sheet and a planar scanning type that can also use a photosensitive plate such as a glass dry plate. Since a photosensitive sheet that easily expands and contracts in response to temperature changes is unsuitable for drawing high-definition images, a glass plate can be used for drawing high-definition images used as mask patterns for large-screen active matrix LCDs. A plane scanning laser plotter that can use a photosensitive plate such as a dry plate is used.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In a plane scanning type laser plotter, a photosensitive plate is placed on a table, and the placed photosensitive plate is adsorbed and held, and it is exposed and scanned in two directions within a plane to draw a desired image. For this reason, a suction hole for suctioning the photosensitive plate is provided on the table.

In the conventional plane scanning type laser plotter, the operator needs to manually set the photosensitive plate on the table, and the work cannot be automated. Therefore, it is conceivable to attach an automatic loader that automatically supplies the photosensitive plate. However, since the upper surface of the photosensitive plate is the photosensitive surface, it is possible to hold it by a holding member from the lower surface of the photosensitive plate and carry it. Therefore, when the photosensitive plate is automatically supplied, for example, a pin protruding and retracting on the table is provided so that the photosensitive plate is received from the holding member in order to place the photosensitive plate on the table, and the photosensitive plate is placed from the bottom surface of the photosensitive plate. I have to support. This pin is fitted in the bush and moves up and down in the bush. It is extremely difficult to provide these pins and bushes on the table surface in a precise plane. Therefore, the upper surface of the bush must be located below the table surface. This is because if the upper surface of the bush projects from the table, the photosensitive plate placed on the table may tilt. When an image is exposed in μ units like a laser plotter, the tilt of the photosensitive plate causes image distortion. Therefore, when the pin and the bush are attached, a recess is formed on the table.

On the other hand, in a plane scanning type laser plotter, a flexible photosensitive sheet may be used instead of the photosensitive plate. In this case as well, the photosensitive sheet is sucked and held by the sucking holes. However, if the table is provided with the pins as described above, the photosensitive sheet is dented along the concave portion of the bush due to the pressure reduction when the photosensitive sheet is sucked. For this reason, the film cannot be held flat, and the image is distorted when an image is drawn on that portion.

An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus capable of holding a photosensitive sheet flat by a pressure reducing force even with a table having a recess formed therein.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 An exposure apparatus according to the present invention exposes photosensitive materials of both a hard photosensitive plate and a soft photosensitive sheet, and includes a table, an exposing unit, and a receiving unit. The table has suction holes for sucking and holding the photosensitive material. The exposure means is arranged above the table. The receiving means includes a recess lower than the surface of the table, a pin projecting and retracting in the recess, and an atmosphere communicating hole that communicates the recess with the atmosphere when the pin is recessed and the photosensitive sheet is suction-held on the table using the suction hole. have .

[0008]

[Action]

 In the exposure apparatus according to the present invention, a soft photosensitive sheet is placed on the table during exposure, and when the space between the table and the sheet is exhausted through the intake hole, the photosensitive sheet is adsorbed and held on the table. At this time, even if the photosensitive sheet covers the concave portion of the table, since the atmosphere communicating hole communicates the concave portion with the atmosphere, the photosensitive sheet is not sucked into the concave portion and the photosensitive sheet becomes flat.

[0009]

【Example】

 FIG. 1 shows a laser plotter adopting an embodiment of the present invention. The laser plotter includes a plane scanning type laser plotter main body 1 adopting a divided raster system, and an automatic loader 2 arranged in parallel with the laser plotter main body 1. The laser plotter main body 1 uses glass dry plates and films of various sizes as photosensitive materials, and further draws a mask pattern or the like at high speed with laser light modulated with image data. The automatic loader 2 stores a plurality of glass plates to be set in the laser plotter body 1, and automatically loads the stored glass plates to the laser plotter body 1 and unloads from the laser plotter body 1. .. Further, the automatic loader 2 is internally provided with a positioning device to be described later, and performs positioning when loading the glass dry plate on the laser plotter body 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the laser plotter body 1 is arranged on a flat plate-shaped granide platen 3, a Y table 4 placed on the granide platen 3, and a Y table 4 on the left side of the figure. The laser length measuring device 6 is provided, an optical head 5 is disposed on the back side of the Y table 4, and a laser plotter control unit 7 is disposed on the back side of the optical head 5.

The Y table 4 is supported by air bearings on two rails 10 and 10 arranged along the Y direction so as to be movable in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. The Y table 4 is reciprocated in the Y direction by a drive mechanism including a ball screw 12 arranged between the rails 10 and 10 in parallel with the rail 10 and a motor 11 connected to one end of the ball screw 12. Driven.

Further, the Y table 4 is formed with nine small holes 13 and a large number of suction holes 14 for sucking the glass dry plate and the film. The small holes 13 are formed in four rows in the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction according to the size of the glass plate. The small holes 13 are fitted with pins 15, 15 ... Which can be retracted from the surface of the Y-table 4. A link 16 which is long in the Y direction is arranged below the Y table 4 corresponding to each row of the pins 15, 15. The link 16 is connected to a lever 17, and the lever 17 is rotated by a motor 18. Here, the link 16 moves up and down by the turning of the lever 17, and the pin 15 in contact with the upper surface of the link 16 appears and disappears (FIG. 4).

The suction area of the suction hole 14 is composed of three areas 19a, 19b and 19c, and these suction areas 19a, 19b and 19c can be switched according to the sizes of the glass plate and the film. Each suction area 19a, 19b, 19c is connected to a vacuum pump 24 with a motor 27 via solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 23c. These solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 23c are turned on / off according to the adsorption area. These solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 23c are all turned on when the glass dry plate is transferred by lowering the pin 15, and perform the suction operation in all the suction areas 19a, 19b, 19c. Also, when holding the glass plate and film, they are turned on and off according to the sizes of the glass plate and film, and the adsorption area is switched. For example, in the case of a small-sized film or glass plate, only the solenoid valve 23a is turned on and the other solenoid valves 23b and 23c are turned off. In the case of a medium-sized film or glass dry plate, the solenoid valve 23a and the solenoid valve 23b are turned on and the solenoid valve 23c is turned off. In the case of a larger film or glass plate, all solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 23c are turned on.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed structure of the Y table 4, and FIG. 5 shows a detailed structure around the pin 15. The Y table 4 is composed of an upper table 71 and a lower table 72 provided on the lower surface thereof. A space 73 is formed between the lower surface of the upper table 71 and the lower table 72. The space 73 is a space partitioned according to the sizes of the film and the glass dry plate, and corresponds to the respective suction areas 19a, 19b, 19c. The space 73 communicates with the atmosphere on the Y table 4 via the suction holes 14.

The pin 15 is supported by a pair of upper and lower linear bushes 65 so as to be vertically movable. The linear bush 65 is fitted in the inner circumference of a cylindrical guide 64 with a collar inserted into the Y table 4. The upper surface of the guide 64 is located below the upper surface 4a of the Y table 4, so that a recess 83 is formed in the upper surface 4a of the Y table 4.

A spring 67 is fitted in the pin 15 between the linear bushes 65, 65. The spring 67 is contracted between the spring receiver 81 locked by the E-shaped retaining ring 80 in the middle of the pin 15 and the upper linear bush 65. As a result, the spring 67 urges the pin 15 downward. is doing. A roller 74 that is rotatable around a horizontal axis is provided at the lower end of the pin 15. The roller 74 faces the upper surface of the link 16. A spring pin 79 in the horizontal direction, which is orthogonal to the extending direction of the link 16, is driven into the middle portion of the pin 15. The spring pin 79 protrudes into a pair of vertically extending guide grooves 78 provided in the guide 64, and restricts rotation of the pin 15. O-rings 68 and 69 are arranged at two locations on the outer circumference of the guide 64. The O-rings 68 and 69 are for hermetically sealing the space 73.

Further, the guide 64 is formed with a communication hole 82 for opening to the atmosphere, one end of which is opened on the inner peripheral surface above the upper linear bush 65 and the other end of which is opened on the lower end surface of the guide. .. The communication hole 82 is formed in a recess 83 formed at a step between the upper surface of the guide 64 and the upper surface of the table 4 when the sheet-shaped film F placed on the Y table 4 is sucked by the suction hole 14. This is to prevent the film F from being sucked in.

As shown in FIG. 2, the optical head 5 is movably supported by a pair of guide members 20, 20 along the X direction orthogonal to the Y direction. An air bearing is adopted as the guide member 20. A ball screw 21 driven by a motor 22 is disposed between both guide members 20, and the optical head 5 reciprocates in the X direction by the rotational driving of the motor 22.

The laser length measuring device 6 includes a HeNe laser light source 25 and an optical system 26, and measures the relative distance between the Y table 4 and the optical head 5. The laser length measuring device 6 measures the relative distance to measure the position and speed of the Y table 4 and the optical head 5 and generates a scanning timing signal. The laser plotter control unit 7 performs image recording, servo control of each motor in the laser plotter body 1, control of an optical system in the optical head 5, and the like. The laser plotter control unit 7 includes a microcomputer and the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the automatic loader 2 has a stocker 30 for independently storing 10 glass plates arranged at one end thereof, and a positioning unit arranged below the stocker 30. The apparatus 31 and a manipulator 32 arranged on the rear side of the stocker 30 are mainly provided. The stocker 30 is equipped with ten pallets 34, 34 ... Which can be pulled out from one end of the automatic loader 2, and one glass dry plate 35 is placed on each pallet 34. A notch for preventing interference with the arm 60 of the manipulator 32 described later is formed on the back side of the pallet 34 in the drawing. The glass dry plate 35 is positioned with reference to the center in the left-right direction in the figure by the positioning members 36 and 37 that are orthogonal to each other and are arranged at the ends of the pallet 34 in two directions. The positioning members 36 and 37 are detachable according to the size of the glass dry plate 35.

The positioning device 31 includes a plurality of free bearings 40 for supporting the glass dry plate 35 movably in the vertical direction of the horizontal plane, and two sets of positioning members 41 for positioning the glass dry plate 35 placed on the free bearings 40. , 42 and. The positioning member 41 is for positioning the glass dry plate in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction (direction A) of the manipulator 32. The positioning member 41 includes contact members 44 and 45 that are movable by motors 43a and 43b in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction (direction A). The contact member 44 includes a rotatable lever 46a and a roller 46 supported at one end of the lever 46a so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis. The lever 46a is biased toward the facing contact member 45 side by a spring (not shown). Further, the contact member 45 includes a rotatable roller 47 on the upper portion thereof. The roller 47 of the contact member 45 serves as a reference end in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

The positioning member 42 is a member that positions the manipulator 32 in the transport direction (direction A), and includes a fixed contact member 50 and a movable contact member 51. The contact member 50 is arranged on the front side of the automatic loader 2 so as to extend in the width direction. Rollers 52, 52 are rotatably supported on the upper surface of the contact member 50 at predetermined intervals so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis. The contact member 51 includes two levers 54a (one of which is not shown) rotatable on the upper surface, and a roller 54 supported at one end of the lever 54 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis. The lever 54a is urged toward the contact member 50 by a spring (not shown). The rollers 52, 52 of the contact member 50 serve as a reference end in the transport direction (direction A).

The manipulator 32 is movable in three axes, that is, vertical, swivel and radial directions. This is an arm 60 that moves in the radial direction (direction A) and supports the lower surface including the center of gravity of the glass plate 35, a swivel portion 61 that supports the arm 60 so that it can move in the radial direction, and a swivel portion 61. This is realized by the body 63 that supports the movable body in the direction (B direction) and the vertical direction (C direction). A non-slip member (not shown) such as urethane rubber is attached to the upper surface of the arm 60. A motor (not shown) for turning and vertical driving is arranged in the body 63, and a motor (not shown) for driving the radial direction is arranged in the turning portion 61.

A communication port 70 is formed on one side surface of the automatic loader 2. The communication port 70 communicates with the laser plotter body 1, and the glass dry plate 35 is conveyed to the laser plotter body 1 via the communication port 70. In addition, the laser plotter main body 1 and the automatic loader 2 are structured so as to block light. After the glass plate 35 is once set on the pallet 34 of the automatic loader 2, the operator does all the work in a bright room. Can be done.

Next, the configuration of the control system of the laser plotter will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the control system of the laser plotter includes a main controller 100 including an engineering workstation. A keyboard 101, a CRT 102, a magnetic disk 103, and other input / output units are connected to the main control unit 100. A laser plotter controller 7 and a loader controller 104 are connected to the main controller 100. Each control element of the laser plotter body 1 is connected to the laser plotter control unit 7. Each control element in the automatic loader 2 is connected to the loader control unit 104.

Next, the operation of the laser plotter thus configured will be described. However, since the processing using the film F is the main one here, the description of automatic loading of the glass plate is omitted. Main Control FIGS. 8 and 9 are control flowcharts of the main control unit 100.

When the start button of the main control unit 100 is pressed by the operator, the memory in the CPU is initialized in step S1 of FIG. In step S2, work data and the like are input using the keyboard 101 or the like. Here, for example, the number of stages of the stocker 30, the size of the glass plate or the film, the name of the drawing file in which the drawing data is stored, the type of photosensitive material, the drawing pixel size, and other data are input. Succeedingly, in a step S3, a work start command from the operator is waited for.

When the operator inputs a work start command, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, it is determined based on the input work data whether film processing is to be performed. In step S5, it is determined whether or not the glass plate is processed. In step S6, it is determined whether or not other processing is performed. If the determination in step S6 is no, the process returns to step S4.

If it is determined in step S4 that film processing is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S7. In step S7, the film processing shown in FIG. 9 is performed. If the operator wants to process the film F, the film F is set on the Y table 4 prior to the command (step S3). If it is determined in step S5 that the glass plate processing is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, control for handling a glass plate is performed (details omitted). If it is determined in step S6 that another process is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S9. In step S9, other designated processing is performed.

In the film processing in step S7, as shown in FIG. 9, first, in step S11, a suction command is output to the laser plotter control unit 7. In step S12, a suction completion signal from the laser plotter control unit 7 is waited for. When the suction completion signal (step P8) is output from the laser plotter controller 7, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, a drawing command is output to the laser plotter control unit 7. In step S14, a drawing completion signal (step P11) from the laser plotter controller 7 is waited for. When the drawing completion signal is output from the laser plotter control unit 7, the process proceeds to step S15. In step S15, a suction removal command is output to the laser plotter control unit 7. In step S16, a suction removal completion signal (step P13) from the laser plotter controller 7 is waited for. When the suction release completion signal is received from the laser plotter control unit 7, the process returns to the main routine. Laser plotter control The laser plotter control unit 7 performs initialization to set each unit to the initial position in step P1 of FIG. In step P2, it is determined whether or not the suction command (step S11) is output from the main control unit 100. If it is determined that the suction command is not output, the process proceeds to step P3. In Step P3, it is determined whether or not the drawing command (Step S13) is output from the main control unit 100. If it is determined that the drawing command has not been output, the process proceeds to step P4. In step P4, it is determined whether or not a suction release command (step S15) is issued from the main control unit 100. When the main control unit 100 determines that the suction release command is not output, the process proceeds to step P5. In step P5, other processing is executed. When the other processing in step P5 ends, the process returns to step P2.

When it is determined in step P2 that the suction command (step S11) is output from the main control unit 100, the process proceeds to step P6. In step P6, the suction size is switched to the suction area corresponding to the size of the film. This switching is performed by switching the solenoid valves 23a-23c. In step P7, adsorption is started. Here, the pump 24 is driven by the motor 27. As a result, a predetermined region of the space 73 is depressurized, the space between the table upper surface 4a and the film F is depressurized via the suction holes 14, and the film F is adsorbed on the table 4. At this time, the air in the concave portion 83 in the vicinity of the pin 5 is also discharged through the slight gap between the table 4 and the film F or the slight gap of the O-ring 68, but the communication hole 82 is formed here. Therefore, the inside of the recess 83 is not in a reduced pressure state. Therefore, the film F is held on the table 4 in a flat state without being sucked into the concave portion 83.

In step P8, a suction completion signal is output to the main controller 100. When the output of the adsorption completion signal at step P8 ends, the process returns to step P2. If it is determined in step P3 that the drawing command (step S14) has been output from the main control unit 100, the process proceeds to step P9. In step P9, the Y table 4 and the optical head 5 are moved, and a drawing process for drawing a predetermined image on the film by the laser light modulated by the image data is performed. In this drawing process, an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) modulates laser light output from a laser light source (not shown) according to image data, and an acousto-optic deflector (AOD) deflects the laser light to a minute width. , Scan. That is, the Y table 4 is moved in the Y direction (sub-scanning direction) while performing the fine width main scanning with the AOD. Then, when the scanning of one minute width is completed, the optical head 5 is moved by the minute width, and the scanning of the next minute width is performed. This is repeated sequentially to draw the entire drawing area.

At this time, the relative position of the Y table 4 and the optical head 5 is measured by the laser length measuring device 6, and the servo control of the motors 11 and 22 is performed. Here, by controlling the scanning timing of the AOD with the laser length measuring device 6, the control of the AOD scanning optical system can be accurately performed and the accuracy of the drawing pattern can be increased. In Step P10, the table is moved after the drawing is completed. This table movement moves the Y table 4 to the origin position. In Step P11, a drawing completion signal is output to the main control unit 100. When the drawing completion signal is output, the process returns to step P2.

When the suction release command is received in step P4, the process proceeds to step P12. At step P12, all the solenoid valves 23a, 23b, 23c are turned off to release the adsorption. In Step P13, a suction release completion signal is output to the main control unit 100. When the cancellation completion signal is output in step P13, the process returns to step P2. The film F is sucked and held by such an operation to perform drawing processing. Since the communication hole 82 is formed in the guide 64 and the concave portion 83 formed above the guide 64 is exposed to the atmosphere, this suction At this time, the film F will not be sucked into the recess 83. Therefore, the film F can be held flat.

[Other Embodiments] (a) In the above embodiments, the communication hole is provided in the guide, but it may be provided in the center of the pin, for example. (B) The pin in the above-described embodiment is described as an example in which the photosensitive plate is supported from the lower surface, but it may be a positioning pin for positioning the film.

[0036]

[Effect of the device]

 Since the exposure apparatus according to the present invention has an air communication hole that opens the recess to the atmosphere by attaching a pin, when the photosensitive sheet is held on the table, the recess is exposed to the atmosphere and the photosensitive sheet moves into the recess. It will not bend. Therefore, even when the photosensitive sheet is placed on the table having the concave portion, the photosensitive sheet can be held flat.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a laser plotter adopting an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the laser plotter body.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a Y table.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the Y table.

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional partial view showing a pin mounting structure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an automatic loader.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control system.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a main control unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a main control unit.

FIG. 10 is a control flowchart of a laser plotter control unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser Plotter Main Body 4 Y Table 5 Optical Head 14 Adsorption Hole 15 Pin 24 Vacuum Pump 64 Guide 82 Communication Hole 83 Recess F Film

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An exposure apparatus for exposing photosensitive materials of both a hard photosensitive plate and a soft photosensitive sheet, the table having an adsorption hole for adsorbing and holding the photosensitive material, and a table above the table. An exposure unit arranged, a recess lower than the surface of the table, a pin protruding and retracted in the recess, and a recess when the pin is recessed and the photosensitive sheet is suction-held on the table using the suction hole. An exposure apparatus comprising: a receiving unit having an atmosphere communication hole communicating with the atmosphere.