JPH0792317A - Pattern exposure method and exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To replace oxygen existing at the boundary between a mask and a work or next to the boundary with an inert gas in uniformly distributed state as rapidly as possible with good efficiency at the time of executing the shielding operation against oxygen by an inert gas substituting method in pattern exposure with a proximity exposure system. CONSTITUTION:This pattern exposure method and exposure device execute exposure in the following manner: The inert gas is injected into the spacing from the outside of the opposite spacing between the optical mask 1 and the work 4 by properly adjusting the distribution of the ejection rate of the inert gas from air nozzles 3 or/and the injection angle (rotating angle of an arrow direction) of the inert gas, by which the opposite boundary of the optical mask and the work is subjected to a treatment by replacement with the inert gas while the two-dimensional distribution of the ejection rate of the inert gas within the parallel opposite surfaces of the optical mask and the work is made uniform. Pattern exposure with UV rays or pattern exposure with electron beams is thereafter executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a pattern exposure method and an exposure apparatus for forming a pattern such as a color filter used in a color liquid crystal display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a photopolymerizable photosensitive material is exposed to light, the photosensitive material is previously exposed to a transparent resin film such as polyvinyl alcohol or poval for the purpose of preventing the inhibition of the photopolymerization reaction by oxygen. in either the resin film coating scheme covers, or inert gases, and in particular it is filled with nitrogen gas to ambient photosensitive material, blocking oxygen by an inert gas replacement method of replacing the oxygen in the air with nitrogen N ₂ Then, the exposure method of exposing is adopted.

Although the resin film coating method as described above is a reliable method, it has a drawback that it requires a resin coating step and a drying step and the time required for the step is long. The gas replacement method can be performed by a relatively simple operation.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are a schematic side sectional view and a plan view of an exposure station used for pattern exposure in a conventional proximity (proximity) exposure method. For operation,
In FIG. 8, in the facing gap between the mask 1 horizontally mounted and fixed to the mask mounting frame 12, and the work 4 positioned and mounted on the work stage 15 so as to be spaced apart and facing the mask 1 in parallel with the mask 1. The nitrogen gas is blown from the outside to inject the nitrogen gas for replacement, which can be performed by a relatively simple operation. However, in the air existing at the interface between the mask 1 and the work 4. It is quite difficult to uniformly replace oxygen with nitrogen N ₂ in a short time.

[0005]

As shown in FIG. 8, the mask 1 and the mask 1 are opposed to and parallel to the mask 1 in parallel with the above-described replacement with an inert gas, specifically, with an oxygen blocking system by replacement with nitrogen gas. Nitrogen gas N ₂ is ejected from a nozzle 13 installed on the side of the work 4, and the ejected nitrogen gas N ₂ flows into the gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 while entraining the air around it.

In this case, the area size of the part corresponding to the space between the mask 1 and the work 4 facing each other is, for example, 300 mm × 300.
mm to 500 mm × 500 mm, whereas the proximity distance between the mask 1 and the work 4 is as narrow as several mm to several tens of mm, the nitrogen gas N flowing into the facing gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 is small. The flow of ₂ is bad. Therefore, in order to accurately replace the oxygen adsorbed on the interface between the mask 1 and the work 4 and the oxygen around it with nitrogen N ₂ ,
The flow of nitrogen gas N ₂ in the facing gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 is improved to make the distribution of the nitrogen supply amount jetted and supplied by the nozzle 13 into the facing gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 uniform in the shortest possible time. The applicant of the present application has previously filed Japanese Patent Application No. 5-72072 as a technique for efficiently and uniformly performing a replacement operation in a short time.

In the pattern exposure in the proximity (proximity) exposure system, the present invention makes it possible to remove oxygen existing at the interface between the mask and the work or in the vicinity of the interface as quickly as possible when the oxygen blocking operation is performed by the inert gas replacement system. In addition, it is possible to efficiently replace the inert gas with a uniform distribution state.

[0008]

The first invention of the present invention is as follows:
The optical mask for pattern exposure and the work are opposed to each other in parallel, and the air mask and the work are opposed to each other. In an exposure method in which the optical mask is exposed to the surface of the photosensitive material close to or in contact with the surface of the photosensitive material after the inert gas replacement treatment, the distribution of the amount of the inert gas jetted from the air nozzle and / or the angle of the inert gas jetted appropriately. By adjusting and ejecting the inert gas into the gap from the outside of the gap where the optical mask and the workpiece are opposed to each other, the two-dimensional distribution of the amount of the inert gas ejected in the plane where the optical mask and the workpiece are parallel to each other is adjusted. A pattern characterized by subjecting the facing interface between the optical mask and the work to inert gas substitution treatment while uniformizing, and then subjecting it to ultraviolet pattern exposure or electron beam pattern exposure An optical method.

A second aspect of the present invention includes a mask frame and a work stage which are provided with a light source for exposure, and each of which moves an optical mask for pattern exposure and a work in parallel with each other so as to be spaced apart from or close to each other or in contact with each other. In a pattern exposure apparatus provided with an air nozzle for ejecting an inert gas outside the gap between the optical mask and the workpiece, the air nozzle is provided with one of an inert gas ejection angle and an inert gas ejection amount distribution. Alternatively, the pattern exposure apparatus is characterized in that both can be adjusted appropriately.

Further, a third invention of the present invention is, in the pattern exposure apparatus, two to four are provided around an outer side of an optical mask and a work which are spaced apart from each other in parallel or are in close proximity or in contact with each other.
An air nozzle injection angle rotating means for adjusting the inert gas injection angle of the air nozzle, which comprises at least two oxygen concentration meters,
One or both of the inert gas jetting amount distribution adjusting means for adjusting the inert gas jetting amount distribution of the air nozzle is provided, and the air nozzle jetting angle rotating means or / and based on the concentration detection signal by the oxygen concentration meter. The pattern exposure apparatus is characterized in that the inert gas jetting amount distribution adjusting means is operated to adjust the inert gas jetting angle and / or the inert gas jetting amount distribution.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The exposure method of the first invention of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the pattern exposure method in one Example of the method of this invention in the case of carrying out pattern exposure with respect to it.

By appropriately rotating the air nozzle 3, the phase in the rotation direction of the air jet port 3a (the direction of the arrow shown in the vicinity of the air nozzle 3 in FIG. 1) is set to an appropriate angle, and the optical mask 1 and the work 4 are set. After adjusting the jetting angle of the inert gas N ₂ (jetting air a) jetted into the gap facing each other (jetting angle with respect to the optical mask surface or jetting angle with respect to the work surface), the inert gas N ₂ is appropriately timed. This is a method of performing pattern exposure by jetting (for example, several seconds to several minutes).

In FIG. 1, an optical mask (optical mask) 1 mounted on a mask frame 2 and a work 4 (for example, a glass substrate coated with a photopolymerization curable photosensitive material) facing each other in parallel and spaced from each other. Two pairs of air nozzles 3 (for example, hollow bar-shaped ones) for ejecting nitrogen gas N ₂ are provided near the left and right outer sides of the facing gap, and one of the air nozzles 3 faces the work 4. A small hole-shaped or thin slit-shaped air ejection port 3a for ejecting nitrogen gas N ₂ is provided at the site.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of FIG. 1. It is preferable that the amount of nitrogen gas N ₂ ejected (the amount of ejected air a) is large in the central portion, and the diameter or slit of the small hole of the air ejection port 3a. The width is preferably gradually reduced from the central portion to the outer side, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The amount of air ejected from the air ejection port 3a can be adjusted by appropriately adjusting the diameter of the small hole of the ejection port 3a or the slit width, for example, the peripheral wall of the air nozzle 3 (hollow pipe body). A nozzle attachment 3b having small holes or slits of various diameters or slit widths is attached to a screw hole formed through the portion to be detachably screwed to form an air ejection port 3a, and the nozzle attachment 3b is appropriately formed. Air outlet 3 by replacing
The diameter or slit width of a may be adjusted, or it is possible by manually installing an injection amount adjusting valve that can be manually or automatically adjusted inside the air outlet 3a.

For example, in one embodiment, the optical mask 1 used for manufacturing a color filter or the like is usually 450 m.
The size is m × 450 mm or more, and the facing gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 when using the air nozzle 3 is 20 mm or less, preferably 10 mm or less.

The cross-sectional shape of the air nozzle 3 for jetting nitrogen gas N ₂ is not limited at all, but the outer diameter is preferably as small as possible, for example, less than 10 mm, but not limited to this.

Next, nitrogen gas N ₂ from the air nozzle 3
The process from the ejection process to the exposure process will be sequentially described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 (side sectional views).

In FIG. 1, an optical mask (optical mask) 1 and a work 4 (eg, a glass substrate coated with a photopolymerization-curable photosensitive material) facing each other in parallel and apart from each other are provided in the vicinity of the outside of a facing gap. The nitrogen gas N ₂ (jet air a) is jetted at an appropriate jet angle from the air jet port 3a (nozzle attachment 3b) of each of the pair of installed air nozzles 3 and 3 at a high jet velocity. It is jetted in a direction parallel to the optical mask 1 and the work 4 or toward the optical mask 1 and / or the work 4. The moving speed of the air nozzle 3 is, for example, 100
mm / sec to 200 mm / sec is suitable, and the ejection time of nitrogen gas N ₂ until the movement is completed is about 3 seconds.

Then, after the air jet is stopped or while the air jet is continued, as shown in FIG.
Immediately, the optical mask 1 and the work 4 are brought close to each other to be in the proximity (proximity) state, and the relative positioning of the optical mask 1 and the work 4 in the mutually opposing surfaces (registration alignment for exposure is performed by an appropriate alignment process. ), Followed by immediate ultraviolet exposure or electron beam exposure.

The facing gap between the mask 1 and the work 4 after the proximity state is, for example, 0.1 mm or less, and the optical mask can be used for a few seconds required for the exposure step in the state where this close gap is held. The flow of the outside air is hardly seen in the closely facing gap between the work 1 and the work 4.

After the exposure is completed, the mask 1 and the work 4 are
And are separated from each other so as to be in the original parallel and opposed state (see FIG.
Refer to). The work 4 on the work stage 5
Are appropriately conveyed to the next step.

It should be noted that the air nozzle 3 appropriately uses nitrogen gas N ₂ before the work 4 is loaded onto the work stage 5.
It is possible to spout out.

As another embodiment of the pattern exposure method of the first invention, an oxygen concentration meter 6 having a detection sensor tip portion is provided outside the gap between the optical mask 1 and the work 4 shown in FIG. Is provided, the oxygen concentration near the gap between the optical mask 1 and the work 4 is detected while the inert gas N ₂ is ejected, and based on the detection signal (or the detected concentration value), the air nozzle 3 The injecting amount and the injecting angle of the inert gas are appropriately adjusted.

As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the oxygen concentration meter 6 has, for example, a notch 5 in a part of the work stage 5.
A may be provided and the oxygen concentration meter 6 may be installed so as to be inserted into the notch portion 5a, or may be supported and mounted on the mask frame 2 side (not shown).

Next, the exposure apparatus of the second invention of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments. Figure 4
1 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention, which includes a mask frame 2 and a work stage 5 which is parallel to and spaced apart from each other, and which relatively moves toward and away from each other.

The relative approaching or separating operation of the mask frame 2 and the work stage 5 is driven by an air cylinder or a motor, and an appropriate guide (vertical direction) to both the mask frame 2 and the work stage 5 is provided. (Not shown), it is configured to move toward or away from each other.

The mask frame 2 is provided with a rectangular exposure window portion 2a, and the mask mounting means 2 by air suction for sucking and fixing the mask 1 on the lower surface of the mask frame 2.
0, the mask mounting means 20 includes a mask frame 2
A plurality of slit-shaped, long-hole-shaped, and small-hole-shaped suction holes 21 formed on the lower surface of the air passage 2, and an air passage 2 communicating with the suction holes 21.
2 and an air suction pipe 23, and by appropriately sucking air from the air suction pipe 23 with a vacuum pump (not shown), the mask 1 is sucked and fixed to the lower surface of the mask frame by the vacuum force of the suction holes 21. Is. A ring-shaped sealing material (not shown) made of rubber or plastic having appropriate elasticity is provided around the suction hole 21 so that suction air leaks between the suction hole 21 and the mask surface. It is possible not to.

Above the exposure window 2a of the mask frame 2, a point light source for irradiating ultraviolet rays such as halogen, xenon, arc, or a scanning light source 2 for irradiating ultraviolet rays or electron beams.
8 is provided.

The work stage 5 has a flat surface on its upper surface, and the flat surface is provided with air suction means 14 for suction-fixing the work 4, and the air suction means 24 has a hole on the top surface of the work stage 5. A plurality of suction holes 25 provided,
An air flow path 26 communicating with the suction hole 25 and an air suction pipe 27 are provided. By sucking air from the air suction pipe 27, the work 4 is mounted and fixed on the work stage 5 by the vacuum force of the suction hole 25. It is a thing.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side sectional view of another embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, which is a mask frame 2 and a work stage 5 which is parallel to the mask frame 2 and is opposed to the mask frame 2 and relatively moves toward or away from each other. The mask frame 2 is provided with mask mounting means 30 by a mechanical clamp for mounting and fixing the mask 1 on the lower surface of the mask frame 2.

The mask mounting means 30 comprises a parallel clamp plate 31 facing the lower surface of the mask frame 2, an actuating shaft 32 for vertically moving the clamp plate 31, and a driving source 33 for driving the shaft 32. .

The operating shaft 32 is, for example, an operating rod of an air cylinder, and by attaching the clamp plate 31 to the operating shaft 32, the clamp plate 31 is
The mask 1 is vertically movable, and the mask 1 is sandwiched and fixed between the lower surface of the mask frame 2 and the clamp plate 31.

Further, for example, the operating shaft 32 is
The screw shaft is a screw shaft driven and rotated by a motor. The clamp plate 31 is screwed onto the screw shaft, and a vertical guide (not shown) is appropriately provided on a part of the mask frame 2 so that the screw shaft can rotate normally and reversely. The clamp plate 31 can be moved up and down by rotation, and the mask 1 may be sandwiched and fixed between the lower surface of the mask frame 2 and the clamp plate 31.

Next, an air jet amount adjusting mechanism for adjusting the air jet amount distribution of the air nozzle 3 and a rotating mechanism for adjusting the air jet angle in one embodiment of the device of the present invention will be described below. For example, FIG. 6 is a schematic plan sectional view showing an air ejection amount adjusting mechanism of one air nozzle 3 of the pair of two air nozzles 3, 3. FIG.
It is a schematic plan view showing a rotation mechanism for adjusting the air injection angle of the air nozzle 3 of the book.

In the air ejection amount adjusting mechanism, as shown in FIG. 6, one end portion and the other end portion of the air nozzle 3 are brackets integrally supported by an apparatus main body frame that supports the work stage 5 so that the work stage 5 can be moved up and down (see FIG. (Not shown).

On the peripheral wall portion of the air nozzle 3, along the longitudinal direction of the air nozzle 3, at regular intervals such as equal intervals,
Nozzle attachment 3 having an air ejection port 3a formed therethrough
b is screwed on.

The air ejection port 3a penetrating the nozzle attachment 3b is provided with a taper hole 3d extending toward the hollow portion 3c of the air nozzle 3, and the taper hole 3 is formed.
The peripheral wall portion of the air nozzle 3 facing d is provided with a screw hole 3e, and the screw shaft 40 provided with a tapered tip portion 41 closely corresponding to the inner peripheral surface of the tapered hole 3d is rotatable in the screw hole 3e. A drive transmission gear 42 having a rotation axis in the longitudinal direction of the screw shaft 40 is attached and fixed to a distal end portion of the screw shaft 40, and a drive gear 43 is meshed with the transmission gear 42. 43 is an electric motor,
Alternatively, the screw shaft 40 is rotated forward and backward by rotating the screw shaft 40 forward and backward at an appropriate rotational speed by a driving source 44 such as a rotary air cylinder, and the tapered tip portion 41 is moved relative to the inner peripheral surface of the tapered hole 3d. The air ejection amount is adjusted as appropriate by moving them toward or away from each other.

Next, in the rotating mechanism for adjusting the air injection angle, as shown in FIG. 7, one end portion and the other end portion of the air nozzle 3 are respectively provided with bearings 5 through bearings 51.
It is rotatably attached to 0 and 50.

The bearings 50, 50 are mounted and supported by brackets (not shown) which are integrally supported by the frame of the main body of the apparatus for supporting the work stage 5 so as to be able to move up and down.

One end of the air nozzle 3 is provided with an inflow pipe 45 connected to a hose for allowing air (inert gas) to flow in, and the other end thereof is a drive transmission gear 42 whose longitudinal axis is the rotational axis direction. Is mounted and fixed, and the drive gear 43 is meshed with the transmission gear 42. The drive gear 43 is rotated forward and backward within one rotation by a drive source 44 such as an electric motor or a rotary air cylinder through a transmission gear as appropriate. By rotating, the air nozzle 3 is rotated and the air injection angle is adjusted appropriately.

[0042]

According to the present invention, immediately before exposure, when the inert gas is replaced by injecting the inert gas into the gap between the optical mask and the work, the distribution of the amount of the inert gas is adjusted appropriately. Or, by appropriately adjusting the inert gas injection angle, and then performing the ejection replacement operation of the inert gas to the facing interface between the optical mask and the work,
It is possible to perform a substitution operation with a two-dimensional distribution of an inert gas that is as uniform as possible on the facing interface, and forcibly and conventionally the air existing near the interface, that is, oxygen that inhibits the photopolymerization curing reaction, There is uniformly peeled effect than by the use of a relatively small amount of inert gas is saved over conventional (nitrogen gas N _2), a short time uniform and high concentration of the inert gas (nitrogen gas N ₂ ) An atmosphere can be created and a gas replacement operation can be performed with higher accuracy than before.

[0043]

According to the pattern exposure method and exposure apparatus of the present invention, an interface between an optical mask and a workpiece is used when an oxygen blocking operation is performed by an inert gas substitution method in pattern exposure in a proximity (proximity) exposure method.
Alternatively, it has an effect that oxygen existing in the vicinity of the interface can be efficiently and uniformly replaced with an inert gas in a shorter time than the conventional one, and is effective for forming various patterns such as the exposure formation of the color filter pattern.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view illustrating a pattern exposure method and an exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating a pattern exposure method and an exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view explaining the operation of the pattern exposure method and the exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side sectional view for explaining an embodiment of the pattern exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view illustrating another embodiment of the pattern exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan sectional view illustrating an air ejection amount adjusting mechanism of an air nozzle of the pattern exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view illustrating an air jet angle adjusting mechanism of an air nozzle of the pattern exposure apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic side sectional view illustrating a conventional pattern exposure method and exposure apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating a conventional pattern exposure method and exposure apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

a ... Jet air 1 ... Optical mask 2 ... Mask frame 2a ... Exposure window 3 ... Air nozzle 3a ... Air jet 3b ... Nozzle attachment 3c ... Hollow part 3d ... Tapered hole 3e ... Screw hole 4 ...
Work 5 ... Work stage 5a ... Notch portion 6 ... Oxygen concentration meter 12 ... Mask frame 13 ... Nozzle 15 ... Work stage 20 ... Mask mounting means 21 ... Suction hole 22 ... Air flow path 23 ... Suction tube 24 ... Mounting fixing means 25 ... Suction hole 26 ... Air flow path 27 ... Suction tube 28 ... Exposure light source 30 ... Mask mounting means 31 ... Clamp plate 32 ... Operating shaft 33 ... Drive source 40 ... Screw shaft 41 ... Tapered tip 42 ... Drive transmission gear 43 ... Drive Gear 44 ... Drive source
50 ... Bearing part 51 ... Bearing 52 ... Drive transmission gear 53 ... Drive gear 54 ... Drive source 55 ... Inert gas inflow pipe

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Tomoko Mita 1-5-1 Taito, Taito-ku, Tokyo Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An optical mask for pattern exposure and a work are opposed to each other in parallel, and an inert gas is ejected from an air nozzle into the gap from the outside of the gap facing the separation between the optical mask and the work. In an exposure method of exposing the optical mask in proximity to or in contact with the photosensitive material surface of the work after performing an inert gas displacement treatment on the interface facing the work, the distribution of the amount of the inert gas jetted from the air nozzle and / or the inert gas By adjusting the gas injection angle appropriately and ejecting the inert gas into the gap from the outside of the gap where the optical mask and the workpiece are opposed to each other, the amount of the inert gas ejected in the parallel opposing surface of the optical mask and the workpiece is adjusted. The two-dimensional distribution is made uniform, and the opposing interface between the optical mask and the work is subjected to an inert gas displacement treatment, and then subjected to ultraviolet pattern exposure or electron beam pattern exposure. That pattern exposure method. 2. A mask frame and a work stage, which are provided with a light source for exposure, and which move an optical mask for pattern exposure and a work in parallel with each other so as to be spaced apart from each other, close to each other, or in contact with each other, and a space between the optical mask and the work. In a pattern exposure apparatus equipped with an air nozzle for ejecting an inert gas outside the gap, the air nozzle is capable of appropriately adjusting one or both of the inert gas ejection angle and the inert gas ejection amount distribution. A pattern exposure apparatus. 3. The pattern exposure apparatus is provided with two to four or more oxygen concentration meters around the outer periphery of an optical mask and a workpiece which are parallel to, spaced apart from, close to, or contact with each other, and an inert gas jetting angle of an air nozzle. Air nozzle injection angle rotating means for adjusting the, and one or both of the inert gas injection amount distribution adjusting means for adjusting the inert gas injection amount distribution of the air nozzle, and based on the concentration detection signal by the oxygen concentration meter Pattern exposure, characterized in that the air nozzle injection angle rotating means or / and the inert gas ejection amount distribution adjusting means are operated to adjust the inert gas ejection angle or / and the inert gas ejection amount distribution. apparatus.