JPH08288195A - Aligner - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an aligner for simultaneously exposing a plurality of exposure targets. CONSTITUTION: An exposure device includes a rotary drum 2 with a rotary shaft being extended in a direction vertical to the application direction within the polarization surface of SR light 9. A cassette 3 is retained at the outerperiphery part of the rotary drum. In the cassette 3, a mask and an exposure target are allowed to oppose each other in the diameter direction of the rotary drum. The SR light is applied to the mask from the diameter direction of the rotary drum on exposure. In this case, the rotary drum is properly rotated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for irradiating an exposure object by irradiating the exposure object with an exposure medium through a mask.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art This type of exposure apparatus is used, for example, in known lithography. At the time of exposure, the exposure target and the mask are opposed to each other in a vacuum device, and the exposure medium is irradiated toward the mask. As the exposure medium, for example, synchrotron radiation light (SR light) or X-ray beam is used. A photosensitive material such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is used as the exposure target.

Recently, it has been practiced to use Teflon as an object to be exposed and to irradiate the Teflon with SR light through a mask so that the Teflon is exposed to light so that grooves or holes are formed in the Teflon.

[0004]

However, in the conventional exposure apparatus, a plurality of exposure objects cannot be exposed at the same time, so the exposure operation must be repeated while manually exchanging the exposure objects and masks one by one. I don't get. Therefore, it is difficult to expose a plurality of exposure objects in a short time. Particularly, since the object to be exposed and the mask are inside the vacuum apparatus, the replacement work thereof is troublesome.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus capable of exposing a plurality of exposure objects at substantially the same time.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in an exposure apparatus which irradiates an exposure object through a mask with the exposure medium to expose the exposure object, the exposure apparatus is perpendicular to the irradiation direction of the exposure medium. A rotary drum having a rotating shaft extending in a direction, the mask and the exposure object are positioned on the outer peripheral portion of the rotary drum so as to face each other in the radial direction, and the exposure medium is rotated with the rotation of the rotary drum. The exposure apparatus is characterized by irradiating the mask from the radial direction toward the mask.

It is preferable that the mask and the object to be exposed are assembled in a cassette in a state of facing each other, and the rotary drum is provided with a cassette holding means for holding the cassette on an outer peripheral surface thereof.

It is preferable that the masks are located on both sides of the object to be exposed in the radial direction, and the exposure medium is irradiated toward the masks on the both sides as the rotary drum rotates.

The rotating drum has an outer drum and an inner drum which are concentrically rotatable independently of each other,
It is preferable that the outer drum is provided with a mask holding means for holding the mask, and the inner drum is provided with an exposure object holding means for holding the exposure object in a state where the exposure object can face the mask in a radial direction.

It is preferable that a plurality of the masks and the objects to be exposed are held along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum.

The object to be exposed is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum, the mask is located radially outside the object to be exposed, and the exposure medium is irradiated onto the mask from the outside in the radial direction. It is preferable to do so.

It is preferable to provide a drying promoting means for promoting the drying of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum.

It is preferable to provide a corona discharge mechanism facing the peripheral surface of the rotary drum so that the rotary drum can be discharged.

It is preferable to provide a detector for detecting the intensity of the exposure medium and the intensity of the exposure medium passing through the exposure object.

[0015]

1 shows an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This exposure apparatus uses synchrotron radiation light (SR light) as an exposure medium, and has a rotating shaft 1 extending in a direction perpendicular to the SR light irradiation direction within the polarization plane of the SR light.
It includes a rotating drum 2 having. This rotating drum 2
A large number of cassettes 3 are fixedly held by a cassette holding means (not shown) on the outer peripheral surface in a state of being arranged in the circumferential direction. The rotary drum 2 may be arranged in a vacuum chamber.

Each cassette 3 has an outer shape that is gently curved along the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2, and as shown in FIG. 2, an outer mask 4 and an inner exposure object 5 are superposed and joined to each other. It is a thing. The mask 4 and the exposure object 5 can be coupled by various means. SR as the mask 4
A material that substantially blocks light is used. SR for mask 4
Various mask patterns 6 that transmit light are provided. As the exposure object 5, a photosensitive material made of a polymer material such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is used here, but other materials may be used.

The cassette 3 is held on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2 with the mask 4 on the outside and the exposure object 5 on the inside. In this state, while rotating the rotary drum 2,
SR light 9 is emitted from the R light source 7 through the variable slit 8 toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2, that is, the mask 4. As a result, the exposure target 5 of each cassette 3 is exposed within the range limited by the mask 4. At this time, a uniform exposure amount is given to the exposure area of an arbitrary size within the width range of the SR light 9.

The variable slit 8 has a variable size, and here the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the cross section of the SR light 9 are set to 30 × 5 mm, for example. An example of a structure in which the size of the variable slit 8 is variable is shown in FIG. That is, it is possible to easily change the size of the variable slit 8 by moving the four light-shielding plates 11, 12, 13, and 14 arranged on substantially one plane, respectively, as shown by the arrows.

The cassette 3 may be exchangeable in the vacuum chamber by using a manipulator.

In the above description, the case where a photosensitive material is used as the exposure object 5 to cause exposure has been described. However, when a polymeric material such as Teflon is used as the exposure object 5 and SR light is used as the exposure medium, the exposure is performed. As a result, the polymer material such as Teflon can be processed. That is, in the exposure apparatus of FIG. 1, by using a polymer material such as Teflon as the exposure target 5, the polymer material such as Teflon can be processed depending on the mask pattern of the mask 4.

It is assumed that the fragment particles are retained in the grooves or holes of the Teflon formed as a result of processing the Teflon. When fragmented particles are repeatedly processed to deepen the grooves or holes, they hinder the processing, and it becomes difficult to obtain grooves or holes having a high aspect ratio. Therefore, in that case, the centrifugal force is applied to the fragment particles by rotating the rotary drum 2 at a high speed every time the processing is completed. According to this, since fragment particles are easily discharged, it becomes possible to obtain a larger aspect ratio.

Further, when forming a groove or hole having a large aspect ratio, it is difficult to discharge the filament particles generated in the deep portion, and thus it is difficult to obtain a smooth pattern in the deep portion.
As a cause of this, it is assumed that the inner surface of the processed groove or hole is charged up and the fragment ions are confined by the Coulomb force.

In view of the above, as shown in the modified example of FIG. 4, the corona discharge mechanism 2 faces the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2.
0 is set, and the processing is continued while the drum is being rotated and the charge is sequentially removed during the exposure.

FIG. 5 shows a specific structure of the corona discharge mechanism 20. This corona discharge mechanism 20 includes two stainless steel wires 22 with a diameter of about 50 microns plated with gold and a spring 23 inside an aluminum casing 21.
To prepare for tension. During the exposure, a voltage of plus or minus several kilovolts, which is determined by the polarity of the charge-up described above, is applied to the wire 22 to generate corona, and the ions are ejected to the opposing drum. At this time, it is not necessary to generate an electric current in the wire 22.

FIG. 6 shows another modification of the exposure apparatus of FIG. This exposure apparatus is suitable for processing Teflon. In this exposure apparatus, the rotary drum 2 is formed into a hollow cylindrical shape, the cassette 3 is provided in a double-sided exposed state only on a part of the outer peripheral portion of the rotary drum 2, and a portion facing the cassette 3 in the radial direction is compared. Large opening or window 31
Is provided. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the cassette 3 includes a workpiece 32 made of Teflon from the front and back of the mask 4a,
It should be sandwiched between 4b. The masks 4a and 4b have through-holes as mask patterns at positions facing each other.

According to the exposure apparatus of FIG. 6, after the surface of the workpiece 32 is exposed to the SR light 9 at the position shown, when the rotary drum 2 rotates 180 degrees, the SR light 9 passes through the window 31 and the workpiece is processed. The back surface of 32 will be irradiated. As a result,
During one rotation of the rotary drum 2, the workpiece 32 is processed by exposing the front and back sides once, a total of two times. Therefore, a through hole having a large aspect ratio can be formed in the workpiece 32 as the rotary drum 2 rotates.

FIG. 8 shows still another modification of the exposure apparatus of FIG. In this exposure apparatus, a photomultiplier tube 41 that is movable in parallel with the rotation axis 1 is provided inside and outside (not shown) of the hollow cylindrical rotary drum 2. The photomultiplier tube 41 is for measuring the intensity of the SR light 9. According to this, the processing can be performed while monitoring the intensity ratio of the SR light 9 to be irradiated and the SR light transmitted through the material to be processed of the cassette 3 and confirming the progress state of the processing by exposure. Therefore, the same processing can always be performed even if the intensity of the SR light 9 changes due to attenuation or the like.

FIG. 9 shows an exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this exposure apparatus, the rotary drum 2 has an outer drum 2a and an inner drum 2b which are concentrically rotatable independently of each other. Outer drum 2
The a and the inner drum 2b face each other in the radial direction. The outer drum 2a is provided with mask holding means (not shown) for holding a large number of masks 4 having different patterns arranged in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, the inner drum 2b is provided with an exposure object holding means (not shown) for holding a large number of exposure objects 5 in a state where they can face the mask 4 in a one-to-one radial direction.

At the time of exposure, first, while the SR light 9 is applied to the mask 4 of the outer drum 2a as in the case of FIG. 1, the outer drum 2a and the inner drum 2b are rotated in the same direction at an equal angular velocity. Next, the outer drum 2a and the inner drum 2b are relatively rotated so that another mask 4 faces the exposure object 5, and in this state, the outer drum 2a and the inner drum 2b are rotated in the same direction at an equal angular velocity. . By repeating similar operations,
Three-dimensional exposure is possible.

The exposure may be carried out while rotating, or one mask pattern may be exposed and then the mask may be rotated to the position of the next mask pattern and then exposed again in a stationary state.

When a large number of masks 4 are attached over the entire circumference, the inner drum 2b is fixed and the outer drum 2a is rotated each time the exposure is performed to shift the mask 4, and the exposure is performed in this state. The object 5 may be exposed. According to this, the exposure target 5 can be easily exposed many times. Of course, as a result of the exposure, the Teflon may be processed with grooves or holes.

FIG. 10 shows an exposure apparatus according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This exposure apparatus is provided with one mask 51 facing a part of the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2 with a gap. The mask 51 can be stopped by turning a clutch (not shown) on and off, or can be rotated together with the rotary drum 2. On the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2, a liquid photoresist 52 is applied and dried with the rotation of the rotary drum 2 by a vertically movable movable gear (not shown). A warm air fan 53 is provided near the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum 2 as a drying promoting means for promoting the drying of the liquid photoresist 52. An infrared lamp, an electric heater or the like may be used together with the warm air fan 53.

At the time of exposure, the mask 51 and the rotary drum 2
With the mask relatively stopped, the mask 51 and the rotating drum 2
And rotate. At this time, the giesar is retracted upward.

Next, an example of the procedure for exposing the rotary drum 2 will be sequentially described. The Geeser is brought close to the rotary drum 2 and the liquid photoresist 52 is applied to the outer periphery of the drum. When the photoresist has dried, a predetermined exposure operation is performed. When a hole is opened in the photoresist, the liquid photoresist 52 is again formed.
Apply. When the photoresist has dried, the predetermined exposure operation is performed again. The above procedure is repeated as appropriate. As a result, processing having a high aspect ratio or three-dimensional processing can be easily performed.

Needless to say, various combinations of the above-described embodiments are possible. As the exposure medium,
Other known materials such as X-rays and laser light may be used.

[0036]

As described above, according to the exposure apparatus of the present invention, the object to be exposed and the mask for irradiating the exposure medium can be sequentially switched by rotating the rotary drum. It becomes possible to expose a plurality of exposure objects almost at the same time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the structure of a cassette used in the exposure apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a structure in which the size of a variable slit used in the exposure apparatus of FIG. 1 is variable.

4 is a schematic explanatory view showing a modified example of the exposure apparatus of FIG.

5 is a perspective view showing an example of a corona discharge mechanism used in the exposure apparatus of FIG.

6 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of another modification of the exposure apparatus of FIG.

7 is a sectional view showing the structure of a cassette used in the exposure apparatus of FIG.

8 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of still another modification of the exposure apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an exposure apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 rotary shaft 2 rotary drum 2a outer drum 2b inner drum 3 cassette 4, 4a, 4b mask 5 exposure target 6 mask pattern 7 SR light source 8 variable slit 9 SR light 20 corona discharge mechanism 31 window 32 work piece 51 mask 52 photo Resist 53 hot air fan

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An exposure apparatus which irradiates an exposure object with an exposure medium through a mask to expose the exposure object, wherein a rotary drum having a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to an irradiation direction of the exposure medium is used. Included, the mask and the exposure object are located in the outer peripheral portion of the rotary drum in a state of being opposed to each other in the radial direction, and with rotation of the rotary drum,
An exposure apparatus, wherein the exposure medium is irradiated from the radial direction toward the mask. 2. The mask and the object to be exposed are assembled in a cassette in a state of facing each other, and the rotary drum is provided with a cassette holding means for holding the cassette on an outer peripheral surface thereof. The exposure apparatus described. 3. The mask according to claim 1, wherein the masks are located on both sides of the object to be exposed in the radial direction, and the exposure medium is irradiated toward the masks on both sides with the rotation of the rotary drum. Exposure equipment. 4. The rotating drum includes an outer drum and an inner drum that are concentrically rotatable independently of each other, the outer drum includes a mask holding unit that holds the mask, and the inner drum is the exposure target. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an exposure object holding means for holding an object in a state where it can face the mask in a radial direction. 5. A plurality of the mask and the exposure object are held along an outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.
The exposure apparatus according to any one of 4 above. 6. The object to be exposed is applied to the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum, the mask is radially outside the object to be exposed, and the exposure medium is radially outward from the mask. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure is performed from above. 7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a drying promoting means for promoting drying of the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. 8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a corona discharge mechanism facing a peripheral surface of the rotary drum so that the rotary drum can be discharged. 9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a detector that detects the intensity of the exposure medium and the intensity of the exposure medium that passes through the exposure object.