KR102402362B1 - Transport apparatus, exposure apparatus and transport method - Google Patents

Abstract

The conveying apparatus 100 is movable along the rail 200 . The conveying device 100 includes a sliding member 110 , a gas blowing unit 120 , and a braking unit 130 . The sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 in the conveyance direction. The gas ejection unit 120 is located between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 , and ejects the gas to the rail 200 . The braking unit 130 is provided on one side of the sliding member 110 in the conveyance direction.

Description

A conveying apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a conveying method {TRANSPORT APPARATUS, EXPOSURE APPARATUS AND TRANSPORT METHOD}

The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a conveying method.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART The conveyance apparatus which blows gas, such as air (air) with respect to a rail, floats, and conveys a member by sliding along a rail is known. Such a conveying apparatus is also called an air bearing. Since such a conveying apparatus can convey a member smoothly, it is used in order to convey the board|substrate to be exposed (refer patent document 1). The movable body apparatus of patent document 1 conveys the board|substrate mounted on the floating apparatus in a predetermined direction, after blowing off air and making the floating apparatus float.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-60117

However, in the movable body apparatus of patent document 1, when the speed of a sliding member changes, there exists a possibility that a sliding member may come into contact with a guide member (rail). In particular, in recent years, the size of the substrate is progressing, and in order to improve the processing speed, it is desired that the sliding member slides on the rail at high speed. In this case, when the speed of a sliding member changes, there exists a possibility that a sliding member may come into contact with a rail.

This invention was made in view of the said subject, The objective is to provide the conveyance apparatus, exposure apparatus, and conveyance method which can suppress the contact of a sliding member and a rail.

According to one aspect of this invention, a conveyance apparatus is movable along a rail. The conveying device includes a sliding member, a gas blowing unit, and a braking unit. The said sliding member slides along the said rail in a conveyance direction. The gas ejection unit is located between the sliding member and the rail, and ejects the gas to the rail. The said braking part is provided in the side surface of the one side of the conveyance direction of the said sliding member.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said braking part blows out gas to the said rail, and floats with respect to the said rail.

In the conveying apparatus of the present invention, the distance between the braking unit and the rail when the sliding member slides along the rail is the braking unit and the rail at which the levitation force of the braking unit with respect to the rail is maximized. longer than the distance between

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, when the said sliding member slides along the said rail, the distance between the said braking part and the said rail is longer than the distance between the said gas ejection part and the said rail.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the distance between the said brake part and the said rail at which the levitation force of the said brake part with respect to the said rail becomes maximum is the said gas ejection part when the said sliding member slides along the said rail, and the said shorter than the distance between the rails.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the ejection amount of the said gas ejected from the said braking part changes.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said conveying apparatus is further provided with the connection part which connects the side surface of the said one side of the said sliding member, and the said braking part.

In the conveying apparatus of the present invention, the connecting portion includes: a contact portion mounted on the side surface of the one side of the sliding member; a support portion extending from the contact portion along a conveyance direction of the sliding member; It includes a connecting portion for connecting.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said connection part contains the spherical body which contacts the said braking part.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said connection part further includes the rod part which is supported by the said support part and presses the said spherical body.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said conveying apparatus is further provided with the drive part which drives the said sliding member so that the said sliding member may move along the said rail.

In the conveying apparatus of this invention, the said sliding member has an inner peripheral surface opposing to the said rail, and the outer peripheral surface containing the said one side side surface, The said gas ejection part is arrange|positioned on the inner peripheral surface of the said sliding member.

According to another aspect of this invention, an exposure apparatus is equipped with the conveyance apparatus as described above which conveys a board|substrate, and the exposure part which exposes the board|substrate conveyed by the said conveyance apparatus.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a conveying method includes a step of sliding a sliding member in a conveying direction along the rail while blowing gas on the rail, and a braking unit provided on a side surface of the sliding member on one side in the conveying direction. and braking the sliding member.

In the conveying method of this invention, in the said braking process, the ejection amount of the said gas ejected from the said braking part changes.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the contact of a sliding member and a rail can be suppressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a schematic perspective view of the conveying apparatus of this embodiment.
FIG.2(a) - FIG.2(c) is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the conveyance method by the conveyance apparatus of this embodiment.
Fig. 3(a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, and Fig. 3(b) and 3(c) are schematic cross-sectional views of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
Fig. 4(a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, and Fig. 4(b) is a schematic diagram of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
5 : is a schematic enlarged view of the conveying apparatus of this embodiment.
6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining the change in the levitation force of the braking unit in the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
7 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance between the brake unit and the rail and the levitation force of the brake unit.
8(a) and 8(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining the change in the levitation force of the braking unit in the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
Fig.9 (a) and Fig.9(b) are schematic diagrams for demonstrating the change of the levitation force of the brake part in the conveyance apparatus of this embodiment.
Fig. 10(a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, and Figs. 10(b) and 10(c) are schematic cross-sectional views of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
11 is a schematic perspective view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
Fig. 12(a) is a schematic XZ sectional view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, and Fig. 12(b) is a schematic YZ cross-sectional view of the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment.
13 : is a schematic diagram of the conveying apparatus of this embodiment.
Fig. 14(a) is a schematic side view of an exposure apparatus provided with the conveying apparatus of the present embodiment, and Fig. 14(b) is a schematic plan view of the exposure apparatus.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described with reference to drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or equivalent parts in the drawings, and description thereof is not repeated. In addition, in this specification, in order to make an understanding of invention easy, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction orthogonal to each other may be described. Typically, the X and Y directions are parallel to the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is parallel to the vertical direction.

With reference to FIG. 1, embodiment of the conveying apparatus by this invention is described. 1 : is a schematic perspective view of the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The conveying apparatus 100 is used in order to convey a conveyance object. The conveying device 100 moves along the rail 200 . Here, the rail 200 extends along the Y direction. For example, the rail 200 is arranged on a surface plate 210 .

The conveying device 100 includes a sliding member 110 , a gas blowing unit 120 , and a braking unit 130 . The sliding member 110 is mounted on the rail 200 .

The sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 in the conveyance direction. The sliding member 110 slides in the state in which the conveyance object is mounted. Here, the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 in the +Y direction. Moreover, the sliding member 110 may be slidable along the rail 200 in a -Y direction.

For example, the sliding member 110 is manufactured by processing a stone. In one example, the sliding member 110 is manufactured by processing granite.

The gas ejection unit 120 is positioned between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 . The gas ejection unit 120 is installed on the inner peripheral surface of the sliding member 110 . The gas ejection unit 120 ejects gas to the rail 200 . Typically, when the gas ejection unit 120 ejects gas to the rail 200 , the sliding member 110 floats with the gas ejection unit 120 with respect to the rail 200 , and the sliding member 110 and A gap is formed between the gas outlet 120 and the rail 200 .

For example, the clearance gap between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200 is 3 micrometers or more and 15 micrometers or less. Moreover, the clearance gap between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200 may be 5 micrometers or more and 10 micrometers or less. When the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 by the gas ejection unit 120 blowing out gas, the sliding member 110 moves against the rail 200 without coming into contact with the rail 200 . It can slide smoothly.

The braking unit 130 is installed on the outer peripheral surface of the sliding member 110 . In detail, the braking part 130 is provided on the side surface of one side of the conveyance direction of the sliding member 110. As shown in FIG. Here, the braking unit 130 is installed on the side of the sliding member 110 in the +Y direction.

When the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates after the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 , there is a risk that the sliding member 110 comes into contact with the rail 200 due to inertia. However, in the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the braking part 130 restrict|limits the movement of the sliding member 110 so that the attitude|position of the sliding member 110 may not change. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 due to a change in the movement of the sliding member 110 by the braking unit 130 .

Alternatively, when the sliding member 110 starts or accelerates, there is a fear that the sliding member 110 comes into contact with the rail 200 due to inertia. However, in the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the braking part 130 restrict|limits the movement of the sliding member 110 so that the attitude|position of the sliding member 110 may not change. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 due to a change in the movement of the sliding member 110 by the braking unit 130 .

For example, the braking unit 130 may eject gas to the rail 200 . In this case, the braking unit 130 floats with respect to the rail 200 . For example, when the brake unit 130 installed on the side surface of the +Y direction of the sliding member 110 ejects gas to the rail 200 , the sliding member 110 sliding in the +Y direction stops or decelerates. Even in this case, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 .

In addition, when the brake unit 130 ejects gas, the amount of gas ejected by the brake unit 130 may change according to the movement of the sliding member 110 . For example, when the sliding member 110 slides in the transport direction, the braking unit 130 does not eject gas, while when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates, the braking unit 130 releases the gas. may be ejected. Alternatively, when the sliding member 110 slides in the conveying direction, the amount of gas ejected by the brake unit 130 is small, while when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates, the The ejection amount of the gas may increase. In addition, when the sliding member 110 is completely stopped, the amount of gas ejected by the braking unit 130 may decrease to zero.

The sliding member 110 has an upper portion 112 , a first side portion 114a , and a second side portion 114b . Typically, the top surface of upper portion 112 is flat. When the conveying apparatus 100 conveys a conveyance object, the conveyance object is mounted on the upper surface of the upper part 112. As shown in FIG.

The upper part 112 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The upper part 112 has a main surface on the +Z direction side and a main surface on the -Z direction side. The upper part 112 is disposed on the upper surface of the rail 200 . The main surface of the upper part 112 on the -Z direction side faces the upper surface of the rail 200 .

The first side portion 114a has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is located on the +X direction side of the main surface of the upper portion 112 on the -Z direction side. The first side portion 114a is connected to the upper portion 112 . The first side portion 114a is disposed along the side surface of the rail 200 and faces the side surface of the rail 200 .

The second side portion 114b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is located on the -X direction side of the main surface on the -Z direction side of the upper part 112 . The second side portion 114b is connected to the upper portion 112 . The second side portion 114b is disposed along the side surface of the rail 200 and faces the side surface of the rail 200 .

Here, the braking unit 130 is disposed on the side surface of the upper part 112 on the +Y direction side. In addition, as the braking unit 130 , a first braking unit 130a and a second braking unit 130b are provided. The first braking unit 130a is provided on the +X direction side of the sliding member 110 , and the second braking unit 130b is provided on the -X direction side of the sliding member 110 .

The rail 200 includes a base 202 , a first member 204a , and a second member 204b . The base 202, the first member 204a, and the second member 204b extend parallel to each other. Here, the base 202, the 1st member 204a, and the 2nd member 204b extend along the Y direction. The base 202 is mounted on the upper surface of the surface plate 210 .

The 1st member 204a is located in the +X direction side of the upper part of the base 202, and protrudes in the +X direction rather than the side surface of the +X direction side of the base 202. The 2nd member 204b is located in the -X direction side of the upper part of the base 202, and protrudes in -X direction rather than the side surface of the -X direction side of the base 202.

Here, the sliding member 110 covers the 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200 from upper direction and a side. The rail 200 may be a part of the conveying apparatus 100 . Moreover, the surface plate 210 may also be a part of the conveyance apparatus 100 . For example, the rail 200 and the surface plate 210 are produced by processing a stone. In one example, the rail 200 and the surface plate 210 are manufactured by processing granite.

In addition, in FIG. 1, in order to avoid the figure from becoming too complicated, the driving source which drives the sliding member 110 so that it may move is abbreviate|omitted and shown. As a driving source of the sliding member 110, a linear motor may be used. Alternatively, the sliding member 110 may be connected to another driving source to move in association with the driving source.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the conveying method by the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. FIG.2(a) - FIG.2(c) is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the conveyance method by the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment.

As shown to Fig.2 (a), the conveyance apparatus 100 moves along the rail 200 to +Y direction. In the conveyance apparatus 100, the board|substrate W is mounted on the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110, and the conveyance apparatus 100 conveys the board|substrate W. In addition, the conveyance object of the conveyance apparatus 100 is not limited to the board|substrate W. As shown in FIG. The conveying apparatus 100 can convey various members.

The gas ejection unit 120 ejects gas to the rail 200 , and the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 . At this time, since the gas ejection unit 120 ejects the gas, the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 without contacting the rail 200 . In addition, when the sliding member 110 stably slides with respect to the rail 200 , the distance between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 is approximately constant.

As shown in FIG.2(b), the conveyance apparatus 100 stops at a predetermined position. At this time, the posture of the sliding member 110 may change. Specifically, although the sliding member 110 floats with respect to the rail 200, the distance between the edge part on the conveyance direction side of the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 may become short.

However, in the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.2(c), the braking part 130 restrict|limits the movement of the sliding member 110 so that the attitude|position of the sliding member 110 may not change. do. For this reason, contact between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 is suppressed.

In addition, in the above description with reference to FIG. 2, although the attitude|position of the sliding member 110 when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates was demonstrated, this embodiment is not limited to this. When the speed of the conveying apparatus 100 increases, the posture of the sliding member 110 may change so that the sliding member 110 may come into contact with the rail 200 . For example, when the stationary transport device 100 starts to move, or when the transport device 100 accelerates, the posture of the sliding member 110 changes so that the sliding member 110 moves to the rail 200 . There is a risk of contact with In the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment, since the brake part 130 suppresses the change of the attitude|position of the sliding member 110, even when the speed of the sliding member 110 increases, the sliding member 110 and It is possible to suppress the contact of the rail 200 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. Fig. 3(a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG.3(a), the gas supply part 220 supplies gas to the gas ejection part 120. As shown in FIG. The gas ejection unit 120 ejects the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 220 onto the rail 200 , so that the gas ejection unit 120 does not come into contact with the rail 200 between the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail. A gap may be formed between (200).

The gas ejection unit 120 has an opening 122 and a communication path 124 . The opening 122 and the communication path 124 are formed in the sliding member 110 . From the gas supply unit 220 , the gas passing through the communication path 124 is ejected from the opening 122 .

Here, three openings 122 are arranged along the Y direction on the +X direction side of the main surface on the -Z direction side of the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110, and the upper part 112 is On the -X direction side of the main surface on the -Z direction side, three are arranged along the Y direction. Moreover, in the main surface on the -X direction side of the 1st side part 114a of the sliding member 110, three opening parts 122 are arranged along the Y direction, and +X of the 2nd side part 114b. In the main surface on the side of the direction, three are arranged along the Y direction. The communication path 124 communicates the opening 122 . The communication path 124 is formed inside the sliding member 110 .

In addition, when the braking unit 130 ejects gas, the gas supply unit 220 may supply gas not only to the gas ejection unit 120 but also to the braking unit 130 . Although not shown in Fig. 3(a), an opening is formed on the surface of the -Z direction side of the braking unit 130, and the braking unit 130 may eject gas from the opening.

The conveying apparatus 100 is the gas ejection part 120, Comprising: The upper ejection part 120a and the side ejection part 120b are included. The upper blowing part 120a is provided in the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110, and blows gas toward -Z direction with respect to the rail 200. The side blowing part 120b is provided in the 1st side part 114a and the 2nd side part 114b of the sliding member 110, and blows gas toward the -X direction or +X direction with respect to the rail 200. do.

3(b) and 3(c) are schematic cross-sectional views of the conveying apparatus 100 . In detail, FIG.3(b) is a schematic sectional drawing of the conveyance apparatus 100 when the +X direction is seen from -X direction, FIG.3(c) is a case where the -X direction is seen from +X direction. It is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conveyance apparatus 100 of

1 and 3(b) , the first braking unit 130a is disposed on the side surface of the upper part 112 on the +Y direction side. Three openings 122 are formed in the first side portion 114a. Since the gas is ejected from these openings 122, the first side portion 114a and the first member 204a of the rail 200 are disposed between the first side portion 114a and the first member 204a without contact. A gap is formed.

1 and 3(c) , the second braking unit 130b is disposed on the side surface of the upper part 112 on the +Y direction side. Three openings 122 are formed in the second side portion 114b. Since the gas is ejected from these openings 122, the second side portion 114b and the second member 204b of the rail 200 are disposed between the second side portion 114b and the second member 204b without contact. A gap is formed. For this reason, the conveyance apparatus 100 can move along the rail 200 in the same attitude|position, without contacting the rail 200. As shown in FIG.

In addition, in the conveying apparatus 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3, although the braking part 130 was provided in the side surface of the +Y direction of the sliding member 110, this embodiment is not limited to this. The braking unit 130 may be provided on a side surface of the sliding member 110 in the -Y direction. Alternatively, the braking unit 130 may be provided on both the side surface on the +Y direction side and the side surface on the -Y direction side of the sliding member 110 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG.1 and FIG.4(a), the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 4 (a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The conveying apparatus 100 of FIG. 4( a ) has been described above with reference to FIG. 3 , except that the braking unit 130 is provided on both the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the sliding member 110 . It has the same structure as that of the conveying apparatus 100 . For this reason, in order to avoid being verbose, the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted.

As shown to Fig.4 (a), in addition to the 1st braking part 130a and the 2nd braking part 130b as the braking part 130, the conveyance apparatus 100 is a 3rd braking part 130c and a 4th braking part. A braking unit 130d is provided. The first braking unit 130a and the second braking unit 130b are provided on a side surface of the sliding member 110 in the +Y direction. The first braking unit 130a is located on the +X direction and +Y direction sides of the sliding member 110 , and the second braking unit 130b is located on the -X direction and +Y direction sides of the sliding member 110 . is located in

Moreover, the 3rd braking part 130c and the 4th braking part 130d are provided in the side surface of the -Y direction side of the sliding member 110. As shown in FIG. The third braking unit 130c is located on the +X direction and -Y direction sides of the sliding member 110 , and the fourth braking unit 130d is located on the -X direction and -Y direction sides of the sliding member 110 . is located in

In the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment, since the 1st braking part 130a and the 2nd braking part 130b are provided in the +Y direction side of the sliding member 110, the sliding which slides in the +Y direction. When the member 110 stops or decelerates, contact between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 may be suppressed. In addition, since the third braking unit 130c and the fourth braking unit 130d are provided on the -Y direction side of the sliding member 110, the sliding member 110 sliding in the -Y direction may stop or decelerate. When the sliding member 110 and the rail 200, it is possible to suppress the contact.

In addition, in the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the ejection amount of the gas by the 1st braking part 130a - the 4th braking part 130d may change with the movement of the sliding member 110. As shown in FIG. For example, when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates after the sliding member 110 slides in the +Y direction, the first braking unit 130a and the second braking unit 130b prevent the gas from being ejected. Start or increase the amount of gas ejected, the third braking unit 130c and the fourth braking unit 130d may stop the ejection of the gas or reduce the ejection amount of the gas. Alternatively, when the sliding member 110 is stopped or decelerated after the sliding member 110 slides in the -Y direction, the third braking unit 130c and the fourth braking unit 130d start blowing gas or Alternatively, the gas ejection amount may be increased, and the first and second braking units 130a and 130b may stop the gas ejection or reduce the gas ejection amount.

In addition, in the conveying apparatus 100 shown to FIGS. 1-4 (a), although the braking part 130 was attached directly to the sliding member 110, this embodiment is not limited to this. The braking unit 130 may be connected to the sliding member 110 through a separate member.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG.4(b), the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 4(b) is a schematic diagram of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. In addition, the conveying apparatus 100 of FIG. 4(b) further includes a connecting member 140 as well as a braking unit 130 installed on the +Y direction side and the -Y direction side of the sliding member 110 . Except for, it has the same configuration as the transport apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 . For this reason, in order to avoid being verbose, the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted.

4( b ) shows the first braking unit 130a and the third braking unit 130c among the braking units 130 . As described above with reference to FIG. 4A , the first braking unit 130a is provided on a side surface of the sliding member 110 on the +Y direction side, and the third braking unit 130c is a sliding member. (110) is provided on the side of the -Y direction side. Here, the first braking unit 130a and the third braking unit 130c have the same configuration.

The conveying device 100 further includes a connecting member 140 in addition to the sliding member 110 , the gas blowing unit 120 , and the braking unit 130 . The connecting member 140 connects the sliding member 110 and the braking unit 130 . The connecting member 140 is mounted on a side surface of the sliding member 110 . It is preferable that at least a portion of the connecting member 140 is integrated with the sliding member 110 , while the braking unit 130 is a member separate from the sliding member 110 .

The connection member 140 includes a contact portion 142 , a support portion 144 , and a connection portion 146 . The contact portion 142 is in contact with the side surface of the sliding member 110 . For example, the contact portion 142 is mounted on a side surface of the sliding member 110 . In one example, the contact portion 142 is screwed to the side surface of the sliding member 110 .

The support part 144 extends from the contact part 142 along the conveyance direction of the sliding member 110 . For example, in the connection member 140 connecting the first braking unit 130a to the sliding member 110 , the support unit 144 extends from the contact unit 142 in the +Y direction. Typically, the contact portion 142 and the support portion 144 are integrally formed. For example, the contact portion 142 and the support portion 144 are formed of an L-shaped member.

The connection part 146 connects the braking part 130 and the support part 144 . For example, connection 146 includes a sphere. The outer circumferential surface of a sphere is spherical. The inside of the sphere may or may not be filled.

When the brake unit 130 is driven, the sphere of the connection unit 146 is preferably held by being sandwiched between the brake unit 130 and the support unit 144 . In this case, it is possible to suppress deformation or damage caused by collision between the braking unit 130 and the support unit 144 . In addition, when the connecting portion 146 includes a sphere, it is preferable that a concave portion corresponding to the sphere is formed in at least one of the braking portion 130 and the support portion 144 in contact with the sphere. In this case, since the sphere is located in the concave portion, the connecting portion 146 can connect the braking portion 130 and the supporting portion 144 at the same position.

Moreover, as mentioned above, the clearance gap between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200 is comparatively narrow. For this reason, it is preferable that the distance between the braking part 130 and the support part 144 can be adjusted with high precision.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 5 : is a schematic enlarged view of the conveyance apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 5 , the vicinity of the braking unit 130 and the connecting member 140 in the conveying apparatus 100 is enlarged and shown.

The connecting portion 146 includes a spherical body 146a and a rod portion 146b. The rod part 146b presses the spherical body 146a. Here, a concave portion 130s is formed on the upper surface of the braking unit 130 . The sphere 146a is fitted into the concave portion 130s of the upper surface of the braking unit 130 . The concave portion 130s has a shape corresponding to the sphere 146a. For example, the concave portion 130s has a shape corresponding to the conical side surface.

The rod portion 146b has a cylindrical shape with one tip dented. A concave portion 146s is formed at one distal end of the rod portion 146b. The concave portion 146s has a shape corresponding to the sphere 146a. For example, the concave portion 146s has a shape corresponding to the conical side surface.

A circular through hole is formed in the support portion 144 , and the rod portion 146b passes through the through hole of the support portion 144 . The outer diameter of the rod portion 146b is substantially the same as the diameter of the through hole of the support portion 144 .

It is preferable that the through hole of the support portion 144 and the rod portion 146b are threaded. In this case, by rotating the rod part 146b with respect to the support part 144 , the rod part 146b passes through the support part 144 . Accordingly, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the support unit 144 can be adjusted with high precision.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5 , when not only the gas ejection unit 120 but also the braking unit 130 ejects gas, the braking unit 130 floats with respect to the rail 200 and slides. The member 110 , the support portion 144 , and the rod portion 146b also float with respect to the rail 200 . For this reason, the spherical body 146a floats with respect to the rail 200 while being pinched|interposed between the brake part 130 and the rod part 146b. In this case, if the blowing of the gas from the braking unit 130 is stopped while maintaining the blowing of the gas from the gas blowing unit 120, the braking unit 130 will fall until it comes into contact with the rail 200, and the sphere ( 146a) also falls together with the braking unit 130 .

In addition, when the sliding member 110 slides, the clearance gap between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200 may be equal to the clearance gap between the brake part 130 and the rail 200 . In this case, when the gas ejection unit 120 and the brake unit 130 stop the gas ejection, the sphere 146a remains sandwiched between the brake unit 130 and the rod unit 146b, the sliding member 110, The support 144 and the brake 130 fall by the same distance until they come into contact with the rail 200 .

In addition, in this specification, the gap between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200 (distance between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200) is called the gap of the gas ejection part 120 in some cases. . In addition, a gap (distance) between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 may be referred to as a gap between the braking unit 130 .

As described above, the braking unit 130 floats with respect to the rail 200 by ejecting the gas with respect to the rail 200 . In addition, the levitation force of the braking unit 130 may be controlled according to the gap of the braking unit 130 . In addition, according to the configuration of the braking unit 130 , the corresponding relationship between the levitation force of the braking unit 130 and the gap is controllable. For example, even if the gas supply amount by the gas supply unit 220 shown in FIG. 3 is constant, the relationship between the gap of the braking unit 130 and the levitation force can be determined by changing the size, spacing, shape, etc. of the opening 122 . can be changed

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the change of the levitation force of the braking part 130 in the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining a change in the levitation force of the braking unit 130 . In addition, the arrow in FIG.6(a) and FIG.6(b) has shown the magnitude|size of the levitating force of the braking part 130. As shown in FIG.

As shown in Fig. 6(a) , when the gap La of the braking unit 130 is relatively large, it is preferable that the levitation force Fa of the braking unit 130 is relatively small. When the sliding member 110 can slide smoothly with respect to the rail 200 , the gap La of the braking unit 130 is relatively large. In this case, the levitation force Fa of the braking unit 130 may be relatively small.

As shown in Fig. 6(b) , when the gap Lb of the braking unit 130 is relatively small, it is preferable that the levitation force Fb of the braking unit 130 is relatively large. For example, when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates with respect to the rail 200 , the gap Lb of the braking unit 130 may become small. In this case, it is preferable that the levitation force Fb of the braking unit 130 increases. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 when the sliding member 110 is stopped or decelerated.

Alternatively, when the sliding member 110 starts or accelerates with respect to the rail 200 , the gap of the braking unit 130 may become small. In this case, it is preferable that the levitation force of the braking unit 130 increases. For this reason, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 when the sliding member 110 starts or accelerates.

For example, the levitation force of the brake unit 130 changes according to the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 . In addition, according to the configuration of the braking unit 130 , the corresponding relationship between the gap of the braking unit 130 and the levitation force is controllable.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, the relationship between the distance between the braking part 130 and the rail 200 in the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment, and the levitation force of the braking part 130 is demonstrated. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 and the levitation force of the brake unit 130 .

As shown in FIG. 7 , as the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 increases to some extent, the levitation force increases, and the levitation force reaches a peak. On the other hand, when the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 is longer, the levitation force is reduced. In this way, the levitation force of the brake unit 130 changes according to the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 (a gap between the brake unit 130 ).

For example, in the graph of FIG. 7 , when the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 is 5 μm, the levitation force of the brake unit 130 represents the maximum value. In this case, if the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 is preset to be 10 μm when the sliding member 110 slides, the levitation force of the brake unit 130 during sliding is relatively small, while sliding When the member 110 is stopped or decelerated, the levitation force of the braking unit 130 may be increased. For this reason, when the sliding member 110 is stopped or decelerated, it is possible to suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 .

Further, when the sliding member 110 slides, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 may be longer than the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 . In this case, the distance between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 at which the levitation force of the brake unit 130 is maximized is the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 and The same is preferable.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 8, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 8(a) and 8(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining a change in the levitation force of the braking unit 130 in the conveying apparatus 100 .

As shown in Fig. 8 (a), when the sliding member 110 slides with respect to the rail 200, the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 is L2, The distance between the eastern part 130 and the rail 200 is L2. Here, the levitation force of the braking unit 130 at the distance L2 is relatively weak. Here, when the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas blowing unit 120 and the rail 200 is L2, the levitation force of the sliding member 110 or the gas blowing unit 120 is set to be maximum.

As shown in FIG. 8(b) , when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates with respect to the rail 200 , the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 changes from L2 to distance L1 . Here, the braking unit 130 is designed so that the levitation force at the distance L1 is the strongest. For this reason, when the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 is shorter than the distance L2 at the time of sliding, the levitation force of the braking unit 130 increases. For this reason, when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates, it is possible to effectively suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 . As such, when the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 , the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 is the braking unit 130 in which the levitation force of the braking unit 130 is maximized. It may be longer than the distance between the and rail 200 .

In addition, as described above with reference to FIG. 8 , when the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 , the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 is the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail ( 200) may be the same as the distance between them. In addition, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 at which the levitation force of the braking unit 130 with respect to the rail 200 is maximized is determined when the sliding member 110 slides along the rail 200 . It may be shorter than the distance between the gas ejection part 120 and the rail 200. In addition, when the sliding member 110 slides, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 may be longer than the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 .

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 9, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 9(a) and 9(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining the change in the levitation force of the braking unit 130 in the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

As shown in Fig. 9 (a), when the sliding member 110 slides with respect to the rail 200, the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 is L1, The distance between the eastern part 130 and the rail 200 is L2. The distance L2 is greater than the distance L1.

As shown in FIG. 9B , when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates with respect to the rail 200 , the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 changes from L2 to distance L1 . The distance L1 is shorter than the distance L2. Here, the braking unit 130 is designed so that the levitation force at the distance L1 is the strongest. For this reason, when the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 is shorter than the distance L2 at the time of sliding, the levitation force of the braking unit 130 increases. For this reason, when the sliding member 110 stops or decelerates, it is possible to effectively suppress the sliding member 110 from contacting the rail 200 .

In this way, when the sliding member 110 slides, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 may be longer than the distance between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 . . In this case, the distance between the braking unit 130 and the rail 200 at which the levitation force of the braking unit 130 is maximized is between the sliding member 110 or the gas ejection unit 120 and the rail 200 during sliding. It is preferable that it is about the same as the distance of .

In addition, in the conveying apparatus 100 shown in FIG.3 and FIG.4, although the opening part 122 of the gas ejection part 120 was formed in the flat inner peripheral surface of the sliding member 110, this embodiment is not limited to this. The opening 122 may be surrounded by a projection and/or a recess.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 10, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. Fig. 10(a) is a schematic bottom view of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

The inner peripheral surface of the sliding member 110 has a flat portion 110f, a protruding portion 110p, and a concave portion 110q. The protrusion 110p is located around the opening 122 and surrounds the opening 122 in an annular shape. Here, when the inner peripheral surface of the sliding member 110 is viewed from the front, the protrusion 110p has a square outer edge. The concave portion 110q is surrounded by the protrusion 110p, and grooves along the X and Y directions are formed in the concave portion 110q. An opening 122 is formed in the center of the concave portion 110q.

The conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is equipped with the upper blowing part 120a and the side blowing part 120b as the gas blowing part 120. Three upper ejection parts 120a are arranged along the Y direction on the +X direction side, and three are arranged along the Y direction on the -X direction side.

Three side ejection parts 120b are arranged in a line along the Y direction on the +X direction side, and three are arranged along the Y direction on the -X direction side. In addition, all of the heights of the protrusions 110p around the side ejection portions 120b arranged along the Y direction are almost the same.

Here, the conveying apparatus 100 is provided with the 3rd braking part 130c and the 4th braking part 130d as the braking part 130 in addition to the 1st braking part 130a and the 2nd braking part 130b. do. The first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d have a cylindrical shape or a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

For example, the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d may include a metal member. In one example, the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d include stainless steel. A plurality of openings are formed in each of the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d. Alternatively, one opening is formed in the center of the bottom surface of the -Z direction of the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d, and the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d is - A porous member covering the bottom face may be attached to the bottom face in the Z direction.

The gas supply unit 220 supplies gas to the gas ejection unit 120 and the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d. The gas ejection unit 120 ejects the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 220 onto the rail 200, so that the gas ejection unit 120 does not come into contact with the rail 200. 200), a gap is formed between them.

In addition, the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d eject the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 220 to the rail 200 . For this reason, the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d limit the movement of the sliding member 110 so as to suppress a change in the posture of the sliding member 110 , and thus the sliding member 110 and the rail (200) contact can be suppressed.

Here, the pressure regulator 222 is provided between the gas supply part 220 and the gas ejection part 120 and the first braking part 130a to the fourth braking part 130d. The amount of gas supplied from the gas supply unit 220 to the gas ejection unit 120 and the first braking unit 130a to the fourth braking unit 130d can be adjusted by the pressure regulator 222 .

10(b) and 10(c) are schematic cross-sectional views of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. Fig. 10(b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of the conveying apparatus 100 when the +X direction is viewed from the -X direction, and Fig. 10(c) is a conveying apparatus ( 100) is a schematic cross section.

As shown in FIG.10(b) and FIG.10(c), the height of the projection part 110p around the opening part 122 of the upper blowout part 120a arranged along the Y direction is constant.

In addition, in the description described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10 , the sliding member 110 covers the first member 204a and the second member 204b of the rail 200 from above and from the side, but in this embodiment The form is not limited thereto. The sliding member 110 may cover the 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200 not only from upper direction and a side, but also from below.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 11, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 11 : is a schematic perspective view of the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The conveying apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 11 includes the conveying apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1 except that the sliding member 110 further has a first lower portion 116a and a second lower portion 116b. have the same configuration. For this reason, in order to avoid becoming redundant, the description which overlaps is abbreviate|omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11, the sliding member 110 covers the 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200 from upper side, the side, and the lower side. The first member 204a of the rail 200 is covered by the sliding member 110 from above, from the +X direction side and from below. Moreover, the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200 is covered with the sliding member 110 from above, -X direction side, and below.

The sliding member 110 further has a first lower portion 116a and a second lower portion 116b in addition to the upper portion 112 , the first side portion 114a and the second side portion 114b . The first lower portion 116a is disposed on the -Z direction side of the first side portion 114a and is connected to the first side portion 114a. The second lower portion 116b is disposed on the -Z direction side of the second side portion 114b and is connected to the second side portion 114b.

In this way, the sliding member 110 covers the first member 204a of the rail 200 from above, from the side and from below, and the second member 204b of the rail 200 from above, from the side and from below. cover For this reason, the position of the sliding member 110 can be controlled with high precision.

In addition, in the description mentioned above with reference to FIGS. 1-11, the gas ejection part 120 ejected gas with respect to the rail 200 in -Z direction, -X direction, and +X direction, but this embodiment is not limited thereto. The gas ejection unit 120 may eject gas not only in the -Z direction, -X direction, and +X direction but also in the +Z direction.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 12, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. Fig. 12(a) is a schematic XZ cross-sectional view of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, and Fig. 12(b) is a schematic YZ cross-sectional view of the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.

As shown to Fig.12(a) and FIG.12(b), the conveyance apparatus 100 is the gas ejection part 120, The upper ejection part 120a, the side ejection part 120b, and the downward ejection part 120c ) is provided. The upper blowing part 120a is provided in the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110, and gas is directed toward the -Z direction with respect to the 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200. erupt

The side ejection part 120b is provided in the 1st side part 114a and the 2nd side part 114b of the sliding member 110, The 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200. The gas is ejected in the -X direction or the +X direction. Moreover, the downward blowing part 120c is provided in the 1st lower part 116a and the 2nd lower part 116b, It is +Z with respect to the 1st member 204a and the 2nd member 204b of the rail 200. The gas is ejected in the direction.

In this way, while the upper blowing part 120a and the side blowing part 120b blow out gas from the upper side and the side of the rail 200, the lower blowing part 120c blows out gas from the lower side of the rail 200. Therefore, the position of the sliding member 110 with respect to the rail 200 at the time of sliding can be controlled with high precision.

In more detail, three upper ejection parts 120a are provided along the Y direction on the +X direction side, and three are provided along the Y direction on the -X direction side. Three side ejection parts 120b are provided along the Y direction on the +X direction side, and three are provided along the Y direction on the -X direction side. Three downward blowout portions 120c are provided along the Y direction on the +X direction side, and three are provided along the Y direction on the -X direction side.

The three upper blowing parts 120a provided on the +X direction side are provided on the +Y direction side, the center, and the -Y direction side. The three downward blowing parts 120c provided on the +X direction side are provided on the +Y direction side, the center, and the -Y direction side. The +Y direction side, the center, and the downward blowout part 120c on the side of -Y direction are opposed to the three upper blowout parts 120a via the 1st member 204a of the rail 200. As shown in FIG.

Moreover, the three upper ejection parts 120a provided in the -X direction side are provided in the +Y direction side, the center, and the -Y direction side. The three downward blowout portions 120c provided on the -X direction side are provided on the +Y direction side, the center, and the -Y direction side.

The driving mechanism of the sliding member 110 may be provided between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 . For example, the drive mechanism of the sliding member 110 may be a linear motor.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 13, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 13 : is a schematic diagram of the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment. The conveying apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 13 is the same as the conveying apparatus 100 described above with reference to FIG. 1 except that the driving unit 150 is disposed between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 . has a configuration. For this reason, in order to avoid becoming redundant, the description which overlaps is abbreviate|omitted.

As shown in FIG. 13 , in the conveying apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the drive unit 150 is provided between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 . The driving unit 150 drives the sliding member 110 to move the sliding member 110 along the rail 200 .

The driving unit 150 includes a movable element 152 and a stator 154 . The mover 152 is mounted on the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110 . In detail, the movable element 152 is mounted along the Y direction at the center of the X direction on the main surface on the -Z direction side of the upper part 112 of the sliding member 110 . The mover 152 includes a coil.

The stator 154 is disposed above the base 202 of the rail 200 . The stator 154 extends in the Y direction. The stator 154 has a U-shape in the XZ cross section. The stator 154 includes a magnet. As the magnet, a neodymium magnet is suitably used.

The mover 152 and the stator 154 are arranged so that the tip of the mover 152 enters into the opening of the stator 154 . When a current flows through the mover 152 , a force is applied to the mover 152 by the attraction and repulsion action between the magnetic flux generated from the mover 152 and the stator 154 . For this reason, the sliding member 110 to which the mover 152 is mounted can slide with respect to the rail 200 .

As mentioned above, the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment can convey various members. In particular, since the conveying apparatus 100 smoothly moves with respect to the rail 200 by the gas ejection part 120, it can convey the member whose vibration is unpreferable suitably. For example, the conveyance apparatus 100 is suitably used for conveyance of a board|substrate. In particular, since the conveyance apparatus 100 is provided with the gas ejection part 120, even during conveyance, it can perform an operation|movement suitably, suppressing the influence of a vibration. The conveying apparatus 100 is suitably used for the exposure apparatus which exposes with respect to board|substrates, such as a semiconductor substrate.

Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 14, the exposure apparatus 300 provided with the conveyance apparatus 100 of this embodiment is demonstrated. 14(a) is a schematic side view of the exposure apparatus 300 provided with the conveying apparatus 100 of this embodiment, and FIG. 14(b) is a schematic plan view of the exposure apparatus 300. As shown in FIG.

Here, the exposure apparatus 300 performs an exposure process with respect to the board|substrate W. The exposure apparatus 300 irradiates the upper surface of the board|substrate W with the light spatially modulated according to CAD data etc., and exposes (draws) a pattern (for example, a circuit pattern). The conveying apparatus 100 conveys the board|substrate W before or after exposure.

A layer of a photosensitive material such as a resist is formed on the substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a color filter substrate provided in a semiconductor substrate, a printed circuit board, a liquid crystal display device, or the like, a flat panel display glass substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, or an optical disc provided in a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device. substrates for solar cells, and panels for solar cells. For example, the substrate W has a thin circular shape.

The exposure apparatus 300 includes a base 310 , a support frame 320 , a holding unit 330 , a stage driving unit 340 , an exposure unit 350 , and an imaging unit 360 . The base 310 extends in the Y direction. The base 310 directly or indirectly supports the supporting frame 320 , the holding unit 330 , the stage driving unit 340 , the exposure unit 350 , and the imaging unit 360 .

The support frame 320 is provided on the base 310 . The support frame 320 has a door shape and supports the exposure part 350 . Specifically, the support frame 320 has a plurality of pillars and a hollow box portion supported by the pillars. The exposure part 350 is arrange|positioned inside the box part.

The holding unit 330 includes a stage for holding the substrate W. The holding unit 330 is disposed on the base 310 . For example, the holding part 330 has a flat external shape, and places and holds the board|substrate W in a horizontal attitude|position on the upper surface. A plurality of suction holes (not shown) are formed on the upper surface of the holding unit 330 , and by forming a negative pressure (suction pressure) in the suction holes, the substrate W placed on the holding unit 330 is transferred to the holding unit. It is maintained on the top surface of 330 .

The stage driving unit 340 moves the holding unit 330 with respect to the base 310 . The stage driving unit 340 includes a rotating member 342 , a transport device 100 , a rail 200 , a transport device 100A, and a rail 200A.

The rotation member 342 rotates the holding part 330 holding the substrate W in the rotational direction (the rotational direction having the Z direction as the rotational axis). The conveying apparatus 100 and 100A of conveying apparatus convey the holding part 330 which hold|maintains the board|substrate W. The conveying apparatus 100 conveys the holding|maintenance part 330 in a Y direction. 100A of conveyance apparatus conveys the holding|maintenance part 330 in the X direction. The stage driving unit 340 is disposed on the base 310 .

The conveying apparatus 100 is arrange|positioned on the base 310. The conveying apparatus 100 is movable in the Y direction (main scanning direction). The conveying apparatus 100A is arrange|positioned on the conveying apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. The conveying apparatus 100A is movable in the X direction (negative scanning direction). The rotation member 342 is disposed on the conveying apparatus 100A.

The rotation member 342 passes through the center of the upper surface (the mounting surface of the substrate W) of the holding part 330 and rotates about the rotation axis A perpendicular to the mounting surface of the substrate W. The rotation member 342 includes a rotation shaft portion 342a and a rotation drive portion 342b. As for the rotation shaft part 342a, the upper end is fixed to the back surface side of a mounting surface, and is extended along a vertical axis, for example. The rotation drive part 342b is provided at the lower end of the rotation shaft part 342a, and rotates the rotation shaft part 342a. The rotation driving unit 342b includes a rotation motor. When the rotation driving unit 342b rotates the rotation shaft portion 342a, the holding portion 330 rotates about the rotation shaft A in a horizontal plane.

100 A of conveying apparatuses are equipped with 110 A of sliding members, 120 A of ball bearings, and 150 A of drive parts. The sliding member 110A supports the holding part 330 via the rotating member 342 . The sliding member 110A slides along the pair of rails 200A.

The conveying device 100 includes a sliding member 110 , a gas blowing unit 120 , a braking unit 130 , and a driving unit 150 . The sliding member 110 supports the conveying apparatus 100A. As the braking unit 130 , a third braking unit 130c and a fourth braking unit 130d are installed in addition to the first braking unit 130a and the second braking unit 130b .

The pair of rails 200A extend along the X direction from the upper surface of the sliding member 110 . A ball bearing 120A is provided between each rail 200A and the sliding member 110A. The sliding member 110A is supported on a pair of rails 200A via a ball bearing 120A. The sliding member 110A may move along the rail 200A while sliding on the rail 200A.

The driving unit 150A includes a linear motor. A linear motor has a mover and a stator. The movable element is attached to the lower surface of the sliding member 110A. The stator is disposed on the upper surface of the sliding member 110 . When the driving unit 150A is driven, the sliding member 110A moves smoothly along the X-direction along the rail 200A.

Moreover, on the base 310, a pair of rail 200 is arrange|positioned. The rails 200 each extend in the Y direction. A gas ejection unit 120 is installed between the sliding member 110 and the rail 200 . Air is constantly supplied to the gas blowing unit 120 from an external gas supply unit, and the sliding member 110 is supported by floating on the rail 200 in a non-contact manner by the gas blowing unit 120 .

The driving unit 150 includes a linear motor. A linear motor has a mover and a stator. The mover is mounted on the lower surface of the sliding member 110 . The stator is placed on the base 310 . When the driving unit 150 is driven, the sliding member 110 smoothly moves along the Y-direction along the rail 200 .

The exposure part 350 irradiates light to the board|substrate W, and draws a pattern. Here, the exposure apparatus 300 includes two exposure units 350 . However, the number of mounting of the exposure part 350 does not necessarily need to be two, and may be one, and three or more may be sufficient as it.

The imaging unit 360 includes an optical device for imaging the substrate W. The imaging unit 360 images the upper surface of the substrate W held by the holding unit 330 . The imaging unit 360 is supported by the support frame 320 .

The imaging unit 360 includes, for example, a barrel, a focusing lens, a CCD image sensor, and a driving unit. The barrel is an illumination unit disposed outside the housing of the exposure apparatus 300 (that is, illumination light for imaging (however, as illumination light, light having a wavelength that does not sensitize a resist on the substrate W, etc. is selected). lighting unit) and via a fiber cable or the like. The CCD image sensor is constituted by an area image sensor (two-dimensional image sensor) or the like. Further, the driving unit is constituted by a motor or the like, and drives the focusing lens to change its height position. Autofocus is performed when the driving unit adjusts the height position of the focusing lens.

In the imaging unit 360 , light emitted from an external illumination unit is introduced into the barrel, and is guided to the upper surface of the substrate W on the holding unit 330 through a focusing lens. Then, the reflected light is received by the CCD image sensor. For this reason, the imaging data of the upper surface of the board|substrate W is acquired. This imaging data is used for alignment (position alignment) of the board|substrate W.

The exposure apparatus 300 measures the position of the holding unit 330 while the conveying apparatus 100 moves the holding unit 330 holding the substrate W in the +Y direction during the exposure operation, and the exposure unit At 350, a pattern is formed on the substrate W by switching the light irradiated to the substrate W at a desired timing. When the movement in the Y direction is finished, the conveying apparatus 100A moves the substrate W in the X direction by a step corresponding to the width of the exposure beam, and thereafter, the holding unit in which the conveying apparatus 100 holds the substrate W (330) is moved in the -Y direction. By repeating this, a pattern is formed on the entire surface of the substrate W.

In the exposure apparatus 300 of this embodiment, the conveyance apparatus 100 conveys the board|substrate W to a Y direction, blowing gas to the rail 200. As shown in FIG. For this reason, vibration with respect to the board|substrate W can be suppressed, and exposure shift when the exposure part 350 forms a pattern with light on the board|substrate W can be suppressed. In particular, even if the diameter of the board|substrate W is 300 mm or more, the conveyance apparatus 100 can convey the board|substrate W with low vibration and high precision. Moreover, in the exposure apparatus 300 of this embodiment, 100 A of conveyance apparatuses convey the board|substrate W to the X direction by 120 A of ball bearings. For this reason, the board|substrate W after moving only a predetermined distance can be stopped reliably.

Moreover, in the exposure apparatus 300 mentioned above with reference to FIG. 14, although the board|substrate W was conveyed via the ball bearing 120A in the X direction, this embodiment is not limited to this. In both the transport device 100 for transporting the substrate W in the Y-direction as well as the transport device 100A for transporting the substrate W in the X-direction, the sliding members 110 and 110A are provided with gas ejection units and brake units. do.

As mentioned above, embodiment of this invention was described, referring drawings. However, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, It is possible to implement in various aspects in the range which does not deviate from the summary. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, you may delete some components from all the components shown in embodiment. In addition, you may combine the components which span other embodiment suitably. In the drawings, each component is schematically shown in the main body for easy understanding, and the thickness, length, number, spacing, etc. of each illustrated component may differ from the actual one for the convenience of drawing. . In addition, the material, shape, dimension, etc. of each component shown in said embodiment are an example, It is not specifically limited, Various changes are possible in the range which does not deviate substantially from the effect of this invention.

For example, in the above description, the braking unit 130 ejected gas to the rail 200, but the present embodiment is not limited thereto. The braking unit 130 may brake the sliding member 110 using magnetic force. For example, by the interaction between the brake unit 130 and the rail 200 by magnetic force, the brake unit 130 may brake the sliding member 110 .

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention is used suitably for a conveyance apparatus and a conveyance method. Moreover, this invention is used especially suitably for an exposure apparatus.

100: conveying device 110: sliding member
120: gas ejection unit 130: braking unit

Claims (15)

A conveying device movable along a rail, comprising:
a sliding member sliding along the rail in a conveying direction;
a gas ejection part installed on an inner peripheral surface of the sliding member opposite to the rail and ejecting gas to the rail;
a braking unit provided on one side of the sliding member in the conveying direction and floating with respect to the rail by blowing gas to the rail;
and a connection part connecting the side surface of the one side of the sliding member and the braking part;
The connection part,
a contact portion mounted on a side surface of the one side of the sliding member;
a support portion extending from the contact portion along a conveyance direction of the sliding member;
and a connection part for connecting the braking part and the support part. delete The method according to claim 1,
a distance between the brake unit and the rail when the sliding member slides along the rail is longer than a distance between the brake unit and the rail at which a levitation force of the brake unit with respect to the rail is maximum . 4. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
When the sliding member slides along the rail, a distance between the braking unit and the rail is longer than a distance between the gas ejection unit and the rail. 4. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
a distance between the braking unit and the rail at which the levitation force of the braking unit with respect to the rail is maximized is shorter than the distance between the gas ejection unit and the rail when the sliding member slides along the rail Device. 4. The method according to claim 1 or 3,
A conveying device in which an amount of the gas ejected from the braking unit changes. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The connecting portion includes a sphere in contact with the braking portion. 10. The method of claim 9,
The said connection part is supported by the said support part, The conveying apparatus further comprising the rod part which presses the said spherical body. The method according to claim 1,
and a driving unit for driving the sliding member so that the sliding member moves along the rail. The method according to claim 1,
The said sliding member has the said inner peripheral surface and the outer peripheral surface containing the said one side side surface, The conveying apparatus. The conveying apparatus of Claim 1 which conveys a board|substrate, and
Exposure apparatus provided with the exposure part which exposes the board|substrate conveyed by the said conveyance apparatus. delete delete

Images