KR20180070922A - Multi-line imaging system - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a laser direct imaging system which can shorten operation time and enhance processing accuracy. The multi-line imaging system according to the present invention includes: a laser output unit for generating and outputting a laser light; a light splitting unit for splitting the laser light output from the laser output unit into a plurality of lights; a polygon mirror having a plurality of reflection surfaces formed on an outer surface thereof and rotating around a rotation axis to reflect the plurality of split lights; a light guiding unit located between the light splitting unit and the polygon mirror to form a light path so that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit is incident on a different position of the polygon mirror; and an imaging unit for imaging a plurality of lights reflected from the polygon mirror and incident on the substrate.

Description

Multi-line imaging system {MULTI-LINE IMAGING SYSTEM}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a multi-line imaging system, and more particularly, to a multi-line imaging system in which, in a laser direct imaging process in which imaging (or patterning) The present invention relates to a technique capable of shortening the time and improving the processing accuracy.

A photolithography technique for forming a pattern on a substrate is a method of exposing a photoresist film using an exposure apparatus made of a mask and an optical system. Such photolithographic techniques are complicated and complicated, and due to the burden of manufacturing masks, recently, Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) technology, which forms a predetermined pattern by directly irradiating a laser onto a film, .

Various technologies related to laser direct imaging technology are currently being provided. Korean Patent No. 467,307 (registered Jan. 12, 2005) discloses a laser direct patterning technique. Referring to the prior art, a laser direct patterning system includes a laser light source for outputting a laser beam, A polygon mirror that rotates at a constant speed and reflects the laser beam, and an F-theta lens that focuses the laser beam reflected from the polygon mirror on the substrate. According to the prior art which includes the above prior art, the laser direct patterning system scans the laser in the lateral direction in accordance with the rotation of the polygon mirror, while controlling the output of the laser to correspond to the predetermined pattern image, A desired pattern image can be formed on the substrate by repeating the process of moving the substrate when the scanning process is completed.

However, in the case of using such a conventional technique, there is a problem that the working time is delayed by performing patterning in a single line, and when the rotation speed of the polygon mirror is increased in order to shorten the working time, .

Currently, there is a need in the field of laser direct imaging technology to develop new technologies that can shorten the working time and improve the processing accuracy.

Korean Registered Patent No. 467,307 (Registered on January 12, 2005)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser direct imaging system capable of shortening the working time and improving the processing accuracy.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a multi-line imaging system includes a laser output unit for generating and outputting laser light; A light splitting unit splitting the laser light output from the laser output unit into a plurality of lights; A polygon mirror having a plurality of reflection surfaces formed on an outer surface thereof and rotating about a rotation axis to reflect the plurality of divided lights; A light guiding unit positioned between the light splitting unit and the polygon mirror to form a light path so that a plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit are incident on different positions of the polygon mirror; And an imaging unit for imaging a plurality of lights reflected from the polygon mirror and incident on the substrate.

In one embodiment, the light guiding portion forms a light path so that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting portion is incident on a different position of the polygon mirror with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the polygon mirror. . ≪ / RTI >

In one embodiment, the light guide portion may form a light path such that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting portion is incident on different reflection surfaces of the polygon mirror.

In one embodiment, a plurality of polygon mirrors are stacked, and the light guide portion may form a light path so that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting portion is incident on each of the plurality of polygon mirrors.

In one embodiment, the plurality of polygon mirrors may be controlled to rotate in mutually different directions.

In one embodiment, the light guiding portion may include at least one Galvano Mirror that controls the position of light incident on the polygon mirror to be moved with respect to the rotation axis direction.

In one embodiment, the multi-line imaging system further includes a plurality of optical modulators positioned between the light splitting section and the polygon mirror and independently controlling each of the plurality of lights incident from the light splitting section .

According to the present invention, the light guiding unit positioned between the light splitting unit and the polygon mirror makes a plurality of lights divided by the light splitting unit enter a different position of the polygon mirror so that the polygon mirror rotates at a constant speed and outputs a plurality of lights It is possible to perform imaging with a plurality of lines on the substrate, thereby further shortening the working time.

Further, according to the present invention, by shifting the position of the light incident on the polygon mirror through the galvanometer mirror, the pitch between lines can be more precisely controlled during multi-line processing, and the processing accuracy can be further improved.

1 is a reference diagram for explaining a multi-line imaging system according to the present invention.
2 is a reference view for explaining a light guide unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a reference view for explaining a light guide unit according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a reference view for explaining a light guide according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a reference diagram for explaining a multi-line imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a reference diagram for explaining a multi-line imaging system according to another embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 7 is a reference diagram for explaining the operation of the multi-line imaging system shown in Fig. 6. Fig.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is capable of various modifications and various embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises" or "having" and the like are used to specify that there is a feature, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a component or a combination thereof described in the specification, But do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a reference diagram for explaining a multi-line imaging system according to the present invention. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates the multi-line imaging system described in the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. That is, although FIG. 1 shows that the multi-line imaging system performs direct imaging on two lines, this is merely an example, and may be implemented so that imaging can be performed on three or more lines as needed.

Referring to FIG. 1, a multi-line imaging system 10 according to the present invention includes a laser output unit 100, a light splitting unit 200, a light guide unit 300, a polygon mirror 400, .

The laser output unit 100 generates and outputs laser light. Here, the laser output section 100 may include a laser light source that emits a laser, and an additional device such as a driver for controlling or optimizing the output of the laser light source. Meanwhile, the laser light source may correspond to a laser diode, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various known laser light sources utilized in laser direct imaging technology can be applied.

The light splitting unit 200 splits the laser light output from the laser output unit 100 into a plurality of lights. 1, the light splitting unit 200 splits the laser light output from the laser output unit 100 in a direction parallel to the incident direction. However, the function of the light splitting unit 200 is more clearly described It is to be understood that the present invention should be construed as a light dividing unit 200 according to the present invention as long as it is a device capable of dividing the incident light into at least two or more lights regardless of the direction of the laser light.

In one embodiment, the light splitting section 200 may include a beam splitter that transmits a portion of the incident light and reflects the remaining portion at a certain angle. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the light splitting unit 200 includes beam splitters 210 and 220 for transmitting a part of the laser light output from the laser output unit 100, , 230, 240).

The light guiding unit 300 is positioned between the light splitting unit 200 and the polygon mirror 400 and allows the light emitted from the light splitting unit 200 to enter the polygon mirror 400. Here, the light guiding unit 300 may form an optical path such that a plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit 200 are incident on different positions of the polygon mirror 400.

In one embodiment, the light guiding unit 300 may be configured such that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit 200 is different from the direction of the rotation axis of the polygon mirror 400 (vertical direction in FIG. 1) The optical path can be formed so as to be incident on the position. According to the present embodiment, the multi-line imaging system 10 can scan a plurality of lines on the substrate 600 without overlapping, as shown in Fig. 1, so that one pattern image can be processed more quickly have.

In another embodiment, the light guiding unit 300 may include a polygon mirror (not shown) in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the polygon mirror 400 (the horizontal direction in FIG. 1) with respect to a plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit 200 400 at a different position. According to the present embodiment, the multi-line imaging system 10 can scan a plurality of lines on the substrate 600 in a superimposed manner with fine time intervals. That is, the multi-line imaging system 10 can perform a number of times of scanning corresponding to the number of divided lights, and independently control the control signals for each of the plurality of lights, Which allows for more sophisticated imaging operations.

The polygon mirror 400 is a device having a plurality of reflection surfaces formed on its outer surface. The polygon mirror 400 rotates around a rotation axis and reflects a plurality of light beams divided by the light splitter 200. In one embodiment, a rotation control device for controlling the rotational speed or the rotational direction of the polygon mirror 400 and a position for changing the position of the polygon mirror 400 in the horizontal and / A control device can be constructed.

The imaging element 500 images a plurality of lights reflected from the polygon mirror 400 and incident on the substrate 600. Here, the imaging unit 500 functions so that the focal point of the scanned light is formed on the substrate 600 even if the angle of the incident light changes with the rotation of the polygon mirror 400, and the angle of rotation of the polygon mirror 500 And the scanning distance on the substrate 600 form a linear relationship. For example, the imaging element 500 may comprise an f-theta lens.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 2 to 7. Fig.

FIGS. 2 to 4 are reference views for explaining a light guide portion according to various embodiments of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are reference views for explaining a multi-line imaging system according to various embodiments of the present invention.

In one embodiment, the light guiding part 300 forms a light path so that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting part 200 is incident on a different position of the polygon mirror with respect to the direction of the rotation axis of the polygon mirror 400, And may include at least one reflecting mirror.

2, the light splitting unit 210 reflects a part of the light output from the laser output unit 100 and enters the first position of the polygon mirror 400, transmits the remaining part of the light to form a reflection mirror 310, respectively. At this time, the reflection mirror 310 may reflect the incident light and may enter the second position (a position different from the first position) of the polygon mirror 400.

Referring to FIG. 3, the light guiding unit 300 may include first through third reflection mirrors 320, 330, and 340. More specifically, the light splitting unit 220 reflects a part of the light output from the laser output unit 100 and enters the first reflection mirror 320, transmits the remaining part of the light, As shown in FIG. Here, the first reflection mirror 320 reflects the incident light to enter the first position of the polygon mirror 400, and the second reflection mirror 330 reflects the incident light, The third reflecting mirror 340 reflects the incident light and may enter the second position of the polygon mirror 400 at a position different from the first position.

That is, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment in which the light guiding unit 300 is composed of one reflection mirror 310. FIG. 3 shows another embodiment in which the light guide portion 300 is composed of three reflection mirrors 320 to 340. 2 and 3 are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and the optical guide unit 300 is different from the configuration shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in that at least one reflection mirror is combined, 200 may be incident on the polygon mirror 400 at different positions.

In one embodiment, the light guide 300 may form a light path such that each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting part 200 is incident on different reflection surfaces of the polygon mirror 400. [

FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the positions of the second and third reflection mirrors 330 and 340 are changed, and a plurality of In which each of the lights of the polygon mirror 400 is incident on different reflection surfaces of the polygon mirror 400. [

4, the light reflected by the light splitting unit 230 is reflected by the first reflection mirror 320 and is incident on the first reflection surface of the first reflection surface of the polygon mirror 400, and the light splitting unit 200 May reflect the second and third reflection mirrors 330 and 340 and may be incident on the second reflection surface of the polygon mirror 400 at a second position.

According to the present embodiment, the line scanning directions by the plurality of lights due to the rotation of the polygon mirror 40 are the same, but the scanning positions on the substrate 600 are formed differently so that a plurality of pattern imaging operations are performed simultaneously So that the working time can be further shortened.

In one embodiment, the multi-line imaging system 10 is constructed by stacking a plurality of polygon mirrors, and each of the plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit 200 is incident on each of the plurality of polygon mirrors The optical path can be formed.

FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the present embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the polygon mirror 400 is changed to the stacked first and second polygon mirrors 410 and 420, 240 and the reflective mirror 350 are incident on the first and second polygon mirrors 410, 420, respectively.

5A, the light reflected by the light splitting unit 240 is incident on the first position of the first polygon mirror 410, the light passing through the light splitting unit 240 is reflected by the reflection mirror 350 And may be incident on the second position of the second polygon mirror 420. [

Here, each of the plurality of polygon mirrors may be controlled to rotate in mutually different directions. As shown in Fig. 5 (A), the first polygon mirror 410 can be controlled to rotate counterclockwise, and the second polygon mirror 420 can be controlled to rotate clockwise. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 5B, the line scanning directions by the plurality of lights according to the rotation directions of the first and second polygon mirrors 40 may be different from each other.

In the course of performing laser scanning in a single direction, if the laser output can not be uniformly controlled along the scan line direction, the pattern image may not be precisely processed at a specific position on the substrate. According to this embodiment, there is an advantage that errors in the processing patterns concentrated at specific positions can be dispersed according to the laser output instability by forming and processing the line scanning directions of the plurality of lights differently from each other.

Meanwhile, FIG. 5 shows an embodiment in which two polygon mirrors are stacked. It is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and three or more polygon mirrors may be stacked as needed. In this case, the light guiding unit 300 may be constituted by an additional reflecting mirror, and may form an optical path such that the divided light enters each of the plurality of polygon mirrors.

In one embodiment, the light guide 300 may include at least one Galvano Mirror that controls the position of light incident on the polygon mirror 400 to be moved relative to the rotational axis direction.

6 and 7 are views for explaining the present embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the third reflecting mirror 340 is changed to the galvanometer mirror 360, and the reflected light from the galvanometer mirror 360 is reflected (Second position) of light incident on the polygon mirror 400 is controlled to move in the vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 6, the light guiding unit 300 may include first and second reflective mirrors 320 and 330 and a galvanometer mirror 360. More specifically, the light splitting unit 220 reflects a part of the light output from the laser output unit 100 and enters the first reflection mirror 320, transmits the remaining part of the light, As shown in FIG. Here, the first reflection mirror 320 may reflect the incident light and enter the first position of the polygon mirror 400, and the second reflection mirror 330 reflects incident light to form a galvanometer mirror 360, and the galvanometer mirror 360 reflects incident light and can enter the second position (a position different from the first position) of the polygon mirror 400.

Here, the galvanometer mirror 360 can control the position (second position) of the light incident on the polygon mirror 400 to be moved with reference to the rotation axis direction (vertical direction). 7A, the rotation axis of the galvanometer mirror 360 is set perpendicular to the rotation axis of the polygon mirror 400, and as the galvanometer mirror 360 is rotated about the rotation axis, (Second position) of the light incident on the light source 400 can be changed. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7 (B), the scanning line by the light reflected by the galvano mirror 360 among the plurality of scanning lines can be moved in the vertical direction.

Generally, in the process of performing direct laser imaging, the thickness of the line width formed on the substrate 600 may be different due to various factors such as the material of the workpiece, the output intensity of the laser, and the like. According to the present embodiment, the galvanomirror 360 can be configured in the light guiding unit 300 to change the position of light incident on the polygon mirror 400, thereby controlling the pitch between the scanning lines in the multi-line imaging process So that more sophisticated work can be performed.

In one embodiment, the multi-line imaging system 10 is located between the light splitting unit 200 and the polygon mirror 400, and includes a plurality (not shown) for independently controlling each of the plurality of lights incident from the light splitting unit 200 The optical modulator of FIG. Here, the optical modulator may be configured to include an acousto-optic modulator (AOM).

2, the multi-line imaging system 10 includes a first optical modulator 710 between the light splitting unit 210 and the polygon mirror 400, a first optical modulator 710 between the reflection mirror 310 and the polygon mirror 400, The second optical modulator 720 can be configured.

3, the multi-line imaging system 10 includes a first light modulator 730 between the light splitter 220 and the first reflection mirror 320, a second light mirror 330, And the second optical modulator 740 can be configured between the reflection mirrors 340.

4, the multi-line imaging system 10 includes a first light modulator 750 between the light splitter 230 and the first reflection mirror 320, a second light mirror 330 between the second reflection mirror 330 and the third mirror 340, And the second optical modulator 760 can be configured between the reflection mirrors 340.

5, the multi-line imaging system 10 includes a first optical modulator 770 between the light splitting unit 240 and the first polygon mirror 410, a first optical modulator 770 between the reflection mirror 350 and the second polygon mirror 410, The second optical modulator 780 can be configured between the first optical modulator 420 and the second optical modulator 780. [

6, the multi-line imaging system 10 includes a first light modulator 730 between the light splitter 220 and the first reflection mirror 320, a second light mirror 330, And the second optical modulator 740 can be configured between the mirrors 360.

If a multi-line imaging operation is performed by configuring the optical modulating unit between the laser output unit 100 and the light splitting unit 200, the plurality of scanned lights exhibit the same output characteristics. According to the present embodiment, a plurality of optical modulating sections for controlling each of the divided lights are constituted between the light splitting section 200 and the polygon mirror 400, and the plurality of optical modulating sections independently modulate the light, It enables different processing for each scanning line in the process of imaging in multi-line. For example, in FIG. 2, the first optical modulator 710 controls the output light based on the machining control signal for the odd rows of the machining control signals for the entire pattern image, and the second optical modulator 720 By controlling the output light based on the processing control signal for the even rows, one pattern image can be completed more quickly.

According to various embodiments of the present invention described above, it is possible to perform imaging with a plurality of lines on the substrate 600, thereby shortening the working time. Further, the position of the light incident on the polygon mirror 400 can be detected by a galvanometer mirror 360), it is possible to more precisely control the pitch between lines in the multi-line processing, thereby further improving the processing accuracy. Furthermore, multi-line imaging can be performed using a single laser light source, thereby reducing system design cost.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. The appended claims are to be considered as falling within the scope of the following claims.

100: laser output section
200: optical splitter
300:
400: polygon mirror
500:
600: substrate
700: light modulation section

Claims (7)

A laser output unit for generating and outputting laser light;
A light splitting unit splitting the laser light output from the laser output unit into a plurality of lights;
A polygon mirror having a plurality of reflection surfaces formed on an outer surface thereof and rotating about a rotation axis to reflect the plurality of divided lights;
A light guiding unit positioned between the light splitting unit and the polygon mirror to form a light path so that a plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting unit are incident on different positions of the polygon mirror; And
An imaging unit for imaging a plurality of lights reflected and incident on the polygon mirror on a substrate;
/ RTI > imaging system.
The light guide plate according to claim 1,
And at least one reflection mirror for forming a light path such that each of a plurality of lights emitted from the light splitting section is incident on a different position of the polygon mirror with respect to a rotation axis direction of the polygon mirror, Imaging system.
The light guide plate according to claim 2,
And a plurality of light beams emitted from the light splitting part form light paths so as to be incident on different reflection surfaces of the polygon mirror.
3. The method of claim 2,
A plurality of polygon mirrors are stacked,
The light-
And a plurality of light beams emitted from the light splitting section are incident on each of the plurality of polygon mirrors.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the plurality of polygon mirrors are controlled to rotate in mutually different directions.
The light guide plate according to claim 2,
And at least one galvano mirror for controlling the position of light incident on the polygon mirror to be moved with respect to the rotation axis direction.
The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-line imaging system
And a plurality of optical modulators located between the light splitting section and the polygon mirror and independently controlling each of a plurality of lights incident from the light splitting section.

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