KR20230078494A - Exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is to enable heat treatment without a time gap after exposing a long substrate. An exposure apparatus equipped with a roll-to-roll type transport unit and exposing a long substrate has a heating device for heating the long substrate between an exposure unit and a substrate rolling unit, and heats the long substrate as the heating device moves with the movement of the long substrate.

Description

Exposure device {EXPOSURE DEVICE}

The present invention is a direct exposure machine of a roll-to-roll type for exposing a long substrate such as a printed wiring board (PCB), in particular, a long substrate wound in a roll shape. In contrast, it relates to an exposure apparatus equipped with a moving substrate heating apparatus in order to perform a heat treatment after exposure.

A direct exposure apparatus is known that exposes a photoresist layer formed on a long substrate in a maskless manner. For example, as disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a long substrate wound in the form of a roll is conveyed while adsorbed on an exposure stage, and the photoresist on the surface of the long substrate is exposed by the patterned ultraviolet rays projected from the exposure unit ( An exposure apparatus for detecting light is known.

In detail, an exposure stage adsorbs and holds a substrate, moves the exposure stage to scan a long substrate, and the exposure unit transmits illumination light from a light source (not shown) to a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror) Device), etc., and patterns displayed on the DMD are switched in synchronism with the movement of the exposure stage to draw an arbitrary circuit pattern in a predetermined range of the substrate (the range held by the exposure stage). (exposure). The substrate after exposure is wound up in the form of a roll.

By the way, some photoresists used for semiconductors, printed wiring boards, etc. require heat treatment after exposure. It is called PEB (Post Exposure Bake/Post Exposure Bake), and, for example, in a chemically amplified resistor, PEB is performed to promote a chemical reaction (deprotection reaction or crosslinking reaction) initiated by exposure.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-222370 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-089925

It is known that the reaction of PEB of chemically amplified resistors slows down as time elapses from exposure. However, in the conventional roll-to-roll type direct exposure apparatus (see Patent Document 1), since the substrates are continuous, the substrate cannot be put into the heating device until exposure of the entire substrate for one roll is completed, especially for long substrates. The part exposed at the head of was unavoidable for a long standing time after exposure.

Furthermore, Patent Literature 2 describes an electronic circuit formation method in which a contact exposure device and a heating device are configured in-line. In addition, other processes necessary for electronic circuit construction, such as prebaking, development, and etching, are also configured in-line. In Patent Literature 2, a heating device 121 is installed between the exposure part 115 and the substrate winding part 129.

However, PEB needs to accurately manage the temperature and heating time, and thus PEB could not be used in a direct exposure apparatus. Due to the nature of a direct exposure apparatus that exposes while scanning a substrate, a long substrate moves in and out of the heating apparatus by the movement of the exposure stage. Therefore, the length of stay in the heating device differs depending on the process, and heating cannot be performed under certain conditions. In the heating device configured to pass through the inside of the tunnel like the configuration described in Patent Literature 2, the time spent in the heating device changes depending on the process, and management of the heating temperature, heating time, and the like becomes difficult.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus capable of carrying out PEB processing without leaving time after exposure and by accurately adjusting temperature and time in an exposure apparatus for scanning and exposing a long substrate in a roll-to-roll format. to be

The present invention is an exposure apparatus having a roll-to-roll transfer unit and exposing a long substrate,

A heating device for heating a long substrate is provided between the exposure unit and the substrate winding unit,

An exposure device in which a heating device moves along with the movement of the long substrate to heat the long substrate.

According to at least one embodiment, in the present invention, heat treatment can be performed without leaving time after exposure by the exposure unit. In addition, unlike the configuration in which the elongated substrate passes through the heating device at all times, the heating temperature and heating time can be accurately adjusted. Incidentally, the effect described here is not necessarily limited, and any one effect described in this specification or an effect different from them may be used.

[Fig. 1] Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is a block diagram of an example of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[Fig. 3] Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 1 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 2 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 5] Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 3 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 6] Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 4 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 7] Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 5 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 8] Fig. 8A and Fig. 8B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 6 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 9] Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 7 of the exposure apparatus.
[Fig. 10] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B are a plan view and a side view showing the operation of step 8 of the exposure apparatus.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention etc. are described, referring drawings. Incidentally, the embodiments and the like described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, and the content of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments and the like.

Referring to Fig. 1, an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The exposure apparatus is a so-called roll-to-roll type exposure apparatus, and the long substrate W is conveyed from the upstream side on the left side toward the downstream side on the right side as shown in the drawing.

The elongated board W is, for example, a photosensitive elongated film (a flexible film made of synthetic resin having a photoreceptor applied to the surface) serving as a base material for electronic circuit boards (printed circuit boards) used for mobile phones and mobile devices, etc. It is wound on the supply-side substrate roll 1. The long substrate W coated with a photosensitive material such as photoresist is formed in a sheet shape using a copper clad laminate or the like and has a length of tens to hundreds of meters. Below, the surface facing upward in the drawing of the elongate board|substrate W is called "surface", and the surface facing downward in the drawing is called "rear surface". Incidentally, X denotes a direction along the conveyance direction, Y denotes the width direction of the long substrate W perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and Z denotes a direction perpendicular to both X and Y (vertical direction).

The long substrate W fed by the substrate feeding unit Y movement mechanism 2 and continuously fed out from the supply-side substrate roll 1 is a supply-side substrate buffer (dancer roller) composed of a guide roller and a dancer roller. roller) (3) and the supply-side braking roller (13) to be supplied to the exposed portion. The exposure unit has an exposure stage 4, an exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5, an alignment camera 6, and an exposure unit 7.

The supply-side substrate roll 1 holds the long substrate W wound in a roll shape, and supplies the long substrate W toward the downstream side by rotating it. By rotating, the winding-side substrate roll 11 winds up the long substrate W supplied from the upstream side into a roll shape and holds it. The supply side substrate roll 1 and the take-up side substrate roll 11 are rotationally driven intermittently by rotation driving means.

The supply-side substrate buffer 3 moves up and down as the long substrate W is transported, and applies tension to the long substrate W to prevent sagging and wrinkles in the long substrate W. In addition to preventing, it has a function as a buffer for moving the long substrate W in the exposure unit for scanning exposure in the exposure unit.

The exposure unit 7 is provided with a plurality of exposure heads, and is regularly arranged at a place away from the long substrate W by a predetermined distance vertically upward. For each exposure head, a light source and an illumination optical system (not shown) are disposed, and the light emitted from the light source is guided to the corresponding exposure head through the respective corresponding illumination optical system. Each exposure head is equipped with a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged two-dimensionally, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the DMD on a long substrate. The micromirrors of the DMD are selectively positioned in either of a first posture for guiding light onto the long substrate W and a second posture for guiding light out of the long substrate W, and each micromirror is independently controlled. do.

The exposure stage 4 has a work clamp mechanism and holds the long substrate W flat while adsorbing the back surface thereof. The exposure stage 4 has a relationship between an upper end position where the exposure stage 4 contacts the back surface of the long substrate W and a lower end position where the exposure stage 4 separates from the back surface of the long substrate W. It is possible to go up and down in between. Moreover, scanning or a step-and-repeat (Step-and-Repeat) operation is performed by the exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5.

In one embodiment, in the case of exposure, a row of target regions is exposed by a plurality of exposure heads, and sequential exposure is performed by moving the exposure stage 4 in the X direction, in addition to Exposure by reciprocating movement in the Y direction is possible in each row. For exposure in the Y direction, the entire structure other than the exposure unit 7 is movable in the +/-Y direction.

The alignment camera 6 is installed on the upstream side of the exposure unit 7 and acquires the positional information of the long substrate W by capturing an image of an alignment mark provided on the long substrate W. Imaging of the alignment mark is performed while moving the long substrate W in the X direction.

Adjacent to the downstream side of the exposure unit 7 (or near the downstream side of the exposure unit 7), a heating device for heating the long substrate W exposed in the exposure unit is provided. The heating device has a PEB unit 8 and a PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9 . During the exposure operation, the heating device moves along with the movement of the substrate to heat, for example, the surface (exposure surface) of the long substrate W. The PEB unit 8 has, for example, an upper unit 8H with a built-in heater and a lower unit 8S, and has a configuration in which the elongated substrate W is sandwiched between them and heated. The upper unit 8H and the lower unit 8S are movable in the XYZ directions.

When the PEB unit 8 heats the long substrate W, the exposure stage 4 and the PEB unit 8 move without changing their relative positions. The exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5 provided separately and the PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9 synchronize and operate. In order to manage the heating time of the long substrate W, the PEB unit 8 can be retracted in a direction (Y direction) different from the substrate transport direction. Reference numeral 8' indicates a retracted position of the PEB unit 8. When the PEB unit 8 does not perform a heating operation on the long substrate W, the PEB unit 8 is positioned at the retracted position 8'. In this evacuation state, for example, heat preservation is performed so that the PEB unit 8 does not cool down.

The long substrate W subjected to the PEB process passes through the take-up brake roller 14, the take-up side substrate buffer (dancer roller) 12 and the guide roller, and is wound around the take-up side substrate roll 11. A substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10 is provided.

The supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 are arranged so that their respective rotating shafts are aligned substantially in a straight line in the horizontal direction. The supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 are constituted by nip rollers composed of two rollers arranged opposite to each other with the elongated substrate W interposed therebetween. These two rollers are respectively movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) by a mechanism not shown so as to hold or open the long substrate W.

The supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 are capable of applying a brake to the long substrate W by holding the long substrate W by the nip roller and applying a brake so that the nip roller does not rotate. there is. On the other hand, in a state where the long substrate W is opened, the nip rollers are separated from the front and back surfaces of the long substrate W so as not to hinder the movement of the long substrate W.

In addition, the supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 are each provided with rotation driving means (not shown) for rotationally driving the rollers. In the state where the elongate substrate W is held, the rotational driving means rotates the supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 intermittently and with substantially the same rotational driving amount, so that the supply-side substrate roll 1 and the The long substrate W placed between the take-up side substrate rolls 11 can be conveyed (comma conveyance) by a predetermined length. It is assumed that, for example, a stepping motor is used as the rotation drive means, and the transfer amount and acceleration of the elongate substrate W are precisely controlled.

2 is a block diagram of an example of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The exposure unit 7 includes a light source 21 such as a semiconductor laser, an illumination optical system 22, a DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) 23 in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a matrix, and an imaging optical system 24 It is constituted by a plurality of exposure heads each equipped with a back, and an exposure area along the transport direction is defined in each exposure head. The light source 21 is driven by the light source controller 25 .

The DMD 23 of each exposure head positions the micromirror based on the drawing data (raster data) according to the position of the exposure area sent from the exposure control unit 26, thereby emitting pattern light to a long substrate. It is projected on (W). By changing the posture of the micromirror in accordance with the relative movement of the long substrate W with respect to the exposure unit 7, exposure (multiple exposure, etc.) is performed on the photosensitive material of the long substrate W, thereby forming a pattern. is formed The controller 30 controls the entire exposure operation of the exposure apparatus. In addition, it is also possible to configure by an exposure part using a photomask or the like.

The substrate supply unit 31 includes a supply-side substrate roll 1 disposed upstream of the exposure stage 4, a substrate input unit Y moving mechanism 2, a substrate buffer 3, and a supply-side brake roller 13 and a drive mechanism (not shown) for axially rotating the supply-side substrate roll 1. The driving mechanism is constituted by, for example, a stepping motor or the like. By means of the substrate supply unit 31, the substrate rolls 1 on the supply side hold and fix the unexposed portions of the long substrates W in a roll-like state, and further rotate the elongated substrates downstream toward the downstream side. The substrate W can be sent out.

The substrate take-up unit 32 includes a substrate take-up unit Y moving mechanism 10 disposed downstream of the exposure stage 4, a take-up substrate roll 11, a take-up substrate buffer 12, and a take-up side A braking roller 14 and a drive mechanism (not shown) for rotating the take-up side substrate roll 11 are provided. The take-up side substrate roll 11 can take up the long substrate W by holding and fixing the exposed portion of the long substrate W in a roll-shaped state, and further pivoting. The substrate supply unit 31 and the substrate winding unit 32 are controlled by the conveyance control unit 33 .

The exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5 is a mechanism for moving the exposure stage 4 . The PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9 is a mechanism for moving the PEB unit 8 . The exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5 and the PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9 are controlled by the movement control unit 34 .

Next, with reference to A and below in FIG. 3 , exposure conveyance operation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Incidentally, the area of the two-dotted chain line in the drawing indicates the range of one area to be exposed (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a coma), and the areas A, B, and C filled with dots are each one time. A coma exposed in the exposure step (once in Steps 1 to 8) is shown. In the present embodiment, the range to be exposed and the range to be heated in parallel with exposure are jumped by one. For example, when exposing the coma A, the coma C is heated. That is, the coma exposed twice before is heated.

In addition, it is also possible to set it as a structure in which exposure and heating are performed on an adjacent coma without blowing one. In that case, since the gap between the exposed regions is widened, the substrate material is somewhat unnecessarily consumed. In addition, it is also possible to make the exposure stage 4 and the PEB unit 8 continuously adjoin and integrate.

3A and 3B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step1. Step 1 is a process of alignment start/PEB start. In the substrate buffer 3, a long substrate W is buffered, and the exposure stage 4 adsorbs and holds the back side of the long substrate W. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long substrate W: Followed by exposure stage 4

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers (3, 12): Followed by a long substrate (W)

Exposure stage (4): move (-X)

Exposure stage XY movement mechanism (5): movement (+X)

Alignment Camera (6): Imaging

Exposure unit 7: stop

PEB unit 8: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage 4

PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

The exposure stage 4 is driven in the +X direction and passes below the alignment camera 6 while adsorbing and holding the long substrate W. At that time, as the exposure stage 4 moves, the long substrate W buffered in the supply-side substrate buffer 3 is taken out, and at the same time, the long substrate W is pulled out from the take-up side substrate buffer 12. The ruler shape is deepened, and the elongated substrate W is buffered.

4A and 4B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step2. Step 2 is a process during exposure start and PEB. Based on the positional information of the long board|substrate W obtained by imaging the alignment mark, alignment of the long board|substrate and the pattern to be exposed is performed. In parallel with the exposure of the coma A, PEB processing of the coma C is performed. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long board (W): Followed by exposure stage (4)

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers (3, 12): Followed by a long substrate (W)

Exposure stage (4): move (-X)

Exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5: movement (-X)

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: during exposure

PEB Unit (8): Move (-X)

PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

5A and 5B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step3. Step 3 is a process during completion of single-column exposure, Y-direction step movement, and PEB. The operation of each part is as follows. Components other than the exposure unit 7 move in the +Y direction.

Long Board (W): Stop

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): movement (+Y)

Substrate buffers (3, 12): stop

Exposure Stage (4): Move (+Y)

Exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5: stop

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: stop

PEB Unit (8): Move

PEB unit XY movement mechanism (9): movement (+Y)

Substrate winding unit Y movement mechanism 10: movement (+Y)

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

6A and 6B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step4. Step 4 is a process at the start of exposure in the second row and during PEB. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long board (W): Followed by exposure stage (4)

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers (3, 12): Followed by a long substrate (W)

Exposure stage (4): move (-X)

Exposure stage XY movement mechanism (5): movement (+X)

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: during exposure

PEB unit 8: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage 4

PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

The exposure unit 7 scans and exposes an electronic circuit pattern to the photosensitive material layer on the surface of the long substrate W that the exposure stage 4 adsorbs and holds.

7A and 7B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step5. Step 5 is the processing of completion of exposure, completion of PEB, and start of evacuation of the PEB heating unit. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long Board (W): Stop (Brake ON)

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): movement (-Y)

Substrate buffers (3, 12): stop

Exposure stage (4): movement (-Y, -Z)

Exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5: stop

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: stop

Upper unit (8H) of PEB unit (8): move (+Y)

Lower unit (8S) of PEB unit (8): movement (-Y, -Z)

PEB Unit XY Movement Mechanism (9): Stop

Substrate winding unit Y movement mechanism 10: movement (-Y)

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

8A and 8B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step6. Step 6 is a process of starting exposure stage return and starting PEB stage return. The supply-side brake roller 13 and the take-up side brake roller 14 clamp the long substrate W, and fix the long substrate W (brake ON). The operation of each part is as follows.

Long Board (W): Stop (Brake ON)

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers (3, 12): stop

Exposure stage (4): move (-X)

Exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5: movement (-X)

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: stop

PEB unit 8: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage 4

PEB unit XY movement mechanism 9: Moves in synchronization with exposure stage XY movement mechanism 5

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

9A and 9B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step7. Step 7 is a process of starting exposure stage raising and starting PEB stage raising. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long board (W): moved by supply side braking roller 13 and take-up side braking roller 14 (distance E)

Supply-side substrate roll 1: uncoiling

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers 3, 12: Rewind to input side

Exposure Stage (4): Move (+Z)

Exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5: stop

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: stop

Upper unit (8H) of PEB unit (8): movement (-Y)

Lower unit (8S) of PEB unit (8): move (+Z)

PEB Unit XY Movement Mechanism (9): Stop

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: 1 coiling

10A and 10B are a plan view and a side view of one embodiment in Step 8. Step 8 is processing of adsorbing the exposure stage substrate and starting lowering of the PEB heating unit. The operation of each part is as follows.

Long Board (W): Stop

Supply Side Substrate Roll 1: Stop

Substrate loading unit Y movement mechanism (2): stop

Substrate buffers (3, 12): stop

Exposure stage (4): substrate adsorption

Exposure stage XY moving mechanism 5: stop

Alignment Camera (6): Stop

Exposure unit 7: stop

Part (8H) of PEB unit (8): move (-Z)

Part (8S) of PEB unit (8): stationary

PEB Unit XY Movement Mechanism (9): Stop

Substrate winding unit Y moving mechanism 10: stop

Winding-side substrate roll 11: stationary

After Step8, the process returns to Step1, and exposure of the next coma and PEB processing of coma B are performed in the same manner as the above-mentioned process.

In one embodiment of the present invention, during exposure of one frame A, heat treatment (PEB) of another exposed frame C in the vicinity can be performed in parallel. Therefore, heat treatment can be performed without leaving time after exposure. In addition, unlike the configuration in which the long substrate W passes through the heating device, the PEB process can be performed by accurately adjusting the heating conditions (temperature and time).

As mentioned above, although one embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described one embodiment, and various modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible. For example, it is not limited to a structure in which the exposure unit and the PEB unit are moved by a separate movement mechanism, but may be moved by a common movement mechanism. In addition, the configurations, methods, processes, shapes, materials, numerical values, etc. listed in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and other configurations, methods, processes, shapes, materials, numerical values, etc. may be used as needed. do.

W... long board (flexible board),
One … supply side substrate roll;
3, 12... substrate buffer,
4 … exposure stage,
5 … Exposure stage XY moving mechanism;
6 … alignment camera,
7 … exposure unit,
8 … PEB unit,
9 … PEB unit XY movement mechanism,
11 … winding-side substrate roll;
13 … supply side brake roller;
14 … Take-up side braking roller

Claims (6)

In an exposure apparatus having a roll-to-roll type transfer unit and exposing a long substrate,
A heating device for heating a long substrate is provided between the exposure unit and the substrate winding unit,
The heating device moves along with the movement of the long substrate to heat the long substrate,
exposure device. According to claim 1,
When the heating device heats the long substrate,
The exposure stage and the heating device are moved while holding the relative position,
exposure device. According to claim 2,
The moving part of the exposure stage and the moving part of the heating device are common,
exposure device. According to claim 2,
The moving part of the exposure stage and the moving part of the heating device are separate, so that the moving part is synchronized.
exposure device. According to claim 1,
The heating device can be retracted in a direction different from the conveying direction of the long substrate,
exposure device. According to claim 5,
When the heating device is not heating the long substrate,
The heating device is in a position to be retracted from the elongated substrate to retain residual heat,
exposure device.

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