TW201506995A - Exposure device - Google Patents

Abstract

This exposure device (1) is provided with: support units (2S, 3S) which respectively support a mask (2) and a substrate (3) which has nonuniform thickness in the axial direction, a scanning exposure means (10) which moves a microlens array (12), arranged between the mask (2) and the substrate (3), relative to the substrate (3) and the mask (2), forms an image of part of the mask pattern on the partial exposure region (Ep), and scans the partial exposure region (Ep) along the axial direction; a mask/substrate gap adjusting means (20) which adjusts the gap (s) between the mask (2) and the substrate (3); and a mask/substrate gap measuring means (30) which measures the gap in the axial direction prior to scanning the partial exposure region (Ep). This exposure device (1) controls the mask/substrate gap adjusting means (20) on the basis of the measurement result of the mask/substrate gap measuring means (30) and the scan position of the scanning exposure means (10), and matches the gap (s) in the partial exposure region (Ep) to the image forming distance of the microlens array (12).

Description

Exposure device

The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for projecting a mask pattern onto a substrate.

As an exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a mask pattern to a substrate, it is known that the microlens array is interposed between the mask and the substrate (see Patent Document 1 below). As shown in FIG. 1, the prior art has a substrate stage J1 for supporting a substrate W and a mask M formed with a pattern exposed to the substrate W, and a microlens is disposed between the substrate W and the mask M disposed at a predetermined interval. The microlens array MLA is configured in two dimensions. According to the prior art, the exposure light L is irradiated from above the mask M, and the light passing through the mask M is projected onto the substrate W by the microlens array MLA, and the image formed on the mask M is used as an erect equal magnification image. And transferred to the surface of the substrate. Here, the microlens array MLA and the exposure light source (not shown) are fixedly arranged, and the microlens array MLA is relatively moved with respect to the integrated mask M and the substrate W in the scanning direction Sc perpendicular to the paper surface, and the exposure light is exposed. L scans on the substrate W.

[Advanced technical literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-216728

The above-described conventional exposure apparatus uses a fixed-focus microlens array MLA on the premise that the interval between the mask M and the substrate W is kept constant. However, even if the mask M and the substrate stage J1 of the support substrate W are mechanically fixed at regular intervals, when the thickness of the substrate W is not constant, the interval between the mask M and the substrate W is not constant, and the fixed focus cannot be used. Lens array The MLA images the mask pattern on the surface of the substrate W with high precision. In particular, in recent years, the substrate W used for a liquid crystal display or the like tends to have a large area, and it is difficult to manufacture the large-area substrate W with a uniform thickness. Therefore, the conventional exposure apparatus has difficulty in accurately imaging the mask pattern to a thickness and is easily changed. The problem of uneven large-area substrates.

The present invention is an example of a problem to cope with such a problem. That is, an object of the present invention is to expose a mask pattern to an exposure apparatus of a substrate, and to form a mask pattern with high precision on a substrate surface or the like even when the thickness of the substrate is not uniform.

In order to achieve such an object, the exposure apparatus according to the present invention has at least the following constituents.

An exposure apparatus for projecting a mask pattern onto a substrate by light of a mask, and characterized in that the support portion individually supports the substrate and the mask, and the thickness of the substrate is uneven along an axial direction a scanning exposure mechanism that relatively moves the microlens array disposed between the mask and the substrate relative to the substrate and the mask to form a portion of the mask pattern onto the substrate a partial exposure region extending in the direction of the axial intersection, and scanning the partial exposure region along the axial direction; a mask/substrate spacing adjustment mechanism for adjusting the spacing between the mask and the substrate; and mask/substrate interval measurement a mechanism for measuring the interval along the axial direction before scanning the partial exposure area; and the exposure device controls the mask according to the measurement result of the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism and the scanning position of the scanning exposure mechanism / substrate spacing adjustment mechanism to match the aforementioned interval in the aforementioned partial exposure region with the imaging interval of the aforementioned microlens array .

According to the invention having such a feature, even when the substrate thickness is uneven along an axial direction, when scanning exposure is performed by scanning a partial exposure region along an axial direction, scanning exposure is performed. The interval between the mask and the substrate is always adjusted to the imaging interval of the microlens array, and therefore the mask pattern can also be imaged with high precision on the substrate surface.

1‧‧‧Exposure device

2‧‧‧ mask

2a‧‧‧ alignment mark

2m‧‧‧mask pattern forming area

2S‧‧‧Mask support (support)

2Sa‧‧‧ support surface

3‧‧‧Substrate

3a‧‧‧ alignment mark

3S‧‧‧Substrate support (support)

4‧‧‧Measurement camera

10‧‧‧Scanning exposure mechanism

11‧‧‧Light source

12‧‧‧Microlens array

20‧‧‧Mask/substrate interval adjustment mechanism

30‧‧‧Mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism

40‧‧‧Control agency

Ep‧‧‧local exposure area

H‧‧‧ interval

J1‧‧‧ substrate table

L‧‧‧Exposure light

M‧‧‧ mask

MLA‧‧‧Microlens Array

Sc‧‧‧ scan direction

s(s1)‧‧‧ interval

s(s2)‧‧‧ interval

t(t1)‧‧‧ thickness

t(t2)‧‧‧ thickness

W‧‧‧Support substrate

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional technique.

Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing an overall configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figs. 2(a) and 2(b) are views showing a state in which scanning exposure is performed on different positions on the substrate.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing a preparation process when an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. Fig. 3(a) shows the planar arrangement state of the substrate, and Fig. 3(b) shows the planar installation state of the mask.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a preparation process when an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. Fig. 4(a) shows the alignment process of the mask, and Fig. 4(b) shows the interval measurement process of the substrate and the mask.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Fig. 2, the exposure apparatus 1 projects a mask pattern onto the substrate 3 by light passing through the mask 2. Here, the thickness t of the substrate 3 in one axial direction (the x direction in the drawing) becomes uneven, and the thickness t of the substrate in the drawing is t1 < t2. The mask 2 is supported by the mask support portion (support portion) 2S, and the substrate 3 is supported by the substrate support portion (support portion) 3S. Here, the interval h between the support surface 2Sa of the mask support portion 2S and the support surface 3Sa of the substrate support portion 3S is set to be a uniform interval on the entire surfaces of the support surfaces 2Sa and 3Sa. When the mask 2 and the substrate 3 are individually supported by the support surfaces 2Sa, 3Sa, if the thickness t of the mask 2 and the substrate 3 is uniform, the interval s between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 becomes uniform, however, When the thickness t (t1 < t2) of the substrate 3 becomes uneven along one axial direction, the interval s (s1 > s2) also becomes uneven along one axial direction (the x direction shown).

The exposure device 1 further includes a scanning exposure mechanism 10, a mask/substrate interval adjusting mechanism 20, and a mask/substrate spacer in addition to the support portion (the mask supporting portion 2S and the substrate supporting portion 3S). The measuring mechanism 30 and the control mechanism 40 for controlling the mask/substrate interval adjusting mechanism 20.

The scanning exposure mechanism 10 scans a partial exposure area Ep extending in a direction intersecting with an axial direction (the direction of the drawing x) on the substrate 3 (perpendicular to the direction of the paper surface) in one axial direction, in the scanning direction Sc (illustration The x-direction) scans the partial exposure area Ep to expose the entire surface of the active surface on the substrate 3.

The scanning exposure mechanism 10 includes a light source 11 that emits exposure light L, and a microlens array 12 that projects light passing through the mask 2 onto the substrate 3 and forms a part of the mask pattern on the substrate 3. In the exposure region Ep, the scanning exposure mechanism relatively moves the microlens array 12 disposed between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 with respect to the substrate 3 and the mask 2. The microlens array 12 is preferably a double-lens telecentric lens.

The mask/substrate interval adjusting mechanism 20 adjusts the gap between the mask 2 and the substrate 3, specifically, the support surface 2Sa of the mask supporting portion 2S and the substrate supporting portion 3S by the signal from the control mechanism 40. The mechanism of the face 3Sa is close to or away from the mechanism.

The mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 measures the interval s between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 in one axial direction (the x direction in the drawing) before scanning the partial exposure region Ep. The mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 moves along one axial direction to measure the interval between the mask 2 and the substrate 3, whereby the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 measures the interval along one axial direction. Specifically, a laser shift meter or the like can be used, that is, the laser is obliquely irradiated onto the surface of the substrate 3 and the surface of the mask 2, and by receiving light reflected on the surface of the mask 2 and on the substrate 3 A laser shift meter that measures the interval s by shifting the position of the light reflected by the reflected light.

The mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 may sequentially measure the interval between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 before scanning the partial exposure region Ep, or may be one of the substrates 3 before the scanning exposure mechanism 10 performs scanning exposure. The interval between the measurement mask 2 and the substrate 3 is measured in the axial direction as a whole, and the measurement result is stored in correspondence with the scanning position of the scanning exposure mechanism 10.

According to the exposure apparatus 1, the control unit 40 controls the mask/substrate interval adjusting machine based on the measurement result of the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 and the scanning position of the scanning exposure mechanism 10. The configuration 20 is such that the interval between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 in the partial exposure region Ep matches the imaging interval of the microlens array 12.

In the example shown in Fig. 2, the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 moves together with the scanning exposure mechanism 10 in the scanning direction (the x direction shown), and the mask 2 is measured before the scanning exposure mechanism 10 scans the partial exposure area Ep. The spacing of the substrates 3. Further, the operation of the mask/substrate interval adjusting mechanism 20 is controlled such that the interval between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 in the partial exposure region Ep becomes a set interval when the partial exposure region Ep is moved to the measured position (microlens array 12) Imaging interval). In the example shown in the figure, at the position of the scanning exposure shown in (a), the interval s between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 is s1, depending on the variation of the thickness t of the substrate 3, along an axial direction (illustration x The interval s of the direction is narrowed (s2 < s1). The mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 measures the change of the interval s before the scanning exposure to control the mask/substrate interval adjusting mechanism 20, and moves the mask supporting portion 2S in the z direction, thereby, for example, (b) ), the interval s in the partial exposure area Ep is always controlled to the set interval s1.

The exposure apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention mainly targets the substrate 3 having a thickness uneven along one axial direction, and makes the direction of the thickness unevenness coincide with the scanning direction of the scanning exposure, and covers the scanning exposure. The interval between the cover 2 and the substrate 3 matches the set interval. Thereby, even for a substrate having a non-uniform thickness along one axial direction, an image of the defocal mask pattern can be always projected onto the substrate 3.

The preparation process in the case of using the exposure apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention will be described based on Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 . As shown in Fig. 3(a), the substrate 3 supported on the substrate supporting portion 3S is provided with an alignment mark 3a, as shown in Fig. 3(b), and is also supported on the mask 2 of the mask supporting portion 2S. An alignment mark 2a is attached. The partial exposure region Ep extending in a direction (y direction) intersecting with one axial direction (x direction) is set to cover the alignment marks 2a, 3a formed outside the mask pattern formation region 2m in the y direction, and The partial exposure region Ep is scanned along an axial direction (x direction: scanning direction Sc), whereby the entire surface of the substrate 3 is exposed.

As shown in Fig. 4(a), the alignment of the mask 2 and the substrate 3 is performed before the exposure processing is performed. Process. In the alignment process, the alignment mark 2a of the mask 2 and the alignment mark 3a of the substrate 3 are simultaneously detected by the inspection camera 4, and the plane positions of the mask 2 and the substrate 3 are adjusted so that the alignment mark 2a The plane position of 3a is aligned. The detecting camera 4 emits the alignment light coaxially with the imaging optical system, and the light reflected by the alignment mark 2a of the mask 2 and the light reflected on the alignment mark 3a of the substrate 3 are detected by the detecting camera 4. . At this time, the exposure microlens array 12 is interposed between the alignment marks 2a, 3a, whereby the erect equal magnification image reflected from the alignment mark 3a of the substrate 3 is formed on the alignment mark 2a of the mask 2. Further, the planar positional adjustment of the substrate 3 and the mask 2 is performed in accordance with the detected image of the alignment mark 3a of the substrate 3 formed on the alignment mark 2a of the mask 2.

In the alignment process, the alignment of the substrate 3 formed on the alignment mark 2a of the mask 2 is performed by the above-described mask/substrate spacing adjustment mechanism 20 while the planar position adjustment of the mask 2 and the substrate 3 is performed. The focus adjustment of the mark 3a is performed, and the initial setting of the interval between the mask 2 and the substrate 3 is performed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(a), while the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism 30 is moved in one axial direction (x direction), the change in the interval s along one axial direction is measured, and the change is made. The scan location is associated and remembered. By measuring the interval s in advance along the entire axial direction before the exposure processing, the measurement of the mask/substrate interval during the exposure can be omitted, and the scanning exposure can be smoothly performed.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and the design changes and the like without departing from the scope of the invention are also included in the present invention.

1‧‧‧Exposure device

2‧‧‧ mask

2S‧‧‧Mask support

2Sa‧‧‧ support surface

3‧‧‧Substrate

3S‧‧‧Substrate support

3Sa‧‧‧ support surface

10‧‧‧Scanning exposure mechanism

11‧‧‧Light source

12‧‧‧Microlens array

20‧‧‧Mask/substrate interval adjustment mechanism

30‧‧‧Mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism

40‧‧‧Control agency

Ep‧‧‧local exposure area

H‧‧‧ interval

L‧‧‧Exposure light

s(s1)‧‧‧ interval

s(s2)‧‧‧ interval

Sc‧‧‧ scan direction

t(t1)‧‧‧ thickness

t(t2)‧‧‧ thickness

Claims (3)

An exposure apparatus for projecting and exposing a mask pattern to a substrate by light passing through a mask, the exposure apparatus characterized by: a support portion that individually supports the substrate and the mask, the thickness of the substrate being along an axis a non-uniformity; a scanning exposure mechanism that relatively moves the microlens array disposed between the mask and the substrate relative to the substrate and the mask to form a portion of the mask pattern on the substrate a partial exposure region extending in a direction intersecting the aforementioned one axial direction and scanning the partial exposure region along the aforementioned one axial direction; a mask/substrate spacing adjustment mechanism that adjusts a spacing of the mask from the substrate; and a mask/ a substrate spacing measuring mechanism that measures the interval along the one axial direction before scanning the partial exposure region, and controls the mask according to the measurement result of the mask/substrate interval measuring mechanism and the scanning position of the scanning exposure mechanism / substrate spacing adjustment mechanism that matches the aforementioned spacing in the aforementioned partial exposure region to the imaging interval of the aforementioned microlens array. The exposure apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mask/substrate interval measuring means sequentially performs the measurement of the interval immediately before scanning the partial exposure area. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mask/substrate interval measuring means performs the measurement of the interval over the entire axial direction of the substrate before the scanning exposure mechanism performs scanning exposure, and the measurement result corresponds to the foregoing The scanning position of the exposure mechanism is scanned and memorized.