TW202347046A - Exposure device, exposure method, and manufacturing method of object preventing the slit light from irradiating outside the imaging area of a substrate during the scanning exposure of the imaging area - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an exposure device, an exposure method, and a manufacturing method of an object. Provided is a technology that is advantageous in preventing the slit light from irradiating outside the imaging area of a substrate during the scanning exposure of the imaging area. An exposure device that performs scanning exposure of an imaging area of the substrate while scanning the substrate with slit light includes: a mounting table that holds and moves the substrate; a light shielding member that is inserted and removed from the optical path of the slit light; and a control unit that controls the driving of the mounting table according to a driving curve, and controls the insertion and removal of the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light. The driving curve is configured to cause the mounting table to accelerate in the initial stage of the scanning exposure. When the control unit pulls out the light shielding member from the optical path of the slit light in the early stage of the scanning exposure, the control unit accelerates the light shielding member by following the acceleration of the mounting table in the driving curve, thereby preventing the slit light from irradiating onto the outside of the imaging area.

Description

Exposure device, exposure method and manufacturing method of article

The present invention relates to an exposure device, an exposure method, and a manufacturing method of an article.

As a photolithography apparatus used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices and the like, it is known to perform so-called scanning exposure in which a substrate is scanned through a slit of a master plate to transfer a pattern of the master plate to the substrate. device. In such an exposure apparatus, scanning exposure of the substrate is generally performed while moving the substrate at a constant speed. However, in order to improve throughput (productivity), it is desirable to perform scanning exposure of the substrate while accelerating or decelerating the substrate. Patent Document 1 proposes a technology that exposes the substrate in a section in which the speed and acceleration of the substrate change in sinusoidal waves while driving the substrate according to a driving curve (velocity curve, acceleration curve) composed of sinusoidal waves. Such a technique is sometimes called sine wave exposure. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1]: Japanese Patent No. 5406861

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the exposure device, during scanning exposure of the imaging area of the substrate, it is necessary to prevent slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area. It is desirable to prevent the slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area even when the imaging area of the substrate is scanned and exposed while accelerating or decelerating the substrate.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that is advantageous in preventing slit light from being irradiated to the outside of an imaging region of a substrate during scanning exposure of the imaging region. [Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, an exposure device as one aspect of the present invention performs scanning exposure of an imaging area of the substrate while scanning the substrate with slit light, and is characterized in that the exposure device includes a mounting table that is held and moved. the substrate; a light-shielding member that is inserted into and removed from the optical path of the slit light; and a control unit that controls the driving of the mounting table according to a driving curve that specifies the driving of the mounting table, and controls the direction of the light-shielding member to the desired position. Inserting and removing the optical path of the slit light, the driving curve is configured to accelerate the mounting table in the early stage of the scanning exposure, and the control unit switches from the optical path of the slit light in the early stage of the scanning exposure. When the light-shielding member is pulled out, the light-shielding member is accelerated and driven to follow the acceleration of the mounting table in the driving curve to prevent the slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area.

Further objects or other aspects of the present invention will be clarified below by describing the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Effects of the invention]

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a technology that is advantageous in preventing slit light from being irradiated to the outside of an imaging region of a substrate during scanning exposure of the imaging region.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention within the scope of the patent application. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the same or similar structures are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, directions are represented by an XYZ coordinate system in which the direction parallel to the surface (upper surface) of the substrate is an XY plane. Let the directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system be the X-direction, Y-direction and Z-direction respectively, and set the rotation around the are θX, θY and θZ. Control and drive (movement) related to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis respectively refer to control or drive (movement) in the direction parallel to the X-axis, the direction parallel to the Y-axis, and the direction parallel to the Z-axis. In addition, the control or driving related to the θX axis, θY axis, and θZ axis refers to the rotation about the axis parallel to the X axis, the rotation about the axis parallel to the Y axis, and the rotation about the axis parallel to the Z axis, respectively. control or drive.

<First Embodiment> The first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the exposure device 100 according to this embodiment. The exposure device 100 transfers the pattern of the mask 102 to the substrate 104 while scanning the mask 102 (original plate) and the substrate 104 relative to the slit light (exposure light). The exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment sets the light irradiation area (exposure area) on the substrate 104 into a rectangular shape or an arc-shaped slit shape, and scans the mask 102 relative to the substrate 104 at high speed to achieve high-precision alignment. A step-scan exposure device that performs exposure with a large field of view. Such an exposure device 100 is also called a scanning exposure device or scanner.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the exposure apparatus 100 includes an exposure light source 113, an illumination optical system 106, a projection optical system 101, a mask mounting table 103, a substrate mounting table 105, a masking unit 112 (light shielding part), and a control part 111. The mask mounting table 103 and the substrate mounting table 105 can constitute a positioning device for positioning the mask 102 and the substrate 104 relative to each other. Here, in this embodiment, the exposure light source 113 is provided as a component of the exposure device 100 , but it may not be a component of the exposure device 100 .

The illumination optical system 106 illuminates the mask 102 using light emitted from an exposure light source 113 that generates pulse light, such as an excimer laser. The illumination optical system 106 includes, for example, a beam shaping optical system, an optical integrator, a collimating lens, a reflecting mirror, etc., and efficiently transmits or reflects pulse light in the far ultraviolet range, and emits it as slit light (exposure light). The beam shaping optical system (generating unit) has a mechanism (for example, a slit) that shapes the cross-sectional shape (size) of the incident light into a predetermined shape (for example, a rectangular shape or an arc shape), and generates the slit using light from the exposure light source 113 Sew light. The slit light has a cross-sectional shape that defines an illumination area on the mask 102 , that is, a light irradiation area on the substrate 104 . In the case of this embodiment, the beam shaping optical system is configured to generate slit light with a rectangular cross-sectional shape using light from the exposure light source 113 . In addition, the optical integrator makes the light distribution characteristics of the light uniform and illuminates the mask 102 with uniform illuminance.

The slit light emitted from the illumination optical system 106 enters the masking unit 112 . The masking unit 112 is a unit for defining an illumination area on the mask 102 , that is, a light irradiation area on the substrate 104 . In the case of this embodiment, the masking unit 112 has at least two masking blades (light-shielding members) arranged in the scanning direction with respect to the slit light. Furthermore, under the control of the control unit 111, the masking unit 112 inserts and removes the light shielding blade on the optical path of the slit light to prevent the slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area where scanning exposure is performed. A specific structural example of the masking unit 112 will be described later. Here, in this embodiment, the masking unit 112 is disposed on the optical path between the illumination optical system 106 and the mask 102, but it may be disposed on a surface conjugate to the object plane and the image plane of the projection optical system 101. . For example, the masking unit 112 may be disposed between the mask 102 and the projection optical system 101, or between the projection optical system 101 and the substrate 104, or the like. In addition, the masking unit 112 may be provided in the illumination optical system 106 as a component of the illumination optical system 106 .

The projection optical system 101 projects an image of the pattern of the mask 102 illuminated by the illumination optical system 106 onto the substrate 104 . In FIG. 1 , the optical axis AX of the projection optical system 101 extends in the Z direction, and the image plane of the projection optical system 101 is a plane perpendicular to the Z direction (that is, the XY plane). The slit light passing through the mask unit 112 is irradiated to the mask 102, and an image of the pattern of the mask 102 is formed in the projection optical system 101 at a magnification (for example, 1/4, 1/2, 1/5). Image plane of system 101.

The substrate 104 is, for example, a wafer with a resist (photosensitive agent) coated on its surface. A plurality of imaging areas having the same pattern structure formed in the previous exposure process are arranged on the substrate 104 . The substrate mounting table 105 is a mounting table that holds and moves the substrate 104, and has a chuck that holds (adsorbs and fixes) the substrate 104. The substrate mounting table 105 can include an XY mounting table that is horizontally movable in the X direction and the Y direction, and a Z mounting table that is movable in the Z direction (height direction of the substrate 104 ) parallel to the optical axis AX of the projection optical system 101 . Furthermore, the substrate mounting table 105 may further include a leveling mounting platform that can rotate (tilt) in the θX direction about the X axis and the θY direction about the Y axis, and a rotation mounting platform that can rotate in the θZ direction about the Z axis. In this way, the substrate mounting table 105 can constitute a six-axis drive system for aligning the pattern image of the mask 102 with the imaging area of the substrate 104 . The positions of the substrate mounting table 105 in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction can always be measured by the strip mirror 108 and the interferometer 110 arranged on the substrate mounting table 105 .

The mask 102 is held by a mask mounting base 103 . The mask mounting table 103 scans in the Y direction (the direction of the arrow 103a) in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis AX of the projection optical system 101. At this time, the mask mounting base 103 is scanned (correction driven) so that the position of the mask mounting base 103 in the Y direction always maintains the target position. The positions of the mask mounting table 103 in the X direction and the Y direction are always measured by the strip mirror 107 and the interferometer 109 arranged on the mask mounting table 103 .

The control unit 111 is composed of, for example, a computer including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory, and comprehensively controls each part of the exposure device 100 . The control unit 111 controls the mask stage 103 holding the mask 102 and the substrate stage 105 holding the substrate 104 so that the light from the pattern of the mask 102 is imaged in a predetermined area (imaging area) of the substrate 104 . For example, the control unit 111 adjusts the position of the mask 102 and the substrate 104 in the XY plane (position in the XY direction and rotation in the θZ direction), and the position in the Z direction (theta rotation in the θY direction). In addition, the control unit 111 causes the mask mounting table 103 and the substrate mounting table 105 to scan in synchronization with the projection optical system 101 . In this way, the control unit 111 controls the exposure process (scanning exposure) in which each imaging area of the substrate 104 is exposed while the substrate mounting table 105 scans the substrate 104 with respect to the light irradiation area. For example, when the mask stage 103 is scanned in the direction of arrow 103a, the substrate stage 105 scans in the direction of arrow 105a at a speed that corrects the magnification (reduction magnification) of the projection optical system 101.

Alignment of the pattern of the mask 102 in the XY plane can be performed based on the position of the mask stage 103 , the position of the substrate stage 105 , and the position of each imaging area on the substrate 104 relative to the substrate stage 105 . As described above, the position of the mask mounting table 103 and the position of the substrate mounting table 105 are measured by the interferometer 109 and the interferometer 110 respectively. By detecting the position of the mark provided on the substrate mounting table 105 and the position of the alignment mark formed on the substrate 104 using an alignment scope (not shown), the relative position of each imaging area on the substrate 104 relative to the substrate mounting table 105 is obtained. s position.

[Structure and control of masking unit] In the exposure device, during scanning exposure of the imaging area of the substrate 104, it is necessary to prevent slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area. Therefore, the exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment is provided with the masking unit 112 including the light-shielding blade (light-shielding member). In the masking unit 112, under the control of the control unit 111, the light shielding blades are scanned (driven) in synchronization with the mask mounting table 103 and the substrate mounting table 105 to prevent slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area.

Here, scanning exposure can be defined as a state in which at least part of the slit light is irradiated onto the substrate 104 (imaging area) to expose the substrate 104 . In addition, the scanning direction (driving direction in scanning exposure) of the mask 102, the substrate 104, and the shielding blades of the masking unit 112 is the same direction. However, in the example of FIG. 1 , since the optical path between the mask unit 112 and the mask 102 is bent by the mirror MR, the scanning direction of the mask 102 and the substrate 104 becomes the Y direction, and the scanning direction of the light shielding blade of the mask unit 112 The direction becomes the Z direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the masking unit 112 . The masking unit 112 includes two light-shielding blades 205 and 206 for blocking the slit light 204 in the scanning direction (Z direction), and a driving mechanism 200 that drives the two light-shielding blades 205 and 206 in the scanning direction (Z direction). . The drive mechanism 200 can be configured by, for example, a linear motor having a stator 201 extending in the scanning direction and movers 202 and 203 movable along the stator 201 in the scanning direction. It should be noted that the shielding unit 112 may further include two light shielding blades for shielding the slit light 204 in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction (X direction).

The light-shielding blade 205 (the second light-shielding member) is mechanically held by the mover 202 , and the light-shielding blade 206 (the first light-shielding member) is mechanically held by the mover 203 . The driving mechanism 200 can drive the light shielding blade 205 in the scanning direction by moving the mover 202 in the scanning direction along the stator 201, and can drive the light shielding blade 205 in the scanning direction by moving the mover 203 in the scanning direction along the stator 201. The light shielding blade 206 is driven. The drive mechanism 200 can be configured to independently drive the light-shielding blade 205 (motor 202) and the light-shielding blade 206 (motor 203). In addition, the driving mechanism 200 is controlled by the control unit 111 so that the light shielding blades 205 and 206 are inserted and removed (inserted or removed) on the optical path of the slit light in synchronization with the mask mounting table 103 and the substrate mounting table 105 .

Next, a control example of the masking unit 112 (driving of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206) during scanning exposure will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the movement of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 with respect to the slit light 204 (illumination area on the mask 102) and the movement of the light irradiation area 302 on the imaging area 301 of the substrate 104 over time. In FIGS. 3A and 3B , the left figure shows the movement of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 during scanning exposure, and the right figure shows the movement of the light irradiation area 302 on the imaging area 301 . In addition, in FIGS. 3A and 3B , the scanning directions of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 and the imaging area 301 are indicated by arrows. As described above, the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 are driven in synchronization with the mask stage 103 and the substrate stage 105 to prevent the slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area of the substrate 104 during scanning exposure. It should be noted that in this embodiment, acceleration can be defined as increasing the absolute value of the speed, and deceleration can be defined as decreasing the absolute value of the speed.

Before the scanning exposure (exposure operation) starts, as shown in (Phase 1) of FIG. 3A , since the light shielding blade 205 completely blocks the slit light 204 , the slit light (exposure light) does not irradiate the imaging area on the substrate. 301. When scanning exposure starts, as shown in FIG. 3A (stage 2), the light shielding blade 205 is driven in synchronization with the substrate mounting table 105 in the scanning direction, and the light shielding blade 205 is gradually pulled out of the optical path of the slit light 204 . Then, a portion of the slit light 204 gradually begins to pass through the masking unit 112 . That is, slit light starts to be irradiated to the imaging area 301, and the light irradiation area 302 on the imaging area 301 gradually expands. At this time, the driving of the light shielding blade 205 is controlled following the movement of the end (front end) of the imaging area 301 in the scanning direction so that the outside of the imaging area 301 in the scanning direction is not irradiated with slit light.

When the light-shielding blade 205 is completely pulled out from the slit light 204, as shown in FIG. 3A (stage 3), the entire slit light is irradiated into the imaging area 301, and the light irradiation area 302 becomes the largest. At this time, the light-shielding blade 205 starts to decelerate and stops, and then the light-shielding blade 206 starts to accelerate. Then, when the end (rear end) of the imaging area 301 in the opposite direction to the scanning direction is reached, as shown in (Phase 4) of FIG. 3B , the shielding blade 206 starts shielding the slit light 204 .

When the shielding blade 206 starts to shield the slit light 204, as shown in (stage 5) of FIG. 3B, the shielding blade 206 is gradually inserted into the optical path of the slit light 204, and the slit light 204 begins to be gradually shielded. That is, the light irradiation area 302 on the imaging area 301 gradually becomes narrower. At this time, the driving of the light shielding blade 206 is controlled following the movement of the end (rear end) of the opposite direction side of the imaging area 301 so that the outside of the imaging area 301 in the opposite direction is not irradiated with slit light. Then, when the slit light 204 is completely blocked by the light shielding blade 206, as shown in (Phase 6) of FIG. 3B, the light shielding blade 206 starts to decelerate and stops. Here, in the scanning exposure for the next imaging area, the scanning direction is reversed, so (stage 6) to (stage 1) are performed in order. Such scanning exposure can be performed on each of a plurality of imaging areas on the substrate 104 .

Next, a driving control example of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 in the case of performing scanning exposure on the substrate 104 while moving the substrate 104 at a constant speed (hereinafter sometimes referred to as constant-speed exposure) will be described with reference to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 when the N-th imaging area and the (N+1)-th imaging area are exposed at a constant speed. The N-th imaging area is one of the plurality of imaging areas in the substrate 104 (the first imaging area), and may be referred to as "Nshot" below. In addition, the (N+1)-th imaging area is an imaging area (second imaging area) that is scanned and exposed after Nshot among the plurality of imaging areas in the substrate 104, and may be expressed as "(N+1)" below. shot".

Here, the control unit 111 controls the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light shielding blades 205 and 206 . The control unit 111 controls the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 according to a driving curve that prescribes the driving of the substrate mounting table 105, and in parallel therewith, controls the driving mechanism 200 to insert and remove the light shielding blades 205 and 206 into the optical path of the slit light. The driving curve of the substrate mounting table 105 includes at least one of a position curve, a velocity curve, and an acceleration curve. Hereinafter, an example using the velocity curve as the driving curve will be described.

The control unit 111 accelerates and drives the substrate stage 105 to the maximum speed Vws before starting the scanning exposure of Nshot. When the maximum speed Vws is reached, the control unit 111 drives the substrate stage 105 at a constant speed while maintaining a constant speed. The exposure section 901 is a section in which the imaging area is irradiated with slit light and the imaging area is scanned and exposed. In the exposure section 901 in the example of FIG. 9 , the substrate mounting table 105 is driven at a constant speed.

On the other hand, the control unit 111 accelerates the light-shielding blade 205 to reach the maximum speed Va before the start of the scanning exposure of Nshot, that is, before the start of the exposure section 901 . The maximum speed Va of the light shielding blade 205 is a value obtained by multiplying the speed Vws of the substrate mounting table 105 by a certain optical magnification (for example, the magnification of the projection optical system 101).

As described in FIGS. 3A and 3B , in the scanning exposure of the imaging area, it is necessary to prevent the outside of the imaging area (for example, the adjacent imaging area) from being irradiated with the slit light. Therefore, the control unit 111 follows (synchronizes) the constant-velocity driving of the substrate mounting table 105 in the initial expansion section 902 of the scanning exposure (exposure section 901 ) as the imaging area, that is, follows the movement of the tip of the Nshot The shading blade 205 is driven at a constant speed. The expansion section 902 is a section in which the light shielding blade (205 or 206) is gradually pulled out from the optical path of the slit light to expand (expand) the light irradiation area on the imaging area. When the light-shielding blade 205 is pulled out of the slit light and the expansion section 902 ends, the control unit 111 decelerates the light-shielding blade 205 and stops it.

Next, the control unit 111 accelerates the light-shielding blade 206 so that the light-shielding blade 206 reaches the maximum speed Vb before the slit light (light irradiation area) reaches the rear end of Nshot. Then, the control unit 111 follows (synchronizes) the constant-speed driving of the substrate mounting table 105 in the reduction section 903 that is the final stage of the scanning exposure of the imaging area (exposure section 901 ), that is, follows the movement of the rear end of the Nshot. The shading blade 206 is driven at a constant speed. The narrowing section 903 is a section in which the light shielding blade (205 or 206) is gradually inserted into the optical path of the slit light to narrow (reduce) the light irradiation area on the imaging area. When the light-shielding blade 206 completely blocks the slit light and the reduction section 903 ends, the control unit 111 decelerates the light-shielding blade 206 and stops it. In this way, Nshot scan exposure is performed.

After the scanning exposure of Nshot ends, the scanning exposure of (N+1) shooting starts. After completing the scanning exposure of Nshot (exposure interval 901), the control unit 111 decelerates the substrate mounting table 105 and starts acceleration in the opposite direction. Then, the control unit 111 accelerates and drives the substrate stage 105 to the maximum speed -Vws before starting the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot. When the maximum speed -Vws is reached, the substrate stage 105 is driven to maintain a constant speed. Constant speed drive.

On the other hand, the control unit 111 accelerates the driving of the light shielding blade 206 so that the light shielding blade 206 reaches the maximum speed −Va before the start of the (N+1) shot scanning exposure, that is, before the start of the exposure interval 901 . Then, in the expanded section 902 , the light-shielding blade 206 is driven at a constant speed to follow (synchronously) the constant-speed driving of the substrate mounting table 105 , that is, to follow the movement of the tip of the (N+1) shot. When the expansion section 902 ends, the light shielding blade 206 is decelerated and driven to stop. Next, the control unit 111 accelerates the light-shielding blade 205 so that it reaches the maximum speed -Vb before the slit light (light irradiation area) reaches the rear end of the (N+1) shot. Then, in the reduction section 903 , the light-shielding blade 205 is driven at a constant speed to follow (synchronize) the constant-speed driving of the substrate mounting table 105 , that is, to follow the movement of the rear end of the (N+1) shot. When the reduction section 903 ends, the light-shielding blade 205 is decelerated and driven to stop. In this way, (N+1) shot scanning exposure is performed. By repeating the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 as described above, scanning exposure of a plurality of imaging areas in the substrate 104 is performed.

Incidentally, in the exposure apparatus 100, in order to improve throughput (productivity), a method of performing scanning exposure of the substrate 104 while accelerating or decelerating the substrate 104 has been proposed. For example, a scanning exposure method called sine wave exposure is known. In the sine wave exposure, while driving the substrate mounting table 105 according to a sinusoidal driving curve (for example, a speed curve), each imaging area is captured in a portion of the driving curve including acceleration and deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 . Scan exposure. That is, in the sine wave exposure, in the exposure section in which scanning exposure of each imaging area is performed, the substrate mounting table 105 is accelerated in the enlarged section and decelerated in the reduced section. Furthermore, when performing scanning exposure of the imaging area using sine wave exposure, it is also necessary to prevent slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area.

Therefore, in the exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment, when the light shielding blade is pulled out from the optical path of the slit light in the early stage (expansion section) of the scanning exposure of the imaging area, the light shielding blade is accelerated and driven following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 . In addition, when the light-shielding blade is inserted into the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure of the imaging area (reduction interval), the light-shielding blade is decelerated and driven following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 . Hereinafter, an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 during sinusoidal exposure will be described.

[Example 1] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 when scanning exposure of N shot and (N+1) shot is performed in sine wave exposure. The exposure interval 401, the expansion interval 402, and the reduction interval 403 in FIG. 4 correspond to the exposure interval 901, the expansion interval 902, and the reduction interval 903 described using FIG. 9, respectively. Here, the control unit 111 generates in advance a drive curve (for example, a speed curve) for driving the light shielding blades 205 and 206 following (synchronizing) the drive of the substrate mount 105 based on the sinusoidal drive curve of the substrate mount 105 . This drive curve is represented by a dotted line in Figure 4, and may be expressed as a blade drive curve below.

The control unit 111 drives the substrate mounting table 105 according to a sinusoidal drive curve (speed curve). This can shorten the time required for scanning exposure of each imaging area (exposure time) and improve throughput. It should be noted that the exposure section 401 is a section in which scanning exposure of the imaging area is performed.

On the other hand, the control unit 111 accelerates the driving of the light-shielding blade 205 so that the speed of the blade driving curve is reached before the start of the scanning exposure of Nshot, that is, before the start of the exposure interval 401 . At this time, the light-shielding blade 205 is accelerated and driven at an acceleration greater than the following acceleration (dashed line) when following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 using a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, in the expansion section 402 , the blade drive curve is switched to follow (synchronize with) the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 , that is, the light-shielding blade 205 is accelerated according to the blade drive curve in a manner that follows the movement of the tip of Nshot. drive. At the end of the expansion section 402, the driving curve is switched to a driving curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade driving curve, and the light-shielding blade is driven with a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dotted line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105. 205 is decelerated and driven to stop. At this time, it is preferable to stop the light-shielding blade 205 before the scanning exposure of Nshot (exposure interval 401) ends.

Next, the control unit 111 accelerates the light-shielding blade 206 so that the speed reaches the speed of the blade drive curve before the slit light reaches the rear end of Nshot. At this time, the light-shielding blade 206 is accelerated and driven at an acceleration greater than the following acceleration (dashed line) when following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 using a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, in the reduction section 403 , the blade drive curve is switched to follow (synchronize with) the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 , that is, the light-shielding blade 206 is decelerated according to the blade drive curve in a manner that follows the movement of the rear end of Nshot. drive. At the end of the reduction section 403, the driving curve is switched to a driving curve calculated by a different calculation formula from the blade driving curve, and the light-shielding blade is driven with a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dotted line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105. 206 is decelerated and driven to stop. At this time, it is preferable to stop the light-shielding blade 206 before starting the scanning exposure (exposure section 401) of the (N+1) shot. In this way, Nshot scan exposure is performed.

After the scanning exposure of Nshot ends, the scanning exposure of (N+1) shooting starts. The control unit 111 accelerates the driving of the light-shielding blade 206 so that the speed of the blade driving curve is reached before the start of the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot, that is, before the start of the exposure interval 401 . At this time, the light-shielding blade 206 is accelerated and driven at an acceleration greater than the following acceleration (dashed line) when following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 using a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, in the expanded section 402, the blade drive curve is switched to follow (synchronize with) the accelerated drive of the substrate mounting table 105, that is, follow the movement of the tip of the (N+1) shot, and follow the blade drive curve. The light-shielding blade 206 is accelerated and driven. At the end of the expansion section 402, the driving curve is switched to a driving curve calculated using a different calculation formula from the blade driving curve, and the light is shielded with a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dotted line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105. The blade 206 is decelerated and driven to stop. At this time, it is preferable to stop the light-shielding blade 206 before the scanning exposure (exposure section 401) of the (N+1) shot ends.

Next, the control unit 111 accelerates the driving of the light-shielding blade 205 so that the speed of the blade driving curve is reached before the slit light reaches the rear end of the (N+1) shot. At this time, the light-shielding blade 205 is accelerated and driven at an acceleration greater than the following acceleration (dashed line) when following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 using a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, in the reduction section 403, the blade drive curve is switched to follow (synchronize) the deceleration drive of the substrate mounting table 105, that is, follow the movement of the rear end of the (N+1) shot, and follow the blade drive curve. The light-shielding blade 205 is driven at a reduced speed. At the end of the reduction section 403, the driving curve is switched to a driving curve calculated by a different calculation formula from the blade driving curve, and the light-shielding blade is driven with a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dotted line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105. 205 is decelerated and driven to stop. At this time, it is preferable to stop the light-shielding blade 205 before starting the next scanning exposure. In this way, (N+1) shot scanning exposure is performed.

Here, in the example of FIG. 4 , for example, focusing on the light-shielding blade 206 , control is performed so that a stop period ts of the light-shielding blade 206 occurs between the scanning exposure of the N shot (shooting) and the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot. Then, the driving of the light-shielding blade 206 is controlled so that the stop period ts of the light-shielding blade 206 is longer than the stop period of the substrate mounting table 105 . In addition, between the scanning exposure of the N shot (shooting) and the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot, the light shielding blade 206 is decelerated at a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dashed line) when following the deceleration of the substrate stage 105 and stop. In addition, thereafter, the light-shielding blade 206 is accelerated with an acceleration greater than the following acceleration (dashed line) when following the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 . By controlling the driving of the light-shielding blade 206 in this way, the driving stroke of the light-shielding blade 206 can be shortened, which is advantageous from the viewpoint of reducing the equipment cost of the exposure device 100 and avoiding an increase in size. It should be noted that the same driving control as that of the light-shielding blade 206 can be performed on the light-shielding blade 205 .

[Example 2] In the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, the example in which the light shielding blades 205 and 206 are stopped between the scanning exposures of the imaging areas (that is, between the scanning exposure of the N shot and the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot) has been explained. In this Embodiment 2, an example in which one of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 is driven to follow (synchronize) the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 during scanning exposure between imaging areas will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 when scanning exposure of N shot and (N+1) shot is performed in sine wave exposure. It should be noted that this Embodiment 2 basically inherits the above-mentioned Embodiment 1, and can follow the Embodiment 1 except for the matters mentioned below.

In the second embodiment, from the end of the scanning exposure of the N shot to the start of the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot, the light shielding blade 206 is driven to follow (synchronize with) the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 according to the blade driving curve. That is, the control unit 111 follows (synchronizes) the drive of the substrate mounting table 105 according to the blade drive curve during the period from the start of the reduced section 403 of the N shot to the end of the expanded section 402 of the (N+1) shot (section 502 ). The light-shielding blade 206 is driven to the ground. Then, when the expansion section 402 of the (N+1) shot ends, the drive curve is switched to a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, the light-shielding blade 206 is decelerated and driven at a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dashed line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 to stop the light-shielding blade 206 .

In addition, the same applies to the light-shielding blade 205. During the period from the completion of the scanning exposure of the (N+1) shot to the start of the scanning exposure of the (N+2) shot, the light-shielding blade 205 is driven to follow the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 according to the blade driving curve. 205. That is, the control unit 111 follows (synchronizes) the substrate mounting table according to the blade drive curve during the period from the start of the reduced section 403 in the (N+1) shot to the end of the expanded section 402 in the (N+2) shot. 105 to drive the light-shielding blade 205. Then, when the expansion section 402 of the (N+2) shot ends, the drive curve is switched to a drive curve calculated using a calculation formula different from the blade drive curve. Then, the light-shielding blade 205 is decelerated and driven at a deceleration greater than the following deceleration (dashed line) when following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 to stop the light-shielding blade 205 .

It should be noted that the (N+2) shot is a shooting area that is scanned and exposed after the (N+1) shot. In FIG. 5 , the drive control for the scanning exposure (exposure interval 401 ) of the (N+2) shot is not shown, but it can be understood as the same drive control as the scanning exposure (exposure interval 401 ) of the N shot. In this case, the interval from the start of the reduced interval 403 in the (N+1) shot to the end of the expanded interval 402 in the (N+2) shot can be understood as the interval 503 and the interval 501 in FIG. 5 the combined interval.

When switching the driving curves of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206, the speed and acceleration/deceleration of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 change rapidly, so the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 easily vibrate. According to the second embodiment, for example, when focusing on the light-shielding blade 206, between the scanning exposure of N shot and the scanning exposure of (N+1) shot, the driving of the light-shielding blade 206 follows the substrate carrier according to the sinusoidal drive curve. The driving mode of the platform 105 is controlled. This can reduce vibration generated when the drive curve is switched.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing acceleration curves of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light shielding blades 205 and 206 . The light-shielding blade 205 can be driven in the expanded section 402 with an acceleration Aa obtained by multiplying the acceleration Aws of the substrate mounting table by an optical magnification (for example, the magnification of the projection optical system 101 ) so as to follow (synchronize) the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 . In order to minimize the driving stroke and driving time, it is preferable to perform deceleration driving at the maximum acceleration Aa_max that can be output hard by the driving mechanism 200 after the expansion section 402 ends. On the other hand, in order for the light-shielding blade 206 to follow (synchronize) the substrate mounting table 105 in the reduced section 403, the light-shielding blade 205 starts driving after a certain time has elapsed since the light-shielding blade 205 starts driving. Since the driving starts after a certain period of time has elapsed, the light shielding blade 206 needs to reach the speed multiplied by the optical magnification of the substrate mounting table 105 in order to follow (synchronize) the driving of the substrate mounting table 105 before the slit light reaches the rear end of the imaging area. Get the speed. Therefore, the light-shielding blade 206 is accelerated to reach the speed of the substrate mounting table 105 using the maximum acceleration Ab_max that can be output by the drive mechanism 200 . After the speed of the light-shielding blade 206 reaches the speed of the substrate mounting table 105, it is driven with the acceleration Ab obtained by multiplying the acceleration Aws of the substrate mounting table 105 by the optical magnification. After the reduction interval 403 ends, the substrate mounting table 105 is continued to be followed (synchronized) and driven by the substrate mounting table 105 until the expansion interval 402 of (N+1) Shot ends.

As described above, the exposure device 100 of this embodiment accelerates the light-shielding blade in accordance with the acceleration of the substrate mounting table 105 when the light-shielding blade is pulled out from the optical path of the slit light in the early stage (expanded section) of the scanning exposure of the imaging area. In addition, when the light-shielding blade is inserted into the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure of the imaging area (reduction interval), the light-shielding blade is decelerated and driven following the deceleration of the substrate mounting table. Accordingly, when performing scanning exposure of the imaging area of the substrate 104 while accelerating or decelerating the substrate 104 (for example, sine wave exposure), the light shielding blades 205 and 206 can be appropriately driven to prevent narrow irradiation to the outside of the imaging area. Sew light.

<Second Embodiment> A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which switching of the driving curves of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 is performed (determined) based on the start time and/or end time of the enlarged section 402 and the reduced section 403 . In the second embodiment, an example in which switching of the driving curves of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 is performed (determined) based on the position, speed, or acceleration of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 will be described. It should be noted that this embodiment basically inherits the first embodiment, and can follow the first embodiment except for the matters mentioned below.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing acceleration curves of the substrate mounting table 105 and the light shielding blades 205 and 206 . In the above-described first embodiment, the driving curves of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 are switched at the beginning and/or end of the expansion section 402 and the reduction section 403 . On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , switching of the driving curves of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 is performed at the timing when the acceleration of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 becomes zero.

As mentioned above, when the driving curves of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 are switched, the speed and acceleration of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 change rapidly, so the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 tend to vibrate. In particular, if the drive curve is changed while a certain acceleration is applied, the change in the force applied to the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 becomes larger accordingly. Therefore, when the driving curve is switched at a timing of large acceleration, correspondingly large vibration may be generated in the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 . In addition, if large vibration occurs in the light shielding blades 205 and 206 in the expanded section 402 and the reduced section 403, it will be difficult to accurately shield the light at the end of the imaging area, and the outside of the imaging area (for example, the adjacent imaging area) will be Exposure may cause defects.

By switching the drive curve at the timing when the acceleration of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 becomes zero as in this embodiment, the change in the force applied to the light shielding blades 205 and 206 when the drive curve is switched can be minimized. In other words, the vibration of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 can be reduced. However, after the end of the exposure section 401 (reduction section 403), the driving (sinusoidal wave driving) of the light shielding blades 205 and 206 following (synchronizing) the substrate mounting table 105 continues. Therefore, compared with the first embodiment, the light shielding blades 205 and 206 are The driving stroke of 206 becomes larger. Therefore, even if the acceleration of the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 is not necessarily zero, the acceleration value for switching the drive curve can be determined arbitrarily within the range of the desired drive stroke so as to minimize the vibration. Similarly, any position and speed can be used as indicators for the timing of switching the drive curve.

<3rd Embodiment> A third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, the exposure operation in the exposure device 100 explained in the first embodiment will be described. It should be noted that this embodiment basically inherits the first embodiment, and can follow the first embodiment except for the matters mentioned below. In addition, this embodiment may succeed the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the exposure operation in the exposure device 100 . Each step of the flowchart in FIG. 8 can be executed by the control unit 111.

In step S801, the control unit 111 uses a substrate transport mechanism (not shown) to transport the substrate 104 onto the substrate mounting table 105. Next, in step S802 , the control unit 111 detects the position of the mark on the substrate 104 using an alignment scope (detection unit) not shown, thereby performing alignment of the substrate 104 . In this step S802, global alignment can be performed. The global alignment detects the positions of markers in several sample imaging areas among the plurality of imaging areas in the substrate 104, and performs statistical processing on the detection results to obtain multiple detection results. Arrangement information of each shooting area.

In step S803, the control unit 111 generates (determines, calculates) the drive curve of the substrate mounting table 105 and the blade drive curves of the light shielding blades 205 and 206. Each driving curve can be generated based on the alignment result (eg, arrangement information) of the substrate 104 in step S802. Next, in step 804, the control unit 111 determines the switching timing of the drive curves of the light shielding blades 205 and 206. The switching timing can be determined as described in the first to second embodiments.

In step S805, the control unit 111 executes scanning exposure of the substrate 104. The control unit 111 drives the substrate mounting table 105 and the light-shielding blades 205 and 206 based on the drive curve determined in step S803 and the switching timing determined in step S804. Thereby, each of the plurality of imaging areas in the substrate 104 can be scanned and exposed. Next, in step S806, the control unit 111 collects (carries out) the substrate 104 from the substrate placement table 105 using a substrate transport mechanism (not shown).

＜Embodiments of the manufacturing method of articles＞ The method for manufacturing articles according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices such as semiconductor devices and elements having fine structures. The method of manufacturing an article according to this embodiment includes: forming a latent image pattern on the photosensitive agent coated on the substrate using the exposure device (step of exposing the substrate); and processing (developing) the substrate on which the latent image pattern is formed. the steps; and the steps of manufacturing an article from the processed substrate. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, cutting, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous in at least one aspect of article performance, quality, productivity, and production cost compared with conventional methods.

<Other Examples> The present invention can also be achieved by supplying a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiment to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and having one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. processing to achieve. In addition, it can also be realized by a circuit (such as an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the patent application scope is attached in order to disclose the scope of the invention.

100:Exposure device 101:Projection optical system 102: Mask (original version) 103: Mask mounting table 104:Substrate 105:Substrate mounting table 106: Illumination optical system 112: Masking unit 200:Driving mechanism 205,206: Shading blades

[Fig. 1] is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of an exposure device. [Fig. 2] is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of a masking unit. 3A is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of the light-shielding blade with respect to the slit light and the movement of the light irradiation area on the imaging area of the substrate over time. 3B is a schematic diagram showing the movement of the light-shielding blade with respect to the slit light and the movement of the light irradiation area on the imaging area of the substrate over time. [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table and the light-shielding blade in the first embodiment (Example 1). [Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table and the light-shielding blade in the first embodiment (Example 2). [Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing acceleration curves of the substrate mounting table and the light-shielding blade in the first embodiment (Example 2). [Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing acceleration curves of the substrate mounting table and the light-shielding blade in the second embodiment. [Fig. 8] is a flowchart showing the exposure operation in the exposure device. [Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of drive control of the substrate mounting table and the light-shielding blade when performing constant-speed exposure.

100:Exposure device

101:Projection optical system

102: Mask (original version)

103: Mask mounting table

104:Substrate

105:Substrate mounting table

106: Illumination optical system

107,108: Strip mirror

109,110:Interferometer

111:Control Department

112: Masking unit

113: Exposure light source

AX: optical axis

MR: Reflector

Claims (14)

An exposure device that performs scanning exposure of an imaging area of the substrate while scanning a substrate with slit light, characterized in that the exposure device is provided with: a mounting platform to hold and move the substrate; a light-shielding member inserted into and removed from the optical path of the slit light; and a control unit that controls the driving of the mounting table in accordance with a drive curve that defines the driving of the mounting table, and controls the insertion and removal of the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light, The driving curve is configured to accelerate the mounting table in the early stage of the scanning exposure, When the light shielding member is pulled out from the optical path of the slit light in the initial stage of the scanning exposure, the control unit accelerates the light shielding member to follow the acceleration of the mounting table in the driving curve, To prevent the slit light from irradiating to the outside of the shooting area. The exposure device according to claim 1, wherein, The driving curve is configured to decelerate the mounting table at the end of the scanning exposure, When the light shielding member is inserted into the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure, the control unit decelerates and drives the light shielding member following the deceleration of the mounting table in the driving curve, so as to The slit light is prevented from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area. The exposure device according to claim 2, wherein, The substrate includes a first imaging area for performing the scanning exposure and a second imaging area for performing the scanning exposure following the first imaging area, The control unit inserts the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure for the first imaging area, and inserts the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light at the beginning of the scanning exposure for the second imaging area. The optical path of the slit light is pulled out of the light shielding member to control the driving of the light shielding member. The exposure device according to claim 3, wherein, The control unit ensures that a stop period of the light shielding member is longer than a stop period of the mounting table between the scanning exposure of the first imaging area and the scanning exposure of the second imaging area. way to control the driving of the light-shielding member. The exposure device according to claim 3, wherein, The control unit performs a tracking deceleration greater than the following deceleration when following the deceleration of the mounting table between the scanning exposure for the first imaging area and the scanning exposure for the second imaging area. After decelerating the light-shielding member and stopping the light-shielding member with a deceleration, the light-shielding member is accelerated with an acceleration greater than the following acceleration when following the acceleration of the mounting table. The exposure device according to claim 3, wherein, The control unit drives the light shielding member to follow the load in the drive curve between the scanning exposure for the first imaging area and the scanning exposure for the second imaging area. The driving mode of the platform is used to control the driving of the light shielding member. The exposure device according to claim 3, wherein, When the light shielding member is stopped at the start of the scanning exposure of the first imaging area, the control unit controls the light shielding member in a manner that can follow the deceleration of the mounting table at the end of the scanning exposure. The driving of the light shielding member is controlled by performing deceleration driving. The exposure device according to claim 3, wherein, When the light shielding member is removed from the optical path of the slit light in the early stage of the scanning exposure of the second imaging area, the control unit stops the light shielding member before the scanning exposure is completed. . The exposure device as described in claim 3, further comprising: The second light shielding member is inserted into and removed from the optical path of the slit light, The control unit is configured to remove the second light shielding member from the optical path of the slit light at the beginning of the scanning exposure for the first imaging area, and to remove the second light shielding member from the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure for the second imaging area. The driving of the second light-shielding member is controlled in such a manner that the second light-shielding member is inserted into the optical path of the slit light. An exposure device that performs scanning exposure of an imaging area of the substrate while scanning a substrate with slit light, characterized in that the exposure device is provided with: a mounting platform to hold and move the substrate; a light-shielding member inserted into and removed from the optical path of the slit light; and a control unit that controls the driving of the mounting table in accordance with a drive curve that defines the driving of the mounting table, and controls the insertion and removal of the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light, The driving curve is configured to decelerate the mounting table at the end of the scanning exposure, When the light shielding member is inserted into the optical path of the slit light at the end of the scanning exposure, the control unit decelerates and drives the light shielding member following the deceleration of the mounting table in the driving curve, so as to The slit light is prevented from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area. The exposure device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, At least the section during the scanning exposure in the driving curve is configured as a sinusoidal curve. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: a generating unit that generates the slit light using light from a light source. An exposure method, which performs scanning exposure of the imaging area of the substrate while scanning the substrate with respect to the slit light, characterized in that the exposure method includes: The driving step is to drive the mounting platform by maintaining a driving curve for driving the mounting platform for the substrate in accordance with regulations; and a control step of controlling the insertion and removal of the light shielding member into the optical path of the slit light in parallel with the driving step, The driving curve is configured to accelerate the mounting table in the early stage of the scanning exposure, In the control step, when the light shielding member is pulled out from the optical path of the slit light in the initial stage of the scanning exposure, the light shielding member is moved to follow the acceleration of the mounting table in the drive curve. The drive is accelerated to prevent the slit light from being irradiated to the outside of the imaging area. A method of manufacturing an article, characterized in that the method of manufacturing the article includes: Exposure step, using the exposure method as described in claim 13 to expose the substrate; a processing step of processing the substrate exposed in the exposure step; and A manufacturing step of manufacturing an article from the substrate processed in the processing step.

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