TW202403476A - Positioning apparatus, lithography apparatus, and article manufacturing method capable of achieving both positioning an article accurately in a short time and lowering production lead-time - Google Patents

Abstract

A positioning apparatus that is advantageous in achieving both positioning accuracy and cost or low production lead-time is provided. A positioning apparatus for positioning a workpiece moving over a carrier comprises: a reference member, which is movable over the aforesaid carrier; an actuator, which drives the aforesaid reference member; a pneumatic cylinder, which pushes the second side opposite to the first side of the aforesaid workpiece with the piston rod in such a way that the first side of the workpiece on top of the carrier rests against the reference member; a measuring unit, which measures the position of the workpiece on the carrier; and a control unit, which controls the actuator and the pneumatic cylinder; the control unit, on the basis of the results of the measurements under the measuring unit, performs the drive control of the actuator, and controls the pneumatic cylinder to temporarily disengage the piston rod from the workpiece in between the drive control and to once again push down on the second side of the workpiece by the piston rod.

Description

Positioning device, lithography device and article manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a positioning device, a lithography device and an article manufacturing method.

In a manufacturing device that manufactures articles, positioning a workpiece in a short time is important to improve productivity. The positioning device uses, for example, a pressing mechanism using a cylinder, a counterweight, or the like to press the side surface of the workpiece on the stage and position the workpiece against a positioning pin. The position of the positioning pin on the stage can be adjusted using an actuator. [Prior technical literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Sho 59-001032

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In particular, when positioning accuracy of μm level or less is required, not only the positioning pin needs to be designed to drive with high accuracy, but also the pressing mechanism needs to be designed to always generate a fixed thrust force. As a high-precision pressing mechanism, a cylinder is preferable, and in particular, an air bearing cylinder is preferable from the viewpoint of small change in thrust force. However, air bearing cylinders are more expensive than ordinary cylinders. In addition, although a technology has been proposed that uses a counterweight to keep the thrust force constant as in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to perform positioning with μm-level accuracy using such a mechanism. In addition, when the thrust of the pushing mechanism is unstable, the number of positioning times increases and the lead time becomes longer.

The present invention provides a positioning device that is advantageous in achieving both positioning accuracy and cost or low throughput time, for example. [Means used to solve problems]

According to one aspect of the present invention, a positioning device is provided for positioning a workpiece moving on a stage, including: a reference member that can move on the stage; and an actuator that drives the reference member ; A cylinder that presses the second side opposite to the first side with a piston rod in such a manner that the first side of the workpiece on the stage is brought into contact with the reference member; the measurement part, It measures the position of the workpiece on the stage; and a control unit controls the actuator and the cylinder; and the control unit performs operation of the actuator based on the measurement result through the measurement unit. The drive control controls the cylinder so that the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece during the drive control period, and the piston rod again presses the second side surface of the workpiece. [Invention effect]

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a positioning device that is advantageous in achieving positioning accuracy and cost or low throughput time at the same time.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the patent claims of the inventors. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, it is not limited to the case where all of the features are necessary for the invention; in addition, the features may be combined arbitrarily. In addition, in the drawings, the same or identical components are denoted by the same reference symbols, and repeated explanations are omitted.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a positioning device for positioning a workpiece. In this specification and the drawings, the direction is expressed in the XYZ coordinate system in which the horizontal plane is the XY plane. The workpiece 1 as the positioning object is placed on the stage 35 so that its surface becomes parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). Therefore, in the following description, the directions orthogonal to each other in the plane along the surface of the workpiece 1 are referred to as the X-axis and the Y-axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis is referred to as the Z-axis. In addition, in the following, the directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system will be referred to as the X-direction, the Y-direction, and the Z-direction. The directions of rotation around the Z-axis are called θX direction, θY direction, and θZ direction respectively.

The workpiece 1 can move on the carrier 35 . In one example, a workpiece holder 36 for holding the workpiece 1 is arranged on the stage 35 . The workpiece 1 is placed on the workpiece holder 36 . The workpiece holder 36 clamps the workpiece 1 so that the position of the workpiece 1 relative to the stage 35 can be fixed. In this case, the position adjustment of the workpiece 1 by the positioning device is performed in a state where the workpiece holder 36 dechucks the workpiece 1 . In addition, any method of clamping the workpiece 1 used by the workpiece holder 36 may be used. In one example, the workpiece holder 36 is configured to attract the lower surface of the workpiece 1 during clamping so that the lower surface of the workpiece 1 is attracted to the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36 . In addition, when the workpiece holder 36 is not clamping, it blows gas to the lower surface of the workpiece 1 to float the workpiece 1 from the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36 .

The positioning device includes a plurality of air cylinders 2 arranged to press the side surface of the workpiece 1 . In the example of FIG. 1 , the plurality of cylinders 2 may include two cylinders that push the workpiece 1 in the X direction and two cylinders that push the workpiece 1 in the Y direction. The movement of the workpiece 1 on the stage 35 is performed by respectively actuating these air cylinders. In addition, the positioning device has a plurality of stoppers 3 that limit the movement range of the workpiece 1 arranged at a predetermined position on the stage 35 . The plurality of stoppers 3 may include one or more stoppers that restrict the movement of the workpiece 1 in the X direction and one or more stoppers that restrict the movement of the workpiece 1 in the Y direction. The number and arrangement positions of the plurality of cylinders 2 and the plurality of stoppers 3 are appropriately determined according to the size, shape, required positioning accuracy, etc. of the workpiece 1 . The stopper 3 may include a positioning pin 3a as a reference member that is movable in the XY direction on the stage 35 and an actuator 3b that drives the positioning pin 3a in the XY direction. The actuator 3b may be, for example, a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal.

The positioning device has a control device 5 (control unit). The control device 5 controls the actuators 3b in the plurality of stoppers 3 and the plurality of cylinders 2. The control device 5 supplies air to the plurality of cylinders 2 via the piping circuit 4 . The control device 5 may be, for example, FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), ASIC (Application Special Integrated Circuit), etc. Specific Integrated Circuit), a general-purpose computer with built-in programming, or a combination of all or part of these.

The positioning device may include a measurement device 6 (measurement unit) that measures the position of the workpiece 1 on the stage 35 . Although illustration is omitted, the measurement device 6 may include an X measurement unit that measures the X-direction position of the workpiece 1 , and may include a Y-measurement unit that measures the Y-direction position of the workpiece 1 . The X measurement unit and the Y measurement unit may each be a linear encoder, for example. Instead of the linear encoder, the position of the workpiece 1 in each direction may be measured using a combination of an interferometer disposed in the main body structure of the positioning device and a reflector disposed on the workpiece 1 .

The measurement device 6 is connected to the arithmetic device 7 , and the measurement data obtained by the measurement device 6 is transmitted to the arithmetic device 7 . The arithmetic unit 7 calculates the driving amount of the actuator 3b for positioning the workpiece 1 at the target position. In addition, the function of the computing device 7 can also be realized by the control device 5 .

The structure of the cylinder 2 and the piping circuit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2 . In addition, although a plurality of cylinders 2 are shown in FIG. 1 , only one cylinder 2 is representatively shown in FIG. 2 to simplify the description. The other cylinders 2 can also be configured in the same manner as in Fig. 2 .

The cylinder 2 may include a cylinder tube 21, a piston 22 and a piston rod 23. The piston 22 is arranged inside the cylinder tube 21 so as to divide the inside of the cylinder tube 21 into left and right chambers A and B, and reciprocates inside the cylinder tube 21 in the left-right direction on the paper. One end of the piston rod 23 is supported by the piston 22, and the other end of the piston rod 23 can contact the workpiece 1 in order to push the workpiece 1. The piping circuit 4 may include a solenoid valve 41 that switches the supply and discharge of air to the cylinder 2 . By controlling the solenoid valve 41 and the positioning device by the control device 5, the piston rod 23 can be moved away from the workpiece 1 and the piston rod 23 can be used to push the workpiece 1.

When the solenoid valve 41 shown in FIG. 2(a) is de-energized, the first port p1 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected to the supply source 45 (original pressure) that supplies compressed air through the pipe 42, and the second port of the solenoid valve 41 p2 is connected to the chamber A of the cylinder 2 through the pipe 43. Accordingly, the pipe 42 and the pipe 43 are connected. In addition, at this time, the third port p3 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected to the chamber B of the cylinder 2 through the pipe 44, and the pipe 44 is connected to the fourth port p4 of the solenoid valve 41 serving as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air is supplied from the supply source 45 to the chamber A, the piston rod 23 retreats (to the left side of the paper), and the gas in the chamber B is discharged.

The control device 5 electromagnetically drives the coil C by supplying power to the coil C. While power is being supplied to the coil C through the control device 5, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the fifth port p5 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected to the supply source 45 through the pipe 42, and the sixth port p6 is connected to the cylinder through the pipe 44. Chamber B of 2. Accordingly, the pipe 42 and the pipe 44 are connected. In addition, the seventh port p7 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected to the chamber A of the cylinder 2 through the pipe 43, and the pipe 43 is connected to the eighth port p8 of the solenoid valve 41 serving as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air is supplied from the supply source 45 to the chamber B, the piston rod 23 protrudes (to the right side of the paper), and the gas in the chamber A is discharged.

The positioning device of this embodiment uses the cylinder 2 to push the side surface of the workpiece 1 so that the workpiece 1 abuts the positioning pin 3a of the stopper 3 for positioning. For example, when positioning accuracy of μm level or less is required, the actuator 3b needs to be designed to drive the positioning pin 3a with high accuracy. From this point of view, a pulse motor (for example, a stepping motor) driven by a pulse signal is suitable as the actuator 3b. In addition, for example, when positioning accuracy of μm level or less is required, the thrust force that needs to be generated by the mechanism that presses the workpiece 1 is fixed regardless of the stroke position. From this point of view, it is preferable to use a cylinder as a mechanism for pressing the workpiece 1 .

In this embodiment, the positioning device adjusts the position of the positioning pin 3a through the actuator 3b while continuing to apply pressure to the side surface of the workpiece 1 from the cylinder 2. Specifically, in order to adjust the position, the workpiece 1 is released from the workpiece holder 36 . In this state, as shown in Figures 3 (a) and (b), the cylinder 2 uses the piston rod 23 to push the second side surface 1b of the workpiece 1 on the opposite side to the first side surface 1a, so that the first side surface of the workpiece 1 1a is in contact with the positioning pin 3a. Thereafter, the positioning device measures the position of the workpiece 1 through the measuring device 6 . At this time, in order to improve the measurement accuracy, measurement can be performed in a state where the workpiece 1 is clamped through the workpiece holder 36 . The control device 5 performs drive control of the actuator 3b based on the measurement results obtained by the measurement device 6 . For example, in drive control, the control device 5 adjusts the position of the positioning pin 3a through the actuator 3b so that the measured position falls within the allowable range.

In such drive control of the positioning pin 3a, the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a driven by the actuator 3b may be reversed. When the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, the thrust force of the cylinder 2 (piston rod 23) changes. When positioning accuracy of μm level or less is required, such a change in thrust of the cylinder 2 cannot be ignored. This point will be described with reference to Figures 3(a) and (b).

In FIGS. 3(a) and (b) , the cylinder tube 21 and the piston rod 23 are covered with a rod cover 24 . Furthermore, a packing 25 serving as a sealing member for preventing leakage of compressed air is disposed inside the cylinder tube 21 . The gasket 25 seals the outer peripheral surface of the piston rod 23 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder tube 21 . The gasket 25 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder tube 21, but is only in sliding contact with the piston rod 23 and is not fixed. As the piston rod 23 moves, the gasket 25 elastically deforms. The thrust force 10 of the cylinder 2 is the total of the force 12 generated by the pressure applied to the piston rod 23 and the force that restores the deformation tendency of the gasket 25 (hereinafter referred to as the elastic force 11 of the gasket 25).

Consider a case where the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed in a state where the positioning pin 3a and the piston rod 23 are pressed against each other with the workpiece 1 sandwiched between them. This is a change from the state of FIG. 3(a) to the state of FIG. 3(b) or a change from the state of FIG. 3(b) to the state of FIG. 3(a). In this case, the moving direction of the piston rod 23 is also reversed as the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed. As a result, the deformation direction of the cushion material 25 also changes, and the direction in which the elastic force 11 of the cushion material 25 acts is reversed. As a result, the thrust force 10 of the cylinder 2 becomes smaller. When the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, the amount of elastic deformation of the stopper 3 pushed by the cylinder and the workpiece 1 changes, so the driving amount of the positioning pin 3a does not match the movement amount of the workpiece 1. .

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3(c) , if the positioning pin 3a is continuously driven in the same direction (without reversal), the deformation amount of the spacer 25 becomes maximum. When the piston rod 23 is continuously driven in the same direction in this state, since the gasket 25 maintains the maximum deformation amount, the elastic force 11 of the gasket 25 is maintained constant.

According to the above phenomenon, when the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, the workpiece 1 cannot be moved by the expected movement amount in the area before the deformation amount of the spacer 25 reaches the maximum, and the positioning drive is repeated. and measurement. As a result, the number of positioning drives increases and the lead time increases. In addition, as a countermeasure, if an air bearing cylinder without gasket is used, the thrust change of the cylinder can be eliminated. However, the cost of air bearing cylinders is higher than that of ordinary cylinders. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-001032 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technique of using a weight to keep the thrust force constant for pushing, but this mechanism cannot be controlled with μm-level accuracy.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 5 controls the cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 presses the workpiece only in a state where the elastic force 11 of the spacer 25 acts in the same direction during the driving control of the positioning pin 3a. 1. In order to realize this control, the control device 5 repeatedly performs an operation of temporarily separating the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and pressing the workpiece 1 with the piston rod 23 again during the driving control of the positioning pin 3a. In the first example, the control device 5 controls the air cylinder 2 to temporarily separate the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and press the second side surface 1b of the workpiece 1 with the piston rod 23 again every time the actuator 3b is driven. In the second example, the control device 5 determines whether the driving direction is reversed every time the actuator 3b is driven. Upon determining that the driving direction is reversed, the control device 5 controls the cylinder 2 to temporarily separate the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and then press the second side surface 1 b of the workpiece 1 with the piston rod 23 again.

Hereinafter, an example of the control sequence of the transmission control device 5 according to the positioning operation of the workpiece 1 in the second example will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4 . This control sequence starts after the workpiece 1 is placed on the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36 .

In S1, the control device 5 controls the workpiece holder 36 to bring the workpiece 1 into an unclamped state. In one example, the workpiece holder 36 blows gas onto the lower surface of the workpiece 1 so that the workpiece 1 floats from the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36, thereby bringing the workpiece 1 into the unclamped state.

In S2, the control device 5 drives the actuator 3b in accordance with the target position of the positioning pin 3a determined based on the target position of the workpiece 1. In S3, the control device 5 controls the cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 presses the workpiece 1. Specifically, the control device 5 supplies power to the coil C. While power is being supplied to the coil C, the coil C is electromagnetically driven to protrude the piston rod 2 (Fig. 2(b)), thereby pressing the workpiece 1.

In S4, the control device 5 controls the workpiece holder 36 to bring the workpiece 1 into a clamped state. In one example, the workpiece holder 36 attracts the lower surface of the workpiece 1 to adsorb the workpiece 1 to the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36 , so that the workpiece 1 can be in a clamped state. In addition, the clamping in S4 is an operation to perform the position measurement of the workpiece 1 performed in the subsequent S5 with high accuracy. When the accuracy of position measurement is ensured, clamping in S4 is not necessary.

In S5, the control device 5 causes the measurement device 6 to measure the position of the workpiece 1 on the stage 35. The measurement data obtained by the measurement device 6 is sent to the computing device 7 . The arithmetic unit 7 calculates an error between the position of the workpiece 1 shown in the measurement data and the target position of the workpiece 1 . In S6, the computing device 7 determines whether the error falls within the allowable range based on the required accuracy. If the error falls within the allowable range, the process ends. If the error does not fall within the allowable range, the process proceeds to S7.

In S7, the calculation device 7 calculates the driving amount of the actuator 3b for positioning the workpiece 1 at the target position based on the above error. The calculated driving amount data is transmitted to the control device 5 . In S8, the control device 5 determines whether the driving direction of the actuator 3b will be reversed with respect to the driving amount calculated in S7. Specifically, the control device 5 determines whether the driving direction calculated in S7 is opposite to the driving direction of the actuator 3b in S2. If the driving directions of the two are opposite, it is determined that the driving direction is reversed; if the driving directions of the two are the same, it is determined that the driving direction is not reversed. If it is determined that the driving direction will not be reversed, the process returns to S1. When it is determined that the driving direction will be reversed, the process proceeds to S9. In S9, the control device 5 controls the cylinder 2 to separate the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1. Specifically, the control device 5 stops supplying power to the coil C. By stopping the power supply to the coil C, the electromagnetic drive of the coil C is stopped, and the piston rod 23 retreats (Fig. 2(a)). As a result, the piston rod 23 is separated from the workpiece 1 . After that, the process returns to S1.

As described above, each drive control of the positioning pin 3a and the air cylinder 2 is performed until the error between the target position of the workpiece 1 and the measured position falls within the allowable range. In this drive control, when the driving direction of the actuator 3b is reversed (YES in S8), the piston rod 23 is temporarily separated from the workpiece 1 (S9). Thereafter, the cylinder 2 is controlled so that the piston rod 23 contacts the workpiece 1 again (S3). By doing so, the cylinder 2 can always push the workpiece 1 from the same traveling direction, and the change in the elastic force 11 of the pad 25 during positioning disappears. As a result, the thrust force 10 of the cylinder is always fixed, so the positioning accuracy is improved. In addition, the number of positioning drives is reduced, which shortens the production lead time.

＜Modification＞ In the first embodiment described above, the positioning device positions the workpiece 1 in the unclamped state on the workpiece holder 36 . Alternatively, the positioning may be performed by driving the workpiece holder 36 on the stage 35 .

In the first embodiment, the case where the number of drive shafts of the actuator 3b is one has been described, but the number of drive shafts of the actuator 3b may be two or more.

In the first embodiment, a pulse motor is suitable as the actuator 3b, but it is not limited to this. As the actuator 3b, for example, an actuator such as a piezoelectric actuator capable of precise driving on the order of several μm may be used.

In the first embodiment, it has been described that the workpiece holder 36 is configured so that the workpiece 1 floats from the clamping surface of the workpiece holder 36 by ejecting gas to the lower surface of the workpiece 1 and enters the unclamped state. However, Not limited to this. For example, a mechanism that causes the workpiece 1 to float from the clamping surface through electromagnetic means may also be used.

<Second Embodiment> The above-mentioned positioning device can be applied to a photolithography device that transfers a pattern of an original plate to a substrate. Lithography devices may include exposure devices, imprinting devices, charged particle beam drawing devices, etc. The exposure device is a device that exposes the photoresist supplied to the substrate through the original plate, thereby forming a latent image corresponding to the pattern of the original plate on the photoresist. The imprint device is a device that forms a pattern on a substrate by solidifying the imprint material supplied on the substrate by bringing the mold (original plate) into contact with the imprint material. The charged particle beam drawing device is a device that draws a pattern by passing a charged particle beam through the photoresist supplied to the substrate, thereby forming a latent image on the photoresist. In the following, in order to provide a specific example, an example in which the lithography device is configured as an exposure device will be described.

Referring to FIG. 5 , the exposure device 131 to which the positioning device of the first embodiment is applied will be described. The exposure device 131 includes an illumination optical system 115, a mask stage 116, a projection optical system 117, a substrate stage 118, and a control unit 119. The exposure device 131 is housed in the exposure chamber 126 . Here, the Y direction is the scanning direction of the mask M and the substrate P, and the X direction is the non-scanning direction.

The illumination optical system 115 illuminates the mask M using light from a light source such as an ultrahigh-pressure mercury lamp, for example. As an example of this embodiment, the illumination optical system 115 irradiates the mask M with illumination light shaped into a slit shape. The mask M is, for example, a glass original plate on which a pattern (for example, a circuit pattern) to be transferred to the substrate P is formed. The mask stage 116 is a stage that moves in the X and Y directions in order to hold the mask M.

The projection optical system 117 maintains the mask M held by the mask stage 116 and the substrate P held by the substrate mounting part 120 in the substrate stage 118 in an optically conjugate relationship, and converts the pattern of the pattern existing in the illumination area of the mask M The image is projected on the substrate P. In this embodiment, the projection optical system 117 includes a first parallel flat plate 121 , a trapezoidal mirror 122 , a concave mirror 123 , a convex mirror 124 and a second parallel flat plate 125 . In the projection optical system 117, the light from the mask M passes through the first parallel flat plate 121, the trapezoidal mirror 122, the concave mirror 123, the convex mirror 124, the concave mirror 123, the trapezoidal mirror 122, and the second parallel flat plate 125 in order, and reaches the substrate P. The projection area (exposure area) of the light from the projection optical system 117 on the substrate is set to a predetermined shape, for example, an arc shape.

The substrate P is, for example, a glass flat plate with a resist layer (photosensitive agent) formed on the surface. The substrate stage 118 uses the substrate mounting part 120 to vacuum-suck the substrate P, and is, for example, a stage that moves in the X, Y, and Z directions (furthermore, the θX, θY, and θZ directions).

The control unit 119 is composed of a computer including a CPU and a memory, and performs control and calculation processing of each part of the exposure device 131 according to the program stored in the memory. In addition, in this embodiment, although the substrate stage 118 is controlled by the control unit 119, a dedicated stage control unit that controls the substrate stage 118 may be provided. In this case, the stage control unit controls the substrate stage 118 based on the instruction from the control unit 119 . In addition, the control unit 119 may be configured integrally with other parts of the exposure device 131 (in a common frame), or may be configured in a different form from other parts of the exposure device 131 (in a separate frame).

The exposure chamber 126 is provided with an opening 127 that communicates with an interface chamber 128 housing the robot 129. Through the opening 127, the substrate P is processed between the exposure device 131 and the robot 129. transportation (handover). In this embodiment, when the robot 129 holding the substrate P enters the exposure chamber 126 through the opening 127, the substrate stage 118 is moved to a predetermined position near the opening 127 (the transfer position of the substrate P). Then, the substrate transport unit 130 is driven (raised) to the vicinity of the robot 129 and receives the substrate P from the robot 129 . The substrate transport unit 130 mounts the received substrate P on the substrate mounting unit 120 .

As described above, in the exposure device 131, the mask stage 116 that moves the mask M and the substrate stage 118 that moves the substrate P are used to scan the mask M and the substrate P synchronously, and the pattern drawn on the mask M is projected onto the substrate P. For this purpose, the direction of the pattern drawn on the mask M needs to be consistent with the scanning direction.

The pattern drawn on the mask M is not drawn parallel or perpendicular to the outer shape of the mask M. In addition, the orientation and arrangement of the pattern drawn on each mask M are different. Therefore, the mask M placed on the mask stage 116 needs to be aligned based on the pattern. In this embodiment, the positioning device described in the first embodiment is configured in the masking base 116 . In this case, the workpiece 1 of the positioning object is the mask M. The alignment of the mask M is carried out through positioning means. The exposure device 131 transfers the positioned pattern of the mask M to the substrate P. In addition, the functions of the control device 5 described in the first embodiment can also be realized by the control unit 119 .

As described above, by applying the positioning device described in the first embodiment to the mask table 116, the positioning accuracy of the mask M is improved. In addition, the number of positioning drives of the mask M is reduced, which shortens the lead time, thereby improving the productivity of the exposure device.

The above example shows an example in which the positioning device positions the mask mask M and transfers the pattern of the positioned mask mask M to the substrate. Similarly, the exposure device 131 may be configured such that the substrate P is positioned by a positioning device and the pattern of the mask M is transferred to the positioned substrate P.

<Embodiment of article manufacturing method> The article manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices such as semiconductor devices and elements having a fine structure. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes: a process of transferring a pattern of an original plate to a substrate using the above-mentioned lithography device (exposure device, imprinting device, drawing device, etc.); and conducting the process on the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred. Processing procedures. Furthermore, the manufacturing method includes other well-known procedures (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 of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional methods.

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 is drafted to disclose the scope of the invention.

1: workpiece 2: Cylinder 3: Stopper 3a: Positioning sheath 3b: Actuator 4:Piping circuit 5:Control device 6: Measuring device 7:Computing device 35: Carrier platform 36: Workpiece clamping parts

[Fig. 1] A diagram illustrating the structure of a positioning device. [Fig. 2] A diagram illustrating the structure of a cylinder and a piping circuit. [Fig. 3] A diagram illustrating changes in thrust force of the cylinder. [Fig. 4] Flowchart of positioning operation. [Fig. 5] A diagram illustrating the structure of an exposure device.

1: workpiece

2: Cylinder

3: Stopper

3a: Positioning sheath

3b: Actuator

4:Piping circuit

5:Control device

6: Measuring device

7:Computing device

35: Carrier platform

36: Workpiece clamping parts

Claims (12)

A positioning device for positioning workpieces moving on the stage, Has: A reference component that can move on the aforementioned stage; an actuator, which drives the aforementioned reference member; a cylinder that presses a second side opposite to the first side with a piston rod in such a manner that the first side of the workpiece on the stage abuts against the reference member; a measuring unit that measures the position of the workpiece on the stage; and A control unit that controls the aforementioned actuator and the aforementioned cylinder; The control unit performs drive control of the actuator based on the measurement results passed by the measurement unit, and controls the cylinder to temporarily separate the piston rod from the workpiece during the drive control, and to control the cylinder again. The piston rod presses the second side surface of the workpiece. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the cylinder to temporarily separate the piston rod from the workpiece each time the actuator is driven, and to push the piston rod against the third portion of the workpiece again. 2 sides. Such as the positioning device of claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned control department: Each time the aforementioned actuator is driven, it is determined whether the driving direction is reversed, The air cylinder is controlled to temporarily separate the piston rod from the workpiece when the driving direction is determined to be reversed, and the piston rod again presses the second side surface of the workpiece. Such as the positioning device of claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned cylinders include: cylinder tube; A piston that supports one end of the aforementioned piston rod and performs reciprocating motion inside the aforementioned cylinder tube; and A sealing member seals between the outer peripheral surface of the piston and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder tube. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the aforesaid actuator is a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal. The positioning device of claim 1, further having a solenoid valve that controls the supply of air to the aforementioned cylinder, The control unit controls the solenoid valve to perform an operation of moving the piston rod away from the workpiece and an operation of pressing the workpiece with the piston rod. The positioning device of claim 1 further includes a workpiece clamping member disposed on the aforementioned stage and clamping the aforementioned workpiece, The control unit controls the workpiece holder to unclamp the workpiece when the position of the workpiece is measured by the measurement unit, and to clamp the workpiece when the workpiece is pushed by the air cylinder. The positioning device according to claim 7, wherein the workpiece holder is configured to eject gas to the lower surface of the workpiece to cause the workpiece to float from the clamping surface of the workpiece holder during unclamping. During clamping, the lower surface of the workpiece is attracted so that the workpiece is adsorbed to the clamping surface. A lithography device, is constituted as: Having a positioning device as in any one of requirements 1 to 8, The original version is positioned through the aforementioned positioning device. The pattern of the positioned master plate is transferred to the substrate. A lithography device, is constituted as: Having a positioning device as in any one of requirements 1 to 8, The substrate is positioned through the aforementioned positioning device. The pattern of the original plate is transferred to the positioned substrate. A method of making an item, have: A process for transferring a pattern to a substrate using the lithography device of claim 9; and A procedure for processing the substrate onto which the pattern has been transferred; An article is manufactured from the above-mentioned processed substrate. A method of making an item, have: A process for transferring a pattern to a substrate using the lithography device of claim 10; and A procedure for processing the substrate onto which the pattern has been transferred; An article is manufactured from the above-mentioned processed substrate.

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