TWI417980B - Stage cleaner, writing apparatus and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Stage cleaner, drawing device and substrate processing device

The present invention relates to a stage cleaner and a drawing device and a substrate processing apparatus therewith.

In the field of reticle, such as drawing and exposure steps, flatness measurement, coordinate measurement, etc., it is pointed out that if the blank mask or the reticle or the substrate thereof is held on the stage, as long as it is slightly skewed, the positional deviation may be poor. And the measurement accuracy is poor.

That is, in the manufacture of the photomask, a specific design pattern is drawn by the electron beam or laser in the drawing step of the blank mask, or in the exposure step in which the specific mask is used to expose the substrate of the transfer body, When the blank mask held on the stage or the substrate as the transfer target is skewed, the pattern will be displaced. Further, in the flatness measurement or the coordinate measurement of the photomask, if the photomask held on the stage is skewed, the measurement accuracy is lowered.

The reason why the photomask or the substrate to be transferred which is held in the stage is skewed is to consider the skew of the surface of the stage and the foreign matter on the stage. Therefore, in the past, a substrate holding device which does not cause a substrate to be skewed has been developed.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-101226 (Patent Document 1) discloses a substrate holding device having a convex portion and a discharge hole for blowing a gas to the lower surface of the substrate, and the convex portion has a portion. The mounting surface of the substrate and the holding mechanism of the holding substrate are placed on the ground, and the gas system blown to the lower surface of the substrate is exhausted in the horizontal direction. According to this configuration, the gas is blown toward the substrate from below, and the deflection of the substrate due to its own weight can be reduced. Moreover, since the contact area with the substrate is reduced by the convex portion, it is possible to reduce the problem that the substrate is bent by interfering with foreign matter such as garbage between the stage and the substrate.

Further, the cleaning of the surface of the stage for removing the foreign matter on the stage was previously performed by the operator by hand.

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, when foreign matter is present on the stage, the contact area between the substrate and the stage is reduced, and the influence of the foreign matter on the skew such as the blank mask can be reduced, but the reduction is not reduced. The foreign body itself. Further, in the method of Patent Document 1, the control for maintaining the air blowing of the substrate at a level is not easy.

In addition, with the increase in the size of the reticle in recent years, the stage of the drawing device or the inspection device has also been increased in size, and it has been difficult to sufficiently clean the stage by manual work. In addition, since the operator cleans the entire range by manual work, the operator also has a problem of causing foreign matter from the operator due to the working posture, and contaminating the stage.

In addition, in recent years, a photomask for manufacturing a display device such as a liquid crystal display device (so-called FPD mask) is being developed, and the main body of the device used for manufacturing and inspecting the photomask is also significantly enlarged. For example, it is not uncommon for the size of the substrate to be a rectangle having a length of more than 1 m. In order to correspond to various sizes, the stage of the device needs to be, for example, 1.5 m or more.

It is necessary to mount the substrate on such a large stage, and to measure the coordinate position accuracy of the pattern or the pattern formed. However, when foreign matter adheres to a large number of stages, the positional accuracy of the pattern caused by the foreign matter may be abnormal during drawing, and the coordinate displacement abnormality may be detected when the coordinates of the coordinate position are measured. In addition, the probability of cracks and damage on the back surface of the substrate due to foreign matter is higher than before, so quality management has become a major problem.

Under such circumstances, it is not only difficult, but also inaccurate and unstable, to be cleaned by hand by a cloth such as a cloth having a cleaning liquid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a stage cleaner capable of reliably reducing foreign matter on a stage used in a substrate processing apparatus such as a drawing device or an inspection device.

In order to achieve the above object, the inventors of the present invention have intensively studied a method of efficiently removing foreign matter on a stage with high efficiency, and as a result, have devised a substrate processing apparatus which can remove foreign matter on a stage using a stage cleaner, the stage The cleaner includes: a cleaning plate having a smooth surface facing the substrate of the stage, a floating mechanism for lifting the cleaning plate on the stage at a specific height, and the cleaning plate being parallel to the stage A drive mechanism that moves in the plane of the substrate mounting surface.

In addition, it is also thought that a gas such as air is supplied between the plate-shaped cleaning plate and the stage by the stage cleaner to cause a gas having a specific pressure, thereby maintaining a gap between the plate-shaped member and the stage. By moving the plate-like member in this state, the foreign matter on the stage is removed at the end of the plate-shaped member.

In other words, the stage cleaner according to an aspect of the present invention includes a plate-shaped member having at least one through hole, and a blower that supplies a gas from one surface side to the other side of the plate-shaped member via the through hole. a member for removing foreign matter on the surface of the stage; wherein the surface of the stage is facing the other side, and the plate-shaped member is in the state of being blown by the air blowing means, and the plate-like member is formed on the other surface and the surface of the stage The separator is disposed at a predetermined interval, and the foreign matter on the surface of the stage is pushed out by the end portion of the plate member by moving the plate member in a plane parallel to the surface of the stage.

In this case, it is preferable to further provide a blower adjusting mechanism for adjusting the amount of air blown from the air blower, and to adjust the amount of the air blow by the air blow adjusting mechanism to adjust the size of the specific interval. Further, the through hole may be formed at the center of the plate member, and the through hole may be formed at a plurality of positions equidistant from the center of the plate member.

Further, a stage cleaner according to another aspect of the present invention includes a plate-shaped member having at least one first through hole and at least one second through hole, and one side of the plate-shaped member via the first through hole a blowing mechanism that supplies a gas to the other surface side, and an air suction mechanism that sucks gas from the other surface side of the plate-shaped member toward the one surface side via the second through hole; In the other direction, the plate-shaped member is disposed at a predetermined interval between the other surface and the surface of the stage by the air blowing means and the air is sucked by the air suction means. The member moves in a plane parallel to the surface of the stage, and the foreign matter on the surface of the stage is pushed out by the end of the plate member.

In this case, it is preferable to further provide an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of the air supply amount of the air blown from the air blowing means or the air intake amount of the gas sucked by the air suction means, and the adjustment means adjusts the sending The size of the aforementioned specific interval is adjusted by at least one of the air volume or the aforementioned air intake amount. Further, one of the first through hole or the second through hole may be formed at the center of the plate member, and the first through hole or the second through hole may be formed at a plurality of distances from the center of the plate member. position. Further, it is preferable to further include a third through hole for attracting foreign matter.

Further, in the stage cleaner, it is preferable that at least one of the end portions of the plate-like member has a curved recessed portion.

The present invention further provides a drawing device including the stage cleaner, wherein the stage cleaner is movable in a vertical direction of a surface of the stage of the drawing device.

Further, the present invention also provides the following substrate processing apparatus.

A substrate processing apparatus that mounts a substrate on a stage and performs processing on the substrate in this state; and a stage cleaner that removes foreign matter on the stage, the stage cleaner includes: a cleaning plate facing the smooth flat surface, a floating mechanism for lifting the cleaning plate on the stage at a specific height, and a driving mechanism for moving the cleaning plate in a plane parallel to the substrate mounting surface of the stage mechanism.

Preferably, the floating mechanism is configured to control the cleaning plate to float at a height of 1 to 500 μm on the stage. It is preferably from 1 to 100 μm, more preferably from 1 to 50 μm.

Further, the cleaning plate has a flat plate shape, and an end portion on the lower surface side thereof is preferably an angle of 90 or less, and is formed at a right angle or an acute angle. More preferably 70~90°.

The floating mechanism is configured such that the cleaning plate and the substrate of the stage are placed facing each other, and the gas is ejected from a gas supply hole provided on a lower surface side of the cleaning plate to float a specific height on the cleaning plate. By. The hole may be a through hole penetrating the plate.

The floating mechanism allows the gas to be ejected from the air blowing hole, and the air is sucked from the air suction hole provided on the lower surface side of the cleaning plate, and the cleaning plate is floated to a certain height by controlling the amount of gas to be ejected and the amount of air suction. The suction hole may also be a through hole of the plate.

The use of the substrate processing apparatus is not particularly limited. For example, the effect of the present invention is particularly remarkable when it is provided with a drawing head for drawing a specific design pattern data on the substrate.

Alternatively, it may be an inspection apparatus having a measuring mechanism for measuring the shape of a specific transfer pattern formed on the substrate or measuring the distance of an arbitrary point on the substrate.

In the stage cleaner of the present invention, the gap between the plate member and the stage is kept constant by feeding gas between the plate member and the stage, and the plate member is moved by the plate in this state. Since the end portion of the member removes foreign matter on the stage, the foreign matter on the stage can be reliably removed with high efficiency.

Further, according to the present invention, the foreign matter can be physically removed using the gap between the plate member and the stage, and the gap interval can be controlled by controlling the supply and the suction of the air flow, and the size of the foreign matter to be removed can be quantified. The advantages of being removed. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently remove foreign matter that is determined to affect the performance of the product.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described using the drawings, examples, and the like. In addition, the drawings, the examples, and the like are illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Other embodiments consistent with the gist of the invention are also within the scope of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a view for explaining a stage cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1(a) is a plan view showing a stage cleaner disposed on the stage 10. The stage cleaner includes a plate-like member (hereinafter also referred to as a plate or a cleaning plate) 12 having a through hole 11 and a floating amount mechanism for floating the plate, and the floating mechanism is provided with a blowing mechanism for supplying air from the through hole 11 ( Not shown). The through hole 11 is substantially formed in the center of the board 12. Figure 1 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line Ib-Ib of Figure 1 (a). In Figs. 1(a) and (b), the arrows indicate the air blowing direction of the air. In FIG. 1(b), air is supplied from the through hole 11 by a blower mechanism (not shown), and air is sent to the lower side of the plate 12 through the through hole 11, and is equally diffused to the plate 12 The lower side is between the upper surface of the stage 10. The arrow of Fig. 1(a) indicates the manner in which the fed air is isotropically diffused between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the upper surface of the stage 10. By the air blowing by the air blowing means, the lower surface of the holding plate 12 is spaced apart from the surface of the stage 10 (hereinafter also referred to as a gap formed by the air layer). The gap formed by the air layer is indicated by g in Fig. 1(b). The size of the gap g formed by the air layer varies depending on the foreign matter to be used, but it is preferably 1 to 500 μm, preferably 1 to 100 μm, more preferably 1 to 50 μm.

Further, the air blown by the through holes is preferably filtered so as not to contain particles such as foreign matter, and is preferably filtered so as not to contain 0.1 μm or more, more preferably 0.01 μm or more. Further, the temperature of the air blown by the through holes is preferably such that the temperature of the plate 12 is not deformed by the temperature distribution of the plate 12, and is maintained at a difference of 0.5 ° C or less with respect to the ambient temperature after the plate 12 is placed. Further, it is preferably a difference of 0.1 ° C or less. This is because, depending on the linear expansion coefficient of the material used for the plate 12 and the size or the processed shape of the plate 12, the temperature difference between the gap surface through which the air passing through the air passes and the surface on the opposite side thereof is large. The amount of expansion caused by the temperature is different on each side, and will be skewed on the board.

For example, in the case where the foreign matter 13 is present on the surface of the stage 10, as shown in Fig. 1(c), if the plate 12 is moved in the direction parallel to the surface of the stage 10 toward the foreign matter 13, the plate 12 is The end is in contact with the foreign matter 13. In this state, the plate 12 is continuously moved, and the foreign matter 13 is pushed out from the surface of the stage 10 and removed. Further, even if the foreign matter is not completely removed, for example, as shown in Fig. 1(d), the foreign matter 13 is cut by the end portion of the plate 12, and only the cut portion 14 is pushed out and removed. In this case, the remaining foreign matter 15 remains at the same height as the height g of the gap formed by the air layer, and remains on the surface of the stage 10. However, in the case where a foreign material on the stage 10 is placed with a blank mask or the like, it is necessary to remove it when it affects drawing or exposure, but if the influence is small enough, there is no need to remove it. Therefore, by adjusting the height g of the gap formed by the air layer so that the height of the remaining foreign matter 15 is not affected by the height of drawing or exposure, the residual foreign matter 15 has no problem even if it remains on the stage 10.

The movement of the aforementioned plate in the horizontal plane is carried out and controlled by a drive mechanism. For example, when the stage cleaner is mounted on the drawing device, it may be attached so as to interlock with the XY driving device that drives the drawing head in the X direction and the Y direction on the plane. Further, the plate of the stage cleaner should be installed so as to be allowed to move up and down.

According to the stage cleaner described with reference to Fig. 1, the foreign matter on the stage can be reliably removed, and the pattern precision of the drawing step or the exposure step caused by foreign matter on the stage of the drawing device or the inspection device can be surely reduced. influences. Further, since the gas is supplied between the plate 12 and the stage 10, the gap between the plate 12 and the stage 10 can be kept constant. Therefore, even if the stage 10 has a slight skew, the gap can be kept constant, and the plate 12 is not caused. Contact with the stage 10 damages the surface of the stage 10.

Further, the plate 12 is processed into a smooth flat ceramic or the like using at least the lower surface (the surface corresponding to the stage 10). It may also be a ceramic having a dense surface such as alumina, or may be a porous ceramic. At least the lower side of the board should be composed of moderately rigid materials. Alternatively, a high-rigidity metal such as hard aluminum or other aluminum alloy may be used, and the plane is easy to process into a smooth one, and because the Young's modulus is also high, there are few deformations in use for some reasons.

The above materials can be used in combination separately. On the side opposite to the stage, a ceramic or mineral having a high smooth surface and having high rigidity is used, and the back surface is connected to a tube for suction and exhaust, or the plate 12 itself is fixed to the device. It is necessary to carry out fine processing, and therefore it is also an alloy of a metal having high workability.

In addition to the introduction of the foreign body as a whole, the lower end portion of the plate may also be only a part of a specific height of the foreign matter. Therefore, the shape of the lower side end portion is preferably a right angle or an acute angle, for example, 70 to 90 degrees.

The through hole 11 is not limited to only the central portion of the plate 12. In the case where a plurality of through holes 11 are provided and the air is blown equally for each of the through holes 11, the plurality of through holes 11 are preferably balanced in the horizontal direction. Configuration (eg, equidistant from the center of the panel 12).

Further, the air supply adjusting mechanism for adjusting the air blowing amount of the air blowing means may be further provided. By adjusting the air supply amount of the gas by the air supply adjusting mechanism, the height g of the gap formed by the gas layer can be adjusted to float on the plate.

Further, the stage 10 is, for example, a drawing device or an inspection device, and a blank mask or a substrate is placed and fixed thereon.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described using FIG. In FIG. 2, the same symbols as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Fig. 2 is a view for explaining a stage cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2(a) is a plan view showing the stage cleaner disposed on the stage 10. The stage cleaner includes a plate 12 having a first through hole 11a and four second through holes 11b, a blowing mechanism (not shown) for supplying air from the first through hole 11a, and a suction from the second through hole 11b. Air suction mechanism (not shown).

The first through hole 11a is formed substantially at the center of the plate 12. Fig. 2(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIb-IIb of Fig. 2(a). In Figs. 2(a) and (b), the arrows indicate the air blowing direction of the air. In FIG. 2(b), air is supplied from the first through hole 11a from a blower (not shown), and air is sent to the lower side of the plate 12 through the first through hole 11a, and is diffused isotropically Between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the upper surface of the stage 10. The arrow of Fig. 2(a) indicates that the fed air is isotropically diffused between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the upper surface of the stage 10.

The second through holes 11b are formed so as to surround the first through holes 11a, and the air that is isotropically diffused between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the upper surface of the stage 10 is not shown in the second through holes 11b. The suction mechanism shown is inhaled.

The air supply amount of the air blowing means is balanced with the air intake amount of the air suction means to maintain a predetermined interval (a gap formed by the air layer) between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the surface of the stage 10. The gap formed by the air layer is indicated by g in Fig. 2(b). The size of the gap g in which the air layer is formed varies depending on the application, but may be 1 to 500 μm as described in the first aspect.

When there is a foreign matter on the surface of the stage 10, the plate 12 is moved in the direction of the foreign matter in a plane parallel to the surface of the stage 10, and the foreign matter is pushed out or cut from the surface of the stage 10 by the end portion of the plate 12. The action taken is the same as the case of using the above description of Figs. 1(b)-(d).

According to the stage cleaner described with reference to Fig. 2, the foreign matter on the stage can be reliably removed, and the pattern accuracy in the drawing step or the exposure step caused by foreign matter on the stage in the drawing device or the inspection device can be surely reduced, for example. The impact. Further, since the gas is fed between the plate 12 and the stage 10, the gap between the holding plate 12 and the stage 10 is constant. Therefore, even if the stage 10 has a slight skew, the gap can be kept constant, and the gap is not maintained. The plate 12 is in contact with the stage 10 to damage the surface of the stage 10.

Further, the plate 12 is also the same as described above in that at least the lower surface (the surface corresponding to the stage 10) is subjected to flat processing of ceramics or the like.

In the above description, the first through hole 11a is disposed at the center of the plate 12, and the second through hole 11b is exemplarily arranged so as to surround the first through hole 11a. The plate 12 may be arranged to be balanced in the horizontal direction by the air blowing through the first through hole 11a and the air suction through the second through hole 11b. The first through hole 11a and the second through hole 11b may also be plural. When the first through hole 11a or the second through hole 11b is plural, it is preferably placed at a position equidistant from the central portion of the plate.

Further, an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of the air blowing amount of the air blowing means or the air intake amount of the air suction means may be provided. The height of the gap formed by the gas layer can be adjusted by adjusting the air supply amount and/or the air intake amount by the adjustment mechanism.

The plurality of second through holes 11b arranged in the plurality of rows can adjust the parallelism with respect to the plate 12 of the stage 10 by adjusting the flow rate of the gas passing through the respective through holes. For example, when the gas is sucked into the second through hole, the gap around the through hole that increases the amount of intake can be narrowed by increasing the amount of intake air. Thus, by adjusting the flow rate of the gas in each of the through holes, not only the amount of the gap of the plate 12 with respect to the stage 10 but also the fine adjustment of the parallelism is possible. Therefore, since the gap between the plate 12 and the stage can be easily made the same as the entire circumference of the plate 12, all the edges of the plate 12 can have the same foreign matter removing ability. Therefore, it is preferable that at least one or more of the second through holes arranged in a plurality of places, preferably two or more of them, and more preferably a mechanism having an adjustable flow rate.

Further, the plate 12 may be resonated or vibrated due to the relationship between the mass and the area and shape of the portion in contact with the stage 10 with a gap therebetween, and the amount of air blown. This vibration makes the amount of the gap unstable, and the ability to remove foreign matter is lowered. When the vibration is large, the plate 12 itself is in contact with the stage 10, causing damage. Moreover, even if the plate 12 does not directly contact the stage 10, the amplitude of the vibration is maximized, and the foreign matter of the size that can enter the gap is involved. When the amplitude is the smallest, the foreign object is sandwiched between the stage 10 and the plate 12, In the case of a bad situation, the foreign matter may cause damage to the stage and the like. In order to prevent such problems, it is necessary to adjust the amplitude of the gap and the vibration in accordance with the following relationship without causing damage to the stage 10 to cause foreign matter having a large size and high hardness to enter between the plate 12 and the stage 10.

Gap amount + maximum amplitude of vibration × 1/2 Foreign object size... (Formula 1)

The amount of the gap here refers to the average distance between the inside of the board and the stage when the vibration is zero.

Further, the second through holes arranged in a plurality of places have an effect of suppressing the vibration of the plate 12 caused by the air ejection. When the plate 12 is resonated, the amount of the intake air is adjusted by the second through holes to balance the resonance state. Crash, avoid resonance and have the effect of suppressing vibration. In order to validate these effects, the flatness of the panel 12 must also be considered. Regarding the flatness of the board 12, the following relationship holds.

Gap amount + plate flatness error Foreign object size... (Formula 2)

Here, the plate flatness error is the difference between the amount of the gap and the distance between the points in the plane of the plate 12 and the stage. Therefore, in the case where the plate flatness error is large, foreign matter larger than the gap amount is allowed to enter the gap, and since the plate 12 passes through the stage, the foreign matter is sandwiched into the portion where the flatness error is small, and the pair is loaded. 10 causes damage. Therefore, in order to make the plate flatness error small, the flatness of the plate is preferably smaller than 1 μm which is the value of the minimum gap between the in-plane plate 12 and the stage 10. Further, the above assumption is made assuming that the stage is an ideal plane, but the actual stage 10 has a flatness error similarly to the board 12. Therefore, it is preferable that the stage 10 has a flatness of 1 μm or less in the same area as the plate 12.

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 3(a) and 3(b). In FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the same components as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Fig. 3(a) is a plan view showing the stage cleaner disposed on the stage 10. Figure 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line IIIb-IIIb of Figure 3 (a). In Figs. 3(a) and 3(b), unlike the Figs. 2(a) and 2(b), only the shape of the end portion 31 of the plate 12 is the same as that of Figs. 2(a) and 2(b). Therefore, only the shape of the end portion 31 will be described. In the present embodiment, the end portion 31 of the plate 12 is formed as a curved recess as shown in Fig. 3(a). In the case of this shape, the foreign matter 13 can be pushed out and collected more reliably than in the case where the end portion is linear. In Figs. 3(a) and 3(b), the configuration of Fig. 2 is shown in which the end portion is curved. However, in the configuration of Fig. 1, the end portion is recessed in a curved shape to obtain the same effect.

Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 4(a) and 4(b). In FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the same components as those in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are denoted by the same reference numerals. Figure 4 (a) shows a plan view of the stage cleaner disposed on the stage 10. Fig. 4(b) is a cross-sectional view showing a section IVb-IVb of Fig. 4(a). 4(a) and 4(b), except for FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), only the third through hole 32 formed in the vicinity of the end portion 31 of the plate 12, and the third through hole 32 and the end are provided. The thickness of the plate between the portions 31 is the same as that of Figs. 3(a) and (b). Therefore, only this part will be explained.

The third through hole 32 is a through hole for attracting foreign matter, and is connected to a suction mechanism (not shown). The thickness of the plate between the third through hole 32 and the end portion 31 is thinner than the other portions as shown in Fig. 4(b). That is, only in this portion, the interval between the lower surface of the plate 12 and the surface of the stage 10 becomes large. This is for passing the foreign matter 13 to the third through hole. In this configuration, since the foreign matter 13 can be attracted by the third through hole, the foreign matter 13 can be reliably removed. In FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), although the configuration in which the third through hole is provided in the configuration of FIG. 3 is shown, the configuration can be applied to the configuration of FIG. 2, and the same effect can be obtained.

Further, in all of the above embodiments, the air blowing means can be implemented by a known method by a compressor, a regulator for decompressing the compressed gas from the compressor, and a solenoid valve for starting and stopping the air supply. Similarly, the suction mechanism can be implemented by a known method using a vacuum pump, a solenoid valve, or the like.

Next, an example in which the stage cleaner is provided as a drawing device of a substrate processing apparatus and is operated will be described. First, Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram depicting a device, Fig. 5(a) is a plan view of the device (viewed from above), and Fig. 5(b) is a side view (viewed from a lateral view). In the drawing device, a stage 42 is provided on the base unit 41. Further, the base unit 41 is provided with a bridge portion 43 so as to straddle the base unit 41, and a drawing head (drawing mechanism) 44 is provided at the bridge portion 43. The stage 42 is movable on the base unit 41 in the left-right direction in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b). The drawing head 44 is movable along the bridge portion 43 in the up and down direction (parallel to the plane of the surface of the stage 42) in Fig. 5(a).

In addition, FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram depicting a device, for example, a mechanism for inputting a material to be drawn to a drawing head, a mechanism for supplying energy such as an electron beam for drawing, and the like are omitted.

In the drawing device, the blank mask is usually used to describe the transfer pattern. In this case, the blank mask with the photoresist is placed on the stage 42, and the drawing head 44 is scanned while being scanned in the upper and lower directions of FIG. The position is drawn, and by moving the stage 42 in the left-right direction of FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the blank mask is drawn at a necessary position.

An example in which the stage cleaner of the present invention is installed in the drawing device is shown in Figs. 6(a) to 6(c). Fig. 6(a) is a plan view of the apparatus, and Fig. 6(b) is a side view. Fig. 6(c) is a plan view for explaining the action. The same components as those in FIG. 5 in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c) are denoted by the same reference numerals. 6(a) to 6(c) are similar to FIG. 5 and are conceptual diagrams of the drawing device. For example, a mechanism for inputting data to be drawn to the drawing head and a mechanism for supplying energy such as an electron beam or a laser for drawing are omitted. . In FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), since the base unit 41, the stage 42, the bridge portion 43, and the drawing head 44 are the same as those in FIG. 5, description thereof will be omitted.

In Fig. 6, the stage cleaner 51 of the present invention is provided in the bridge portion 43. Similarly to the drawing head 44, the stage cleaner 51 is movable along the bridge portion 43 in a plane parallel to the surface of the stage 42 (upward and downward in Fig. 6(a)). Further, the stage cleaner 51 is provided on the bridge portion 43 in a state of being elastically movable in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the stage 42 (upward and downward in FIG. 6(b)).

For example, when the stage cleaner described with reference to Fig. 1 is provided, the plate of the stage cleaner 51 can be elastically moved in the vertical direction according to the air supply amount of the air blowing means. The air supply amount is adjusted, and the gap formed by the air layer is adjusted to a desired height. For example, in a state where the blank mask is not loaded on the stage 42, the stage cleaner is lifted from the stage of FIG. 6(a). When the upper left corner of 42 moves downward, and moves to the lower left corner of the stage 42, the bridge portion 43 is moved to the right, and the stage cleaner 51 is again moved upward. By repeating this action, the entire surface of the stage 42 can be swept away. Fig. 6(c) shows the state in the middle of the operation. In Fig. 6(c), the area 52 is the area where the cleaning is completed.

Foreign matter on the surface of the stage 42 cleaned by the stage cleaner 51 in the drawing device described above is visually observed and counted under oblique illumination. Pre-distributed dust (foreign matter), 0 per 10 cm ² after cleaning.

In the present embodiment, since the stage cleaner 51 is installed in the drawing device, the surface of the stage 42 is cleaned by the stage cleaner 51, and the blank mask can be immediately placed on the stage 42 to start the drawing step, thereby effectively reducing the number of steps. The foreign matter on the surface of the stage affects the drawing step.

In the above example, the stage cleaner described in FIG. 1 is shown as being provided in the drawing device. However, the stage cleaner described in FIGS. 1 to 4 can be provided in the drawing device in the same manner as described above. Further, in addition to the drawing device, a device having a stage such as an inspection device may be provided, and similar to the drawing device, foreign matter can be effectively removed.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus may be an inspection apparatus for inspecting the positional accuracy of a pattern formed on the reticle, or may be another substrate processing apparatus, in addition to the drawing apparatus having the drawing head.

In Figs. 6(a) to 6(c), the mechanism for arranging the plate of the stage cleaner 51 to be elastically movable in the vertical direction is omitted, but it can be carried out by a usual method such as using an elastic attachment.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be appropriately modified and implemented. Moreover, the material, the size, the processing order, and the like in the above embodiment can be implemented by various modifications.

10. . . Loading platform

11. . . Through hole

11a. . . First through hole

11b. . . Second through hole

12. . . board

13. . . foreign matter

14. . . Cutting part

15. . . Residual foreign body

31. . . Ends

32. . . Third through hole

41. . . Base unit

42. . . Loading platform

43. . . Bridge

44. . . Drawing head

51. . . Stage cleaner

52. . . region

g. . . gap

1(a)-(d) are views for explaining a stage cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention;

2(a) and 2(b) are views for explaining a stage cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

3(a) and 3(b) are views for explaining a stage cleaner according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

4(a) and 4(b) are views for explaining a stage cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention;

5(a) and 5(b) are views for explaining an example of a drawing device including a stage cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

6(a) to 6(c) are views for explaining another example of a drawing device including a stage cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention.

10. . . Loading platform

11. . . Through hole

12. . . board

13. . . foreign matter

14. . . Cutting part

15. . . Residual foreign body

g. . . gap

Claims (19)

A stage cleaner comprising: a plate-shaped member having at least one through hole; and a blowing means for supplying gas from one surface side to the other side of the plate-shaped member via the through hole, for removing the surface of the stage a foreign matter; the plate-shaped member is disposed at a predetermined interval between the other surface and the surface of the stage in a state in which the surface of the stage faces the other surface and is blown by the air blowing means. The plate-shaped member is moved in a plane parallel to the surface of the stage, and the foreign matter on the surface of the stage is pushed out by the end of the plate-shaped member. The stage cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising a blower adjusting mechanism that adjusts a supply air amount of the gas fed from the air blowing means, wherein the air supply amount is adjusted by the air blowing adjusting means to adjust the size of the specific interval. The stage cleaner of claim 1 or 2, wherein the through hole is formed at a center of the plate member. The stage cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of through holes are formed at a position equidistant from a center of the plate-like member. A stage cleaner including a plate-shaped member having at least one first through hole and at least one second through hole, and a supply air for supplying gas from one surface side to the other surface side of the plate-shaped member via the first through hole a mechanism, and an air suction mechanism that sucks gas from the other surface side of the plate-shaped member toward the one surface side via the second through hole; the air blowing mechanism is configured such that the surface of the stage faces the other surface The plate-shaped member is disposed at a predetermined interval between the other surface and the surface of the stage by blowing the air in the air suction mechanism, and the plate-shaped member is parallel to the surface of the stage. In the in-plane movement, the foreign matter on the surface of the stage is pushed out by the end of the plate-shaped member. The stage cleaner according to claim 5, further comprising an adjustment mechanism for adjusting at least one of a supply air amount of the air blown from the air blowing means or a suction amount of the gas sucked by the air suction means, by the adjustment The mechanism adjusts at least one of the air supply amount or the air intake amount to adjust the size of the specific interval. The stage cleaner according to claim 5 or 6, wherein one of the first through hole or the second through hole is formed at a center of the plate member. The stage cleaner according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the first through hole or the second through hole is formed at a position equidistant from a center of the plate member. The stage cleaner according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the plate-shaped member further includes a third through hole for attracting foreign matter. A stage cleaner according to claim 1 or 5, wherein at least one of the ends of said plate-like member has a portion of a curved recess. A drawing device comprising a stage cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or 5, wherein said stage cleaner is movable in a vertical direction of a surface of said stage of said drawing device. A substrate processing apparatus that mounts a substrate on a stage and performs processing on the substrate in this state, and includes: a stage cleaner that removes foreign matter on the stage; and the stage cleaner includes: And a cleaning plate facing the smooth surface of the substrate; the floating plate is raised above the specific height of the cleaning plate; and the cleaning plate is parallel to the substrate mounting surface of the carrier Drive mechanism for in-plane movement. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the floating mechanism controls the cleaning plate to float above the stage at a height of 1 to 500 μm. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the cleaning plate has a flat shape, and an end portion on a lower surface side thereof is at an angle of 90 or less, formed at a right angle or an acute angle. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the floating mechanism is a gas provided from a lower side of the cleaning plate in a state where the cleaning plate and the substrate of the stage are placed facing each other The air supply hole is ejected to make the cleaning plate float to a certain height. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the floating mechanism causes gas to be ejected from the gas supply hole, and inhales from an air suction hole provided on a lower surface side of the cleaning plate, and controls a gas discharge amount and suction. Amount that causes the aforementioned cleaning plate to float to a certain height. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, comprising a drawing head for drawing a specific design pattern data to said substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, comprising: a mechanism for holding a photomask having a pattern to be transferred with respect to the substrate, and an exposure mechanism for irradiating the mask with the light to be irradiated. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12 or 13, comprising a measuring means for measuring a shape of a specific transfer pattern formed on the substrate or measuring a distance of an arbitrary point with respect to the substrate.