TWI846603B - Exposure apparatus, manufacturing method of flat panel display, device manufacturing method, and exposure method - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid crystal exposure device (10) irradiates illumination light (IL) onto a substrate (P) through a projection optical system (40), and drives the projection optical system (40) relative to the substrate (P) to perform scanning exposure, and comprises an alignment system (60) for detecting a mark (Mk) provided on the substrate (P), a first drive system for driving the alignment system (60), a second drive system for driving the projection optical system (40), and a control device for controlling the first and second drive systems in a manner that the alignment system (60) is driven before the projection optical system (40). In this way, the production time required for the exposure process can be reduced.

Description

Exposure device, manufacturing method of flat panel display, device manufacturing method, and exposure method

The present invention relates to an exposure device, a manufacturing method for a flat panel display, a device manufacturing method and an exposure method. Specifically, it relates to an exposure device and a method for forming a predetermined pattern on an object by performing scanning exposure on the object by scanning an energy beam in a predetermined scanning direction, and a manufacturing method for a flat panel display or a device including the aforementioned exposure device or method.

Historically, in the lithography process of manufacturing electronic components (micro components) such as liquid crystal display components and semiconductor components (integrated circuits, etc.), an exposure device is used. This exposure device uses an energy beam to transfer the pattern formed on a mask or reticle (hereinafter collectively referred to as a "mask") to a glass plate or wafer (hereinafter collectively referred to as a "substrate").

As such an exposure device, there is known a line beam scanning type scanning exposure device that forms a predetermined pattern on a substrate by scanning exposure illumination light (energy beam) in a predetermined scanning direction while keeping the mask and the substrate substantially stationary (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

The exposure device described in the above-mentioned patent document 1 corrects the position error between the exposure target area on the substrate and the mask by moving the projection optical system in the opposite direction to the scanning direction during exposure, while measuring the marks on the substrate and the mask through the projection optical system with an alignment microscope (alignment measurement), and correcting the position error between the substrate and the mask based on the measurement result. Here, since the alignment mark on the substrate is measured through the projection optical system, the alignment action and the exposure action are performed serially, and it is very difficult to suppress the processing time (production time) required for the exposure process of all substrates. Prior art documents

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-12422

Means used to solve the problem

The present invention was completed under the above circumstances. The exposure device of the first aspect irradiates an object with illumination light through a projection optical system, and drives the projection optical system relative to the object to perform scanning exposure. It comprises: a mark detection unit for performing mark detection of a mark set on the object; a first driving system for driving the mark detection unit; a second driving system for driving the projection optical system; and a control device for controlling the first and second driving systems in a manner of driving the mark detection unit before driving the projection optical system.

The manufacturing method of the flat panel display according to the second aspect of the present invention includes the operation of exposing the object using the exposure device of the present invention and the operation of developing the exposed object.

The device manufacturing method according to the third aspect of the present invention includes an operation of exposing the object using the exposure device of the present invention, and an operation of developing the exposed object.

The exposure method of the fourth aspect of the present invention irradiates an object with illumination light through a projection optical system, and drives the projection optical system relative to the object to perform scanning exposure, which includes: mark detection of a mark set on the object using a mark detection unit; driving the mark detection unit using a first drive system; driving the projection optical system using a second drive system; and controlling the first and second drive systems in a manner such that the mark detection unit is driven before the projection optical system is driven.

The manufacturing method of the flat panel display according to the fifth aspect of the present invention includes the steps of exposing the object using the exposure method of the present invention and developing the exposed object.

The device manufacturing method according to the sixth aspect of the present invention includes the steps of exposing the object using the exposure method of the present invention and developing the exposed object.

《First Implementation Form》 The following describes the first implementation form using Figures 1 to 7 (c).

FIG1 shows a conceptual diagram of a liquid crystal exposure device 10 of the first embodiment. The liquid crystal exposure device 10 is a projection exposure device of a step & scan method that uses a rectangular (square) glass substrate P (hereinafter simply referred to as substrate P) such as used in a liquid crystal display device (flat panel display) as an exposure object, so-called a scanner.

The liquid crystal exposure device 10 has an illumination system 20 for irradiating illumination light IL as an energy beam for exposure, and a projection optical system 40. Hereinafter, the direction parallel to the optical axis of the illumination light IL irradiated from the illumination system 20 through the projection optical system 40 to the substrate P is referred to as the Z-axis direction, and the X-axis and the Y-axis orthogonal to each other are set in a plane orthogonal to the Z-axis for explanation. In addition, in the coordinate system of the present embodiment, the Y-axis is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity. Therefore, the XZ plane is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane. In addition, the rotation (tilt) direction around the Z-axis is described as the θz direction.

Here, in this embodiment, a plurality of exposure target areas (appropriately referred to as partition areas or shot areas for explanation) are set on a substrate P, and the mask pattern is sequentially transferred to these plurality of shot areas. In addition, although this embodiment is explained with respect to the case where four partition areas are set on the substrate P (the so-called four-side case), the number of partition areas is not limited to this and can be appropriately changed.

In addition, in the liquid crystal exposure device 10, although the exposure operation of the so-called step-and-scan method is performed, during the scanning exposure operation, the mask M and the substrate P are substantially stationary, and the illumination system 20 and the projection optical system 40 (illumination light IL) move with a long stroke in the X-axis direction (appropriately called the scanning direction) relative to the mask M and the substrate P (refer to the white arrows in FIG. 1). In contrast, when the stepping operation is performed to change the divided area of the exposure object, the mask M moves in steps with a predetermined stroke in the X-axis direction, and the substrate P moves in steps with a predetermined stroke in the Y-axis direction (refer to the black arrows in FIG. 1 respectively).

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the input/output relationship of the main control device 90 that coordinates and controls the components of the liquid crystal exposure device 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the liquid crystal exposure device 10 includes an illumination system 20, a mask stage device 30, a projection optical system 40, a substrate stage device 50, an alignment system 60, and the like.

The illumination system 20 includes an illumination system body 22 including a light source (e.g., a mercury lamp) of illumination light IL (see FIG. 1 ). During the scanning exposure operation, the main control device 90 controls a driving system 24 including, for example, a linear motor, so as to drive the illumination system body 22 in a scanning manner with a predetermined length in the X-axis direction. The main control device 90 obtains position information of the illumination system body 22 in the X-axis direction through a measuring system 26 including, for example, a linear encoder, and performs position control of the illumination system body 22 based on the position information. In this embodiment, as the illumination light IL, for example, a g-line, an h-line, an i-line, etc. are used.

The photomask stage device 30 includes a stage body 32 for holding the photomask M. The stage body 32 can be appropriately moved in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by a drive system 34 including, for example, a linear motor. When the stepping action in the X-axis direction is to change the divided area of the exposure object, the main control device 90 controls the drive system 34 to drive the stage body 32 in the X-axis direction. In addition, as described later, when the stepping action in the Y-axis direction is to change the area (position) of scanning exposure in the divided area of the exposure object, the main control device 90 controls the drive system 34 to drive the stage body 32 in the Y-axis direction. The driving system 34 can appropriately and slightly drive the mask M in the three degrees of freedom (X, Y, θz) directions in the XY plane during the alignment operation described later. The position information of the mask M is obtained by, for example, a measurement system 36 including a linear encoder.

The projection optical system 40 has a projection system body 42 including an optical system that forms an upright image of a mask pattern on a substrate P (see FIG. 1 ) with an equal magnification system. The projection system body 42 is arranged in a space formed between the substrate P and the mask M (see FIG. 1 ). During the scanning exposure operation, the main control device 90 drives the projection system body 42 in a predetermined long stroke scanning in the X-axis direction by controlling a drive system 44 including a linear motor, etc., in synchronization with the illumination system body 22. The main control device 90 obtains the position information of the projection system body 42 in the X-axis direction through a measurement system 46 including a linear encoder, etc., and performs position control of the projection system body 42 based on the position information.

Returning to FIG. 1 , in the liquid crystal exposure device 10, when the illumination light IL from the illumination system 20 illuminates the illumination area IAM on the mask M, the illumination light IL that passes through the mask M forms a projection image (partially erected image) of the mask pattern in the illumination area IAM through the projection optical system 40, forming an illumination area (exposure area IA) of the illumination light IL that is conjugated with the illumination area IAM on the substrate P. And the illumination light IL (illumination area IAM and exposure area IA) is relatively moved in the scanning direction relative to the mask M and the substrate P to perform a scanning exposure operation. That is, in the liquid crystal exposure device 10, the illumination system 20 and the projection optical system 40 are used to generate the pattern of the mask M on the substrate P, and the sensing layer (anti-etching layer) on the substrate P is exposed by the illumination light IL to form the pattern on the substrate P.

Here, in this embodiment, the illumination area IAM generated by the illumination system 20 on the mask M is included in a pair of rectangular areas separated in the Y-axis direction. The length of a rectangular area in the Y-axis direction is set to, for example, 1/4 of the length of the pattern surface of the mask M in the Y-axis direction (that is, the length of each divided area set on the substrate P in the Y-axis direction). In addition, the interval between a pair of rectangular areas is also set to, for example, 1/4 of the length of the pattern surface of the mask M in the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the exposure area IA generated on the substrate P is also included in a pair of rectangular areas separated in the Y-axis direction. This embodiment is to completely transfer the pattern of the mask M to the substrate P. Although it is necessary to perform a second scanning exposure operation on a divided area, it has the advantage of miniaturizing the illumination system body 22 and the projection system body 42. The specific example of the scanning exposure operation will be described later.

The substrate stage device 50 has a stage body 52 for holding the back side (opposite side to the exposure side) of the substrate P. Returning to FIG. 2 , when the stepping action of changing the divided area of the exposure object in the Y-axis direction is performed, the main control device 90 drives the stage body 52 in the Y-axis direction by controlling the drive system 54 including, for example, a linear motor. The drive system 54 can slightly drive the substrate P in the three degrees of freedom (X, Y, θz) directions in the XY plane during the substrate alignment action described later. The position information of the substrate P (stage body 52) is obtained by a measurement system 56 including, for example, a linear encoder.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the alignment system 60 has, for example, two alignment microscopes 62 and 64. The alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are arranged in the space formed between the substrate P and the mask M (at the position between the substrate P and the mask M in the Z-axis direction) to detect the alignment mark Mk (hereinafter, simply referred to as the mark Mk) formed on the substrate P and the mark (not shown) formed on the mask M. In this embodiment, one mark Mk is formed near each of the four corners of each divided area (one divided area, for example, four), and the mark of the mask M is formed at a position corresponding to the mark Mk through the projection optical system 40. In addition, the number and position of the mark Mk and the mark of the mask M are not limited thereto and can be appropriately changed. In addition, in each drawing, the symbol Mk is shown larger than the actual size for easier understanding.

One of the alignment microscopes 62 is disposed on the +X side of the projection system body 42, and the other alignment microscope 64 is disposed on the -X side of the projection system body 42. The alignment microscopes 62 and 64 each have a pair of detection fields (detection areas) separated in the Y-axis direction, and can simultaneously detect, for example, two marks Mk separated in the Y-axis direction in a divided area.

Furthermore, the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 can simultaneously (in other words, without changing the positions of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64) detect the mark formed on the mask M and the mark Mk formed on the substrate P. The main control device 90 obtains relative positional offset information of the mark formed on the mask M and the mark Mk formed on the substrate P, for example, each time the mask M performs an X-stepping motion or the substrate P performs a Y-stepping motion, and performs relative positioning of the substrate P and the mask M in the direction along the XY plane to correct the positional offset (offset or reduce it). Furthermore, the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are integrally formed by a mask detection unit that detects (observes) the mark of the mask M and a substrate detection unit that detects (observes) the mark Mk of the substrate P through a common housing, and are driven by a drive system 66 through the common housing. Alternatively, the mask detection unit and the substrate detection unit may be formed by separate housings, and in this case, it is preferable to configure the mask detection unit and the substrate detection unit so that the mask M can be moved by a substantially common drive system 66 with the same motion characteristics.

The main control device 90 (see FIG. 2 ) controls the drive system 66 including, for example, a linear motor, to independently drive the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 in the X-axis direction with a predetermined length stroke. Furthermore, the main control device 90 obtains the position information of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 in the X-axis direction through the measurement system 68 including, for example, a linear encoder, and independently controls the positions of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 based on the position information. In addition, the positions of the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 in the Y-axis direction are almost the same, and their movable ranges partially overlap.

Here, although the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 of the alignment system 60 and the projection system body 42 of the above-mentioned projection optical system 40 are physically (mechanically) independent (separated) elements, and are driven (speed and position) controlled by the main control device 90 (refer to Figure 2) in an independent manner, the drive system 66 that drives the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 and the drive system 44 that drives the projection system body 42 share a part of the drive in the X-axis direction, such as a linear motor, a linear guide, etc., and the drive characteristics of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 and the projection system body 42, or the control characteristics performed by the main control device 90 are substantially the same.

For example, when the alignment microscopes 62, 64 and the projection system body 42 are driven in the X-axis direction by a moving coil linear motor, the drive system 66 and the drive system 44 share a fixed magnetic body (such as a permanent magnet, etc.) unit. In contrast, the movable coil unit is independently provided to the alignment microscopes 62, 64 and the projection system body 42, and the main control device 90 (see FIG. 2 ) independently controls the driving (speed and position) of the alignment microscopes 62, 64 in the X-axis direction and the driving (speed and position) of the projection system body 42 in the X-axis direction by supplying power to the coil unit individually. Therefore, the main control device 90 can change (arbitrarily change) the interval (distance) between the alignment microscopes 62, 64 and the projection system body 42 in the X-axis direction. In addition, the main control device 90 can also move the alignment microscopes 62, 64 and the projection system body 42 at different speeds in the X-axis direction.

The main control device 90 (refer to Figure 2) uses the alignment microscope 62 (or the alignment microscope 64) to detect multiple marks Mk formed on the substrate P, and calculates the arrangement information of the divided area where the mark Mk of the detection object is formed using the well-known full-wafer enhanced alignment (EGA) method (including information related to the position (coordinate value) and shape of the divided area).

Specifically, during the scanning exposure operation, when the projection system body 42 is driven in the +X direction, the main control device 90 (see FIG. 2 ) first uses the alignment microscope 62 disposed on the +X side of the projection system body 42 to detect the positions of the plurality of marks Mk before the scanning exposure operation to calculate the arrangement information of the divided area of the exposure object. Furthermore, during the scanning exposure operation, when the projection system body 42 is driven in the −X direction, before the scanning exposure operation, the alignment microscope 64 disposed on the −X side of the projection system body 42 is first used to detect the positions of the plurality of marks Mk to calculate the arrangement information of the divided area of the exposure object. Based on the calculated arrangement information, the main control device 90 performs precise positioning of the substrate P in the three-degree-of-freedom directions within the XY plane (substrate alignment operation), and appropriately controls the lighting system 20 and the projection optical system 40 to perform scanning exposure operations (transfer of the mask pattern) on the target area.

Next, the specific structures of the measuring system 46 (see FIG. 2 ) for obtaining the position information of the projection system body 42 of the projection optical system 40 and the measuring system 68 for obtaining the position information of the alignment microscope 62 of the alignment system 60 are described.

As shown in FIG3 , the liquid crystal exposure device 10 has a guide 80 for guiding the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction. The guide 80 is composed of a member extending parallel to the scanning direction. The guide 80 also has the function of guiding the movement of the alignment microscope 62 in the scanning direction. In addition, in FIG7 , although the guide 80 is illustrated between the mask M and the substrate P, in reality, the guide 80 is arranged in the Y-axis direction at a position avoiding the optical path of the illumination light IL.

A scale 82 including at least a reflective diffraction grating having a periodic direction in a direction parallel to the scanning direction (X-axis direction) is fixed to the guide 80. In addition, the projection system body 42 has a reader 84 arranged opposite to the scale 82. In this embodiment, an encoder system is formed by the scale 82 and the reader 84 to form a measurement system 46 (refer to FIG. 2) for obtaining position information of the projection system body 42. In addition, the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 each have a reader 86 arranged opposite to the scale 82 (in FIG. 3, the alignment microscope 64 is not shown). In this embodiment, an encoder system is formed by the scale 82 and the read head 86 to form a measurement system 68 (refer to FIG. 2 ) for obtaining position information of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64. Here, the read heads 84 and 86 can respectively irradiate the scale 82 with an encoder measurement beam, and receive the beam that passes through the scale 82 (the reflected beam on the scale 82), and output relative position information to the scale 82 based on the light reception result.

As described above, in this embodiment, the scale 82 constitutes the measurement system 46 (refer to FIG. 2 ) for obtaining the position information of the projection system body 42, and also constitutes the measurement system 68 (refer to FIG. 2 ) for obtaining the position information of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64. That is, the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are positionally controlled based on the common coordinate system (length measurement axis) set by the diffraction grating formed on the scale 82. In addition, the drive system 44 (refer to FIG. 2 ) for driving the projection system body 42 and the drive system 66 (refer to FIG. 2 ) for driving the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 may have some common elements or may be composed of completely independent elements.

Furthermore, the encoder system constituting the above-mentioned measuring system 46, 68 may be a linear (1DOF) encoder system whose measuring axis is only in the X-axis direction (scanning direction), for example, or may have a plurality of measuring axes. For example, by arranging a plurality of reading heads 84, 86 at predetermined intervals in the Y-axis direction, the amount of rotation in the θz direction of the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscopes 62, 64 may be obtained. Furthermore, it may be a 3DOF encoder system having measuring axes in the three degrees of freedom directions of the X, Y, and θz directions by forming an XY2-dimensional diffraction grating on the scale 82. Furthermore, a plurality of known two-dimensional read heads that can measure length in a direction orthogonal to the scale surface in addition to the periodic direction of the diffraction grating can be used as read heads 84 and 86 to obtain position information of the projection system body 42 and alignment microscopes 62 and 64 in the six degrees of freedom directions.

Next, an example of the operation of the liquid crystal exposure device 10 during the scanning exposure operation will be described using FIG. 4 (a) to FIG. 7 (c). The following exposure operation (including the alignment measurement operation) is performed under the control of the main control device 90 (not shown in FIG. 4 (a) to FIG. 7 (c). See FIG. 2).

In this embodiment, the first division area in the exposure sequence (hereinafter referred to as the first irradiation area S ₁ ) is set on the -X side and the -Y side of the substrate P. In addition, the symbols S ₂ to S ₄ given to the division areas on the substrate P represent the second to fourth irradiation areas in the exposure sequence, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4 (a), before exposure begins, the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are arranged at an initial position set on the -X side of the first irradiation area _S1 in a top view. At this time, the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are arranged close to each other in the X-axis direction. In addition, the Y-axis direction position of the detection field of the alignment microscope 62 is almost consistent with the Y-axis direction position of the mark Mk formed in the first and fourth irradiation areas _S1 and _S4 .

Next, the main control device 90, as shown in FIG4(b), drives the alignment microscope 62 in the +X direction to detect, for example, two marks Mk formed near the -X side end portion among, for example, four marks Mk formed in the first irradiation area _S1 (refer to the bold circle marks in FIG4(b). The same applies hereinafter). Furthermore, the main control device 90, as shown in FIG4(c), further drives the alignment microscope 62 in the +X direction to detect, for example, two marks Mk formed near the +X side end portion among, for example, four marks Mk formed in the first irradiation area _S1 . Furthermore, in FIG. 4 (b), although the projection system body 42 is stopped, the acceleration of the projection system body 42 can be started after the alignment microscope 62 starts detecting the mark Mk in the first irradiation area _S1 and during the detection of the mark Mk, for example, during the period from detecting the mark Mk on the -X side to moving to the mark Mk on the +X side (specifically, one moment before detecting the mark Mk on the +X side).

The main control device 90 obtains the arrangement information of the first irradiation area _S1 based on the detection result (position information) of, for example, four marks Mk formed in the first irradiation area _S1 . As shown in FIG4(d), the main control device 90 performs precise positioning (substrate alignment operation) in the three-degree-of-freedom directions in the XY plane of the substrate P based on the arrangement information of the first irradiation area _S1 , and synchronously drives the projection system body 42 and the illumination system body 22 of the illumination system 20 (not shown in FIG4(d). Refer to FIG1) in the +X direction to perform the first scanning exposure of the first irradiation area _S1 .

In addition, the main control device 90, in parallel with the start of the first scanning exposure operation on the first irradiation area _S1 , uses the alignment microscope 62 to detect, for example, two marks Mk formed near the -X side end among the four marks Mk formed in the fourth irradiation area _S4 (the divided area on the +X side of the first irradiation area _S1 ).

The main control device 90 can perform EGA calculation to update the arrangement information of the first irradiation area S ₁ based on the newly obtained detection result of, for example, two marks Mk in the fourth irradiation area S ₄ and the previously obtained (stored in a memory device not shown) detection result of, for example, four marks in the first irradiation area S _1. The main control device 90 can appropriately perform the precise positioning of the three-degree-of-freedom directions in the XY plane of the substrate P based on the updated arrangement information while continuing the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area S ₁ . By using the marker position information in the fourth irradiation area S ₄ to obtain the arrangement information of the first irradiation area S ₁ , arrangement information that takes statistical tendencies into consideration over a wide range can be obtained, compared to obtaining the arrangement information based only on the four markers Mk set in the first irradiation area S ₁ , thereby improving the alignment accuracy of the first irradiation area S ₁ .

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5( a ), the main control device 90 drives the projection system body 42 in the +X direction to perform a scanning exposure operation, and further drives the alignment microscope 62 in the +X direction to detect, for example, two marks Mk formed near the +X side end portion among, for example, four marks Mk formed in the fourth irradiation area S _4. The main control device 90 can perform EGA calculation based on the newly obtained detection result of, for example, two marks Mk in the fourth irradiation area S ₄ and the previously obtained detection result of the marks Mk (in this example, four marks Mk in the first irradiation area S ₁ and two marks Mk in the fourth irradiation area S ₄ ) to update the arrangement information of the first irradiation area S ₁ . The main control device 90 can perform precise positioning of the substrate P in the three-degree-of-freedom directions within the XY plane based on the updated arrangement information while continuing the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 .

As described above, in this embodiment, the alignment microscope 62 arranged in front of the scanning direction (+X direction) relative to the projection system body 42 can be used to simultaneously (in parallel) perform the action of detecting the mark Mk formed in front of the scanning direction (+X direction) by the exposure area IA (illumination light IL) and at least a part of the scanning exposure action of making the projection system body 42 scan in the +X direction. In this way, the time required for a series of actions including the alignment action and the scanning exposure action can be shortened. In addition, the main control device 90 can appropriately perform EGA calculations each time the mark Mk set at different positions is measured in sequence, so as to update the arrangement information of the divided area of the exposure object. Accordingly, the alignment accuracy of the divided area of the exposure object can be improved.

Furthermore, when the main control device 90 drives the projection system body 42 in the +X direction for scanning exposure, the alignment microscope 64 arranged behind the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction (-X direction) can be driven in the +X direction in a manner of following the projection system body 42 (refer to FIG. 5 (a) and FIG. 5 (b)). At this time, the main control device 90 can use the alignment microscope 64 to detect the mark Mk formed behind the exposure area IA (illumination light IL) in the scanning direction (-X direction), and use this detection result for EGA calculation.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the illumination area IAM (refer to FIG. 1 ) generated on the mask M and the exposure area IA generated on the substrate P are a pair of rectangular areas separated in the Y-axis direction, the pattern image of the mask M transferred to the substrate P by a single scanning exposure action is formed in a pair of strip areas (half the area of a divided area) separated in the Y-axis direction and extending in the X-axis direction.

Next, as shown in FIG5(b), the main control device 90 performs the second (return) scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 , and causes the substrate P and the photomask M to step in the -Y direction (refer to the black arrow in FIG5(b)). At this time, the stepping movement amount of the substrate P is, for example, 1/4 of the length of a partitioned area in the Y-axis direction. At this time, in the stepping movement of the substrate P and the photomask M in the -Y direction, it is best to make the stepping movement in a manner that the relative position relationship between the substrate P and the photomask M does not change (or, in a manner that can correct the relative position relationship).

In this embodiment, the second scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 is performed by moving the projection system body 42 in the -X direction as shown in FIG5(c). The main control device 90 drives the alignment microscope 64 in the -X direction to detect the mark Mk (not shown) formed in the first irradiation area _S1 , for example, near the +X side end. The main control device 90 performs the second scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 while performing precise positioning in the three-degree-of-freedom direction in the XY plane of the substrate P based on the detection result of the alignment microscope 64 and the arrangement information of the first irradiation area _S1 . As shown in FIG5(d), the mask pattern transferred by the first scanning and exposure operation and the mask pattern transferred by the second scanning and exposure operation are joined in the first irradiation area _S1 , and the entire pattern of the mask M is transferred to the first irradiation area _S1 . In addition, the alignment operation of the second scanning and exposure corresponding to the first irradiation area _S1 only needs to measure the position deviation in the three degrees of freedom (X, Y, θz) directions in the XY plane based on the marks of the mask M and the marks Mk of the substrate P (+X side marks), so compared with the first alignment operation, the time required for alignment can be substantially shortened.

When the scanning exposure of the first irradiation area _S1 is completed, the main control device 90 moves the substrate P in a stepping manner in the -Y direction to perform a scanning exposure operation on the second irradiation area _S2 (the area on the +Y side of the first irradiation area _S1 ), and then performs a scanning exposure operation on the second irradiation area _S2 using the same procedure as the above-mentioned scanning exposure operation on the first irradiation area _S1 .

That is, the first scanning exposure operation for the second irradiation area _S2 , as shown in FIG6 (a), is to obtain the arrangement information of the second irradiation area _S2 based on the detection results of the marks Mk in the second irradiation area S2 and the third irradiation area _S3 (the divided area on the +X side of the second irradiation area _S2 ) detected by the alignment microscope ₆₂ , and perform precise positioning in the three-degree-of-freedom directions in the XY plane of the substrate P based on the arrangement information. Among them, the detection operation of the marks Mk in the third irradiation area _S3 (and the updating of the arrangement information) is performed in parallel with at least a part of the scanning exposure operation for the second irradiation area _S2 . Furthermore, the main control device 90 detects the mark Mk (not shown) formed in the second irradiation area S2 near the +X side end, for example, with the alignment microscope 64 after the substrate P and the mask M are moved in steps in the _-Y direction. The main control device 90 performs the precise positioning of the substrate P in the three-degree-of-freedom direction in the XY plane based on the detection result of the alignment microscope 64 and the arrangement information of the second irradiation area _S2 , and performs the second scanning exposure operation on the second irradiation area _S2 while moving the projection system body 42 in the -X direction as shown in FIG. 6 (b).

When the scanning exposure of the second irradiation area _S2 is completed, the main control device 90 moves the mask M (see FIG. 1 ) in a stepwise manner in the +X direction so that the mask M faces the third irradiation area _S3 on the substrate P. The main control device 90 detects, for example, a mark Mk formed near the -X side end portion in the third irradiation area _S3 with the alignment microscope 62. In this state, the main control device 90 moves the projection system body 42 in the +X direction while performing the first scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 , as shown in FIG. 6 (c). The alignment (precise positioning of the substrate P) control at this time is performed based on the arrangement information of the third irradiation area _S3 and the detection result of the alignment microscope 62. The arrangement information of the third irradiation area _S3 is calculated based on the positions of the marks Mk in the second and third irradiation areas _S2 and _S3 obtained when the second irradiation area _S2 is exposed. In the alignment microscope 62, it is only necessary to measure the position deviation in the three degrees of freedom (X, Y, θz) directions in the XY plane based on the marks of the mask M and the marks Mk of the substrate P when the third irradiation area _S3 is arranged opposite to the mask M. Therefore, compared with the alignment of the second irradiation area _S2 , the time required for the alignment of the third irradiation area _S3 can be substantially shortened.

Afterwards, the main control device 90 performs the second scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 , as shown in Fig. 7(a), and causes the substrate P and the mask M to step in the +Y direction. As a result, the Y-axis position of the detection field of the alignment microscope 64 and the Y-axis position of the mark Mk formed in the second and third irradiation areas _S2 and _S3 are almost consistent.

The main control device 90 performs the second scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 in the same procedure as the first scanning exposure operation on the first irradiation area _S1 (except that the alignment microscope used for detecting the mark Mk is different). That is, the main control device 90 performs the second scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area S3. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the alignment microscope 64 detects, for example, four marks Mk formed in the third irradiation area _S3 in front of the projection system body 42. Based on the detection result, the main control device 90 updates the arrangement information of the third irradiation area _S3 . The main control device 90 performs the scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 while performing the precise positioning in the _three -degree-of-freedom directions in the XY plane of the substrate P according to the updated arrangement information. In parallel with this scanning exposure operation, the microscope 64 is aligned to detect, for example, four marks Mk formed in the second irradiation area _S2 as shown in FIG7(c). The main control device 90 updates the arrangement information of the third irradiation area _S3 based on the newly obtained position information of the marks Mk, and in parallel with this, performs a second scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 .

Although not shown, the main control device 90 performs scanning exposure on the fourth irradiation area _S4 while appropriately performing the Y stepping operation of the substrate P. The scanning exposure operation on the fourth irradiation area _S4 is substantially the same as the scanning exposure operation on the third irradiation area _S3 , and thus the description thereof is omitted.

Furthermore, when performing the scanning exposure operation on the third and fourth irradiation areas _S3 and _S4 , the alignment microscope 62 can be used together with the alignment microscope 64 to detect the mark Mk, and the arrangement information of the divided areas can be updated using the outputs of the alignment microscopes 62 and 64. In addition, when obtaining the arrangement information of the divided areas after the second irradiation area _S2 in order to expose the divided areas, the position information of the mark Mk obtained when the divided areas were previously exposed can be used. Specifically, for example, when obtaining the arrangement information of the fourth irradiation area _S4 , the main control device 90 uses the position information of the marker Mk in the first and fourth irradiation areas _S1 and _S4 , but can also use the previously obtained position information of the marker Mk in the second and third irradiation areas _S2 and _S3 .

According to the embodiment described above, since the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are moved in the scanning direction independently from the projection system body 42, the scanning exposure operation and at least a part of the alignment operation can be performed simultaneously (in parallel). Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for a series of operations including the alignment operation and the scanning exposure operation, that is, to shorten the series of processing time (production time) required for the exposure processing of the substrate P.

Furthermore, since alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are respectively arranged on one side and the other side of the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction, the time required for a series of actions including alignment action and scanning exposure action can be shortened regardless of the scanning direction (forward scanning and return scanning) during the scanning exposure action.

《Second Implementation》 Next, the second implementation is described using Figures 8 (a) to 8 (d). The structure of the second implementation is the same as that of the first implementation except that the structure and operation of the alignment system are different. Therefore, only the differences are described below, and the elements with the same structure and function as the first implementation are given the same symbols as the first implementation and their description is omitted.

In the first embodiment described above, alignment microscopes 62 and 64 are respectively arranged on the front and rear (+X side and -X side) of the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction (see FIG. 1 ). In contrast, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), an alignment microscope 162 is provided only on the +X side of the projection system body 42.

Furthermore, compared to the alignment microscopes 62 and 64 of the first embodiment having a pair of detection fields separated in the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 4( b ) etc.), the alignment microscope 162 has, for example, four detection fields separated in the Y-axis direction. The intervals between the four detection fields of the alignment microscope 162 are set so as to simultaneously detect the marks Mk spanning, for example, two adjacent partitioned areas formed in the Y-axis direction.

In the second embodiment, the main control device 90 (see FIG. 2 ), as shown in FIG. 8 (b) and FIG. 8 (c), drives the alignment microscope 162 in the +X direction while detecting, for example, 16 marks Mk formed on the substrate P before the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 . The arrangement information of the first irradiation area _S1 is obtained based on the detection result of the marks Mk, and the precise position of the substrate P is controlled based on the arrangement information while the projection system body 42 is driven in the +X direction to perform the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 as shown in FIG. 8 (d).

In the second embodiment, since the alignment microscope 162 has, for example, four detection fields in the Y-axis direction, by moving the alignment microscope 162 once in the +X direction, it is possible to detect the marks Mk formed in a larger range of the substrate P (in this second embodiment, all the marks Mk). Therefore, compared with the first embodiment, it is possible to further shorten a series of processing time (production time) required for the exposure processing of the substrate P.

In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the Y stepping motion of the substrate P and/or the X stepping motion of the mask M (see FIG. 1 ) are performed to move the divided areas of the exposure object. In addition, in the second embodiment, since all the marks Mk formed on the substrate P are detected before the scanning exposure of the first irradiation area S ₁ , it is not necessary to perform EGA calculation again during the scanning exposure after the second irradiation area S ₂ . Of course, alignment measurement (EGA calculation) can also be performed again during the scanning exposure after the second irradiation area S ₂ to update the arrangement information of each divided area.

《Third Implementation》 Next, the liquid crystal exposure device of the third implementation is described using FIG. 9 (a) and FIG. 9 (b). The structure of the liquid crystal exposure device of the third implementation is the same as that of the first implementation except that the structure and operation of the alignment system are different. Therefore, only the differences are described below, and the elements having the same structure and function as the first implementation are given the same symbols as those of the first implementation and their description is omitted.

In the first embodiment described above, the alignment system 60 has alignment microscopes 62 and 64 in front of and behind the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction (on the +X side and the -X side). In contrast, the third embodiment is different in that the alignment microscope 62 is only provided on the +X side of the projection system body 42.

In the third embodiment, the main control device 90 (see FIG. 2 ) returns the alignment microscope 62 and the projection system body 42 to a predetermined initial position when the substrate P performs Y stepping relative to the projection system body 42. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9 (a), when the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area _S1 is completed, the main control device 90, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), performs Y stepping operation of the substrate P in the -Y direction (see the black arrow in FIG. 9 (b)), similarly to the first embodiment.

In addition, the main control device 90 drives the alignment microscope 62 and the projection system body 42 in the -X direction in parallel with the Y stepping action of the substrate P in the -Y direction, so that they return (see the white arrow in FIG. 9 (b)) to the initial position (see FIG. 4 (a)). In this embodiment, the initial position of the alignment microscope 62 and the projection system body 42 is near the -X side end of each movable range. Afterwards, the main control device 90 drives the alignment microscope 62 and the projection system body 42 in the +X direction, respectively, to perform the second scanning exposure action on the first irradiation area _S1 . In addition, before the second scanning exposure operation, the alignment microscope 62 may be used to detect the mark Mk formed on the substrate P, and the arrangement information of the first irradiation area _S1 may be updated based on its output.

According to the third embodiment, even if there is only one alignment microscope 62, the same effect as the first embodiment can be obtained.

Furthermore, the configurations of the first to third embodiments described above can be appropriately modified. For example, in the second embodiment described above, the alignment microscope 162 can be arranged on both sides (+X side and -X side) of the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction, similarly to the first embodiment described above. In this case, even if the scanning direction is the -X direction, alignment measurement can be performed before the projection system body 42 is moved.

Furthermore, although the above-mentioned first embodiment starts the scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area S ₁ after the detection of all the marks Mk in the first irradiation area S ₁ is completed, it is not limited to this. The scanning exposure operation of the first irradiation area S ₁ can also be started during the measurement of multiple marks Mk formed in the first irradiation area S ₁ .

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, although the alignment measurement action and the scanning exposure action are performed in parallel on a single substrate P, it is not limited to this. For example, two substrates P can be prepared, and the scanning exposure of one of the substrates P can be performed while the alignment measurement of the other substrate P is performed.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, after the scanning exposure of the first irradiation area _S1 , the second irradiation area _S2 set on the +Y (upper) side of the first irradiation area _S1 is scanned and exposed, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fourth irradiation area _S4 may be scanned and exposed after the scanning exposure of the first irradiation area S1. In this case, the first and fourth irradiation areas _S1 and _S4 may be scanned and exposed continuously by using, for example, a mask facing the first irradiation area _S1 and a mask facing the fourth irradiation area _S4 (two masks in total). In addition, after the scanning exposure of the first irradiation area _S1 , the mask _M may be moved stepwise in the +X direction to perform scanning exposure of the fourth irradiation area _S4 .

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the mark Mk is formed in each divided area (the first to fourth irradiation areas S ₁ to S ₄ ), but the present invention is not limited thereto and the mark Mk may be formed in an area (so-called scribe line) between adjacent divided areas.

Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, although a pair of illumination area IAM and exposure area IA separated in the Y-axis direction are generated on the mask M and substrate P, respectively (refer to FIG. 1 ), the shapes and lengths of the illumination area IAM and the exposure area IA are not limited thereto and may be appropriately changed. For example, the Y-axis lengths of the illumination area IAM and the exposure area IA may be equal to the Y-axis lengths of the pattern surface of the mask M and a divided area on the substrate P, respectively. In this case, the transfer of the mask pattern is completed by performing a scanning exposure operation on each divided area once. Alternatively, the illumination area IAM and the exposure area IA may be an area whose Y-axis lengths are half of the Y-axis lengths of the pattern surface of the mask M and a divided area on the substrate P, respectively. In this case, as in the above implementation form, two scanning and exposure operations must be performed on one partitioned area.

Furthermore, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, in order to form a mask pattern on the divided area, when the projection system body 42 is reciprocated for joint exposure, the forward path and the return path alignment microscopes with different detection fields can be arranged in front of and behind the projection system body 42 in the scanning direction (X direction). In this case, for example, the forward path alignment microscope (for the first exposure action) can be used to detect the marks Mk at the four corners of the divided area, and the return path alignment microscope (for the second exposure action) can be used to detect the marks Mk near the joint part. Here, the so-called joint part refers to the joint part of the area exposed by the forward path scanning exposure (the area where the pattern is transferred) and the area exposed by the return path scanning exposure (the area where the pattern is transferred). As the mark Mk near the joint portion, the mark Mk may be formed in advance on the substrate P, or the exposed pattern may be used as the mark Mk. In each of the above-mentioned embodiments, when the projection system body 42 is driven in the +X direction to perform a scanning exposure operation, the forward alignment microscope is the alignment microscope 62, and the return alignment microscope is the alignment microscope 64. In addition, when the projection system body 42 is driven in the -X direction to perform a scanning exposure operation, the forward alignment microscope is the alignment microscope 64, and the return alignment microscope is the alignment microscope 62.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment (and the first and second variants), although the driving system 24 for driving the illumination system body 22 of the illumination system 20, the driving system 34 for driving the stage body 32 of the mask stage device 30, the driving system 44 for driving the projection optical system body 42 of the projection optical system 40, the driving system 54 for driving the stage body 52 of the substrate stage device 50, and the driving system 55 for driving the alignment system The driving system 66 of the alignment microscope 62 of 60 (refer to FIG. 2 respectively) is described as a linear motor, but the type of actuator used to drive the above-mentioned illumination system body 22, stage body 32, projection optical system body 42, stage body 52 and alignment microscope 62 is not limited to this, and can be appropriately changed. For example, various actuators such as feed screw (ball screw) devices and belt drive devices can be appropriately used.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, although the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscope 62 share a part of the driving system in the scanning direction (such as a linear motor, a guide, etc.), as long as the projection system body 42 and the alignment microscope 62 can be driven individually, the present invention is not limited to this. The driving system 66 for driving the alignment microscope 62 and the driving system 44 for driving the projection system body 42 of the projection optical system 40 can be completely independent structures. That is, as shown in the exposure device 10A of FIG. 10 , the projection optical system body 42 of the projection optical system 40A and the alignment microscope 62 of the alignment system 60A can be arranged in a manner that the Y positions do not overlap each other, so that the drive system 66 (for example, including a linear motor, a guide, etc.) for driving the alignment microscope 62 and the drive system 44 (for example, including a linear motor, a guide, etc.) for driving the projection system body 42 can be used as completely independent structures. In this case, before the scanning exposure operation of the divided area of the exposure object starts, the substrate P is moved stepwise (reciprocated) in the Y-axis direction, so as to perform alignment measurement of the divided area. Moreover, as in the exposure device 10B shown in FIG. 11 , the drive system 44 (e.g., including a linear motor, a guide, etc.) for driving the projection optical system body 42 of the projection optical system 40B and the drive system 66 (e.g., including a linear motor, a guide, etc.) for driving the alignment microscope 62 of the alignment system 60B may be arranged so that their Y positions are not overlapped, thereby making the drive system 44 and the drive system 66 completely independent structures.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiments, although the measuring system 26 for measuring the position of the illumination system body 22 of the illumination system 20, the measuring system 36 for measuring the position of the carrier body 32 of the mask carrier device 30, the measuring system 46 for measuring the position of the projection optical system body 42 of the projection optical system 40, the measuring system 56 for measuring the position of the carrier body 52 of the substrate carrier device 50, and the alignment system 60 for measuring the position of the alignment system 60 are provided, The measurement system 68 for measuring the position of the microscope 62 (refer to FIG. 2 respectively) is described as including a linear encoder, but the type of measurement system used for measuring the position of the above-mentioned illumination system body 22, stage body 32, projection system projection optics system body 42, stage body 52 and alignment microscope 62 is not limited thereto and may be appropriately changed. For example, various measurement systems such as an optical interferometer or a measurement system that uses both a linear encoder and an optical interferometer may be appropriately used.

Here, the illumination system 20, the mask stage device 30, the projection optical system 40, the substrate stage device 50, and the alignment system 60 can be modularized. Hereinafter, the illumination system 20 is referred to as an illumination system module 12M, the mask stage device 30 is referred to as a mask stage module 14M, the projection optical system 40 is referred to as a projection optical system module 16M, the substrate stage device 50 is referred to as a substrate stage module 18M, and the alignment system 60 is referred to as an alignment system module 20M. Hereinafter, although they are appropriately referred to as "each module 12M to 20M", they are physically configured independently of each other by being mounted on the corresponding stages 28A to 28E.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 , in the liquid crystal exposure device 10 , any (one or more) modules among the modules 12M to 20M (for example, the substrate stage module 18M in FIG. 12 ) can be replaced independently from other modules. At this time, the module to be replaced is replaced integrally with the stands 28A to 28E (the stand 28E in FIG. 12 ) supporting the module.

When the modules 12M to 20M are replaced, the modules 12M to 20M (and the stands 28A to 28E supporting the modules) are moved in the X-axis direction along the surface of the floor 26. Therefore, it is preferable that the stands 28A to 28E are provided with wheels or air-floating devices that can be easily moved on the floor 26. As described above, the liquid crystal exposure device 10 of the present embodiment has excellent maintainability because any module among the modules 12M to 20M can be easily separated from other modules individually. In addition, although FIG. 12 shows that the substrate stage module 18M and the stage 28E move relative to other elements (such as the projection optical system module 16M) in the +X direction (inside the paper) to separate from other elements, the moving direction of the moving target module (and the stage) is not limited to this, and can be, for example, the -X direction (in front of the paper) or the +Y direction (above the paper). In addition, a positioning device can be provided to ensure the reproducibility of the position of each stage 28A to 28E after installation on the ground 26. The positioning device can be provided on each stage 28A to 28E, and the installation position of each stage 28A to 28E can also be reproduced by the cooperative action of the components provided on each stage 28A to 28E and the components provided on the ground 26.

In addition, the liquid crystal exposure device 10 of this embodiment can be independently separated from the above modules 12M-20M, so each module 12M-20M can be upgraded individually. The so-called upgrade includes, for example, upgrading to cope with the enlargement of the exposure target substrate P, and also includes replacing each module 12M-20M with a module with better performance even if the size of the substrate P is the same.

Here, for example, when the substrate P is enlarged, only the area of the substrate P (in this embodiment, the dimensions in the X-axis and Y-axis directions) becomes larger, and the thickness of the substrate P (the dimension in the Z-axis direction) does not substantially change. Therefore, for example, when the substrate stage module 18M of the liquid crystal exposure device 10 is upgraded in response to the enlargement of the substrate P, as shown in FIG. 12, the substrate stage module 18AM and the stand 28G supporting the substrate stage module 18AM are replaced by the substrate stage module 18M. Although the dimensions in the X-axis and/or Y-axis directions will change, the dimensions in the Z-axis direction will not substantially change. Similarly, the size of the mask stage module 14M in the Z-axis direction will not substantially change due to the upgrade in response to the enlargement of the mask M.

Furthermore, for example, to expand the illumination area IAM and the exposure area IA (see FIG. 1 , etc., respectively), the illumination system module 12M and the projection optical system module 16M may be upgraded by increasing the number of illumination optical systems of the illumination system module 12M and the number of projection lens modules of the projection optical system module 16M. Compared with the illumination system module and the projection optical system module before the upgrade (both not shown), only the size of the upgraded illumination system module and the projection optical system module (both not shown) changes in the X-axis and/or Y-axis directions, and the size of the Z-axis direction does not substantially change.

Therefore, the liquid crystal exposure device 10 of the present embodiment has fixed dimensions in the Z-axis direction for the stands 28A to 28E supporting the modules 12M to 20M and the stands supporting the upgraded modules (refer to the stand 28G supporting the substrate stage module 18AM shown in FIG. 12 ). Here, the so-called fixed dimensions refer to the common dimensions in the Z-axis direction of the stands before replacement and the stands after replacement, that is, the dimensions in the Z-axis direction of the stands supporting the modules with the same functions are roughly constant. In this way, the liquid crystal exposure device 10 of the present embodiment can shorten the time for designing each module because the dimensions in the Z-axis direction of each stand 28A to 28E are fixed.

In addition, in the liquid crystal exposure device 10, since the exposure surface of the substrate P and the pattern surface of the mask M are parallel to the direction of gravity (so-called vertical arrangement), the illumination system module 12M, the mask stage module 14M, the projection optical system module 16M and the substrate stage module 18M can be arranged in a row on the ground 26. In this way, since the above modules will not have the effect of each other's own weight, it is not necessary to set up a high-rigidity main frame (body) to support each element, such as the conventional exposure device in which the substrate stage device, projection optical system, mask stage device and illumination system corresponding to the above modules are arranged in a stacked manner in the direction of gravity. In addition, due to the simple structure, the installation work of the device, the maintenance work of each module 12M to 20M, and the replacement work can all be easily carried out in a short time. Furthermore, since the modules can be arranged along the floor 26, the height of the entire device can be reduced. Thus, the chambers for accommodating the modules can be miniaturized, thereby reducing costs and shortening installation time.

Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the wavelength of the light source used in the illumination system 20 and the illumination light IL irradiated from the light source is not particularly limited, and may be ultraviolet light such as ArF excimer laser light (wavelength 193nm), KrF excimer laser light (wavelength 248nm), or vacuum ultraviolet light such as _F2 laser light (wavelength 157nm).

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, although the illumination system body 22 including the light source is driven in the scanning direction, it is not limited to this. For example, the light source may be fixed and only the illumination light IL may be scanned in the scanning direction, similar to the exposure device disclosed in Japanese Patent Gazette No. 2000-12422.

In addition, the illumination area IAM and the exposure area IA are formed as strips extending in the Y-axis direction in the above-mentioned embodiment, but are not limited to this. For example, as disclosed in the specification of U.S. Patent No. 5,729,331, a plurality of areas configured in a sawtooth shape can be combined.

In the above embodiments, the mask M and the substrate P are arranged perpendicular to the horizontal plane (so-called longitudinal arrangement), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the mask M and the substrate P may be arranged parallel to the horizontal plane. In this case, the optical axis of the illumination light IL is substantially parallel to the gravity direction.

Furthermore, although the substrate P is slightly positioned in the XY plane based on the alignment measurement results during the scanning exposure operation, it is also possible to obtain the surface position information of the substrate P before the scanning exposure operation (or in parallel with the scanning exposure operation) and perform surface position control of the substrate P during the scanning exposure operation (so-called autofocus control).

Furthermore, the use of the exposure device is not limited to the exposure device for liquid crystal that transfers the pattern of liquid crystal display elements to a square glass plate, and can also be widely applied to exposure devices for manufacturing organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) panels, exposure devices for manufacturing semiconductors, exposure devices for manufacturing thin-film magnetic heads, microcomputers, and DNA chips, etc. In addition, it can be applied not only to micro-elements such as semiconductor elements, but also to exposure devices that transfer circuit patterns to glass substrates or silicon wafers, etc., for the manufacture of photomasks or reticles used in optical exposure devices, EUV exposure devices, X-ray exposure devices, and electron beam exposure devices.

Furthermore, the object of exposure is not limited to a glass plate, and may be other objects such as a wafer, a ceramic substrate, a thin film component, or a photomask motherboard. Furthermore, when the object of exposure is a substrate for a flat panel display, the thickness of the substrate is not particularly limited, and also includes, for example, a sheet-like object (a flexible sheet-like component). Furthermore, the exposure device of this embodiment is particularly effective when the object of exposure is a substrate with a side length or a diagonal length of more than 500 mm. Furthermore, when the substrate of the object of exposure is a flexible sheet (sheet), the sheet may be formed into a roll shape. In this case, there is no need to rely on the stepping action of the stage device, and the divided area of the exposure object can be easily changed (stepped) relative to the illumination area (illumination light) by rotating (winding) the roll.

Electronic components such as liquid crystal display components (or semiconductor components) are manufactured through the steps of designing the functions and performances of the components, manufacturing a mask (or reticle) according to the design steps, manufacturing a glass substrate (or wafer), transferring the mask (reticle) pattern to the glass substrate by using the exposure apparatus and the exposure method of the above-mentioned embodiments, developing the exposed glass substrate, etching to remove the exposed components other than the part where the photoresist remains, removing the photoresist that is no longer needed after the etching, component assembly, inspection, etc. In this case, the exposure method is implemented using the exposure device of the above - mentioned embodiment in the lithography step to form a device pattern on the glass substrate, thereby being able to manufacture high-integration devices with good productivity. Industrial Applicability

As described above, the exposure device and method of the present invention are suitable for scanning and exposing an object. In addition, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display of the present invention is suitable for the production of flat panel displays. In addition, the device manufacturing method of the present invention is suitable for the production of micro devices.

10, 10A, 10B: liquid crystal exposure device 12M: illumination system module 14M: mask stage module 16M: projection optical system module 18M: substrate stage module 18AM: substrate stage module 20: illumination system 20M: alignment system module 22: illumination system body 28A-28G: stage 30: mask stage device 32: stage body 40, 40A, 40B: projection optical system 42: projection system body 44: drive system 46: measurement system 50: substrate stage device 52: stage body 60, 60A, 60B: alignment system 62, 64: alignment microscope 66: drive system 80: guide 82: scale 84, 86: reading head IA: exposure area IAM: illumination area IL: illumination light M: mask Mk: mark P: substrate S ₁ ~S ₄ : Irradiation area

[Figure 1] is a conceptual diagram of the liquid crystal exposure device of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] is a block diagram showing the input-output relationship of the main control device configured with the control system of the liquid crystal exposure device of Figure 1 as the center. [Figure 3] is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the projection system body and the measurement system for aligning the microscope. [Figures 4 (a) to 4 (d)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the liquid crystal exposure device during the exposure operation (No. 1 to No. 4). [Figures 5 (a) to 5 (d)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the liquid crystal exposure device during the exposure operation (No. 5 to No. 8). [Figures 6 (a) to 6 (c)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the liquid crystal exposure device during the exposure operation (No. 9 to No. 11). [Figures 7 (a) to 7 (c)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the liquid crystal exposure device during the exposure operation (No. 12 to No. 15). [Figures 8 (a) to 8 (d)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the alignment system of the second embodiment (No. 1 to No. 4). [Figures 9 (a) and 9 (b)] are diagrams for explaining the operation of the alignment system and the projection optical system of the third embodiment (No. 1 and No. 2). [Figure 10] is a diagram showing a modification example (No. 1) of the projection optical system and the drive system of the alignment system. [Figure 11] is a diagram showing a modification example (No. 2) of the projection optical system and the drive system of the alignment system. [Figure 12] is a conceptual diagram of module replacement of the liquid crystal exposure device.

10: Liquid crystal exposure device

20: Lighting Department

22: Lighting system

30: Mask carrier device

40: Projection Optics Department

42: Projection system

50: Substrate carrier device

52: Carrier body

62, 64: Align the microscope

IA:Exposure area

IAM: Lighting Area

IL: Illumination light

M: Mask

Mk: Alignment mark

P: Substrate

Claims (37)

An exposure device, which causes a projection optical system to move relative to an object in a scanning direction, and irradiates the object with light through the projection optical system to perform scanning exposure on the object, comprises: a mark detection device, which is arranged on one side of the projection optical system in the scanning direction, and detects a first mark and a second mark arranged at different positions of the object in the scanning direction; and a control device, which causes the projection optical system and the mark detection device to move along the scanning direction; the control device moves the mark detection device to a position where the mark can be detected. The first position of the first mark arranged near the first divided area of the object and the second position of the second mark arranged near the second divided area parallel to the first divided area of the object in the scanning direction can be detected. According to the detection result of the first mark performed by the mark detection device, the projection optical system is moved relative to the first divided area, and according to the detection result of the second mark performed by the mark detection device, the projection optical system is moved relative to the second divided area. An exposure device as described in claim 1, wherein the control device moves the projection optical system after the detection of at least a portion of the mark provided on the object by the mark detection device is completed. The exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2 further comprises: a second detection device disposed on the other side of the projection optical system in the scanning direction; the control device moves the projection optical system according to the detection result of the mark disposed on the object by the mark detection device during the scanning exposure from the other side to the one side, and moves the projection optical system according to the detection result of the mark disposed on the object by the second detection device during the scanning exposure from the one side to the other side. The exposure device as described in claim 3, wherein the control device moves the second detection device to a position where the second mark can be detected before performing the scanning exposure of the second divided area from the one side to the other side. The exposure device as described in claim 3, wherein the control device, during the scanning exposure from the other side to the one side, moves the mark detection device and the projection optical system from the other side to the one side, and moves the second detection device from the other side to the one side. An exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein a scanning exposure operation including the scanning exposure is performed in parallel with at least a portion of a mark detection operation including detection of a mark provided on the object by the mark detection device. The exposure device as described in claim 6, wherein the mark detection action includes the action of moving the mark detection device to a position for performing the mark detection; the scanning exposure action includes the action of moving the projection optical system before the start of the scanning exposure. An exposure device as described in claim 6, wherein the control device, in at least one of the mark detection action and the scanning exposure action, makes the moving speed of the projection optical system different from the moving speed of the mark detection device. An exposure device as described in claim 8, wherein the movement speed of the mark detection device is slower when the mark detection action is performed in parallel with the scanning exposure action, compared to when only the mark detection action is performed. An exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the mark detection device can detect marks with a longer distance between multiple marks on the object compared to the length of the area irradiated by the light in a direction intersecting the scanning direction. An exposure device as described in claim 10, wherein the object has a third and a fourth divided area arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; The mark detection device can simultaneously detect the third mark arranged near the third divided area and the fourth mark arranged near the fourth divided area in the direction intersecting the scanning direction. The exposure device as described in claim 11, wherein the control device, when the area for performing the scanning exposure action is changed from the third divided area to the fourth divided area, causes the object and the projection optical system to move relative to each other in a direction intersecting the scanning direction, and in parallel with the relative movement, causes the mark detection device and the projection optical system to move to the detection start position. An exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical axis of the projection optical system is parallel to the horizontal plane; and the object is arranged so that the exposure surface illuminated by the light is orthogonal to the horizontal plane. An exposure device as described in claim 13, wherein the mark detection device and the projection optical system are configured to be separable from each other. An exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the object is a substrate for a flat panel display device. An exposure device as described in claim 15, wherein the length or diagonal length of at least one side of the substrate is greater than 500 mm. An exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device moves the mark detection device from the one side to the other side in such a manner that the mark detection device detects the second mark during the scanning exposure of the first divided area from the one side to the other side. A method for manufacturing a flat panel display, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2; and developing the exposed object. A device manufacturing method, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure device as described in claim 1 or 2; and developing the exposed object. An exposure method, wherein a projection optical system is moved relative to an object in a scanning direction, and light is irradiated to the object through the projection optical system to perform scanning exposure on the object, comprising: using a mark detection device disposed on one side of the projection optical system in the scanning direction to detect a first mark and a second mark disposed at different positions of the object in the scanning direction; moving the projection optical system and the mark detection device along the scanning direction; moving the mark detection device to a position where it can detect a first mark disposed on the object; The first position of the first mark near the first divided area and the second position of the second mark near the second divided area arranged parallel to the first divided area of the object in the scanning direction can be detected; the projection optical system moves relative to the first divided area according to the detection result of the first mark by the mark detection device; and the projection optical system moves relative to the second divided area according to the detection result of the second mark by the mark detection device. An exposure method as described in claim 20, wherein the projection optical system is moved after the detection of at least a portion of the mark provided on the object by the mark detection device is completed. The exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21, wherein, in the scanning exposure from the other side of the projection optical system to the one side in the scanning direction, the projection optical system is moved according to the detection result of the mark provided on the object by the mark detection device, and in the scanning exposure from the one side to the other side, the projection optical system is moved according to the detection result of the mark provided on the object by the second detection device provided on the other side of the projection optical system in the scanning direction. The exposure method as described in claim 22, wherein before performing the scanning exposure of the second zoned area from the one side to the other side, the second detection device is moved to a position where the second mark can be detected. The exposure method as described in claim 22, wherein, in the scanning exposure from the other side to the one side, the mark detection device and the projection optical system are moved from the other side to the one side, while the second detection device is moved from the other side to the one side. An exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21, wherein a scanning exposure operation including the scanning exposure is performed in parallel with at least a portion of a mark detection operation including detection of a mark provided on the object. The exposure method as described in claim 25, wherein the mark detection action includes the action of moving the mark detection device to a position for performing the mark detection action; the scanning exposure action includes the action of moving the projection optical system before the start of the scanning exposure. An exposure method as described in claim 25, wherein in at least one of the mark detection action and the scanning exposure action, the moving speed of the projection optical system is different from the moving speed of the mark detection device. An exposure method as described in claim 27, wherein the movement speed of the mark detection device is slower when the mark detection action is performed in parallel with the scanning exposure action, compared to when only the mark detection action is performed. An exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21, wherein the mark detection device can detect marks with a longer distance between multiple marks on the object compared to the length of the area irradiated by the light in a direction intersecting the scanning direction. An exposure method as described in claim 29, wherein the object has a third and fourth divided areas arranged side by side in a direction intersecting the scanning direction; the mark detection device can simultaneously detect the third mark arranged near the third divided area and the fourth mark arranged near the fourth divided area in the direction intersecting the scanning direction. The exposure method as described in claim 30, wherein when the area for performing the scanning exposure operation is changed from the third divided area to the fourth divided area, the object and the projection optical system are relatively moved in a direction intersecting the scanning direction, and in parallel with the relative movement, the mark detection device and the projection optical system are moved to the detection start position. An exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21, wherein the optical axis of the projection optical system is parallel to the horizontal plane; and the object is arranged so that the exposure surface illuminated by the light is orthogonal to the horizontal plane. An exposure method as described in claim 32, wherein the mark detection device and the projection optical system are configured to be separable from each other. An exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21, wherein the object is a substrate for a flat panel display device. The exposure method as described in claim 34, wherein the length or diagonal length of at least one side of the substrate is greater than 500 mm. A method for manufacturing a flat panel display, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure method described in claim 20 or 21; and developing the exposed object. A device manufacturing method, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure method as described in claim 20 or 21; and developing the exposed object.