JP2012203151A - Film substrate exposure device and film substrate exposure method - Google Patents

Abstract

A large film substrate is mounted flat on an exposure chuck to improve exposure quality.
The arms 31 and 41 of the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 are raised to lift the film substrate 1 from the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12. The arms 31 and 41 of the respective film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40 are blown out by blowing out gas from a plurality of gas blowing holes 14 provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck 10, auxiliary chuck 11 and auxiliary chuck 12, respectively. The film substrate 1 is transported from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10, and the film substrate 1 is transported from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12. Then, the arms 31 and 41 of the film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40 are lowered, and the film substrate 1 is mounted on the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12.
[Selection] Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to a film substrate exposure apparatus and a film substrate exposure method for exposing a film substrate using a proximity method in the production of a flexible display film substrate having flexibility used in electronic paper, electronic book terminals, and the like. In particular, the present invention relates to a film substrate exposure apparatus and a film substrate exposure method in which a film substrate wound in a roll shape is pulled out and mounted on an exposure chuck, and the exposed film substrate is wound up and collected in a roll shape.

  Display panels such as liquid crystal display devices are competing to reduce the thickness (depth) as the screen is enlarged. Recently, however, flexible display devices such as electronic paper and electronic book terminals are flexible. A flexible display device using a flexible display film substrate having a property has been developed. A film substrate used for such a display film substrate is made of, for example, a flexible transparent plastic resin such as polycarbonate, and has a thickness of several tens to several hundreds of μm.

  When forming circuit patterns, color filters, etc. on a film substrate using photolithography technology, a strip-shaped film substrate with a length of several tens to several hundreds of meters is wound into a roll to facilitate handling of the thin film substrate. A method is generally used in which a film substrate wound in a roll shape is drawn out and exposed, and the exposed film substrate is wound up and collected in a roll shape. Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe such an exposure method.

JP-A-9-274323 JP-A-10-177240

  Since the film substrate is flexible and thin, deformation such as wrinkling, twisting, and bending due to its own weight is likely to occur, and a wide, large film substrate can be mounted on an exposure chuck and supported flatly during exposure. desirable. When the film substrate is supplied to the exposure chuck, if the film substrate is slid and moved on the exposure chuck, there is no deflection due to its own weight, and wrinkles and twists are less likely to occur. However, a film substrate made of a plastic resin such as polycarbonate is easily damaged when it is slid and moved on the exposure chuck. In the display film substrate, a scratch on the back surface is also a cause of failure. Therefore, after the film substrate is once lifted from the exposure chuck and moved, it is necessary to mount it again on the exposure chuck. At this time, as the film substrate becomes larger, it becomes more difficult to mount the film substrate flat on the exposure chuck, and there is a problem that the exposure quality is lowered. Further, a film substrate made of a plastic resin such as polycarbonate has a problem that expansion and contraction due to temperature change is larger than that of a glass substrate, and the film is extended by the heat of exposure light, resulting in a decrease in exposure accuracy.

  An object of the present invention is to improve exposure quality by mounting a large film substrate flat on an exposure chuck. Moreover, the subject of this invention is suppressing the expansion-contraction by the temperature change of a film substrate, and improving exposure accuracy. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to manufacture a high-quality display film substrate.

  A film substrate exposure apparatus of the present invention includes a loader that draws and supplies a flexible film substrate wound in a roll shape, an exposure chuck that mounts the film substrate, a mask holder that holds a mask, and a film substrate. A film that includes an unloader that winds and collects in a roll shape, and transfers a mask pattern to the film substrate by providing a minute gap between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck. In the substrate exposure apparatus, a first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck, and a second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck; A first film substrate transfer device provided between the loader and the first auxiliary chuck, an unloader and a second auxiliary The second film substrate transfer device provided between the chuck and the mask holder is moved and tilted in the Z direction to adjust the gap between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck. A first film substrate, comprising: a Z-tilt mechanism to be performed; and a mask stage that moves the mask holder in the X and Y directions to align the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck. The transport device and the second film substrate transport device each have arms that support both sides of the film substrate, and each arm is raised to expose the film substrate to the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck. And then move each arm to transport the film substrate from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck. The film is transferred from the optical chuck to the second auxiliary chuck, and the respective arms are lowered, and the film substrate is mounted on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, and the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck are mounted. The two auxiliary chucks each have a plurality of gas blowing holes on the surface for blowing out gas and floating the film substrate when the film substrate is transferred by the first film substrate transfer device and the second film substrate transfer device. .

  The film substrate exposure method of the present invention includes a loader that draws and supplies a flexible film substrate wound in a roll, an exposure chuck that mounts the film substrate, a mask holder that holds a mask, and a film An unloader that winds and collects the substrate in a roll is provided, and a fine gap is provided between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck to transfer the mask pattern to the film substrate. In the film substrate exposure method, a first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck, and a second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck. The first film substrate having arms for supporting both sides of the film substrate between the loader and the first auxiliary chuck A feeding device is provided, a second film substrate transport device having arms that support both sides of the film substrate is provided between the unloader and the second auxiliary chuck, and the arms of each film substrate transport device are raised, The film substrate is lifted from the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, and gas is blown out from a plurality of gas blowing holes provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, respectively. While the film substrate is levitated, the arm of each film substrate transfer device is moved so that the film substrate is transferred from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck, and the film substrate is transferred from the exposure chuck to the second auxiliary chuck. Then, the arm of each film substrate transfer device is lowered to expose the film substrate to the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second Mount on the auxiliary chuck, move and tilt the mask holder in the Z direction, align the gap between the mask held on the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck, move the mask holder in the XY direction The mask held by the mask holder is aligned with the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck.

  A first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck, a second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck, and the film substrate is exposed to the exposure chuck. Lift from the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, transport the film substrate from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck, and transport the film substrate from the exposure chuck to the second auxiliary chuck to expose the film substrate. Since it is mounted on the chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the film substrate is flatly supported at the same height as the exposure chuck before and after the exposure chuck by the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck. Thus, deformation such as wrinkling and twisting of the film substrate is suppressed. Then, the first film substrate transport apparatus is configured to blow out a gas such as air from a plurality of gas blowing holes provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, and to float the film substrate. Since the film substrate is transferred by moving the arm of the second film substrate transfer device, the deflection of the film substrate supported on both sides by the arms of each film substrate transfer device is suppressed during the transfer of the film substrate. Is done. Therefore, a large film substrate is mounted flat on the exposure chuck, and the exposure quality is improved.

  Furthermore, in the film substrate exposure apparatus of the present invention, the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck each have a temperature adjustment mechanism. In the film substrate exposure method of the present invention, the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck are each provided with a temperature adjustment mechanism.

  When the film substrate is mounted on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the temperature of the film substrate is adjusted by the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck. Expansion and contraction due to temperature change is suppressed, and exposure accuracy is improved. At this time, since the temperature of the film substrate connected in the longitudinal direction is adjusted by the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck before and after the exposure chuck, the temperature adjustment of the film substrate during exposure by the exposure chuck is effective. Done. Moreover, since the temperature of the film substrate after exposure is adjusted by the second auxiliary chuck, the film substrate after exposure by the unloader is accurately wound.

  Furthermore, in the film substrate exposure apparatus of the present invention, the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck blow out the gas whose temperature is adjusted. The film substrate exposure method of the present invention blows out temperature-adjusted gas from the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck. Expansion and contraction due to temperature changes of the film substrate is suppressed even when the film substrate is transported by a gas such as temperature-controlled air blown out from the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck. Thus, the exposure accuracy is further improved.

  Furthermore, in the film substrate exposure apparatus of the present invention, the exposure chuck has a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate on the surface, and is provided in the peripheral portion from the suction holes provided in the central portion of the exposure chuck. A pneumatic circuit is provided for operating each suction hole stepwise toward the suction hole. In the film substrate exposure method of the present invention, a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate are provided on the surface of the exposure chuck, and the suction holes provided in the central part of the exposure chuck are directed to the suction holes provided in the peripheral part. Thus, each suction hole is operated step by step. Air remains between the central portion of the exposure chuck and the film substrate to prevent the film substrate from being bent. Therefore, a large film substrate is more evenly mounted on the exposure chuck, and the exposure quality is further improved.

  Further, in the film substrate exposure apparatus of the present invention, the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck each have a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate on the surface, and the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck are provided. The auxiliary chuck is provided with a pneumatic circuit that operates each suction hole stepwise from the suction hole provided on the exposure chuck side to the suction hole provided on the opposite side. In the film substrate exposure method of the present invention, a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate are provided on the surfaces of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, respectively, and the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck are provided. Each suction hole is operated stepwise from the suction hole provided on the exposure chuck side of the chuck toward the suction hole provided on the opposite side. The film substrate is prevented from being bent between the exposure chuck and the first auxiliary chuck, and between the exposure chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, and the first film substrate transfer device and the second film substrate transfer device are used. When the film substrate is conveyed, the film substrate is smoothly conveyed.

  According to the present invention, a first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck, and a second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck. The film substrate is lifted from the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the film substrate is transferred from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck, and the film substrate is transferred from the exposure chuck to the second auxiliary chuck. By mounting the film substrate on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the film substrate can be connected to the exposure chuck before and after the exposure chuck by the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck. It is possible to flatly support the film at the same height to suppress deformations such as wrinkles and twists of the film substrate. Then, the first film substrate transport device and the second film are blown while blowing the gas from a plurality of gas blowing holes provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, respectively. By moving the arm of the film substrate transport device and transporting the film substrate, the deflection of the film substrate supported on both sides by the arms of each film substrate transport device is suppressed during the transport of the film substrate. Can do. Therefore, a large film substrate can be mounted flat on the exposure chuck to improve the exposure quality.

  Further, by providing a temperature adjustment mechanism for each of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, when the film substrate is mounted on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, exposure is performed. Since the temperature of the film substrate can be adjusted by the chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the expansion and contraction due to the temperature change of the film substrate can be suppressed, and the exposure accuracy can be improved. At this time, since the temperature of the film substrate connected in the longitudinal direction can be adjusted by the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck before and after the exposure chuck, the temperature adjustment of the film substrate during exposure by the exposure chuck is performed. Can be carried out effectively. Further, since the temperature of the film substrate after exposure can be adjusted by the second auxiliary chuck, the film substrate after exposure by the unloader can be taken up with high accuracy.

  Further, by blowing out the temperature-adjusted gas from the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, the expansion and contraction due to the temperature change of the film substrate is suppressed even when the film substrate is transported. Thus, the exposure accuracy can be further improved.

  Furthermore, a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate are provided on the surface of the exposure chuck, and each suction hole is stepped from the suction hole provided in the central part of the exposure chuck toward the suction hole provided in the peripheral part. By operating, it is possible to prevent the film substrate from being bent due to air remaining between the central portion of the exposure chuck and the film substrate. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the exposure quality by mounting a large film substrate on the exposure chuck more evenly.

  Further, a plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate are provided on the surfaces of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, respectively, and the suction provided on the exposure chuck side of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck. By moving each suction hole stepwise from the hole toward the suction hole provided on the opposite side, between the exposure chuck and the first auxiliary chuck and between the exposure chuck and the second auxiliary chuck. The film substrate can be prevented from being bent, and the film substrate can be smoothly transported when the film substrate is transported by the first film substrate transport device and the second film substrate transport device.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the film substrate exposure apparatus by one embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of a part of film substrate pulled out from a supply roll. It is a perspective view of an exposure chuck and an auxiliary chuck. 4A is a top view of the film substrate transport device, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the film substrate transport device. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of a film substrate conveying apparatus. 6A is a top view of the exposure chuck and the auxiliary chuck, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6A. It is a figure explaining operation | movement of a gas blowing hole. FIG. 8A is a top view of the exposure chuck, and FIG. 8B is a view showing a cross section of the BB portion of FIG. 8A and a configuration of a pneumatic circuit. FIG. 9A is a top view of the auxiliary chuck 11, and FIG. 9B is a view showing a cross section of the CC section of FIG. 9A and a configuration of a pneumatic circuit. FIG. 10A is a top view of the auxiliary chuck 12, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a cross section of the DD section of FIG. 10A and the configuration of the pneumatic circuit.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a film substrate exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The film substrate exposure apparatus includes a loader 3, an unloader 4, an exposure chuck 10, auxiliary chucks 11 and 12, a mask holder 20, a mask stage 21, a Z-tilt mechanism 22, film substrate transport apparatuses 30 and 40, and a constant temperature air supply apparatus 51. , 52 are included. In addition to these, the film substrate exposure apparatus includes an irradiation optical system that irradiates exposure light, a temperature control unit that performs temperature management in the apparatus, and the like.

  The loader 3 includes a supply roll 3a and rollers 3b, 3c, 3d, and 3e. The film substrate 1 before exposure is wound around the supply roll 3a. The rollers 3 b, 3 c, 3 d, and 3 e draw the film substrate 1 before exposure from the supply roll 3 a and supply it to the film substrate transport device 30. The unloader 4 includes a collection roll 4a and rollers 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e. The rollers 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e guide the exposed film substrate 1 from the film substrate transport device 40 to the collection roll 4a. The collection roll 4a winds up and collects the film substrate 1 after exposure.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view of a part of the film substrate drawn from the supply roll. The film substrate 1 is, for example, a belt-like sheet having a width of several hundreds mm, a length of several tens to several hundreds of meters, and a thickness of several tens of μm to several hundreds of μm, and has flexibility such as polycarbonate. Made of transparent plastic resin. On the surface of the film substrate 1, a plurality of exposure regions 1a are arranged in the longitudinal direction, and a photosensitive resin material (photoresist) is applied over each exposure region 1a. Alignment holes 1b for aligning the mask 2 and the film substrate 1 are provided outside the four corners of each exposure region 1a. Further, on both sides of the film substrate 1 outside the exposure area 1a, transport holes 1c for transporting the film substrate 1 in the longitudinal direction are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction.

  In FIG. 1, an exposure chuck 10 is installed between a film substrate transport device 30 and a film substrate transport device 40. An auxiliary chuck 11 having the same height as the exposure chuck 10 is installed on the loader 3 side of the exposure chuck 10, and an auxiliary chuck 12 having the same height as the exposure chuck 10 is installed on the unloader 4 side of the exposure chuck 10. Yes.

  FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exposure chuck and the auxiliary chuck. The film substrate 1 supplied from the loader 3 in FIG. 1 is first transported to the auxiliary chuck 11 by the action of the film substrate transport device 30 and the film substrate transport device 40, and then transported from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10. Subsequently, the wafer is conveyed from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12. The film substrate transport device 30 includes an arm 31, a lifting table 32, and a guide 33. The film substrate transport apparatus 40 includes an arm 41, a lifting table 42, and a guide 43.

  4A is a top view of the film substrate transport device, and FIG. 4B is a side view of the film substrate transport device. 4A and 4B, the arm 31 of the film substrate transport apparatus 30 is mounted on a guide 33 provided on the lifting table 32 and moves in the horizontal direction of the drawing along the guide 33. 4A, the arm 31 has a U-shape when viewed from above, and supports both sides of the film substrate 1 with upper and lower horizontal bars. A plurality of pins 31a are provided on the upper surface of the upper and lower horizontal bar portions. In FIG.4 (b), the raising / lowering table 32 moves up and down, and raises / lowers the arm 31. As shown in FIG. The film substrate transfer device 30 raises the arm 31 by the lifting table 32, inserts each pin 31 a into the transfer hole 1 c provided on both sides of the film substrate 1 from below, and the film substrate 1 is moved by the arm 31. Hold. Further, the film substrate transport device 30 lowers the arm 31 by the lifting table 32, pulls each pin 31 a downward from the transport hole 1 c of the film substrate 1, and separates the arm 31 from the film substrate 1.

  4A and 4B show the film substrate transport device 30, the film substrate transport device 40 has the same configuration as that of the film substrate transport device 30. It is installed symmetrically.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the film substrate transport apparatus. In FIG. 5A, the lift tables 32 and 42 of the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 are in a state where the arms 31 and 41 are lowered. The arm 31 of the film substrate transport device 30 is closer to the loader 3 than the auxiliary chuck 11, and the arm 41 of the film substrate transport device 40 is in a position to sandwich the auxiliary chuck 12. From this state, first, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 raise the arms 31 and 41 by the lift tables 32 and 42 so that the film substrate 1 is exposed to the exposure chuck 10, Lift from the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12. Next, the film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40 move the arm 31 to a position sandwiching the auxiliary chuck 11 as shown in FIG. 5C while synchronizing the arms 31 and 41, and move the arm 41 to the auxiliary chuck. 12 to the unloader 4 side. Thereby, the film substrate 1 is conveyed from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10, and the film substrate 1 is conveyed from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), the film substrate transport apparatuses 30 and 40 lower the arms 31 and 41 by the lift tables 32 and 42, so that the film substrate 1 is exposed to the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chuck 11. And mounted on the auxiliary chuck 12. Then, the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 return the arms 31 and 41 to the position shown in FIG.

  6A is a top view of the exposure chuck and the auxiliary chuck, and FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 6A. The exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12 according to the present embodiment are made of a material having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum, and a porous material such as ceramic having many fine holes on the surface on which the film substrate 1 is mounted. Is stretched. 6A and 6B, a fluid passage 13 is provided inside the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12. The fluid passage 13 is supplied with a temperature-controlled liquid such as water or a gas such as air from a constant temperature fluid supply device (not shown). The exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12 are maintained at a constant temperature by the temperature-adjusted fluid flowing in the fluid passage 13 and come into contact with the film substrate 1 when the film substrate 1 is mounted. Adjust the temperature.

  Since the temperature of the film substrate 1 is adjusted by the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, expansion and contraction due to a temperature change of the film substrate 1 is suppressed, and exposure accuracy is improved. At this time, since the temperature of the film substrate 1 connected in the longitudinal direction is adjusted by the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12 before and after the exposure chuck 10, the temperature adjustment of the film substrate 1 during exposure by the exposure chuck 10 is effective. Done. Moreover, since the temperature of the film substrate 1 after exposure is adjusted by the auxiliary chuck 12, the film substrate 1 after exposure by the unloader 4 is accurately wound.

  In FIG. 6A, a plurality of gas blowing holes 14 are provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12. In FIG. 6B, each gas blowing hole 14 is connected to a gas passage 15 provided in the exposure chuck 10 or the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12, and an ionized constant temperature gas supply device (not shown) is connected to the gas passage 15. From, a gas such as temperature-controlled air containing ions is supplied.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the gas blowing holes. When the film substrate transport device 30 and the film substrate transport device 40 transport the film substrate 1, the gas blowing holes 14 of the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12 are adjusted in temperature including ions as indicated by arrows. A film such as air is blown out to float the film substrate 1 from the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chucks 11 and 12.

  An auxiliary chuck 11 having the same height as the exposure chuck 10 is provided on the loader 3 side of the exposure chuck 10, and an auxiliary chuck 12 having the same height as the exposure chuck 10 is provided on the unloader 4 side of the exposure chuck 10. The film substrate 1 is lifted from the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, and the film substrate 1 is transferred from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10, and the film substrate 1 is transferred from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12. Since it is mounted on the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, the film substrate 1 is flatly supported at the same height as the exposure chuck 10 before and after the exposure chuck 10 by the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12. Deformation of the substrate 1 such as wrinkles and twists is suppressed. The arms 31 of the film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40 are blown out by blowing gas from a plurality of gas blowing holes 14 provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck 10, auxiliary chuck 11 and auxiliary chuck 12, respectively. , 41 and the film substrate 1 is transported, so that when the film substrate 1 is transported, the deflection of the film substrate 1 supported on both sides by the arms 31 and 41 of the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 due to its own weight. It is suppressed. Therefore, the large film substrate 1 is mounted flat on the exposure chuck 10 and the exposure quality is improved.

  Further, the temperature-controlled gas blown out from the gas blowing holes 14 of the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12 suppresses expansion and contraction due to a temperature change of the film substrate 1 when the film substrate 1 is transported. The exposure accuracy is further improved. Furthermore, since the gas blown out from each gas blowing hole 14 contains ions, the generation of static electricity is suppressed by the ions when the film substrate 1 is pulled away from the surfaces of the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12. The

  In FIG. 1, a constant temperature air supply device 51 is provided above the film substrate transfer device 30 and the auxiliary chuck 11. A constant temperature air supply device 52 is provided above the film substrate transport device 40 and the auxiliary chuck 12. The constant temperature air supply devices 51 and 52 supply the temperature-controlled air to the surface of the film substrate 1 as indicated by arrows. The temperature of the surface of the film substrate 1 is more effectively adjusted by the temperature-controlled air supplied from the constant temperature air supply devices 51 and 52, and expansion and contraction due to a temperature change of the film substrate 1 is further suppressed.

  A mask holder 20 that holds the mask 2 is installed above the exposure chuck 10. The mask holder 20 is provided with an opening through which exposure light passes, and the mask 2 is mounted below the opening. A suction groove is provided around the opening on the lower surface of the mask holder 20, and the mask holder 20 holds the peripheral portion of the mask 2 by vacuum suction using the suction groove. An irradiation optical system (not shown) is disposed above the mask 2 held by the mask holder 20. At the time of exposure, exposure light from the irradiation optical system passes through the mask 2 and is irradiated onto the film substrate 1, whereby the pattern of the mask 2 is transferred to the surface of the film substrate 1 and a pattern is formed on the film substrate 1. The

  The mask holder 20 is attached to a mask stage 21, and the mask stage 21 is provided with a plurality of Z-tilt mechanisms 22. Each Z-tilt mechanism 22 moves and tilts the mask stage 21 to which the mask holder 20 is attached in the Z direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 1), thereby the mask 2 held by the mask holder 20 and the exposure chuck 10. Gap alignment with the film substrate 1 mounted on is performed. The mask stage 21 moves the mask holder 20 in the XY direction and rotates it in the θ direction, thereby aligning the mask 2 held on the mask holder 20 and the film substrate 1 mounted on the exposure chuck 10. .

  FIG. 8A is a top view of the exposure chuck, and FIG. 8B is a view showing a cross section of the BB portion of FIG. 8A and a configuration of a pneumatic circuit. In FIG. 8A, a plurality of suction holes 16 are provided on the surface of the exposure chuck 10. Each suction hole 16 is a through hole extending from the front surface to the back surface of the exposure chuck 10 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 8B, the suction hole 16 provided in the central portion of the exposure chuck 10 is connected to a pipe 17 a on the back surface of the exposure chuck 10. The suction hole 16 provided outside the central portion of the exposure chuck 10 is connected to the pipe 17 b on the back surface of the exposure chuck 10. The suction holes 16 provided in the peripheral portion of the exposure chuck 10 are connected to the pipe 17 c on the back surface of the exposure chuck 10.

  A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 17a via an electromagnetic valve 17d. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 17b via an electromagnetic valve 17e. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 17c via an electromagnetic valve 17f. The electromagnetic valves 17d, 17e, and 17f are opened, and air between the film substrate 1 and the exposure chuck 10 is extracted from the suction holes 16 so that the film substrate 1 is vacuum-sucked to the exposure chuck 10. At this time, the electromagnetic valves 17d, 17e, and 17f are opened in that order, and the film is directed from the suction hole 16 provided in the central portion of the exposure chuck 10 toward the suction hole 16 provided in the peripheral portion of the exposure chuck 10. By performing the vacuum suction of the substrate 1 step by step, air remains between the central portion of the exposure chuck 10 and the film substrate 1 to prevent the film substrate 1 from being bent. Therefore, the large film substrate 1 is mounted on the exposure chuck 10 more flatly, and the exposure quality is further improved.

  FIG. 9A is a top view of the auxiliary chuck 11, and FIG. 9B is a view showing a cross section of the CC section of FIG. 9A and a configuration of a pneumatic circuit. In FIG. 9A, a plurality of suction holes 16 are provided on the surface of the auxiliary chuck 11. Each suction hole 16 is a through hole extending from the front surface to the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 11 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 9B, the suction hole 16 provided on the exposure chuck 10 side (right side of the drawing) of the auxiliary chuck 11 is connected to the pipe 18 a on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 11. The suction hole 16 provided in the central portion of the auxiliary chuck 11 is connected to the pipe 18 b on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 11. The suction hole 16 provided on the side opposite to the exposure chuck 10 of the auxiliary chuck 11 (left side in the drawing) is connected to the pipe 18 c on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 11.

  A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 18a through an electromagnetic valve 18d. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 18b via an electromagnetic valve 18e. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 18c through an electromagnetic valve 18f. By opening the electromagnetic valves 18 d, 18 e, and 18 f and extracting air between the film substrate 1 and the auxiliary chuck 11 from the respective suction holes 16, the film substrate 1 is vacuum-adsorbed to the auxiliary chuck 11. After the exposure chuck 10 vacuum-sucks the film substrate 1, the solenoid valves 18d, 18e, and 18f are opened in that order, and the auxiliary chuck 11 is opened from the suction hole 16 provided on the exposure chuck 10 side (right side of the drawing). 11 between the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chuck 11 by performing vacuum suction of the film substrate 1 in a stepwise manner toward the suction hole 16 provided on the opposite side (left side of the drawing) of the exposure chuck 10. The film substrate 1 is prevented from being bent, and the film substrate 1 is smoothly transferred from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10 when the film substrate 1 is transferred by the film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40.

  FIG. 10A is a top view of the auxiliary chuck 12, and FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a cross section of the DD section of FIG. 10A and the configuration of the pneumatic circuit. In FIG. 10A, a plurality of suction holes 16 are provided on the surface of the auxiliary chuck 12. Each suction hole 16 is a through hole extending from the front surface to the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 12 as shown in FIG. In FIG. 10B, the suction hole 16 provided on the exposure chuck 10 side (the left side in the drawing) of the auxiliary chuck 12 is connected to the pipe 19 a on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 12. The suction hole 16 provided in the central portion of the auxiliary chuck 12 is connected to the pipe 19 b on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 12. A suction hole 16 provided on the side of the auxiliary chuck 12 opposite to the exposure chuck 10 (right side of the drawing) is connected to a pipe 19 c on the back surface of the auxiliary chuck 12.

  A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 19a via an electromagnetic valve 19d. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 19b via an electromagnetic valve 19e. A vacuum facility is connected to the pipe 19c through an electromagnetic valve 19f. The electromagnetic valve 19d, 19e, 19f is opened and air between the film substrate 1 and the auxiliary chuck 12 is extracted from each suction hole 16 so that the film substrate 1 is vacuum-adsorbed to the auxiliary chuck 12. After the exposure chuck 10 vacuum-sucks the film substrate 1, the electromagnetic valves 19d, 19e, 19f are opened in that order, and the auxiliary chuck 12 is opened from the suction hole 16 provided on the exposure chuck 10 side (left side of the drawing). The vacuum chucking of the film substrate 1 is performed in a stepwise manner toward the suction hole 16 provided on the opposite side (the right side of the drawing) of the exposure chuck 10 of FIG. The film substrate 1 is prevented from being bent, and the film substrate 1 is smoothly transferred from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12 when the film substrate transfer device 30 or 40 transfers the film substrate 1.

  According to the embodiment described above, the auxiliary chuck 11 having the same height as the exposure chuck 10 is provided on the loader 3 side of the exposure chuck 10, and the auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the unloader 4 side of the exposure chuck 10. A chuck 12 is provided, the film substrate 1 is lifted from the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12, the film substrate 1 is conveyed from the auxiliary chuck 11 to the exposure chuck 10, and the film substrate 1 is transferred from the exposure chuck 10 to the auxiliary chuck 12. And the film substrate 1 is mounted on the exposure chuck 10 before and after the exposure chuck 10 by the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12. Supporting flat at the same height, wrinkles and twisting of the film substrate 1 It is possible to suppress deformation. The arms 31 of the film substrate transfer devices 30 and 40 are blown out by blowing gas from a plurality of gas blowing holes 14 provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck 10, auxiliary chuck 11 and auxiliary chuck 12, respectively. , 41 and moving the film substrate 1, so that when the film substrate 1 is transferred, the film substrate 1 is supported by the arms 31, 41 of the film substrate transfer devices 30, 40. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the large film substrate 1 can be mounted flat on the exposure chuck 10 to improve the exposure quality.

  Further, by providing temperature adjusting mechanisms in the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, respectively, when the film substrate 1 is mounted on the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chuck are mounted. 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12, the temperature of the film substrate 1 can be adjusted. Therefore, the expansion and contraction due to the temperature change of the film substrate 1 can be suppressed, and the exposure accuracy can be improved. At this time, since the temperature of the film substrate 1 connected in the longitudinal direction can be adjusted by the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12 before and after the exposure chuck 10, the temperature of the film substrate 1 during exposure by the exposure chuck 10 can be adjusted. Can be carried out effectively. Moreover, since the temperature of the film substrate 1 after exposure can be adjusted by the auxiliary chuck 12, the film substrate 1 after exposure by the unloader 4 can be taken up with high accuracy.

  Furthermore, by blowing out temperature-adjusted gas from the gas blowing holes 14 of the exposure chuck 10, the auxiliary chuck 11, and the auxiliary chuck 12, expansion and contraction due to temperature changes of the film substrate 1 is suppressed even when the film substrate 1 is transported. Thus, the exposure accuracy can be further improved.

  Further, a plurality of suction holes 16 for vacuum-sucking the film substrate 1 are provided on the surface of the exposure chuck 10, and a step is performed from the suction holes 16 provided in the central part of the exposure chuck 10 toward the suction holes 16 provided in the peripheral part. In addition, by operating each suction hole 16, it is possible to prevent the film substrate 1 from being bent due to air remaining between the central portion of the exposure chuck 10 and the film substrate 1. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the exposure quality by mounting the large film substrate 1 on the exposure chuck more flatly.

  Further, a plurality of suction holes 16 for vacuum-sucking the film substrate 1 are provided on the surfaces of the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12, respectively, and the opposite side from the suction holes 16 provided on the exposure chuck 10 side of the auxiliary chuck 11 and the auxiliary chuck 12. The film substrate 1 is moved between the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chuck 11 and between the exposure chuck 10 and the auxiliary chuck 12 by operating each of the suction holes 16 stepwise toward the suction holes 16 provided in the substrate. The film substrate 1 can be smoothly transported while the film substrate 1 is transported by the film substrate transport devices 30 and 40 by preventing bending.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film substrate 1a Exposure area 1b Alignment hole 1c Transport hole 2 Mask 3 Loader 3a Supply roll 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e Roller 4 Unloader 4a Collection roll 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e Roller 10 Exposure chuck 11, 12 Auxiliary chuck 13 Fluid passage 14 Gas blowout hole 15 Gas passage 16 Adsorption hole 17a, 17b, 17c Piping 17d, 17e, 17f Solenoid valve 18a, 18b, 18c Piping 18d, 18e, 18f Solenoid valve 19a, 19b, 19c Piping 19d, 19e, 19f Solenoid valve 20 Mask holder 21 Mask stage 22 Z-tilt mechanism 30, 40 Film substrate transfer device 31, 41 Arm 32, 42 Lifting table 33, 43 Guide 51, 52 Constant temperature air supply device

Claims (10)

A loader that pulls out and supplies a flexible film substrate wound in a roll shape, an exposure chuck that mounts the film substrate, a mask holder that holds the mask, and an unloader that winds and collects the film substrate in a roll shape In a film substrate exposure apparatus for transferring a mask pattern to a film substrate by providing a minute gap between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck,
A first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck;
A second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck;
A first film substrate transfer device provided between the loader and the first auxiliary chuck;
A second film substrate transfer device provided between the unloader and the second auxiliary chuck;
A Z-tilt mechanism that moves and tilts the mask holder in the Z direction to perform a gap alignment between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck;
A mask stage for moving the mask holder in the XY direction and aligning the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck;
The first film substrate transport device and the second film substrate transport device each have an arm that supports both sides of the film substrate, and each arm is raised to attach the film substrate to the exposure chuck and the first film substrate. The auxiliary substrate is lifted from the auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck, each arm is moved, and the film substrate is conveyed from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck, and the film substrate is transferred from the exposure chuck to the second auxiliary chuck. Transport to the chuck, lower each arm, and mount the film substrate on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck,
The exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck are configured to blow out a gas substrate when the film substrate is transferred by the first film substrate transfer device and the second film substrate transfer device. A film substrate exposure apparatus comprising a plurality of gas blowing holes for floating on the surface.   2. The film substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck has a temperature adjustment mechanism.   3. The film substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck blows out a temperature-adjusted gas. 4. . The exposure chuck has a plurality of suction holes on the surface for vacuum suction of the film substrate,
2. A pneumatic circuit for operating each suction hole in a stepwise manner from a suction hole provided in a central portion of the exposure chuck toward a suction hole provided in a peripheral portion. 4. The film substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 3. Each of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck has a plurality of suction holes on the surface for vacuum-sucking the film substrate,
A pneumatic circuit is provided for operating each suction hole stepwise from a suction hole provided on the exposure chuck side of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck toward a suction hole provided on the opposite side. The film substrate exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film substrate exposure apparatus is a film substrate exposure apparatus. A loader that pulls out and supplies a flexible film substrate wound in a roll shape, an exposure chuck that mounts the film substrate, a mask holder that holds the mask, and an unloader that winds and collects the film substrate in a roll shape In the film substrate exposure method of transferring a mask pattern to the film substrate by providing a minute gap between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck,
A first auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the loader side of the exposure chuck,
A second auxiliary chuck having the same height as the exposure chuck is provided on the unloader side of the exposure chuck,
Provided between the loader and the first auxiliary chuck is a first film substrate transport device having arms that support both sides of the film substrate;
Between the unloader and the second auxiliary chuck, a second film substrate transport device having arms that support both sides of the film substrate is provided.
Raise the arm of each film substrate transfer device to lift the film substrate from the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck,
While blowing gas from a plurality of gas blowing holes provided on the surfaces of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck, respectively, moving the arms of each film substrate transfer device while floating the film substrate, Transporting the film substrate from the first auxiliary chuck to the exposure chuck, and transporting the film substrate from the exposure chuck to the second auxiliary chuck;
Lower the arm of each film substrate transport device, and mount the film substrate on the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck,
Move and tilt the mask holder in the Z direction to adjust the gap between the mask held by the mask holder and the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck,
A film substrate exposure method, wherein the mask holder is moved in the X and Y directions to align the mask held by the mask holder with the film substrate mounted on the exposure chuck.   7. The film substrate exposure method according to claim 6, wherein a temperature adjustment mechanism is provided for each of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck.   8. The film substrate exposure method according to claim 6, wherein the temperature-adjusted gas is blown out from the gas blowing holes of the exposure chuck, the first auxiliary chuck, and the second auxiliary chuck. A plurality of suction holes for vacuum suction of the film substrate are provided on the surface of the exposure chuck,
9. Each suction hole is operated stepwise from a suction hole provided in a central portion of the exposure chuck toward a suction hole provided in a peripheral portion. Film substrate exposure method. A plurality of suction holes for vacuum-sucking the film substrate are provided on the surfaces of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck,
7. Each suction hole is operated stepwise from the suction hole provided on the exposure chuck side of the first auxiliary chuck and the second auxiliary chuck toward the suction hole provided on the opposite side. The film substrate exposure method according to claim 9.

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