Workpiece stage and exposure device

Abstract

The invention relates to a workpiece table and an exposure device. The workpiece table comprises a scanning sliding block, a stepping sliding block, a carrying table, a first driving motor and a force counteracting mechanism, the scanning sliding block is arranged on the foundation and can move in the scanning direction relative to the foundation. The stepping sliding block is arranged on the scanning sliding block, and the stepping sliding block can move in the stepping direction relative to the scanning sliding block; the carrying table is connected to the stepping sliding block and used for carrying a workpiece. The first driving motor is arranged on the foundation and connected with the scanning sliding block, and the first driving motor is used for driving the scanning sliding block to move in the scanning direction; the force counteracting mechanism is arranged on the foundation and is connected with the scanning sliding block; when the stepping sliding block moves in the stepping direction relative to the scanning sliding block, the force counteracting mechanism applies acting force opposite to the moving direction of the stepping sliding block to the scanning sliding block so as to counteract the acting force of the stepping sliding block to the scanning sliding block, and the scanning direction is perpendicular to the stepping direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor and display panel production equipment, and in particular to an exposure device. Background Art

[0002] Photolithography is the most complex and critical process step in the production process of semiconductor chips. It is time-consuming and costly. The difficulty and key point of semiconductor chip production lies in how to make the target circuit pattern on the silicon wafer. This process is achieved through photolithography. The process level of photolithography directly determines the process level and performance level of the chip. Similarly, in the production process of display panels, the most critical thin-film transistor (TFT) is manufactured using photolithography technology, and the photolithography process determines the performance of the display panel.

[0003] As an important equipment for photolithography processing of semiconductors and display panels, the stability and reliability of the exposure device play a key role in the effect of the photolithography process. In recent years, the market has placed increasingly higher demands on the three major performance indicators of display panel exposure devices. The requirement for high resolution mainly comes from the market's requirements for display screens, while the high requirement for overlay accuracy mainly comes from the needs of the organic light emitting display (OLED) panel manufacturing process. Compared with liquid crystal (LCD) panels, the OLED panel manufacturing process requires a much larger number of exposure layers, which requires higher overlay accuracy. In addition, in order to meet the market's requirements for reducing panel production costs, exposure devices have been developing in the direction of larger sizes and higher speeds.

[0004] In the exposure device of the related art, the technical solution for suppressing the driving reaction force when the worktable of the exposure device moves in the scanning direction and the stepping direction is: suppressing the driving reaction force in the scanning direction by externally directing the reaction force of the driving motor to the foundation; and directing the driving reaction force to the foundation through the auxiliary worktable and the rigid guide rail constraint to suppress the driving reaction force in the stepping direction. However, suppressing the driving reaction force in this way is not only structurally complex, but also increases the moving mass of the worktable, resulting in increased heat generation of the driving motor and affecting the deformation of its surrounding structural parts, thereby reducing the exposure quality. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a workpiece stage and an exposure device to address the technical problems in the related art that the solution for suppressing the reaction force in the exposure device is complex in structure and easily leads to reduced exposure quality.

[0006] A workpiece platform, comprising:

[0007] A scanning slider is arranged above the foundation, and the scanning slider can move along a scanning direction relative to the foundation;

[0008] A stepping slider, disposed on the scanning slider, the stepping slider being able to move relative to the scanning slider along a stepping direction perpendicular to the scanning direction;

[0009] A carrier, connected to the stepping slider, and the carrier is used to carry a workpiece;

[0010] A first driving motor is disposed on the foundation and connected to the scanning slider, and the first driving motor is used to drive the scanning slider to move along the scanning direction;

[0011] A force compensation mechanism is disposed on the foundation and connected to the scanning slider;

[0012] When the stepping slider moves relative to the scanning slider along the stepping direction, the force offsetting mechanism applies a force on the scanning slider in the opposite direction of the moving direction of the stepping slider to offset the force of the stepping slider on the scanning slider.

[0013] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage further comprises:

[0014] A first support column is supported on the foundation and fixedly connected to the foundation, and one first support column is respectively arranged on the sides of both ends of the scanning slider along the stepping direction, and the first support column extends along the scanning direction;

[0015] The first driving motor and the force offsetting mechanism are both arranged on the first supporting column.

[0016] In one embodiment, the force compensation mechanism comprises:

[0017] A force-compensating stator, fixedly connected to the first support column, the force-compensating stator extending along the scanning direction;

[0018] A force-compensating mover is connected to the scanning slider, and the force-compensating mover cooperates with the force-compensating stator guide. The force-compensating mover can move relative to the force-compensating definition and exert a force on the scanning slider.

[0019] In one embodiment, the number of the force-compensating movers is two, and the two force-compensating movers are arranged on the force-compensating stator at intervals, and the sum of the torque of the driving force applied to the scanning slider by the two force-compensating movers around the center of gravity of the scanning slider and the torque of the reaction force applied to the scanning slider by the stepping slider around the center of gravity of the scanning slider is zero.

[0020] In one embodiment, the first drive motor comprises:

[0021] A first linear stator, wherein the first linear stator is fixedly connected to the first support column, and an extending direction of the first linear stator is consistent with an extending direction of the first support column;

[0022] A first mover, wherein the first mover is connected to the scanning slider, the first mover cooperates with the first linear stator guide, and the first mover provides a driving force for the movement of the scanning slider relative to the foundation.

[0023] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage further comprises:

[0024] The base is arranged on the foundation, the base is located between the two first supporting columns, and is spaced apart from the first supporting columns and is independent of each other, and the scanning slider is slidably connected to the base.

[0025] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage further comprises:

[0026] A first vibration isolation assembly, a plurality of the first vibration isolation assemblies are arranged at intervals between the base and the foundation, and the first vibration isolation assemblies can absorb vibration from the foundation.

[0027] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage further comprises:

[0028] The second driving motor includes a second linear stator and a second mover, the second linear stator is fixedly connected to the scanning slider, the second mover is connected to the stepping slider, the second mover cooperates with the second linear stator guide, and the second mover is used to provide driving force for the movement of the stepping slider relative to the scanning slider.

[0029] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage further comprises:

[0030] A first guide rail, fixed on the base;

[0031] A first bearing, fixed below the scanning slider and coupled to the first guide rail, moves the scanning slider relative to the first guide rail;

[0032] A second guide rail, provided between the scanning slider and the stepping slider, the second guide rail being fixedly connected to the scanning slider;

[0033] The second air bearing is fixed on the stepping slider and coupled with the first guide rail, and moves the stepping slider relative to the second guide rail.

[0034] An exposure device, the exposure device uses the above workbench, and the exposure device comprises:

[0035] A second support column is arranged outside the first support column and is spaced apart from and independent of the first support column, or the second support column is fixedly connected to the first support column without any space therebetween;

[0036] A second vibration isolation assembly is disposed on the second support column;

[0037] The projection optical assembly, the mask stage and the measuring unit are fixed to the mounting frame on the second vibration isolation assembly through structural members;

[0038] The projection optical assembly is arranged above the workpiece stage;

[0039] The mask stage is arranged above the projection optical assembly;

[0040] The measuring unit is arranged above the mask stage;

[0041] a third driving motor, used for driving the mask stage to move in a scanning direction and in a non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction;

[0042] A third linear stator of the third driving motor is fixedly connected to the second supporting column;

[0043] The third mover of the third driving motor is fixedly connected to two sides of the mask stage.

[0044] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0045] The present invention provides a workpiece stage, the stage is used to carry a workpiece to be exposed, that is, a substrate, a scanning slider is arranged above a foundation, and the scanning slider can move relative to the foundation along a scanning direction, and a stepping slider is arranged on the scanning slider, and the stepping slider can move relative to the scanning slider along a stepping direction perpendicular to the scanning direction. The stage is connected to the stepping slider, so that when the scanning slider moves relative to the foundation along the scanning direction, the scanning slider can drive the stepping slider arranged thereon to move along the scanning direction, thereby driving the stage and the workpiece arranged on the stage to move relative to the foundation along the scanning direction; when the stepping slider moves relative to the scanning slider along the stepping direction, the stage moves relative to the scanning slider along the stepping direction under the drive of the stepping slider, thereby driving the workpiece to move relative to the scanning slider along the stepping direction. It can be understood that if the foundation is uniformly used as a reference object, the workpiece drives the stepping slider and the stage to move relative to the foundation along the scanning direction through the scanning slider; the stage drives the stage to move relative to the foundation along the stepping direction through the stepping slider, thereby realizing the movement of the workpiece relative to the foundation along the scanning direction and the stepping direction. By placing the first linear stator of the first driving motor on the foundation, when the first driving motor drives the scanning slider along the scanning direction, the vibration generated on the first linear stator of the first driving motor can be directly transmitted to the foundation to be absorbed by the foundation. On the other hand, the second linear stator of the second driving motor is fixed on the scanning slider, and the second mover is fixed on the stepping slider. In addition, the stator of the linear motor used for the force offset mechanism is placed on the foundation, and its mover is connected to the scanning slider. When the stepping slider is moved relative to the scanning slider by driving the second driving motor, the reaction force generated on the second linear stator acts on the scanning slider. At this time, the force offset mechanism applies a force opposite to the moving direction of the stepping slider to the scanning slider to offset the force of the stepping slider on the scanning slider. In the present application, the driving reaction force is directly offset by the force offset mechanism, thereby effectively offsetting the vibration of the scanning slider caused by driving the stepping slider, and the force offset stator of the force offset mechanism is set on the foundation, and the vibration caused by the force offset mechanism is directly led to the foundation, so that the force offset mechanism basically does not cause vibration of the scanning slider and the stepping slider, thereby ensuring the movement accuracy and reliability of the workpiece stage. In addition, there is no need to add an auxiliary workpiece stage to lead the driving force to the foundation, so that the movement weight of the exposure device can be not increased while ensuring the suppression or elimination of the vibration caused by the reaction force, thereby effectively suppressing the heat generation of the exposure device, thereby improving the exposure quality.

[0046] The present invention provides an exposure device, which applies the workpiece stage of the above invention to an exposure machine, wherein the exposure machine supports the workpiece stage and other components of the exposure machine with independent vibration isolation units, effectively isolating the influence of the workpiece stage on other units, and can improve the scanning and stepping movement speeds of the exposure machine to achieve the production efficiency of the exposure machine. Here, the other units mainly include mask stages, projection optical components, measurement units and other components of the exposure machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a workpiece platform provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0048] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of two force-compensating movers used in a workpiece table force-compensating mechanism provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of two force offset mechanisms provided in a workpiece table according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a structure in which two force offset mechanisms are arranged in a workpiece stage provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and the force offset mechanisms are connected to the top surface of a scanning slide;

[0051] Figure 5 A schematic structural diagram of an exposure device provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0052] Figure 6 Another schematic structural diagram of an exposure device provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0053] Figure 7 Another schematic structural diagram of an exposure device provided in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0054] Reference numerals:

[0055] Workpiece stage mechanism 100; scanning slider 110; first drive motor 111; first linear stator 1111; first mover 1112; stepping slider 120; second guide rail 121; second air bearing 122; second drive motor 123; second linear stator 1231; second mover 1232; stage 130; first displacement measuring member 131; first reflector 1311; first displacement measuring device 1312; force compensation mechanism 140; force compensation stator 141; force compensation mover 142; first support column 150; base 160; load-bearing guide rail 161; air bearing 162; first guide rail 163; first air bearing 164; first vibration isolation assembly 165; second support column 170; foundation 200; mask stage 300; second displacement measuring member 310; second reflector 311; second displacement measuring device 312; third linear stator 320; third mover 330; first support column 340; stator bracket 350; third guide rail 360; third air bearing 370; mask plate 380; support frame 390; substrate 400; focusing and positioning measurement assembly 500; mounting frame 510; second support column 520; measuring unit 530; second vibration isolation assembly 540; mounting frame 550; projection optical assembly 600, stepping direction Y; vertical direction Z. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] In order to make the above-mentioned purpose, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the specific embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present invention, so the present invention is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0058] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0059] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0060] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0061] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0062] Before describing the specific implementation examples of the present application, the working principle of the exposure device is briefly described:

[0063] Semiconductor and display panel exposure devices usually include a light source, a mask, a workpiece stage, a projection optical component, etc. The workpiece stage includes a carrier for carrying a workpiece (the semiconductor exposure machine carries a wafer coated with photoresist, while the display panel exposure machine carries a glass substrate coated with photoresist). The exposure light (for example, ultraviolet light) with uniform intensity emitted from the light source is adjusted by the illumination optical component to point to the same direction. Afterwards, the exposure light passes through the mask plate that is engraved as a prototype of the circuit pattern, and the circuit pattern is transferred to the substrate or semiconductor element through the projection optical component. The substrate is used as an example to illustrate below. Since the exposure field formed by the projection optical component of the exposure device is generally a spliced ​​long strip or arc shape, the mask stage supporting the mask plate and the carrier supporting the substrate need to move synchronously at a uniform speed along the scanning direction during exposure, so that the position of the substrate to be exposed and the position corresponding to the mask plate are synchronously moved to the corresponding position of the projection optical component. Since the mask is usually much smaller than the substrate, taking the exposure machine model G8.5 as an example, the size of the mask is about one-fourth of the substrate. In this way, when exposing the entire substrate, the substrate is divided into four exposure areas for exposure. At least four scanning synchronous movements are required for the exposure of the four exposure areas. For this reason, the stage used to carry the substrate needs to make at least four stepping movements along the stepping direction to align the mask with the different exposure areas of the substrate. Among them, the scanning direction refers to the movement of the mask and the substrate in the same direction in order to achieve exposure, so that the exposure light can be irradiated on the entire mask and the designated exposure area on the substrate; the stepping direction refers to the direction in which the stage needs to drive the substrate to move relative to the mask in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction in order to expose the next exposure area of ​​the substrate.

[0064] See also Figures 1 to 7 One embodiment of the present invention provides a workpiece stage and an exposure device using the workpiece stage. Figures 1 to 7 The same number symbol in the figure indicates parts with the same function.

[0065] See also Figures 1 to 7An embodiment of the workpiece stage of the present invention includes a scanning slider 110, a stepping slider 120, a carrier 130, a first driving motor 111, a second driving motor 123 and a force compensation mechanism 140; the scanning slider 110 is arranged above the foundation 200, and the scanning slider 110 can move relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction X; the stepping slider 120 is arranged on the scanning slider 110, and the stepping slider 120 can move relative to the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y; the carrier 130 is connected to the stepping slider 120, and the carrier 130 is used to carry the workpiece; the first driving motor 111 is arranged on the foundation 200 and connected to the scanning slider 110, and the first driving motor 111 is connected to the scanning slider 110. 11 is used to drive the scanning slider 110 to move along the scanning direction X; the second driving motor 123 is arranged on the scanning slider 110 and is connected to the stepping slider 120, the second driving motor 123 is used to drive the stepping slider 120 to move along the stepping direction Y, the force offset mechanism 140 is arranged on the foundation 200 and is connected to the scanning slider 110; wherein, when the stepping slider 120 moves relative to the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, the force offset mechanism 140 applies a force to the scanning slider 110 that is opposite to the moving direction of the stepping slider 120 to offset the force of the stepping slider 120 on the scanning slider 110, and the scanning direction is perpendicular to the stepping direction Y.

[0066] The technical solution provides a workpiece stage and an exposure device, wherein a stage 130 is used to carry a workpiece to be exposed, a scanning slider 110 is arranged above a foundation 200, and the scanning slider 110 can move relative to the foundation 200 along a scanning direction X, and a stepping slider 120 is arranged on the scanning slider 110, and the stepping slider 120 can move relative to the scanning slider 110 along a stepping direction Y. The stage 130 is connected to the stepping slider 120, so that when the scanning slider 110 moves relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction X, the scanning slider 110 can drive the stepping slider 120 arranged thereon to move along the scanning direction, thereby driving the stage 130 and the workpiece arranged on the stage 130 to move relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction X; when the stepping slider 120 moves relative to the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, the stage 130 is driven by the stepping slider 120 to move relative to the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, thereby driving the workpiece to move relative to the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y. It is understandable that if the foundation 200 is uniformly used as a reference object, the workpiece drives the stepping slider 120 and the stage 130 to move relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction X through the scanning slider 110; and drives the stage 130 to move relative to the foundation 200 along the stepping direction Y through the stepping slider 120, thereby realizing the movement of the workpiece relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction and the stepping direction Y. By arranging the first driving motor 111 on the foundation 200, when the first driving motor 111 drives the scanning slider 110 along the scanning direction, the vibration generated by the first driving motor 111 can be directly transmitted to the foundation 200 to be absorbed by the foundation 200. The second driving motor 123 is disposed on the scanning slider 110 and connected to the stepping slider 120. The second driving motor 123 is used to drive the stepping slider 120 to move along the stepping direction Y, and the force compensation mechanism 140 is disposed on the foundation 200 and connected to the scanning slider 110, so that when the stepping slider 120 moves relative to the scanning slider 110, the stepping slider 120 applies a force along the stepping direction Y to the scanning slider 110. At this time, the force compensation mechanism 140 applies a force opposite to the moving direction of the stepping slider 120 to the scanning slider 110 to offset the force of the stepping slider 120 on the scanning slider 110. In the present application, the driving reaction force is directly offset by the force offset mechanism 140, which helps to suppress the vibration of the scanning slider 110 caused by the driving force, and the force offset mechanism 140 is set on the foundation 200, and the vibration caused by the force offset mechanism 140 is directly led to the foundation 200, so that the force offset mechanism 140 basically does not cause the vibration of the scanning slider 110 and the stepping slider 120, etc., thereby ensuring the movement accuracy and reliability of the workpiece stage. In addition, there is no need to add an auxiliary workpiece stage to lead the driving force to the foundation, so that the movement weight of the exposure device will not be increased while ensuring sufficient vibration suppression, thereby effectively suppressing the heat generation of the exposure device, thereby improving the exposure quality.

[0067] It should be noted that in this application, for ease of understanding, Figure 1 As described above, the scanning direction is along the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, that is, the front-to-back direction; the stepping direction Y is the left-to-right direction.

[0068] In this embodiment, the scanning slider 110, the stepping slider 120 and the stage 130 are all rectangular plate structures. Considering that the stepping slider 120 is connected to the scanning slider 110 and can move relative to the scanning slider 110, in order to ensure that the stepping slider 120 has a sufficient movement stroke relative to the scanning slider 110, the size of the scanning slider 110 should be set larger than that of the stepping slider 120; while the size of the stepping slider 120 and the stage 130 is not much different.

[0069] There is no limitation on the connection method between the first driving motor 111 and the force compensation mechanism 140 and the foundation 200. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the workpiece stage also includes a first support column 150, which is supported on the foundation 200 and fixedly connected to the foundation 200. A first support column 150 is respectively arranged on the sides of both ends of the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, and the first support column 150 extends along the stepping direction Y; the first drive motor 111 and the force compensation mechanism 140 are both arranged on the first support column 150. By respectively arranging a first support column 150 on the sides of both ends of the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, and by arranging the first drive motor 111 and the force compensation mechanism 140 on the first support column 150. It can be understood that the top surface of the first support column 150 can be flush with the bottom surface of the scanning slider 110, or it can be higher or lower than the top surface of the scanning slider 110. It depends on the specific arrangement of the vision compensation mechanism 140, the first support column 150 and the scanning slider 110. For example, as Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the force compensation mechanism 140 is connected to the side end surface of the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y, and is connected to the top surface of the first support column 150. In this case, the top surface of the first support column 150 is flush with the bottom surface of the scanning slider 110 or slightly lower than the bottom surface of the scanning slider 110. Figure 4 As shown, in some other embodiments, the first support column 150 is constructed as an inverted L-shaped structure, and the force compensation mechanism 140 is connected to the side surface of the long plate section of the first support column 150 facing the scanning slider 110 and the side end surface of the scanning slider 110 facing one end of the first support column 150. In this case, in order to facilitate the arrangement of the first drive motor 111, the top surface of the first support column 150 is set to be higher than the top surface of the scanning slider 110.

[0070] There is no limitation on the connection position between the first driving motor 111 and the first supporting column 150. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in some embodiments, a support step is provided on the first support column 150, and the support step is located below the scanning slider 110. The first driving motor 111 is supported and connected to the support step and is connected to the bottom surface of the scanning slider 110. Figure 4 As shown, in some other embodiments, the first driving motor 111 is connected to the top surface of the scanning slider 110 , and is connected to the side of the first supporting column 150 facing the scanning slider 110 .

[0071] Specifically, the first driving motor 111 includes a first linear stator 1111 and a first mover 1112. The first linear stator 1111 is fixedly connected to the first support column 150, and the extension direction of the first linear stator 1111 is consistent with the extension direction of the first support column 150; the first mover 1112 is connected to the scanning slider 110, and the first mover 1112 is guided and cooperated with the first linear stator 1111, and the first mover 1112 provides driving force for the movement of the scanning slider 110 relative to the foundation 200.

[0072] By fixing the first linear stator 1111 to the first support column 150, and setting the extension direction of the first linear stator 1111 to be consistent with the extension direction of the first support column 150; connecting the first mover 1112 to the scanning slider 110, and guiding the first mover 1112 to cooperate with the first linear stator 1111, so that when the first mover 1112 moves relative to the first linear stator 1111, the scanning slider 110 can be driven by the first mover 1112 to move along the extension direction of the first linear stator 1111. Specifically, when the stage 130 needs to perform a scanning motion, the controller (not shown in the figure) sends a command to the first drive motor 111, so that the first drive motor 111 drives the scanning slider 110 to move along the scanning direction. At this time, the driving force generated in the first drive motor 111 is transmitted to the scanning slider 110 through the first mover 1112, and the scanning slider 110 performs a scanning motion with the various components installed thereon. The driving reaction force is transmitted to the first support column 150 through the first linear stator 1111 and then enters the foundation 200 .

[0073] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage of the exposure device also includes a second drive motor 123, the second drive motor 123 includes a second linear stator 1231 and a second mover 1232, the second linear stator 1231 is fixedly connected to the scanning slider 110, the second mover 1232 is connected to the stepping slider 120, the second mover 1232 is guided and cooperated with the second linear stator 1231, and the second mover 1232 is used to provide driving force for the movement of the stepping slider 120 relative to the scanning slider 110.

[0074] The second linear stator 1231 is fixedly connected to the top surface of the scanning slider 110, and the second mover 1232 is connected to the bottom of the stepping slider 120, and the second mover 1232 moves relative to the second linear stator 1231 to drive the stepping slider 120 to move relative to the scanning slider 110. Specifically, the second linear stator 1231 extends along the stepping direction Y to ensure that the second mover 1232 moves the stepping slider 120 along the required distance in the stepping direction.

[0075] When the stage 130 needs to make a stepping motion, the controller sends a command to the second drive motor 123, so that the second drive motor 123 drives the stepping slider 120 to move along the stepping direction Y. At this time, the driving force generated in the second drive motor 123 is transmitted to the stepping slider 120 through the second mover 1232, and the stepping slider 120 performs a stepping motion with the various components installed thereon. The reaction force on the stepping slider 120 is transmitted to the scanning slider 110 through the second linear stator 1231, and the direction of the reaction force is opposite to the moving direction of the stepping slider 120. It should be understood that when the controller sends a command to the second drive motor 123, a drive command of the same size and opposite direction is sent to the force offset mechanism 140, and the force generated in the force offset mechanism 140 offsets the reaction force generated in the scanning slider 110.

[0076] In one embodiment, the workpiece stage of the exposure device also includes a second guide rail 121 and a second air bearing 122, the second guide rail 121 is arranged between the scanning slider 110 and the stepping slider 120, and the second guide rail 121 is fixedly connected to the scanning slider 110; the second air bearing 122 is connected to the second guide rail 121 and the stepping slider 120 to guide the movement of the stepping slider 120 relative to the scanning slider 110.

[0077] By setting a second guide rail 121 and a second air bearing 122 between the scanning slider 110 and the stepping slider 120, the movement of the stepping slider 120 relative to the scanning slider 110 is guided. By setting a second air bearing 122 between the scanning slider 110 and the stepping slider 120, since the air bearing has almost zero friction resistance and low friction, it has a uniforming effect on the guide rail surface error, so that high-precision linear motion can be achieved, thereby making the stepping slider 120 move smoothly relative to the scanning slider 110 with high displacement accuracy.

[0078] In one embodiment, the force compensating mechanism 140 includes a force compensating stator 141 and a force compensating mover 142. The force compensating stator 141 is fixedly connected to the first support column 150, and the force compensating stator 141 extends along the scanning direction; the force compensating mover 142 is connected to the scanning slider 110, and the force compensating mover 142 is guided and matched with the force compensating stator 141. The force compensating mover 142 can move relative to the force compensating stator 141 and exert force on the scanning slider 110.

[0079] Specifically, the force-compensating stator 141 is a linear stator. Since the force-compensating mechanism 140 is configured in the form of a linear motor, the force-compensating mover 142 is physically isolated from the force-compensating stator 141. Therefore, the vibration of the force-compensating stator 141 will not be transmitted to the force-compensating mover 142, thereby achieving the suppression of the influence of the reaction force in the stepping direction Y, thereby ensuring the stability of the exposure equipment operation and the exposure accuracy.

[0080] It should be understood that in order to improve the reliability of the operation and force offset of the force offset mechanism 140, a detection member for measuring the acceleration generated by the reaction force in the stepping direction Y can be provided on the scanning slider 110, or the magnitude of the reaction force in the stepping direction Y can be inferred by other motion parameters to determine the driving force required by the force offset mechanism 140 and control it. Specifically, an acceleration sensor is provided at an appropriate position of the scanning slider 110 to obtain the acceleration generated by the reaction force. The acceleration generated by the reaction force is quantitatively determined by the acceleration sensor, so that the force offset mechanism 140 can be effectively controlled by the controller to offset the reverse force generated on the scanning slider 110, thereby improving the reliability of the force offset.

[0081] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment, the number of the force-compensating movers 142 is two, and the two force-compensating movers 142 are arranged at intervals on the force-compensating stator 141. The sum of the torque of the driving force applied to the scanning slider 110 by the two force-compensating movers 142 around the center of gravity of the scanning slider 110 and the torque of the reaction force applied to the scanning slider 110 by the stepping slider 120 around the center of gravity of the scanning slider 110 is zero.

[0082] It is worth noting that, because the force-compensating mover 142 of the force-compensating mechanism 140 in the stepping direction Y is fixed on the scanning slider 110, when the carrier 130 performs a scanning motion, the force-compensating mover 142 also moves with the scanning slider 110. The force-compensating stator 141 extends along the scanning direction, and its length covers the stroke in the scanning direction, that is, the force-compensating stator 141 is a long strip stator. If the force-compensating mechanism 140 for the reaction force in the stepping direction Y uses only one force-compensating mover 142, the force generated by the force-compensating mechanism 140 for the reaction force in the stepping direction Y must always be kept passing through the mass center of the scanning slider 110 in the scanning direction. If it is difficult to pass through the above-mentioned mass center, the force-compensating mechanism 140 for the reaction force in the stepping direction Y can be controlled by two force-compensating movers 142, that is, two force-compensating movers 142 spaced apart are provided on one force-compensating stator 141. In this way, the resultant force of the driving forces of the two force-offsetting movers 142 needs to be reasonably distributed to be equal to the driving reaction force on the scanning slider 110, and the sum of the torque of the reaction force around the mass center of gravity of the scanning slider 110 and the torque of the driving forces of the two force-offsetting movers 142 around the mass center of gravity of the scanning slider 110 needs to be zero. By arranging two force-offsetting movers 142 on one force-offsetting stator 141, it is easier to control the force-offsetting effect than by arranging one force-offsetting mover 142.

[0083] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a force compensation mechanism 140 is provided on one side of the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y; Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in another embodiment, force compensation mechanisms 140 may also be arranged at both ends of the scanning slider 110 along the stepping direction Y. It should be noted that the force compensation mechanisms 140 are arranged in a symmetrical manner, and when the reaction force is offset, the force compensation mechanisms 140 on both sides need to coordinately control the reaction force.

[0084] like Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in one embodiment, the workpiece stage further includes a base 160, the base 160 is disposed on the foundation 200, the base 160 is located between the two first support columns 150, and is spaced apart from the first support columns 150 and is independent of each other, and the scanning slider 110 is slidably connected to the base 160. Further, the exposure device further includes a first vibration isolation assembly 165, a plurality of first vibration isolation assemblies 165 are spaced apart between the base 160 and the foundation 200, and the first vibration isolation assembly 165 can absorb the impact force on the base 160.

[0085] By arranging the base 160 between the two first support columns 150 and spacing the base 160 from the first support columns 150, the base 160 and the first support columns 150 are independent of each other and do not affect each other. By slidably connecting the scanning slider 110 with the base 160, the scanning slider 110 can be supported by the base 160 while being able to move relative to the foundation 200 along the scanning direction. By arranging a plurality of first vibration isolation components 165 spaced apart between the foundation 200 and the base 160, the first vibration isolation components 165 can absorb vibration from the foundation 200, thereby making the scanning slider 110 move more smoothly, thereby improving the exposure accuracy. It can be understood that since the scanning slider 110, the stepping slider 120 and the carrier 130 are arranged on the base 160, and the base 160 is separated from the foundation 200 by the first vibration isolation component 165, therefore, although the reaction force generated during the scanning movement enters the foundation 200, it is hardly transmitted to the carrier 130, so that the scanning slider 110 can move more smoothly, thereby improving the exposure accuracy.

[0086] Specifically, the first vibration isolation assembly 165 is an active vibration isolation device, which is composed of an air spring made of a corrugated airbag, a servo control valve, a sensor for monitoring the vibration of the foundation 200, and a controller. The upper end of the first vibration isolation assembly 165 is connected to the base 160, and the other end is connected to the foundation 200. The air spring absorbs the vibration on the base 160 and keeps the base 160 horizontal, thereby also keeping the carrier mounted thereon horizontal.

[0087] Furthermore, if Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the scanning slider 110 can move relative to the base 160, and a load-bearing guide rail 161 and an air bearing 162 are arranged between the base 160 and the scanning slider 110. The load-bearing guide rail 161 is arranged on the base 160, and the air bearing 162 is arranged on the scanning slider 110. The air bearing 162 and the load-bearing guide rail 161 are guided and matched. There are two load-bearing guide rails 161, and the two load-bearing guide rails 161 are arranged at intervals along the stepping direction Y. The air bearings 162 correspond to the load-bearing guide rails 161 one by one. A first guide rail 163 and a first air bearing 164 are arranged between the two load-bearing guide rails 161. The first guide rail 163 is fixedly connected to the base 160, and the first air bearing 164 is arranged on the scanning slider 110. The first air bearing 164 and the first guide rail 163 are guided and matched. It should be understood that, in the present embodiment, the load-bearing guide rail 161 and the first guide rail 163 both extend along the scanning direction so as to provide guidance when the scanning slider 110 moves relative to the base 160 along the scanning direction.

[0088] like Figures 5 to 7As shown, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an exposure device, which uses the above workpiece stage, and includes a second support column 170, a second vibration isolation assembly 540, a projection optical assembly 600 and a third drive motor. The second support column 170 is arranged on the outside of the first support column 150, and the second support column 170 and the first support column 150 are spaced apart and independent of each other, or the second support column 170 and the first support column 150 are not spaced apart and are fixedly connected together; the second vibration isolation assembly 540 is arranged on the second support column 170; the mask stage 300 and The measuring unit is fixed to the mounting frame 550 on the second vibration isolation assembly 540 through structural parts; the projection optical assembly 600 is arranged above the workpiece stage; the mask stage 300 is arranged above the projection optical assembly 600; the measuring unit is arranged above the mask stage 300; the third drive motor is used to drive the mask stage 300 to perform scanning movement and non-scanning movement perpendicular to the scanning direction; the third linear stator 320 of the third drive motor is fixedly connected to the second support column 170; the third mover 330 of the third drive motor is fixedly connected to both sides of the mask stage 300.

[0089] It should be understood that in this embodiment, for the technical solution that there is no gap between the second support column 170 and the first support column 150 and they are fixedly connected together, in some embodiments, such as Figure 6 As shown, the first support column 150 and the second support column 170 are two parts, and the two parts are fixedly connected together by a fixing member; in another embodiment, as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown, the first support column 150 and the second support column 170 can be provided as a same component.

[0090] In one embodiment, the exposure device further includes a second support column 170 and a mask stage 300, and a second support column 170 is respectively disposed on the side of the two first support columns 150 away from the scanning slider 110, and the second support column 170 is spaced apart from the first support column 150 and is independent of each other;

[0091] Both ends of the mask stage 300 are connected to the two second support columns 170 , respectively. The mask stage 300 can move along the scanning direction relative to the second support columns 170 . The mask stage 300 is disposed above the carrier 130 .

[0092] By arranging the second support column 170 and the first support column 150 at intervals, the first support column 150 and the second support column 170 are independent of each other and do not affect each other. By connecting the two ends of the mask stage 300 to the two second support columns 170 respectively, the mask stage 300 is supported by the second support columns 170. By arranging the mask stage 300 to be movable relative to the second support columns 170 along the scanning direction, the mask stage 300 and the stage 130 can be synchronously moved along the scanning direction, so as to realize exposure of the corresponding part of the substrate 400 on the stage 130.

[0093] like Figure 5 As shown, the exposure device provided by the embodiment of the present invention further includes a light source (not shown in the figure) and a focus and position measurement component 500. From the vertical direction Z, the focus and position measurement component 500 is arranged above the mask stage 300, and the light source is arranged above the focus and position measurement component 500. The mask stage 300 carries the mask plate 380 and mainly performs scanning motion. A projection optical component 600 is arranged below the mask stage 300. The stage 130 carries the substrate 400 coated with photoresist and performs scanning motion and stepping motion. The exposure process of the substrate 400 is realized by the above components. In order to ensure the movement accuracy of the mask stage 300 and the stage 130, a second displacement measurement component 310 is arranged on the mask stage 300 for measuring the displacement of the mask stage 300 along the scanning direction; a first displacement measurement component 131 is arranged on the stage 130 for measuring the displacement of the stage 130 along the scanning direction and the stepping direction Y.

[0094] Furthermore, a first pillar 340 is provided on the top of each second support column 170, a stator bracket 350 is provided on the first pillar 340, the third linear stator 320 is connected to the stator bracket 350, the third mover 330 is connected to the mask stage 300, the third mover 330 and the third linear stator 320 are linked, and the third mover 330 provides driving force for the mask stage 300 to move along the scanning direction.

[0095] like Figure 5As shown, a mounting frame 550 is also provided on the second support column 170, and a focus adjustment and positioning measurement assembly 500 is fixed on the mounting frame 550. The focus adjustment and positioning measurement assembly 500 includes a measurement unit 530, a mounting frame 510 and a second support column 520. The second support column 520 is provided on the mounting frame 550, and the mounting frame 510 is fixedly connected to the second support column 520. It can be understood that in this embodiment, the number of the mounting frame 550 and the second support column 520 corresponds to the number of the second support column 170. The measurement unit 530 is provided on the mounting frame 510 and is composed of more than one group of microscopes with variable magnification. A second vibration isolation assembly 540 is provided between the mounting frame 550 and the second support column 170. A projection optical assembly 600 is provided at a slightly intermediate position between the two mounting frames 550, and the projection optical assembly 600 is connected to the two mounting frames 550. The projection optical assembly 600 is provided between the mask stage 300 and the carrier 130.

[0096] Furthermore, if Figure 5 As shown, a support frame 390 is also provided on the mounting frame 550 , a third guide rail 360 is provided on the support frame 390 , and a third air bearing 370 is provided below the mask stage 300 , and the third air bearing 370 is guided and matched with the third guide rail 360 .

[0097] Through the above structure, the projection optical component 600, the mask stage 300, and the focus and position measurement component 500 each have their own vibration isolation device with the base 160. This arrangement is not only independent of each other in support, but also isolated from each other in vibration and not affected by each other.

[0098] The second displacement measuring member 310 for measuring the displacement of the mask stage 300 includes a second reflector 311 and a second displacement measuring device 312 . The second reflector 311 is mounted on the mask stage 300 , and the second displacement measuring device 312 is fixed on the second pillar 520 of the focusing and positioning measuring assembly 500 .

[0099] The first displacement measuring member 131 for measuring the displacement of the stage 130 further includes a first reflector 1311 and a first displacement measuring device 1312 . The first reflector 1311 is disposed on the stage 130 , and the first displacement measuring device 1312 is fixed on the mounting frame 550 of the projection optical assembly 600 .

[0100] For the sake of ease of description, the components used to realize the movement of the substrate 400 along the scanning direction X and the stepping direction Y are collectively referred to as the above-mentioned workpiece stage mechanism 100. The workpiece stage mechanism 100 includes a base 160, a scanning slider 110, a stepping slider 120, a carrier 130, and a driving motor for realizing the relative movement of these components, a guide component, a force compensation mechanism 140, etc.

[0101] In the present application, the second vibration isolation device of the projection optical assembly 600, the mask stage 300 and the focus and position adjustment measurement assembly 500 is arranged between the mounting frame 550 and the second support column 170, and the first vibration isolation device of the carrier 130 is arranged between the base 160 and the foundation 200, and the two are isolated from each other and independent in vibration. In this way, when the large-mass workpiece stage mechanism 100 and the relatively small-mass mask stage 300 move at high acceleration, the driving reaction force generated will not be transmitted to each other's mechanical structure. It is well known that the reaction force generated by the movement of the workpiece stage mechanism 100 is generally several times the reaction force generated by the movement of the mask stage 300, especially when the movement is at high acceleration, the vibration of the entire exposure device is greatly affected, which is one of the main obstacles to improving the cycle of the exposure device. By supporting the workpiece stage mechanism 100 with an independent vibration isolation device, the influence of the workpiece stage mechanism 100 on the projection optical assembly 600, the mask stage 300 and the measuring piece is basically suppressed, which provides a strong prerequisite for ensuring the exposure accuracy.

[0102] When the mask stage 300 performs acceleration motion, the driving reaction force of the third driving motor is transmitted to the second support column 170 extending from the foundation 200 through the third linear stator 320, the stator bracket 350 and the first support column 340. Since the third mover 330 of the third driving motor is not structurally connected to the third linear stator 320, the reaction force is directly transmitted to the foundation 200 through the second support column 170, and is not transmitted to the surrounding structural parts of the mask stage 300, thereby suppressing the influence of the reaction force on the surrounding when the mask stage 300 moves.

[0103] The exposure device provided by the present invention sets the mask stage 300, the projection optical assembly 600, the measuring unit 530 and the workpiece stage mechanism 100 into mutually independent support structures and vibration isolation devices, and can realize high acceleration movement of the mask stage 300 and the workpiece stage without increasing the weight and size of the exposure device, and ensure exposure accuracy, thereby greatly improving the exposure machine cycle. Specifically, due to the above-mentioned setting of the present application, the weight and size of the exposure device are not increased, so that when the power of the driving device is constant, the weight and size of the exposure device are not increased, and the heat generated during driving will not be increased accordingly, thereby effectively suppressing the influence of heat on exposure accuracy; in addition, without increasing the weight and size of the exposure device, a large installation area will not be occupied, and the operating cost of the device will not be increased. In addition, the mask stage 300 and the workpiece stage mechanism 100 are provided with independent support structures and vibration isolation devices, so that the accelerated movement of the mask stage 300 and the accelerated movement of the workpiece stage mechanism 100 do not affect each other. In this way, a higher-power drive motor can be used to achieve high-acceleration movement of the mask stage 300 and the workpiece stage mechanism 100, thereby greatly improving the cycle time and further greatly reducing the panel production cost.

[0104] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the exposure device is shown, with Figure 5 The embodiment of the present invention is different in that the first support column 150 and the second support column 170 are fixedly connected together.

[0105] in addition, Figure 7 Another embodiment of the exposure device is shown, with Figure 5 and Figure 6 The embodiment of the present invention is different in that the first support column 150 and the second support column 170 are not designed as two independent components, but are designed as an integral component.

[0106] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0107] The above-mentioned embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present invention, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be understood as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be pointed out that, for ordinary technicians in this field, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent of the present invention shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. A workpiece table, characterized in that: The workpiece platform comprises: A scanning slider is arranged above the foundation, and the scanning slider can move along a scanning direction relative to the foundation; A stepping slider, disposed on the scanning slider, the stepping slider being able to move relative to the scanning slider along a stepping direction perpendicular to the scanning direction; A carrier, connected to the stepping slider, and the carrier is used to carry a workpiece; A first driving motor is disposed on the foundation and connected to the scanning slider, and the first driving motor is used to drive the scanning slider to move along the scanning direction; A force compensation mechanism is disposed on the foundation and connected to the scanning slider; When the stepping slider moves relative to the scanning slider along the stepping direction, the force offsetting mechanism applies a force on the scanning slider in the opposite direction of the moving direction of the stepping slider to offset the force of the stepping slider on the scanning slider.

2. The workpiece stage according to claim 1, characterized in that: The workpiece platform also includes: A first support column is supported on the foundation and fixedly connected to the foundation, and one first support column is respectively arranged on the sides of both ends of the scanning slider along the stepping direction, and the first support column extends along the scanning direction; The first driving motor and the force offsetting mechanism are both arranged on the first supporting column.

3. The workpiece stage according to claim 2, characterized in that: The force offset mechanism comprises: A force-compensating stator, fixedly connected to the first support column, the force-compensating stator extending along the scanning direction; The force-compensating mover is connected to the scanning slider, and the force-compensating mover cooperates with the force-compensating stator guide. The force-compensating mover can move relative to the force-compensating stator and exert a force on the scanning slider.

4. The workpiece stage according to claim 3, characterized in that: There are two force-compensating movers, which are arranged on the force-compensating stator at intervals. The sum of the torque of the driving force applied to the scanning slider by the two force-compensating movers around the center of gravity of the scanning slider and the torque of the reaction force applied to the scanning slider by the stepping slider around the center of gravity of the scanning slider is zero.

5. The workpiece stage according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first driving motor comprises: A first linear stator, wherein the first linear stator is fixedly connected to the first support column, and an extending direction of the first linear stator is consistent with an extending direction of the first support column; A first mover, wherein the first mover is connected to the scanning slider, the first mover cooperates with the first linear stator guide, and the first mover provides a driving force for the movement of the scanning slider relative to the foundation.

6. The workpiece stage according to claim 2, characterized in that: The workpiece platform also includes: The base is arranged on the foundation, the base is located between the two first supporting columns, and is spaced apart from the first supporting columns and is independent of each other, and the scanning slider is slidably connected to the base.

7. The workpiece stage according to claim 6, characterized in that: The workpiece platform also includes: A first vibration isolation assembly, a plurality of the first vibration isolation assemblies are arranged at intervals between the base and the foundation, and the first vibration isolation assemblies can absorb vibration from the foundation.

8. The workpiece table according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The workpiece platform also includes: The second driving motor includes a second linear stator and a second mover, the second linear stator is fixedly connected to the scanning slider, the second mover is connected to the stepping slider, the second mover cooperates with the second linear stator guide, and the second mover is used to provide driving force for the movement of the stepping slider relative to the scanning slider.

9. The workpiece table according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The workpiece platform also includes: A first guide rail, fixed on the base; A first air bearing, fixed below the scanning slider and coupled to the first guide rail, moves the scanning slider relative to the first guide rail; A second guide rail, provided between the scanning slider and the stepping slider, the second guide rail being fixedly connected to the scanning slider; The second air bearing is fixed on the stepping slider and coupled with the second guide rail, and moves the stepping slider relative to the second guide rail.

10. An exposure device, characterized in that: The exposure device uses the workpiece stage according to any one of claims 1 to 9, and the exposure device comprises: A second support column is arranged outside the first support column, the second support column is spaced apart from the first support column and is independent of each other, or the second support column is not spaced apart from the first support column and is fixedly connected to the first support column; A second vibration isolation assembly is arranged on the second support column; the projection optical assembly, the mask stage and the measuring unit are fixed to a mounting frame on the second vibration isolation assembly through structural members; The projection optical assembly is arranged above the workpiece stage; The mask stage is arranged above the projection optical assembly; The measuring unit is arranged above the mask stage; a third driving motor, used for driving the mask stage to move in a scanning direction and in a non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction; A third linear stator of the third driving motor is fixedly connected to the second supporting column; The third mover of the third driving motor is fixedly connected to two sides of the mask stage.

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