Holding mechanism and exposure device

Abstract

The invention provides a holding mechanism and an exposure device capable of properly absorbing various workpieces. A holding mechanism according to one embodiment of the present invention is provided with an adsorption part, an elastic sealing member, and a clamp mechanism. The suction part has a suction surface for vacuum suction of the workpiece. The elastic sealing member is disposed around the suction surface such that at least a part of the elastic sealing member is blocked by the workpiece in a plan view in which the suction surface is viewed from above. The clamp mechanism has a clamp for pressing the workpiece so that the workpiece is brought into contact with the elastic sealing member, and drives the clamp to press the workpiece when the workpiece is sucked by the suction unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a holding mechanism for holding a workpiece and an exposure apparatus. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique has been known in which a workpiece is fixed to a table that vacuum-sucks the workpiece using a clamp. For example, in Patent Document 1, a workpiece fixing device is described that includes a clamp portion for fixing a workpiece to a setting table formed with a plurality of suction holes. In this device, a width-direction clamp portion and a front-rear direction clamp portion are provided so as to surround the setting table. In the setting table, the workpiece is sucked by each suction hole, and the workpiece is pressed against the setting table by a bent rod provided on each clamp portion (paragraphs

[0032] ,

[0035] ,

[0047] of the specification of Patent Document 1, Figure 4 , FIG. 8, etc.).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-210432 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In such a case where the workpiece is clamped, if there is a gap between the suction table and the workpiece, it is conceivable that the pressure for sucking the workpiece does not decrease and the workpiece cannot be properly sucked. For example, depending on the size, thickness, surface irregularities, warpage, undulations, etc. of the workpiece, a gap between the suction table and the workpiece is likely to occur, and it may be difficult to suck the workpiece. Therefore, a technique capable of properly sucking various workpieces is required.

[0008] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to provide a holding mechanism and an exposure apparatus capable of properly sucking various workpieces.

[0009] Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] To achieve the above object, a holding mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes a suction portion, an elastic sealing member, and a clamp mechanism. The suction portion has a suction surface for vacuum-sucking a workpiece. The elastic sealing member is disposed around the suction surface so that at least a part thereof is blocked by the workpiece in a plan view of the suction surface observed from above. The clamp mechanism has a clamp for pressing the workpiece so that the workpiece contacts the elastic sealing member, and drives the clamp to press the workpiece when the suction portion sucks the workpiece.

[0011] In this holding mechanism, an elastic sealing member is provided around the adsorption surface that adsorbs the workpiece in a vacuum. The elastic sealing member is configured such that at least a part of it is blocked by the workpiece when viewed from above the adsorption surface. When adsorbing the workpiece, the workpiece is pushed by the clamp of the clamp mechanism to come into contact with the elastic sealing member. Thereby, the occurrence of gaps that impede the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece is suppressed, and various workpieces can be appropriately adsorbed in a vacuum.

[0012] The above-mentioned clamp may also push the above-mentioned workpiece at a position where the above-mentioned workpiece and the above-mentioned elastic sealing member overlap when viewed from above.

[0013] The shape of the workpiece when viewed from above and the shape of the elastic sealing member when viewed from above may also be rectangular. In this case, the above-mentioned clamp may also push the above-mentioned workpiece along at least one of the four sides that are the outer edges of the above-mentioned workpiece.

[0014] The above-mentioned clamp mechanism may also release the action of pushing the above-mentioned workpiece by the above-mentioned clamp before the adsorption of the above-mentioned workpiece by the above-mentioned adsorption portion is completed and before performing the processing of the above-mentioned workpiece.

[0015] The above-mentioned clamp mechanism may also be a mechanism that opens and closes the above-mentioned clamp to push the above-mentioned workpiece, and the action of opening the above-mentioned clamp is performed at least in two steps.

[0016] The action of opening the above-mentioned clamp may also include a first opening action of moving the above-mentioned clamp away to a first position where it is separated from the above-mentioned workpiece, and a second opening action of moving the above-mentioned clamp away to a second position that is further separated from the above-mentioned first position.

[0017] The above-mentioned clamp mechanism may also perform the above-mentioned first opening action before the adsorption of the above-mentioned workpiece by the above-mentioned adsorption portion is completed and before performing the processing of the above-mentioned workpiece, and perform the above-mentioned second opening action after performing the above-mentioned processing.

[0018] The above-mentioned clamp mechanism may also perform the above-mentioned first opening action based on a signal indicating the completion of the adsorption of the above-mentioned workpiece by the above-mentioned adsorption portion or a signal indicating the start of the above-mentioned processing of the above-mentioned workpiece.

[0019] The above-mentioned processing may also be an exposure process of exposing the above-mentioned workpiece by an exposure unit that exposes a pattern on the above-mentioned workpiece. In this case, the above-mentioned clamp mechanism may also perform the above-mentioned second opening action after the above-mentioned exposure process of the above-mentioned workpiece is performed and the above-mentioned workpiece has left the exposure position of the above-mentioned exposure unit.

[0020] The distance between the above-mentioned clamp and the above-mentioned workpiece at the above-mentioned first position may also be 1 mm or less.

[0021] The above clamp mechanism can also perform an operation of closing the above clamp once.

[0022] The above suction part may also have a peripheral part that surrounds the above suction surface and is formed lower than the above suction surface. In this case, the above elastic sealing member may also be disposed on the above peripheral part.

[0023] The above suction part may also have: a base having a recess for supplying vacuum and a plurality of convex parts formed in the recess; and a suction plate having a plurality of through holes and being mounted on the above recess to form the above suction surface.

[0024] An exposure apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an exposure unit and a workpiece stage. The above exposure unit exposes a pattern on a workpiece. The above workpiece stage has: a suction part having a suction surface for vacuum-sucking the above workpiece; an elastic sealing member disposed around the above suction surface and overlapping the above workpiece; and a clamp mechanism having a clamp for pressing the above workpiece to bring the above workpiece into contact with the above elastic sealing member, and driving the above clamp to press the above workpiece when the above workpiece is sucked by the above suction part.

[0025] The above exposure unit may also have: a light emitting unit that emits exposure light; a mask stage that holds a mask on which the above pattern is formed on the optical path of the above exposure light; and a projection optical system that projects the above exposure light that has passed through the above mask onto the above workpiece.

[0026] Advantages of the Invention

[0027] As described above, according to the present invention, various workpieces can be appropriately sucked. In addition, the effects described here are not necessarily limited, and may be any effects described in the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of an exposure apparatus including a workpiece stage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of a workpiece stage other than the clamp mechanism.

[0030] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the clamp mechanism.

[0031] Figure 4 is Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a state where the workpiece W is clamped by the shown clamp mechanism.

[0032] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing an example of an exposure sequence performed by the exposure apparatus.

[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing an operation example of a clamp mechanism in an exposure sequence.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of a sealing unit including an elastic sealing member. Detailed Embodiments

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described while referring to the attached Figure 1 drawings.

[0036] [Structure of Exposure Device]

[0037] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of an exposure device having a workpiece stage according to an embodiment of the present invention. The exposure device 100 is a device for exposing a flat workpiece W. The exposure device 100 includes an exposure unit 10 and a workpiece stage 20. The exposure unit 10 includes a light irradiation unit 11, a mask M, a mask stage 12, and a projection optical system 13.

[0038] The workpiece W is, for example, a printed circuit board or the like. Hereinafter, for the workpiece W, the surface to be exposed is referred to as the exposure surface of the workpiece W, and the surface on the opposite side of the exposure surface is referred to as the back surface of the workpiece W. The workpiece W transported into the exposure device 100 is coated with a photosensitive material such as a photosensitive resist on the exposure surface. The thickness of the workpiece W is not particularly limited, and for example, there are cases where a relatively thin workpiece W such as 0.2 mm is used.

[0039] The light irradiation unit 11 emits exposure light. The light irradiation unit 11 includes a lamp 15, a mirror 16, and a lamp housing 17. The lamp 15 is an exposure light source that emits exposure light containing ultraviolet rays. The mirror 16 reflects the exposure light emitted from the lamp 15 toward a predetermined emission direction. The lamp housing 17 is a box that houses the lamp 15 and the mirror 16. Here, the case where the light source of the light irradiation unit 11 is the lamp 15 is described, but an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or a laser source or the like can also be used as the light source. In addition, the wavelength and frequency band of the exposure light are not limited. In the present embodiment, the light irradiation unit 11 corresponds to a light emission unit that emits exposure light.

[0040] On the mask M, a pattern such as a circuit pattern for exposing (transferring) the workpiece W is formed. The mask stage 12 holds the mask on which the pattern is formed on the optical path of the exposure light. The projection optical system 13 projects the exposure light that has passed through the mask M onto the flat workpiece W. For example, the projection optical system 13 is configured as a reduction optical system that reduces the pattern of the mask M and images it on the surface of the workpiece W.

[0041] In the exposure apparatus 100, an exposure unit 10 for exposing a pattern on a workpiece W is constituted by a light irradiation unit 11, a mask M, a mask stage 12, and a projection optical system 13. Further, a workpiece stage 20 is a stage for holding the workpiece W at an exposure position of the exposure unit 10. In addition, in the present embodiment, a case where the projection optical system 13 is included in the exposure unit 10 is described, but the present invention can also be applied in a case where the projection optical system 13 is not provided. In the present embodiment, the exposure process performed by the exposure unit 10 is an example of a processing for the workpiece W.

[0042] The workpiece stage 20 is a holding mechanism that vacuum-sucks and holds a flat workpiece W. The workpiece stage 20 includes a suction unit 21, an elastic sealing member 22, and a clamp mechanism 40. The suction unit 21 has a suction surface 24 for vacuum-sucking the workpiece W. The workpiece W is placed on the workpiece stage 20 with its back surface facing the suction surface 24.

[0043] A plurality of vacuum suction holes 25 are provided on the suction surface 24. In addition, each vacuum suction hole 25 is connected to a pipe L for evacuation. For example, when vacuum-sucking the workpiece W, the pipe L is connected to a vacuum pump. Further, when releasing the vacuum suction of the workpiece W, a gas (such as air) for breaking the vacuum environment is supplied to the pipe L.

[0044] The elastic sealing member 22 is a sealing member (vacuum seal) made of an elastic body. The elastic sealing member 22 is arranged around the suction surface 24 in such a manner that at least a part of it is blocked by the workpiece W when viewed from above the suction surface 24 in a plan view. That is, the elastic sealing member 22 is arranged around the suction surface 24 at a position on the lower side of the workpiece W and is configured to be in contact with the back surface of the workpiece W. By providing the elastic sealing member 22, it is difficult for a gap to occur on the back surface side of the workpiece W, and leakage of the vacuum environment can be suppressed. Regarding the specific structures of the workpiece stage 20 and the elastic sealing member 22, refer to Figure 2 and so on which will be described later.

[0045] The clamp mechanism 40 has a clamp 41 that presses the workpiece W to bring the workpiece W into contact with the elastic sealing member 22, and drives the clamp 41 to press the workpiece W when the workpiece W is sucked by the suction unit 21. Thereby, it is not easy for a gap to occur between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 during the suction of the workpiece W, and the vacuum suction of the workpiece W can be appropriately performed. Therefore, the clamp mechanism 40 functions as a vacuum suction assist mechanism that assists the vacuum suction performed by the suction unit 21.

[0046] In addition, on the workpiece table 20, there is an adsorption sensor 23 for detecting the completion of the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W. The adsorption sensor 23 is, for example, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the vacuum pumping, and is connected to the pipe L for vacuum pumping. In addition, the structure of the adsorption sensor 23 is not limited. For example, it can also be determined whether the vacuum adsorption is completed by a distance measuring sensor that detects the flatness of the workpiece W, etc.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the workpiece table 20 is connected to a moving mechanism (not shown) and moves between the transfer position of the workpiece W and the exposure position. At the transfer position, the workpiece W is transferred between the workpiece handler 60 (described later) and the workpiece table 20. At the exposure position, the workpiece W is disposed directly below the projection optical system 13. As the moving mechanism, for example, a mechanism that moves the workpiece table 20 along a track, a mechanism that holds and moves the workpiece table 20 by an arm, etc. are used. In addition, the structure of the moving mechanism is not limited.

[0048] In Figure 1 it, the structure in which the workpiece table 20 reciprocates between the transfer position and the exposure position and the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded at the same transfer position is illustrated. For example, Figure 1 the left figure of represents the state where the workpiece table 20 moves to the transfer position, and the right figure represents the state where the workpiece table 20 moves to the exposure position. In addition, the transfer position (loading position) for loading and the transfer position (unloading position) for unloading may be different. In this case, the workpiece W is conveyed in one direction in the order of the loading position, the exposure position, and the unloading position.

[0049] The workpiece handler 60 is a conveying mechanism for loading the workpiece W onto the workpiece table 20 and unloading the workpiece W from the workpiece table 20. In Figure 1 the example shown, between the workpiece table 20 that has moved to the transfer position, the workpiece W is loaded and unloaded by one workpiece handler 60. In addition, when the loading position and the unloading position are different, a workpiece handler 60 for loading and a workpiece handler 60 for unloading may be provided separately.

[0050] The workpiece handler 60 has a plurality of adsorption pads 61. The adsorption pads 61 are pads that hold the contacted object by vacuum adsorption. The workpiece handler 60 adsorbs and holds the workpiece W by bringing the plurality of adsorption pads 61 into contact with the exposure surface of the workpiece W. In addition, the workpiece handler 60 releases the workpiece W by releasing the adsorption by the adsorption pads 61.

[0051] In Figure 1In the example shown, a plurality of adsorption pads 61 face downward, and the workpiece manipulator 60 is arranged above the workpiece table 20 that has moved to the transfer position. In addition, the workpiece manipulator 60 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction. For example, when the workpiece table 20 moves to the transfer position, the workpiece manipulator 60 descends to perform the transfer of the workpiece W. In addition, the structure of the workpiece manipulator 60 is not limited. For example, any mechanism capable of loading and unloading the workpiece W can be used.

[0052] The exposure device 100 including the workpiece table 20, the moving mechanism of the workpiece table 20, and the workpiece manipulator 60 are controlled by a control device (not shown). In addition, dedicated control units for controlling each part can be provided separately.

[0053] [Structure of the workpiece table]

[0054] In the present embodiment, the case where the top view shape of the workpiece W is rectangular is mainly described. Therefore, the workpiece table 20 is configured to vacuum-adsorb the rectangular workpiece W. Here, the top view shape of the workpiece W being rectangular means that the approximate shape of the top view shape of the workpiece W is rectangular. Therefore, among the four sides forming the outer edge of the workpiece W, it may include portions (notches) cut inward or portions protruding outward, etc.

[0055] In addition, the top view shape of the workpiece W is not limited. For example, when the top view shape of the workpiece W is a shape other than rectangular (such as circular, polygonal, etc.), the present invention can also be applied by configuring each part (adsorption part 21, elastic sealing member 22, clamp mechanism 40, etc.) of the workpiece table 20 to match the top view shape of the workpiece W.

[0056] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of the workpiece table 20 other than the clamp mechanism 40. In Figure 2 A and Figure 2 B, an exploded perspective view and a cross-sectional view of the part (adsorption part 21 and elastic sealing member 22) of the workpiece table 20 other than the clamp mechanism 40 are schematically shown. Hereinafter, in the workpiece table 20, the side that holds the workpiece W (the side irradiated with exposure light) is denoted as the upper side of the workpiece table, and the opposite side is denoted as the lower side.

[0057] [Structure of the adsorption part]

[0058] As Figure 2As shown in [A], the adsorption part 21 has a base 26 and an adsorption plate 27 mounted on the base 26. An adsorption surface 24 is formed on the surface of the adsorption plate 27. The adsorption surface 24 is a planar area that holds the workpiece W by vacuum adsorption, and is provided on the upper side of the workpiece table 20. During vacuum adsorption, the workpiece W is adhered to the adsorption surface 24 and held. In addition, an installation part 28 for installing the elastic sealing member 22 is provided on the adsorption part 21.

[0059] The base 26 is a metal block that serves as the base of the adsorption part 21. The top view shape of the base 26 when viewed from above is a rectangular shape (here, it is approximately square). Typically, the base 26 is composed of an aluminum block with a non-electrolytic nickel plating treatment on its surface, but a structure with anodized aluminum treatment or ceramic fused can also be used. In addition, the material of the base 26 can also be a metal such as iron or copper.

[0060] A recess 29 is formed in the central part of the upper surface of the base 26, and a plurality of convex parts 30 for placing the adsorption plate 27 are formed in the recess 29. In addition, in the recess 29, a plurality of vacuum introduction paths 31 are provided to guide the vacuum from the vacuum system (pipe L) installed on the base 26 to the recess 29. The vacuum or air supplied to the pipe L is guided to the recess 29 from the vacuum introduction paths 31. In this way, the base 26 has a recess 29 for supplying vacuum and a plurality of convex parts 30 formed in the recess 29.

[0061] In addition, the upper surface of the base 26 is machined into a plane with good precision. Here, the upper surface is a surface formed by the upper surface of the convex part 30 and the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the base 26 (the surface surrounding the edge of the recess 29). That is, the upper surface of the convex part 30 and the outer peripheral surface of the base 26 are at the same height, and their flatness is about 10 μm. The upper surface of the base 26 is the surface for arranging the adsorption plate 27.

[0062] The adsorption plate 27 has a size that completely covers the recess 29 of the base 26, and is a thin plate-like member made of a material with a certain degree of flexibility to form the upper surface of the base 26. As the adsorption plate 27, for example, a stainless steel plate with a thickness of 0.3 mm is used. In addition, the thickness and material of the adsorption plate 27 are not limited to this. For example, the thickness and material of the adsorption plate 27 can be appropriately selected according to the size of the recess 29, etc. As Figure 2 As shown in [A], the adsorption plate 27 has an adsorption surface 24 and a plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 25.

[0063] The adsorption surface 24 is a plane that holds the workpiece W during vacuum adsorption. The adsorption surface 24 is formed into a surface with high flatness in order to hold the workpiece W flat. Therefore, the adsorption plate 27 can be said to be a high flatness adsorption plate with a high flatness formed with the adsorption surface 24. The adsorption plate 27 is mounted on the concave portion 29 of the base 26 with the adsorption surface 24 on the upper side. For example, through holes for threaded members to pass through are provided at the four corners of the adsorption plate 27, and the adsorption plate 27 is fixed to the base 26 with threaded members. Alternatively, other fixing members can be used instead of threaded members for fixing.

[0064] The plurality of vacuum adsorption holes 25 are through holes formed in the adsorption surface 24. Each of the vacuum adsorption holes 25 is provided over the entire surface of the region that overlaps the concave portion 29 of the base 26 when viewed from above. Here, the vacuum adsorption holes 25 having a specified diameter are arranged in a grid pattern at regular intervals. In addition, the positions of the vacuum adsorption holes 25 are set so as not to coincide with the positions of the convex portions 30 of the base 26. When the adsorption plate 27 is mounted on the base 26 and vacuum is supplied to the base 26, the vacuum is guided to the concave portion 29 of the base 26 as described above, and the vacuum is also supplied to the vacuum adsorption holes 25 of the adsorption plate 27 that covers the concave portion 29. Thereby, the workpiece W can be vacuum adsorbed.

[0065] In the exposure apparatus 100, a plurality of adsorption plates 27 are prepared in accordance with the size, shape of the workpiece W, or the positions of the notches and through holes provided in the workpiece W. The number, aperture diameter, shape, arrangement, and the region where the vacuum adsorption holes 25 are provided on each adsorption plate 27 are set according to the workpiece W.

[0066] For example, in Figure 2 the example shown in A, circular holes are provided as the vacuum adsorption holes 25, but it is not limited thereto, and various shaped through holes such as rectangular holes and oblong holes can be provided as the vacuum adsorption holes 25. In addition, the size (diameter, etc.) and arrangement of the vacuum adsorption holes 25 can be freely set within the surface of one adsorption plate 27 according to the size, softness, warpage condition, etc. of the workpiece W. By configuring the adsorption plate 27 in this way, the optimal adsorption plate 27 can be selected according to the type of the workpiece W to be processed, and the workpiece W can be adsorbed and held.

[0067] [Structure of the elastic sealing member]

[0068] The elastic sealing member 22 is formed of, for example, rubber sponge and is arranged in a ring shape so as to surround the adsorption surface 24. As the material forming the elastic sealing member 22, an elastic material with low resilience such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), fluororubber, or polyurethane is used. For example, a material that can be compressed and deformed to such an extent as not to impair the flatness of the workpiece W during vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W can be appropriately selected. In addition, the elastic sealing member 22 is sometimes referred to as a flexible seal. Further, the elastic sealing member 22 may be entirely formed of the same material or may be partially formed of different materials.

[0069] The elastic sealing member 22 has a lower surface 22a and an upper surface 22b. In the present embodiment, the elastic sealing member 22 is mounted on the base 26. Specifically, the elastic sealing member 22 is mounted in such a manner that its lower surface 22a contacts the upper side surface of the base 26 and surrounds the adsorption plate 27. That is, an annular region on the upper side surface of the base 26 that surrounds the adsorption plate 27 becomes the mounting portion 28 for mounting the lower surface 22a of the elastic sealing member 22.

[0070] As Figure 2 shown in B, due to the thickness of the adsorption plate 27, the position of the mounting portion 28 is lower than the adsorption surface 24. Thus, the mounting portion 28 surrounds the adsorption surface 24 and is formed lower than the adsorption surface 24. In the present embodiment, the mounting portion 28 corresponds to the peripheral portion.

[0071] Further, the elastic sealing member 22 is configured such that in a state where the lower surface 22a is mounted on the mounting portion 28, the upper surface 22b protrudes higher than the adsorption surface 24. With such an amount of protrusion from the adsorption surface 24, the upper surface 22b of the elastic sealing member 22 easily contacts the back surface of the workpiece W. In addition, in a state where the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, the elastic sealing member 22 is flattened and compressed and deformed by the workpiece W adsorbed on the adsorption surface 24, and functions as a leakage suppression mechanism for suppressing vacuum leakage.

[0072] The plan view shape of the elastic sealing member 22 is configured such that the region where the elastic sealing member 22 contacts the workpiece W is a region that is closed in a ring shape. That is, it is configured such that the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 can contact over the entire circumference. In the present embodiment, matching the rectangular workpiece W, the plan view shape of the elastic sealing member 22 is also configured as a rectangle.

[0073] The elastic sealing member 22 is configured such that, when viewed from above the adsorption surface 24 in a plan view, it is entirely blocked by the workpiece W. In this case, for example, the shape of the outer periphery of the elastic sealing member 22 can be set to the same shape and size as the outer periphery of the workpiece W, or can be set to be included inside the outer periphery of the workpiece W. In addition, the elastic sealing member 22 can also be configured such that, when viewed from above the adsorption surface 24 in a plan view, a part of it is blocked by the workpiece W. In this case, for example, the elastic sealing member 22 is configured such that the outer periphery of the workpiece W is included between the inner periphery and the outer periphery of the elastic sealing member 22. In addition to this, the shape of the elastic sealing member 22 can be appropriately set within the range where the workpiece W can be properly vacuum adsorbed.

[0074] In the present structure where the elastic sealing member 22 is mounted on the mounting portion 28 of the base 26, the adsorption surface 24 is at a position higher than the surface on which the elastic sealing member 22 is mounted (the upper surface of the base 26). Thus, through the thickness of the adsorption plate 27, the thickness of the elastic sealing member 22 during compression is eliminated. Therefore, in order to eliminate the thickness of the elastic sealing member 22 during compression, it is not necessary to provide an unnecessary step or the like on the upper surface of the base 26. As a result, the structure of the base 26 becomes simple, and the manufacturing cost can be suppressed. In addition, in Figure 3 the example shown, the mounting portion 28 is provided at the same height position as the surface of the base 26 that supports the adsorption plate 27, but the height position of the mounting portion 28 can be arbitrarily set as long as it is a position lower than the adsorption surface 24. For example, a groove-shaped mounting portion 28 that is lower than the surface that supports the adsorption plate 27 can also be formed. In addition, the height position of the mounting portion 28 can also be set at a position higher than the surface that supports the adsorption plate 27 and lower than the adsorption surface 24. In addition to this, the height position of the mounting portion 28 can also be set according to the characteristics such as the thickness and ease of flattening of the elastic sealing member 22 so that the thickness of the elastic sealing member 22 can be appropriately eliminated.

[0075] [Structure of the clamp mechanism]

[0076] Figure 3 is a schematic view showing a structural example of the clamp mechanism 40. Figure 3 A is a schematic cross-sectional view of a part of the clamp mechanism 40 enlarged, Figure 3 B is a schematic plan view of the entire workpiece table 20 including the clamp mechanism 40 viewed from above. Figure 3 A and Figure 3 B show the state where the clamp mechanism 40 is open without placing the workpiece W on the workpiece table 20. In addition, in Figure 3 B, the approximate shape of the workpiece W is schematically illustrated by a dashed line.

[0077] The clamp mechanism 40 has a clamp 41 that presses the workpiece W and a drive unit 45 that drives the clamp 41. In the clamp mechanism 40, a plurality of clamps 41 are provided, and a drive unit 45 is provided for each clamp 41. Hereinafter, a unit composed of one clamp 41 and the drive unit 45 that drives the clamp 41 is denoted as a clamp unit 50. Therefore, the clamp mechanism 40 is composed of a plurality of clamp units 50. In addition, the drive unit 45 of each clamp unit 50 is controlled by a control device that controls the operation of the entire exposure apparatus 100, for example.

[0078] As Figure 3 As shown in FIG. B, in the present embodiment, clamp units 50a to 50f are provided so as to surround the adsorption part 21 (base 26) along each side of the rectangular workpiece W. Clamp units 50a and 50b are arranged adjacent to each other on the upper side of the base 26 in the figure, clamp units 50c and 50d are arranged adjacent to each other on the lower side of the base in the figure, and clamp units 50e and 50f are arranged on the left side and the right side of the base 26 in the figure.

[0079] The clamp units 50a and 50b (clamp units 50c and 50d) press the upper side (lower side) of the workpiece W. A plurality of clamp units 50 may be provided on one side of the workpiece W in this way. The clamp units 50e and 50f press the left side and the right side of the workpiece W individually. In addition, the clamp units 50a and 50b (clamp units 50c and 50d) may be configured as one clamp unit 50. In addition, in each clamp unit 50, drive units 45 are provided at both ends of the clamp 41. Between the clamp units 50a to 50d and the clamp units 50e and 50f, the top view shape of the clamp 41 and the position of the drive unit 45 are different, but the basic structure is the same.

[0080] As Figure 3 As shown in FIG. A, the clamp 41 has a clamp body 42 and a contact part 43. The clamp body 42 is a plate-shaped structural member that extends in one direction. The contact part 43 is provided at one end edge of the clamp body 42 along the length direction. In addition, the clamp body 42 is fixed to a rotating member 48 of the drive unit 45 described later on the side opposite to the contact part 43. In this way, the clamp 41 has an overall cantilever structure.

[0081] The clamp body 42 is made of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, for example. In addition, the clamp body 42 may be formed by combining a metal material and a resin material. For example, by using a resin material at the connection part with the contact part 43, the contact part 43 can be easily fixed. In addition, as Figure 3 shown in FIG. A, the thickness of the connection part with the rotating member 48 may be increased, or the root part of the cantilever where stress concentrates when pressing the workpiece W may be strengthened. Other than this, the structure and material of the clamp body 42 are not limited.

[0082] The contact portion 43 is the part of the clamp 41 that comes into contact with the workpiece W. As the contact portion 43, an elastic member such as rubber is used. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a situation where the force is extremely concentrated and the workpiece W is damaged. In addition, the contact portion 43 is configured such that, for example, the thickness becomes smaller toward the front end that comes into contact with the workpiece W. Thereby, when the workpiece W is pressed, the contact portion 43 is easily elastically deformed, and the concentration of the force on the workpiece W can be dispersed. In addition, the structure and material of the contact portion 43 are not limited.

[0083] The drive portion 45 is a mechanism that mechanically operates the clamp 41 to press the workpiece W. For example, in one clamp unit 50, one or more drive portions 45 (typically two drive portions 45) are provided. As Figure 3 shown in FIG. A, the drive portion 45 includes a pedestal portion 46, a shaft portion 47, and a rotating member 48. In addition, the drive portion 45 has a drive mechanism (not shown) that operates the rotating member 48.

[0084] The pedestal portion 46 is a member that supports the shaft portion 47 and the rotating member 48, and is fixed around the main body (base 26) of the workpiece table 20. The pedestal portion 46 is fixed to the base 26 by means such as thread tightening. Alternatively, the pedestal portion 46 may be integrally formed with the base 26. In addition, a through hole for inserting the shaft portion 47 is formed in the pedestal portion 46.

[0085] The shaft portion 47 supports the rotating member 48 so that it can rotate around a predetermined rotation axis O. The shaft portion 47 is, for example, a columnar member (typically a cylindrical member) that penetrates both the pedestal portion 46 and the rotating member 48. In addition, for example, a columnar member that is fixed to one of the rotating member 48 and the pedestal portion 46 and penetrates the other may be used as the shaft portion 47. In addition, when forming the shaft portion 47, a bearing such as a ball bearing may be used.

[0086] The rotation axis O of the shaft portion 47 is, for example, set in the direction in which the clamp 41 extends. In addition, it is configured such that the rotation axes O of the drive portions 45 provided in one clamp unit 50 coincide with each other. In Figure 3 FIG. A, the direction passing through the center of the shaft portion 47 and orthogonal to the paper surface is the rotation axis O. In addition, in Figure 3 FIG. B, the rotation axis O of each clamp unit 50 is set in the direction along each side of the base 26.

[0087] The rotating member 48 is connected to the clamp 41 and drives the clamp 41 by rotating around the rotation axis O. The operation of rotating the rotating member 48 is performed by the drive mechanism. In addition, the rotating member 48 is configured to rotate within a preset angular range.

[0088] In Figure 3In A, if the rotating member 48 rotates in the clockwise direction (right rotation), the clamp 41 separates from the adsorption surface 24 and the elastic sealing member 22. This becomes the operation of opening the clamp 41 (open operation). On the contrary, if the rotating member 48 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (left rotation), the clamp 41 approaches the adsorption surface 24 and the elastic sealing member 22. This becomes the operation of closing the clamp 41 (close operation). Thus, the clamp mechanism 40 is a mechanism that opens and closes the clamp 41 and presses the workpiece W.

[0089] Figure 3 The state shown in A is the state where the rotating member 48 is rotated in the clockwise direction to the maximum angle, that is, the state where the clamp 41 is opened to the maximum. When observing the workpiece table 20 from above in this state ( Figure 3 B), the area surrounded by the clamps 41 of each clamp unit 50 is larger than the workpiece W. That is, the state where the clamp 41 is opened to the maximum is the state where the loading and unloading of the workpiece W can be performed. Hereinafter, the position of the clamp 41 in the state where the clamp 41 is opened to the maximum is referred to as the initial position.

[0090] In addition, the maximum angle of the closing operation for closing the clamp 41 can also be set. The maximum angle of the closing operation is set such that the workpiece W can be pressed by the clamp 41 at least until the workpiece W is flatly held along the adsorption surface 24. For example, the angle at which the front end of the contact portion 43 of the clamp 41 becomes the same height position as the adsorption surface 24 and the upper surface of the base 26 is set as the maximum angle of the closing operation.

[0091] The drive mechanism for driving the clamp 41 is arranged along the side surface and the back surface of the base 26, and rotates the rotating member 48 to open and close the clamp 41. The force with which the clamp 41 closes and presses the workpiece W is, for example, about 100 N for each clamp unit 50. Of course, the force for pressing the workpiece W is not limited and can be appropriately set according to the characteristics (thickness, material, etc.) of the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22.

[0092] The drive mechanism is constituted by combining, for example, a cylinder and a link mechanism. In this structure, the piston movement caused by the cylinder is converted into the movement of rotating the rotating member 48 via the link mechanism. Such a drive mechanism can be constituted compactly along the side surface and the back surface of the workpiece table 20 (base 26). In addition, the cylinder does not generate heat like an electric power source, and deformation caused by heat of the base 26 or the like can be avoided.

[0093] In addition, an electric motor or a linear actuator or the like can be used as the power source. In addition, as the mechanism for rotating the rotating member 48, a gear mechanism or the like can be used in addition to the link mechanism. In addition, the specific structure of the drive mechanism is not limited, and any drive mechanism that realizes the desired clamp operation can be used.

[0094] [Clamp for workpiece W]

[0095] Figure 4 represents Figure 3 a schematic view of the state in which the clamp mechanism 40 clamps the workpiece W as shown Figure 4 The cross-sectional view shown in A and Figure 4 the top view shown in B represent the state in which the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece table 20 and the clamp mechanism 40 is closed to clamp the workpiece W. In addition, in Figure 4 B, similar to Figure 3 B, only the approximate shape of the workpiece W is shown by a dotted line. Actually, since the workpiece W is placed, the elastic sealing member 22 etc. on the lower side of the workpiece W cannot be seen. In addition, in Figure 4 A, the cross-sectional shape of the elastic sealing member 22 before clamping the workpiece W is shown by a dotted line

[0096] It is conceivable to close the clamp 41 in the initial position while the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece table 20. When closing the clamp 41, the rotating member 48 rotates so that the clamp 41 contacts the workpiece W. For example, in Figure 4 A, the rotating member 48 rotates counterclockwise. In this case, the contact portion 43 of the clamp 41 first contacts the exposure surface of the workpiece W, and then presses the workpiece W downward. Next, the workpiece W pressed by the clamp 41 contacts the elastic sealing member 22

[0097] Thereby, even if there is warping in the workpiece W, for example, in a state where the back surface of the workpiece W does not contact the elastic sealing member 22, by closing the clamp 41, the workpiece W is pressed against the elastic sealing member 22. In this way, the clamp 41 presses the workpiece W so that the workpiece W contacts the elastic sealing member 22. In addition, when the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 are in contact before closing the clamp 41, by closing the clamp 41, the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 are further closely adhered

[0098] The clamp mechanism 40 closes the clamp 41 and presses the workpiece W when the adsorption portion 21 adsorbs the workpiece W. For example, during the period from placing the workpiece W on the workpiece table 20 to the completion of adsorption of the workpiece W, a closing operation of closing the clamp 41 is performed. The closing operation can be executed before starting the adsorption of the workpiece W, or can be executed from the start of adsorbing the workpiece W. In addition, the closing operation can also be executed simultaneously with the timing of starting the adsorption of the workpiece W

[0099] Here, the timing when the adsorption of the workpiece W starts is, for example, the timing when the evacuation via the pipe L starts. In addition, in the case where the evacuation is continuously performed, etc., the timing when the workpiece W is placed on the adsorption surface 24 becomes the start timing of adsorption. In addition, the timing when the adsorption of the workpiece W is completed is, for example, the timing when the evacuation pressure drops below a specified threshold value. That is, when the pressure of the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W has sufficiently dropped, the adsorption of the workpiece W is completed.

[0100] In this way, by closing the clamp 41 when adsorbing the workpiece W, it is possible to suppress, for example, the occurrence of a gap (vacuum leak) between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 during evacuation. That is, the closing operation of the clamp 41 functions as a contact assisting function between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22. Thereby, the evacuation pressure can be reduced in a short time, and the time required for vacuum adsorption can be shortened. In addition, even for a workpiece W with warpage or undulation, by pressing it with the clamp 41, it can be reliably brought into contact with the elastic sealing member 22, and vacuum adsorption can be appropriately performed.

[0101] In addition, in the state where the clamp 41 is closed, a downward pushing force acts on the workpiece W from the front end (contact portion 43) of the clamp 41. As a result, not only is the workpiece W brought into contact with the elastic sealing member 22, but also a force for flattening the elastic sealing member 22 can be generated. As a result, the elastic sealing member 22 can be actively squeezed and flattened, and the sealing performance is improved. Therefore, for example, an improvement in the achieved vacuum degree during vacuum adsorption and a shortening of the time to reach the required vacuum degree (pressure below a specified threshold value) can be achieved.

[0102] In addition, if evacuation is performed in the state where the clamp 41 is closed, the elastic sealing member 22 is flattened by the force with which the clamp 41 presses the workpiece W and the force acting on the workpiece W due to the negative pressure. For example, in the state where the vacuum adsorption is completed, the force acting on the workpiece W due to the negative pressure becomes sufficiently large, and even if the clamp 41 is opened, the flattened state of the elastic sealing member 22 can be maintained.

[0103] In the present embodiment, the clamp 41 is configured to press the workpiece W at a position where the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 overlap when the adsorption surface 24 is viewed from above. That is, the clamp mechanism 40 clamps the workpiece W on the elastic sealing member 22. For example, as Figure 4 A and Figure 4 B show, the length of the cantilever portion of the clamp body 42 is set so that the front end (contact portion 43) of the clamp 41 contacts the workpiece W at a position facing the elastic sealing member 22.

[0104] For example, when the clamp 41 presses the workpiece W outside or inside the elastic sealing member 22, a downward force is applied to the workpiece W with the elastic sealing member 22 as a fulcrum, and the workpiece W can be deformed or damaged. In contrast, by pressing on the elastic sealing member 22, the force exerted by the clamp 41 on the workpiece W can be offset by the force exerted by the elastic sealing member 22 to restore from the pressed state and acting on the workpiece W. Thus, deformation or damage of the workpiece W can be sufficiently avoided.

[0105] In addition, as Figure 4 shown in B, in the present embodiment, the clamp 41 is configured to press the workpiece W along the four sides of the outer edge of the rectangular workpiece W. For example, in the rectangular workpiece W, due to warping of the workpiece W, the height positions of the outer edge portions deviate greatly, and it may become difficult to contact the elastic sealing member 22. In such a case, by using a full-edge clamp, leakage during vacuum adsorption can also be sufficiently suppressed.

[0106] Alternatively, the clamp 41 may press the workpiece W along at least one of the four sides of the outer edge of the workpiece W. For example, when it is known which side of the workpiece W is prone to warping, a structure may be adopted in which only that side is used for pressing.

[0107] In addition, when pressing the workpiece W along each side of the workpiece W, it is not necessary to clamp at a position overlapping the elastic sealing member 22. For example, the workpiece W may be pressed along at least one of the four sides at a position overlapping the elastic sealing member 22. For example, when it is known which side of the workpiece W is prone to breakage or deformation, a structure may be adopted in which the workpiece W is pressed at a position overlapping the elastic sealing member 22 for that side.

[0108] Here, a structure for comparison with the workpiece table 20 will be described. For example, as a table for vacuum-adsorbing the workpiece W, a structure may be considered in which the workpiece W is directly clamped on the adsorption surface without providing a vacuum seal such as an elastic sealing member 22 between the adsorption surface and the workpiece W for vacuum adsorption. In this case, for example, depending on the characteristics of the workpiece W (such as the thickness, material, surface unevenness, warping, undulation, etc. of the workpiece W), even if the workpiece W is clamped, a gap may be generated between the adsorption surface and the workpiece W.

[0109] In addition, as a table for vacuum-adsorbing the workpiece W, a structure may be considered in which a vacuum seal such as an elastic sealing member 22 is provided between the adsorption surface and the workpiece W and the workpiece W is vacuum-adsorbed without clamping. In the case where such a vacuum seal is provided, depending on the characteristics such as warping of the workpiece W, the workpiece W is not necessarily in close contact with the vacuum seal. That is, a gap may be generated between the workpiece W and the vacuum seal.

[0110] The gap between the components on the stage side and the workpiece W may be eliminated during evacuation by the workpiece W adhering to the adsorption surface. However, due to such a gap, the time required to reach the vacuum degree required for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W may become longer. In addition, it can be considered that, in the case where the gap is not eliminated, etc., the required vacuum degree cannot be obtained, and the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W can no longer be completed.

[0111] On the workpiece stage 20 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the adsorption portion 21 for vacuum-adsorbing the workpiece W, an elastic sealing member 22 and a clamp mechanism 40 are provided. The elastic sealing member 22 can be in close contact with the back surface of the workpiece W. Thereby, a gap is less likely to be generated compared to the case where the workpiece W is directly placed on the adsorption surface 24, for example. In addition, the workpiece W is pressed by the clamp 41 of the clamp mechanism 40 so that the workpiece W comes into contact with the elastic sealing member 22. Thereby, a state in which a gap is generated between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 can be avoided, and the space to be evacuated is closed.

[0112] In addition, the operation of pressing the workpiece W with the clamp 41 is performed when the workpiece W is adsorbed by the adsorption portion 21. Thereby, evacuation can be performed in a state where the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22 are in sufficient close contact, and the time required to reach the vacuum degree required for vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W can be made sufficiently short. That is, the cycle time required for vacuum adsorption can be shortened. In addition, due to the sufficient close contact between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22, the occurrence of a gap is sufficiently suppressed, and the workpiece W can be reliably vacuum-adsorbed.

[0113] In this way, when the workpiece W is adsorbed, by bringing the workpiece W into contact with the elastic sealing member 22 by the clamp mechanism 40, the occurrence of a gap that hinders vacuum adsorption can be suppressed. Thereby, various workpieces W having different states such as thickness, material, surface unevenness, warpage, and undulation can be appropriately vacuum-adsorbed.

[0114] Hereinafter, the position of the clamp 41 in the state where the clamp 41 is closed and the workpiece W is clamped is referred to as the clamp position. The clamp position is, for example, the position of the clamp 41 in a state where the force applied to the clamp 41 by the drive mechanism (the force acting in the direction of closing the clamp 41) and the reaction force received by the clamp 41 from the workpiece W (the force acting in the direction of opening the clamp 41) are balanced. The clamp position is, for example, a position corresponding to the thickness of the workpiece W, the vacuum degree of vacuum adsorption, etc.

[0115] [Open operation of the clamp]

[0116] In the present embodiment, the clamp mechanism 40 performs the operation of opening the clamp 41 in at least two stages. Here, the operation of opening the clamp 41 (the opening operation of the clamp 41) is, for example, an operation of opening the clamp 41 in the clamp position to the initial position. Therefore, the drive unit 45 of the clamp mechanism 40 is configured to open the clamp 41 from the clamp position to the initial position in stages. Thereby, even when there is no space to open the clamp 41 to the initial position, etc., the clamping of the workpiece W can be released.

[0117] Specifically, the operation of opening the clamp 41 is performed in two stages. That is, in the operation of opening the clamp 41, it includes a first opening operation of moving the clamp 41 away from the workpiece W to a first position, and a second opening operation of moving the clamp 41 away to a second position further away from the first position. Here, the second position is the initial position where the clamp 41 is opened to the maximum extent. In addition, the first position is an intermediate position set on the way when the clamp 41 is opened to the initial position. For example, in the workpiece table 20 shown on the right side of Figure 1 the clamp 41 is opened to the intermediate position.

[0118] The clamp mechanism 40 is configured to be able to maintain the clamp 41 in the state of the intermediate position. For example, when opening the clamp 41 from the clamp position, first, the clamp 41 is opened from the clamp position to the intermediate position (the first opening operation), and then the clamp 41 is opened from the intermediate position to the initial position (the second opening operation).

[0119] As a drive mechanism for opening the clamp 41 in two stages, for example, a mechanism using two cylinders can be cited. In this mechanism, there is a main cylinder for opening and closing the clamp between the clamp position and the initial position, and a sub-cylinder for obstructing the piston movement of the main cylinder on the way. For example, in the case of performing the first opening operation, the sub-cylinder stops the expansion and contraction of the main cylinder on the way so that the clamp 41 stops at the intermediate position. In addition, in the case of performing the second opening operation, the obstructing operation by the sub-cylinder is released, and by expanding and contracting the main cylinder to the end, the clamp 41 is opened to the initial position. Thereby, a two-stage opening operation can be performed, and a drive mechanism with almost no heat generation can be realized.

[0120] In addition, when a motor is used as the drive mechanism, by performing the rotation control of the motor, a two-stage opening operation can be performed. In this case, by electrically controlling the motor, for example, a multi-stage opening operation can also be easily performed.

[0121] In the present embodiment, after the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, the workpiece W is exposed by the exposure device 100 in the state where the clamp 41 is opened to the intermediate position. Hereinafter, the exposure sequence including the loading process, exposure process, and unloading process of the workpiece W will be specifically described.

[0122] [Operation of Exposure Device]

[0123] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of an exposure sequence performed by the exposure device 100. Figure 6 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of the clamp mechanism 40 in the exposure sequence. Figure 5 The processing shown, for example, is performed by the exposure device 100, the workpiece handler 60, and the moving mechanism described with reference to Figure 1 FIG. 1.

[0124] Here, the workpiece handler 60 for loading and unloading the workpiece W is denoted as the loading workpiece handler 60 and the unloading workpiece handler 60. In addition, the positions of the workpiece table 20 (handover positions) when loading and unloading the workpiece W are denoted as the loading position and the unloading position. Further, as the loading workpiece handler 60 and the unloading workpiece handler 60, the same workpiece handler 60 may be used, or different workpiece handlers 60 may be used. In addition, as shown in Figure 1 FIG. 3, when the workpiece table 20 reciprocates, the loading position and the unloading position are the same position, but when the workpiece table 20 moves in one direction, the loading position and the unloading position are different positions.

[0125] At the start of the exposure sequence, the loading workpiece handler 60 adsorbs and holds the workpiece W on the exposure surface side. In addition, the workpiece table 20 moves to the handover position (loading position) for loading the workpiece W from the loading workpiece handler 60. In addition, no workpiece W is placed on the workpiece table 20, and the clamp 41 is opened to the initial position so that the workpiece W can be loaded.

[0126] First, the process of moving the loading workpiece handler 60 above the loading position is executed (step 101). For example, the loading workpiece handler 60 adsorbs the workpiece W that has completed the previous process of the exposure process, and moves the workpiece W from the adsorbed position to above the loading position. Next, the process of lowering the loading workpiece handler 60 is executed (step 102). For example, the loading workpiece handler 60 is lowered until at least a part of the workpiece W comes into contact with the adsorption surface 24 or the elastic seal member 22 of the workpiece table 20, and the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece table 20.

[0127] Next, the process of starting the adsorption of the workpiece W by the workpiece table 20 and releasing the adsorption of the workpiece W by the loading workpiece handler 60 is executed (step 103). This is the handover operation of the workpiece W from the loading workpiece handler 60 to the workpiece table 20.

[0128] In step 103, as an operation to start adsorbing the workpiece W, the clamp 41 at the initial position is closed. At this time, the clamp mechanism 40 performs an operation to close the clamp 41 once. That is, the clamp 41 performs an operation until it contacts the workpiece W and presses the workpiece W against the elastic sealing member 22 once.

[0129] In Figure 6 A, a state before the workpiece W placed on the workpiece table 20 is clamped is shown. Here, the workpiece W is warped and the workpiece W does not contact the elastic sealing member 22. That is, there is a gap between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22. In such a state, even if the vacuum in the concave portion 29 of the suction portion 21 is pumped, the atmosphere will be sucked in through the gap, and the vacuum degree cannot be increased (the pressure cannot be reduced).

[0130] On the other hand, in Figure 6 B, a state after the workpiece W placed on the workpiece table 20 is clamped is shown. Here, by pressing the workpiece W downward by the clamp 41, the workpiece W contacts the elastic sealing member 22, Figure 6 and the gap in A is eliminated. If it is in this state, even if the concave portion 29 of the suction portion 21 is evacuated, there is no vacuum leakage from the gap, so the vacuum degree is likely to increase, and the workpiece W can be properly vacuum adsorbed.

[0131] In step 103, a closing operation (step 103A) to close the clamp 41 of the above clamp mechanism 40, an operation (step 103B) to start adsorbing the workpiece W by the suction portion 21, and an operation (step 103C) to release the adsorption of the workpiece W by the loading workpiece manipulator 60 are performed.

[0132] These operations are performed approximately simultaneously, but here it is assumed that steps 103A, 103B, and 103C are performed in this order for explanation. For example, the workpiece W is placed on the adsorption surface 24 in a state where the suction portion 21 is evacuated. If the clamp 41 is closed (step 103A) at the moment when the workpiece W is placed, there is no longer a gap on the back side of the workpiece W, and the adsorption of the workpiece W starts (step 103B). In addition, after the workpiece W is placed, the evacuation of the adsorption pad of the loading workpiece manipulator 60 is stopped, and the adsorption is released (step 103C). By performing these three operations approximately simultaneously in this way, the tact time can be sufficiently shortened.

[0133] In addition, steps 103A, 103B, and 103C can also be executed separately at different times. Moreover, the order of executing each action is not limited. For example, after placing the workpiece W, the adsorption of the loading workpiece manipulator 60 can be released (step 103C), then the evacuation of the adsorption portion 21 can be started (step 103B), and finally the closing action of closing the clamp 41 can be performed (step 103A). In addition to this, steps 103A to 103C can be executed in any order.

[0134] In any case, when the workpiece W is adsorbed on the workpiece table 20, the clamp 41 is closed, suppressing the occurrence of a gap between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22. Thereby, the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W can be completed in a short time.

[0135] If step 103 is executed, the process of raising the loading workpiece manipulator 60 after releasing the adsorption is performed (step 104). Here, the loading workpiece manipulator 60 is raised and moved from above the loading position to a specified retracted position.

[0136] Next, it is determined whether the adsorption of the workpiece W on the workpiece table 20 has been completed (step 105). For example, through Figure 1 the adsorption sensor 23 shown, the degree of vacuum in the adsorption portion 21 (recess 29) is detected, and it is determined whether the degree of vacuum has reached a specified value. When the degree of vacuum has not reached the specified value ( "No" in step 105), it is considered that the vacuum adsorption has not been completed, and step 105 is executed again to re-judge the degree of vacuum. In addition, when the degree of vacuum has reached the specified value ( "Yes" in step 105), it is considered that the vacuum adsorption has been completed, and step 106 is executed.

[0137] In the state where the vacuum adsorption has been completed, the workpiece W is in the original state held by the clamp. In this state, a pressing force acts on the workpiece W from the clamp 41. If the workpiece W is continuously pressed by the clamp 41 even after the vacuum adsorption is completed, the flatness of the workpiece W may decrease due to this force.

[0138] For example, the workpiece W is pressed downward by the clamp 41 to a greater extent than required. As a result, the workpiece W that was originally held flat may be deformed. For example, in a structure where the workpiece W is pressed by the upper part of the elastic sealing member 22, the workpiece W is likely to sink and deformation of the workpiece W is likely to occur.

[0139] In addition, the adsorption plate 27 constituting the adsorption surface 24 is a relatively thin component. Therefore, it can be considered that if the force pressing the workpiece W reaches the adsorption plate 27, the adsorption plate 27 will be deformed. For example, it can be considered that when the clamp 41 presses the workpiece W inside the elastic sealing member 22, both the workpiece W and the adsorption plate 27 will be deformed.

[0140] Incidentally, in a state where the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, the workpiece W can be sufficiently fixed to the workpiece table 20 even without clamping the workpiece W. That is, even if the clamp 41 is released, the workpiece W is held flat along the adsorption surface 24. By separating the clamp 41 from the workpiece W in this way, the deformation of the workpiece W and the adsorption surface 24 caused by the clamp 41 is eliminated, and the workpiece W can be held in a state with a high flatness.

[0141] However, in a device such as the exposure apparatus 100, lenses of the projection optical system 13 are arranged close above the workpiece W. In addition, it can be considered that a calibration camera or the like for positioning the stage (workpiece W) and the optical system is provided between the workpiece W and the projection optical system 13. Therefore, when the workpiece W is exposed, the space above the workpiece table 20 becomes a narrow space with a limited interval from other components. If the clamp 41 is fully opened in such a narrow space, there is a possibility that the clamp 41 collides with the lens of the projection optical system 13, the calibration camera, etc., and the exposure apparatus 100 may be damaged.

[0142] Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the workpiece W is exposed, the clamp 41 is separated from the workpiece W to an intermediate position (first opening operation), and after the exposure of the workpiece W is completed and the workpiece table 20 is moved to the unloading position, the clamp 41 is separated to the initial position (second opening operation). At this time, the intermediate position is set to a position where the clamp 41 does not collide with other components during exposure.

[0143] In this way, in the clamp mechanism 40, the first opening operation is performed before the exposure process is executed. In addition, the second opening operation is performed after the exposure process is executed. By the first opening operation, the clamp 41 is in an open state during the exposure of the workpiece W, and the exposure can be performed in a state where the flatness of the workpiece W is high. In addition, since the clamp 41 is not fully opened during exposure, there is no possibility that the clamp 41 contacts other components and damages the device. Thus, high-precision exposure can be fully achieved.

[0144] Returning to Figure 5 , in step 106, it is considered that the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, and the first opening operation of opening the clamp 41 to the intermediate position is performed. This can also be said to be an operation of opening the clamp 41 only slightly compared to the case of opening the clamp 41 to the initial position. In this way, in the present embodiment, the clamp mechanism 40 performs the first opening operation based on a signal indicating the completion of the adsorption of the workpiece W by the adsorption unit 21 (for example, the detection signal of the adsorption sensor 23). Thereby, a situation where the clamp 41 is opened in a state where the adsorption of the workpiece W is not completed can be avoided.

[0145] In addition, in Figure 5In the case where it is determined that the adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, the first opening operation is performed. However, for example, the first opening operation may also be performed when a certain period of time has elapsed since the start of the adsorption of the workpiece W. In addition, the timing of performing the first opening operation may also be immediately before the exposure process. That is, the first opening operation may be performed after the workpiece stage 20 has moved to the exposure position. In this case, the first opening operation may also be performed based on a signal indicating the start of the exposure process for the workpiece W. In any case, during the exposure, the clamp 41 reliably moves away to the intermediate position, so high-precision exposure can be achieved.

[0146] In Figure 6 C shows the state where the clamp 41 is opened to the intermediate position after the completion of the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W. As Figure 6 shown in C, even in the state where the clamp 41 has left the workpiece W, since the vacuum adsorption of the workpiece W is completed, the workpiece W is also held flat. In addition, Figure 6 the state shown in C is the same as the state of the workpiece stage 20 shown on the Figure 1 right side.

[0147] In the present embodiment, the distance between the clamp 41 and the workpiece W at the intermediate position is set to 1 mm or less. Here, the distance between the clamp 41 and the workpiece W is, for example, the distance in the vertical direction (the direction orthogonal to the adsorption surface 24) from the front end of the contact portion 43 of the clamp 41 to the exposure surface of the workpiece W.

[0148] In the case where such a separation distance is relatively small, the force exerted by the clamp 41 on the workpiece W is also eliminated, so a higher flatness can be achieved. In addition, from the state where the clamp 41 is closed (clamp position), the change amount of the height is at most 1 mm. Thus, it is possible to sufficiently avoid the collision between the clamp 41 and the components in the narrow space arranged on the workpiece stage 20. In addition, the limit distance (for example, the distance from the adsorption surface 24 to the lens, etc.) set so as not to collide with the clamp 41 can be made relatively short. Therefore, it is also possible to use, for example, an optical system with a shallow depth of focus that can perform high-resolution exposure.

[0149] Returning to Figure 5 , if step 106 is completed and the clamp 41 is opened to the intermediate position, the process of moving the workpiece stage 20 to the exposure position is performed (step 107). In this case, the workpiece stage 20 is conveyed from the loading position of the workpiece W to the exposure position below the projection optical system 13 by the moving mechanism.

[0150] If the workpiece stage 20 moves to the exposure position, the exposure process is started (step 108). During the exposure process, for example, a calibration camera or the like is used to perform alignment, focusing, etc. of the workpiece W and the projection optical system 13. Then, the exposure light that has passed through the mask M is irradiated onto the exposure surface of the workpiece W.

[0151] In addition, in the case where the size of the workpiece W is large or the like, the exposure range is changed and the above-described process is executed multiple times. In this case, the workpiece stage 20 and the portions other than the workpiece stage of the exposure apparatus 100 are relatively moved and moved to a plurality of exposure ranges. During this period, the clamp 41 is maintained in a state of being opened to the intermediate position.

[0152] Next, it is determined whether the exposure of the workpiece W is completed (step 109). For example, in the case where the exposure is completed at once, a signal indicating the completion of the exposure is determined. In addition, in the case of performing multiple exposures, the number of exposures is determined. In the case where it is determined that the exposure is not completed (No in step 109), step 109 is executed again to re-determine the presence or absence of the completion of the exposure. In the case where it is determined that the exposure is completed (Yes in step 109), step 111 is executed.

[0153] In addition, during the exposure process in steps 108 and 109, the process of moving the workpiece ejecting manipulator 60 for ejecting the workpiece W above the ejecting position is executed in parallel (step 110). The workpiece ejecting manipulator 60 stands by above the ejecting position in a state capable of holding the workpiece W.

[0154] In step 111, the process of moving the workpiece stage 20 to the ejecting position of the workpiece W is executed. In this case, the workpiece stage 20 is conveyed from the exposure position to the ejecting position by the moving mechanism. Next, the process of lowering the workpiece ejecting manipulator 60 is executed (step 112). The workpiece ejecting manipulator 60 descends to a position where it can adsorb the workpiece W.

[0155] Next, the process of starting the adsorption of the workpiece W by the workpiece ejecting manipulator 60 and releasing the adsorption of the workpiece W by the workpiece stage 20 is executed (step 113). This is the transfer operation of the workpiece W from the workpiece stage 20 to the workpiece ejecting manipulator 60.

[0156] In step 113, as an operation for releasing the adsorption of the workpiece W, the second opening operation of opening the clamp 41 opened to the intermediate position to the initial position is executed. In this way, after the exposure process for the workpiece W is executed, the clamp mechanism 40 executes the second opening operation when the workpiece W leaves the exposure position of the exposure unit 10 (the optical system of the exposure apparatus 100 including the projection optical system 13).

[0157] Since the workpiece W (workpiece stage 20) leaves the exposure position, the clamp 41 can be opened to the initial position without colliding with other components. In addition, in step 113, after moving to the ejecting position, the clamp 41 is opened to the initial position, but if it collides with a lens or a calibration camera or the like, the position for executing the second opening operation does not need to be the ejecting position.

[0158] Further, in step 113, an operation of starting the adsorption of the workpiece W by the workpiece take-out manipulator 60 (step 113A), an operation of releasing the adsorption of the workpiece W by the adsorption unit 21 (step 113B), and a second opening operation of opening the clamp 41 to the initial position (step 113C) are performed.

[0159] These operations are performed substantially simultaneously, but here it is assumed that steps 113A, 113B, and 113C are performed in this order for explanation. For example, the adsorption pad 61 of the workpiece take-out manipulator 60 contacts the exposure surface of the workpiece W in a state where vacuum has been drawn, and the adsorption of the workpiece W starts (step 113A). Further, at the moment when the workpiece take-out manipulator 60 contacts the workpiece W, the vacuum drawing of the adsorption unit 21 is stopped, and air is injected through the pipe L (step 113B). Further, at the same moment, the clamp 41 at the intermediate position is opened to the initial position (step 113C). Thereby, the workpiece W can be taken out from the workpiece table 20.

[0160] Alternatively, steps 113A, 113B, and 113C may be performed separately at different times. Further, the order of performing each operation is not limited. For example, after opening the clamp 41 to the initial position (step 113C), the adsorption of the workpiece table 20 may be released (step 113B), and finally, the vacuum drawing of the workpiece take-out manipulator 60 may be started (step 113A). In addition to this, steps 113A to 113C can be performed in any order.

[0161] In Figure 6 D, a state in which the adsorption of the workpiece W is released and the clamp 41 is opened to the initial position is illustrated. Here, Figure 6 similarly to

[0162] A, the workpiece W warps, and a gap is generated between the workpiece W and the elastic sealing member 22. In addition, since adsorption is not required on the workpiece table 20 side after step 113, such a gap does not matter even if it exists. Figure 5 Returning to

[0163] When the degree of vacuum reaches the specified value (Yes in step 114), it is considered that the vacuum adsorption is completed, and the process of raising the workpiece handler 60 for unloading is executed (step 115). Thereby, the workpiece W is unloaded from the workpiece table 20. The workpiece handler 60 for unloading moves while adsorbing and holding the workpiece W, and conveys the workpiece W for the next process. Through the processing so far, one exposure sequence is completed.

[0164] In recent years, with the miniaturization of components, as the pattern formed on the workpiece W in the exposure process, a pattern with a finer line width is required. For example, in a projection exposure apparatus, a lens for projecting the pattern is required to have a high resolution. Therefore, a lens with a large numerical aperture (NA) is adopted. On the other hand, the depth of focus becomes shallow, and higher flatness is required for the workpiece W during exposure.

[0165] In a table on which the workpiece W is placed, for example, the workpiece W is adsorbed on an adsorption plate with high flatness to improve the flatness of the workpiece W. In addition, when adsorbing the workpiece W, the workpiece W can be assisted in adsorption by clamping it.

[0166] However, it can be considered that in a state where the workpiece W is clamped on the adsorption plate, due to the fixing force of the clamp (for example, about 100 N for each side of the workpiece W), the workpiece W is deformed. In this case, for example, a part of the workpiece W floats from the adsorption plate, and the workpiece W can no longer be held with high flatness. Especially when the workpiece W is thin (for example, about 0.2 mm in thickness), the deformation of the workpiece W caused by the clamp becomes significant. In addition, it can also be considered that the adsorption plate is deformed by the fixing force of the clamp, and it may no longer be possible to hold the workpiece W with high flatness.

[0167] In order to eliminate the deformation of the workpiece W caused by such a clamp, it can be considered to open the clamp. On the other hand, there are cases where the distance between the table and the projection lens is short, or a calibration camera is provided. If the clamp is opened, the clamp may collide with these components.

[0168] In the present embodiment, the clamp mechanism 40 is configured to divide the operation of opening the clamp 41 into two stages. Thereby, the clamp 41 in the clamping position (refer to Figure 6 B) is first opened to the intermediate position (refer to Figure 6 C), and then opened to the initial position (refer to Figure 6 D). The intermediate position is appropriately set so that the clamp 41 does not collide with other components.

[0169] Accordingly, it is possible to perform an exposure process in a state where the clamp 41 is separated from the workpiece W to an intermediate position. That is, after the workpiece W is sucked and held on the suction plate 27 (workpiece table 20), no fixing force is applied to the workpiece W and the suction plate 27, and the exposure process can be performed while maintaining the original state with high flatness.

[0170] In this way, by eliminating the influence caused by the force of the clamp 41, the workpiece W and the suction plate 27 are in a state of high flatness during the exposure process, and fine exposure can be performed. As a result, it is possible to use a lens with high resolution power to accurately and safely perform a process of exposing a high-resolution pattern (high-resolution exposure process), etc.

[0171] As described above, in the workpiece table 20 according to the present embodiment, an elastic sealing member 22 is provided around the suction surface 24 that vacuum-sucks the workpiece W. When the workpiece W is sucked, the clamp 41 of the clamp mechanism 40 presses the workpiece W to bring it into contact with the elastic sealing member 22. As a result, the occurrence of gaps that impede the vacuum suction of the workpiece W is suppressed, and various workpieces W can be appropriately vacuum-sucked.

[0172] In addition, in the workpiece table 20 according to the present embodiment, the operation of opening the clamp 41 is performed in two steps. For example, before performing the exposure process, a first opening operation of opening the clamp 41 to an intermediate position is performed. As a result, it is possible to avoid the clamp 41 from colliding with other parts and maintain the flatness of the workpiece W during the exposure process at a high level. As a result, high-resolution exposure can be safely achieved.

[0173] <Other Embodiments>

[0174] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various other embodiments can be implemented.

[0175] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram showing a structural example of a sealing unit including an elastic sealing member. The sealing unit 35 has an elastic sealing member 22 and a plate 36 on which the elastic sealing member 22 is placed. On the upper surface of the plate 36, a mounting portion 28 for mounting the lower surface of the elastic sealing member 22 is formed. The elastic sealing member 22 and the plate 36 are fixed using an adhesive or the like. In addition, on the upper side of the base 26, a groove 37 for inserting the plate 36 is formed. The plate 36 is fixed in the groove 37 by screw fastening or the like. In addition, in order to suppress vacuum leakage when the workpiece W is vacuum-sucked on the suction plate 27 side, an O-ring or the like (not shown) may be provided between the plate 36 and the base 26.

[0176] In this way, a sealing unit 35 in which the elastic sealing member 22 is placed on the plate material 36 can also be mounted on the abutment 26 and unitized. Thereby, for example, by removing the sealing unit 35, the elastic sealing member 22 can be easily replaced. Further, in Figure 7 , the adsorption plate 27 and the sealing unit 35 are configured as different components, but for example, the sealing unit 35 can also be connected to the outer periphery of the adsorption plate 27 to integrally form the adsorption plate 27 and the sealing unit 35. Thereby, the adsorption plate 27 and the elastic sealing member 22 can be replaced at once, and the maintenance of the device becomes easy.

[0177] In the above-described embodiment, a clamp mechanism that clamps a workpiece W having a rectangular shape in plan view along each side has been described. However, it is not limited thereto, and the clamp mechanism can also be configured to clamp a corner portion or an intermediate portion of each side of the workpiece W. For example, four clamps that respectively press the four corner portions of a rectangular workpiece W can also be provided. Further, a plurality of clamps can also be arranged at intervals along each side of the workpiece W.

[0178] In the above-described embodiment, a clamp mechanism that rotates the clamp to open and close has been described. The movement of the clamp is not limited to a rotational movement. For example, the workpiece W can also be clamped by combining a movement in the vertical direction or a movement in a plane direction orthogonal to the vertical direction. In this case, for example, a mechanism that lowers the clamp when closing the clamp, raises the clamp when opening the clamp, and then moves it in the plane direction to move away from the workpiece W can be used.

[0179] Further, the clamp can also be moved in an oblique direction to press the workpiece W. In this case, for example, a mechanism such as bringing the workpiece W into contact with the clamp from obliquely above when closing the clamp and retracting the clamp obliquely upward when opening the clamp can be used. In addition to this, movements (displacement movements) in the vertical direction, the plane direction, and the oblique direction can also be combined, and a displacement movement and a rotational movement can also be combined.

[0180] In the above-described embodiment, a clamp mechanism that performs a two-stage opening operation including a first opening operation and a second opening operation has been described. However, it is not limited thereto, and the clamp mechanism can also be configured to perform multiple opening operations divided into three stages, four stages, etc. Further, for example, the stage (separation distance) of the opening operation performed before the exposure process can also be selected according to the structure of the exposure unit. For example, in a clamp mechanism that can perform a three-stage opening operation in total, when the space between the workpiece W and the exposure unit is narrow, the opening operation can be performed up to the first stage before the exposure process, and when the space is larger, the opening operation can be performed up to the second stage before the exposure process.

[0181] In the above-described embodiment, a clamp mechanism that performs a first opening operation of opening the clamp to an intermediate position where the separation distance is shorter than the initial position before the exposure process has been described. As long as the force applied to the workpiece W by the clamp can be eliminated, it is not necessarily required to move the clamp away from the workpiece W.

[0182] For example, before the exposure process, the force with which the clamp presses the workpiece W can be set to OFF. For example, in the case where a cylinder is used as the power source, the pressure of the cylinder is reduced so that the clamp does not press the workpiece W. In addition, in the case of using a motor or the like, the motor can also be controlled to stop the rotation or cut off the power supplied to the motor.

[0183] In this way, the clamp mechanism can also release the operation of pressing the workpiece W by the clamp before the exposure process of the workpiece W performed by the suction unit is executed. For example, the operation of moving the clamp away (the first opening operation) is an example of the operation of releasing the operation of pressing the workpiece W. In addition, the operation of setting the force with which the clamp presses the workpiece W to OFF without moving the clamp away is also the operation of releasing the operation of pressing the workpiece W. In this way, by releasing the operation of pressing the workpiece W before the exposure process, the deformation of the workpiece W caused by the clamp is eliminated, and the exposure process can be performed with a higher flatness.

[0184] In the above-described embodiment, the structure in which an elastic seal member and a clamp mechanism are provided on the workpiece table has been described, but a workpiece table without an elastic seal member can also be used. In this case, the clamp mechanism is configured to directly press the workpiece W onto the suction surface from above the suction surface, for example. In addition, an outer peripheral surface for the clamp can be formed around the suction surface, and the workpiece W can be directly pressed onto the outer peripheral surface from above the outer peripheral surface. Additionally, the outer peripheral surface is preferably at the same height as the suction surface, but for example, it can also be configured to be one level lower than the suction surface.

[0185] Even in such a case where no elastic seal member is provided, by pressing the workpiece W with the clamp, the workpiece W can be vacuum-sucked onto the suction surface. Further, if the vacuum suction of the workpiece W is completed, the workpiece W is held along the suction surface, but due to the force of the clamp acting thereon, the workpiece W or the suction plate forming the suction surface or the like may be deformed.

[0186] In order to eliminate such deformation, before the exposure process is executed, the operation of pressing the workpiece W by the clamp is released. For example, the operation of moving the clamp away from the workpiece W (the first opening operation) or the operation of setting the force with which the clamp presses the workpiece W to OFF is performed. Thereby, even for a workpiece table that directly presses the workpiece W onto the suction surface or the like, the deformation of the workpiece W caused by the clamp is eliminated, and the exposure process can be performed with a higher flatness.

[0187] In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the workpiece stage according to the present invention is applied to a projection exposure apparatus (mask exposure apparatus) using a mask M has been mainly described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the workpiece stage according to the present invention can also be applied to other types of exposure apparatuses. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a DI (Direct Imaging) exposure apparatus. A DI exposure apparatus is an apparatus that exposes a workpiece W by directly drawing a wiring pattern by scanning a laser without using a mask. In this case, a laser source includes a modulator that modulates the laser according to a pattern, a lens for irradiating the laser, and the like, and an exposure unit that exposes the pattern on the workpiece W. By using a workpiece stage having an elastic sealing member and a clamp mechanism, it is possible to appropriately adsorb various workpieces W and then perform an exposure process using a DI exposure apparatus.

[0188] In addition, in a DI exposure apparatus, in order to achieve miniaturization of an exposure pattern, it is also necessary to improve the resolution of an optical system. Specifically, in order to reduce the diameter of a drawn light spot, the numerical aperture (NA) of a lens for irradiating the laser is increased. On the other hand, it can be considered that if the numerical aperture is increased, the depth of focus becomes shallow (the working distance becomes small). Therefore, if the flatness of the workpiece W during the exposure process is low, it may not be possible to obtain a desired exposure accuracy.

[0189] In contrast, in the workpiece stage according to the present invention, for example, before the exposure process, a first opening operation is performed to release the state in which the workpiece W is pressed by the clamp. As a result, it is possible to perform the exposure process while maintaining a high flatness without applying a fixing force to the workpiece W or the adsorption plate. In addition, for example, when the workpiece W moves away from the exposure position of the DI exposure apparatus, a second opening operation of opening the clamp to the initial position is performed. Therefore, it is possible to sufficiently avoid a situation in which the clamp collides with a lens for irradiating the laser or the like. As a result, it is possible to safely achieve high-resolution exposure using a DI exposure apparatus.

[0190] In the above-described embodiment, the exposure process for exposing the workpiece W has been mainly described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the present invention can be applied to any processing for maintaining the flatness of the workpiece W. Examples of such processing include a film forming process for forming a thin film of a metal material, a semiconductor material, a resin material, etc. on the surface of the workpiece W, an etching process for removing the surface of the workpiece W, and the like. In addition, the present invention can also be applied to a workpiece stage used in machining, laser processing, and the like. In addition, the type of the processing is not limited.

[0191] At least two of the characteristic parts related to the present technology described above can also be combined. That is, the various characteristic parts described in each embodiment can also be arbitrarily combined without distinction between the embodiments. In addition, the various effects described above are merely examples and are not limiting. Other effects may also be achieved.

[0192] Reference Numeral Explanation

[0193] W... Workpiece

[0194] 10... Exposure Unit

[0195] 12... Mask Stage

[0196] 13... Projection Optical System

[0197] 20... Workpiece Stage

[0198] 21... Adsorption Unit

[0199] 22... Elastic Sealing Component

[0200] 24... Adsorption Surface

[0201] 26... Base

[0202] 27... Adsorption Plate

[0203] 40... Clamping Mechanism

[0204] 41... Clamp

[0205] 100... Exposure Device

Claims

1. A holding mechanism, characterized in that: It includes: An adsorption part having an adsorption surface for vacuum-adsorbing a workpiece; An elastic sealing member disposed around the adsorption surface such that at least a part thereof is blocked by the workpiece when viewed from above the adsorption surface; And A clamp mechanism having a clamp for pushing the workpiece to bring the workpiece into contact with the elastic sealing member, and driving the clamp to push the workpiece when the workpiece is adsorbed by the adsorption part.

2. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamp pushes the workpiece at a position where the workpiece and the elastic sealing member overlap in the top view.

3. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top view shape of the workpiece and the top view shape of the elastic sealing member are rectangular, The clamp pushes the workpiece along at least one of the four sides that are the outer edges of the workpiece.

4. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the adsorption of the workpiece by the adsorption part is completed and the processing of the workpiece is performed, the clamp mechanism releases the action of pushing the workpiece by the clamp.

5. The holding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The clamp mechanism is a mechanism that opens and closes the clamp to push the workpiece, and divides the action of opening the clamp into at least two executions.

6. The holding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The action of opening the clamp includes a first opening action of moving the clamp away to a first position away from the workpiece, and a second opening action of moving the clamp away to a second position further away from the first position.

7. The holding mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamp mechanism performs the first opening action after the adsorption of the workpiece by the adsorption part is completed and before the processing of the workpiece is performed, and performs the second opening action after the processing is performed.

8. The holding mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The clamp mechanism performs the first opening action based on a signal indicating the completion of the adsorption of the workpiece by the adsorption part or a signal indicating the start of the processing of the workpiece.

9. The holding mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The processing is an exposure process of exposing the workpiece by an exposure part that exposes a pattern on the workpiece, The clamp mechanism performs the second opening action after the exposure process of the workpiece is performed and the workpiece has left the exposure position of the exposure part.

10. The holding mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The distance between the clamp and the workpiece at the first position is 1 mm or less.

11. The holding mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clamp mechanism performs the action of closing the clamp once.

12. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption part has a peripheral part that surrounds the adsorption surface and is formed lower than the adsorption surface, The above elastic sealing member is disposed on the above peripheral portion.

13. The holding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein: The above suction portion includes: A base having a recess for supplying vacuum and a plurality of protrusions formed in the recess; and A suction plate having a plurality of through holes and mounted on the above recess to form the above suction surface.

14. An exposure apparatus, characterized in that: It includes: An exposure unit that exposes a pattern on a workpiece; And a workpiece stage, The workpiece stage has: A suction portion having a suction surface for vacuum-sucking the above workpiece; An elastic sealing member disposed around the above suction surface such that at least a part thereof is blocked by the above workpiece when viewed from above the above suction surface; And A clamp mechanism having a clamp that presses the above workpiece to bring the above workpiece into contact with the above elastic sealing member, and drives the above clamp to press the above workpiece when the above workpiece is sucked by the above suction portion.

15. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein: The above exposure unit has: A light emitting unit that emits exposure light; A mask stage that holds a mask having the above pattern on the optical path of the above exposure light; and A projection optical system that projects the above exposure light that has passed through the above mask onto the above workpiece.

Images