Pattern drawing apparatus and pattern drawing method

Abstract

In a pattern drawing device, a first irradiation region group (821) is moved parallel to a main scanning direction, and a first stripe region (831) on a substrate is irradiated with light. By moving the subsequent irradiation region group (822) parallel to the main scanning direction, a subsequent stripe region (832) that is adjacent to the preceding stripe region (831) and partially overlaps the overlapping region (833) is irradiated with light. The portion of the contour of the preceding irradiation region group (821) that passes through the overlapping region (833) is a first stepped portion (823) in which a straight portion extending in the main scanning direction and a stepped portion extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction overlap. A portion of the contour of the group of subsequent irradiation regions (822) that passes through the overlapping region (833) is a second step-shaped portion (824) that is complementary to the first step-shaped portion (823).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology for drawing a pattern on an object by irradiating light.

[0002] [Reference to related applications]

[0003] This application claims priority from Japanese patent application JP2024-34718 filed on March 7, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Background Art

[0004] Conventionally, a technique has been used to draw fine patterns on a photosensitive material by scanning spatially modulated light on the material. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-70506 (Document 1), a pattern is drawn on the photosensitive material by performing a main scan while tilting the arrangement of the irradiation area group on the photosensitive material to which light from a microscopic mirror group of a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) is introduced relative to the main scanning direction. Each time the main scan of the irradiation area group is performed, the irradiation area group moves intermittently in the sub-scanning direction, and the area drawn in the preceding main scan and the area drawn in the subsequent main scan partially overlap. In addition, in FIG. 28 of Document 1, the two ends of the irradiation area group in the sub-scanning direction are formed into a shape in which a step is provided on a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction.

[0005] However, the amount of movement of the irradiation area group in the sub-scanning direction may sometimes produce a slight error. That is, after the main scan of the irradiation area group is completed, when the irradiation area group is moved in the sub-scanning direction for the next main scan, the irradiation area group is slightly offset from the ideal position. In this case, in the example of Figure 28 of Document 1, when the preceding irradiation area group and the subsequent irradiation area group overlap more than necessary, an area with a significantly increased amount of light is generated, and when the preceding irradiation area group and the subsequent irradiation area group overlap insufficiently, an area with a significantly decreased amount of light is generated. In recent years, with the advancement of high-precision drawing patterns, the increase or decrease of the amount of light, which was not a problem in the past, has become unacceptable.

[0006] On the other hand, due to various technical reasons such as data processing for positional deviation correction, it is desirable that both ends of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction include as many edge portions as possible that are parallel to the main scanning direction. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the influence of an error in the amount of movement of an irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction when drawing a pattern.

[0008] Technical means to solve the problem

[0009] Mode 1 of the present invention is a pattern drawing device that draws a pattern on an object by irradiating light, wherein the device comprises: a light irradiation unit that irradiates light onto the object; an irradiation area moving mechanism that moves an irradiation area group irradiated with light from the light irradiation unit onto the object; and a control unit that controls the movement of the irradiation area group and the irradiation of light onto each irradiation area of ​​the irradiation area group, and draws a pattern on the object by irradiating light onto each position on the object while passing a plurality of irradiation areas through the object. By controlling the control unit, the preceding stripe area on the object is irradiated with light by controlling the irradiation of light from the light irradiation unit to the preceding irradiation area group and moving the preceding irradiation area group parallel to the main scanning direction. The subsequent stripe area adjacent to the preceding stripe area and partially overlapping in the overlapping area is irradiated with light by controlling the irradiation of light from the light irradiation unit to the subsequent irradiation area group and moving the subsequent irradiation area group parallel to the main scanning direction. At each position of the non-overlapping area in the preceding stripe area and the subsequent stripe area, the preceding irradiation area group or the subsequent irradiation area group is The preceding irradiation area group is continuously passed through the overlapping area at a constant time, the portion of the outline of the preceding irradiation area group passing through the overlapping area is a first step shape in which a straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction and a step portion extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction are repeated, the portion of the outline of the subsequent irradiation area group passing through the overlapping area is a second step shape complementary to the first step shape, and the straight line portion of any one of the first step shape and the second step shape is greater than 1% and less than 20% of the cutting length when the preceding irradiation area group and the subsequent irradiation area group are cut in the non-overlapping area with a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction.

[0010] According to the present invention, the influence of the error in the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction on the drawn pattern can be suppressed to a small level.

[0011] According to mode 2 of the present invention, in the pattern drawing device of mode 1, the light irradiation unit has a spatial light modulator in which a plurality of light modulator elements are two-dimensionally arranged in a rectangular area, and an effective light modulator element group among the plurality of light modulator elements corresponds to the irradiation area group on the object.

[0012] According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the pattern drawing device according to the second aspect, the plurality of light modulation elements are a plurality of micro mirrors whose postures can be changed independently.

[0013] In mode 4 of the present invention, in the pattern drawing device of mode 2 or 3, a plurality of areas on the object corresponding to the plurality of light modulator elements are arranged in a rectangular shape in row and column directions perpendicular to each other, the column direction is inclined relative to the main scanning direction, and the direction in which the first step shape and the second step shape extend is closer to the main scanning direction than the column direction.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the pattern drawing device of aspect 1 (which may be any of aspects 1 to 4), wherein the width of the overlapping region is 0.1% to 20% of the width of the non-overlapping region.

[0015] Mode 6 of the present invention is a pattern drawing method, which draws a pattern on the object by moving an irradiation area group to be irradiated with light on an object and controlling the irradiation of light to each irradiation area of ​​the irradiation area group, irradiating light to each position on the object while passing a plurality of irradiation areas, wherein the pattern drawing method comprises: a process of irradiating a preceding stripe area on the object with light by controlling the irradiation of light to a preceding irradiation area group and moving the preceding irradiation area group parallel to a main scanning direction; and a process of irradiating a subsequent stripe area adjacent to the preceding stripe area and partially overlapping in an overlapping area with light by controlling the irradiation of light to a subsequent irradiation area group and moving the subsequent irradiation area group parallel to the main scanning direction, at each position of the non-overlapping area in the preceding stripe area and the subsequent stripe area. The preceding irradiation area group or the subsequent irradiation area group passes continuously at a constant time, and the portion of the outline of the preceding irradiation area group that passes through the repeated area is a first step shape that repeats the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction and the step portion extending in the direction intersecting the main scanning direction, and the portion of the outline of the subsequent irradiation area group that passes through the repeated area is a second step shape that is complementary to the first step shape, and the straight line portion of any one of the first step shape and the second step shape is greater than 1% and less than 20% of the cutting length when the preceding irradiation area group and the subsequent irradiation area group are cut in the non-overlapping area with a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction.

[0016] The above-mentioned objects and other objects, features, aspects and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the structure of a pattern drawing device.

[0018] Figure 2This is a perspective view showing a drawing head.

[0019] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing DMD.

[0020] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining how a pattern is drawn on a substrate using a plurality of drawing heads.

[0021] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the flow of operations of the pattern drawing device.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a micro mirror group.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing an enlarged outline of the right end portion of the activation region.

[0024] Figure 8 It is a figure which shows the stripe area in enlargement.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing an enlarged portion of the outline of the irradiation region group.

[0026] Figure 10 It is a diagram showing a micro mirror group of a comparative example.

[0027] Figure 11 It is a figure which shows the stripe area in enlargement.

[0028] Figure 12A This is a diagram for explaining a case where the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly increased in the comparative example.

[0029] Figure 12B This is a diagram for explaining a case where the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly reduced in the comparative example.

[0030] Figure 13A Is used to illustrate Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a case where the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly increased in the method of FIG.

[0031] Figure 13B Is used to illustrate Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a case where the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly reduced in the method of FIG.

[0032] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a tilted DMD.

[0033] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing the validation area and the invalidation area.

[0034] Figure 16 This is an enlarged view showing the arrangement of micro mirrors near one step portion.

[0035] Figure 17 It is a figure which shows the stripe area in enlargement.

[0036] Figure 18 This is an enlarged view showing the first step shape of the irradiation region group.

[0037] Figure 19 This is an enlarged view showing another example of the first step shape of the irradiation region group.

[0038] Description of reference numerals:

[0039] 1Pattern drawing device

[0040] 9Substrate (object)

[0041] 13 Light irradiation part

[0042] 14 Control Unit

[0043] 21DMD (spatial light modulator)

[0044] 122 stage moving mechanism (irradiation area moving mechanism)

[0045] 213 Light Modulation Element

[0046] 221 Validation Area

[0047] 810 Irradiation Area Group

[0048] 821 Pre-irradiation area group

[0049] 822 Subsequent irradiation area group

[0050] 823 First step shape part

[0051] 824 Second step shape portion

[0052] 831 Advance Strip Area

[0053] 832 Subsequent strip area

[0054] 833 repeat region

[0055] 834 non-repeating regions

[0056] 841 Straight Line

[0057] 842 Stairs

[0058] Steps S1 to S7 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the structure of a pattern drawing device (hereinafter referred to as "drawing device") 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 In FIG, three mutually orthogonal directions are designated as the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction and are indicated by arrows. Figure 1 In the example shown, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is a vertical direction.

[0060] The drawing device 1 is a direct drawing device that draws a pattern on the substrate 9 by irradiating a photosensitive material of the substrate 9 with spatially modulated light and scanning the irradiated area of ​​the light on the substrate 9. The substrate 9, which is the object of drawing, is a plate-shaped member that is, for example, roughly rectangular when viewed from above. The substrate 9 is, for example, a flexible printed wiring substrate. In this embodiment, a film of a solder resist as a photosensitive material is provided on substantially the entire upper surface of the substrate 9 in such a manner as to cover the circuit pattern. In the drawing device 1, a pattern of a solder resist layer is drawn on the solder resist film. In a subsequent process, development and other processes are performed to obtain the substrate 9 on which the solder resist layer is formed on the circuit pattern. In addition, the film of the photosensitive material is not limited to the solder resist film, and may be, for example, an etching resist film used in the formation of the circuit pattern.

[0061] The drawing device 1 includes a stage 121, a stage moving mechanism 122, a light irradiation unit 13, and a control unit 14. The control unit 14 controls the stage moving mechanism 122, the light irradiation unit 13, and the like. The stage 121 is a roughly flat holding portion that holds the substrate 9 in a horizontal state from below (i.e., on the (-Z) side) below the light irradiation unit 13. The main surface of the substrate 9 on the (+Z) side placed on the stage 121 (the surface that becomes the drawing object, hereinafter referred to as the "object surface 91") is perpendicular to the Z direction and parallel to the X and Y directions. The stage 121 may also be a component that holds the outer edge of the substrate 9, etc.

[0062] The stage moving mechanism 122 includes a support plate 123, a base plate 124, a base 125, a rotation mechanism 126, a main scanning mechanism 127, and a sub-scanning mechanism 128. The support plate 123 supports the stage 121 from below. The rotation mechanism 126 includes, for example, a linear motor and a rotation axis. The linear motor includes a movable part mounted on the end of the stage 121 and a fixed part provided on the upper surface of the support plate 123. The rotation axis is parallel to the Z direction and is provided in the center of the lower surface of the stage 121. Driven by the linear motor, the stage 121 rotates within a predetermined angular range around the rotation axis.

[0063] The sub-scanning mechanism 128 includes, for example, a linear motor and a pair of guides. The linear motor has a movable member mounted on the lower surface of the support plate 123 and a fixed member disposed on the upper surface of the base plate 124. The pair of guides extend in the X direction and are disposed between the support plate 123 and the base plate 124. Driven by the linear motor, the support plate 123 moves in the X direction along the guides on the base plate 124.

[0064] The main scanning mechanism 127 includes, for example, a linear motor and a pair of guides. The linear motor has a movable element mounted on the lower surface of the base plate 124 and a fixed element disposed on the upper surface of the base 125. The pair of guides extend in the Y direction and are disposed between the base plate 124 and the base 125. Driven by the linear motor, the base plate 124 moves in the Y direction along the guides on the base 125. In other words, the main scanning mechanism 127 moves the substrate 9 and the stage 121 in the Y direction along the target surface 91 of the substrate 9.

[0065] In the following description, the Y direction is referred to as the "main scanning direction," and the X direction, which is perpendicular to the main scanning direction and runs along the target surface 91 of the substrate 9, is referred to as the "sub-scanning direction." The drive sources for the rotation mechanism 126, the sub-scanning mechanism 128, and the main scanning mechanism 127 may be sources other than linear motors. For example, a motor mounted on a ball screw may be used. The stage moving mechanism 122 may also include a stage lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the stage 121 in the Z direction. Alternatively, the rotation mechanism 126 may be omitted.

[0066] The light irradiation unit 13 includes a plurality of drawing heads 131 arranged in the sub-scanning direction. Each drawing head 131 irradiates light onto the substrate 9. In this embodiment, there are five drawing heads 131, but the number may be four or fewer, or six or more. The plurality of drawing heads 131 are supported above the stage 121 by a head support 119 disposed across the stage 121.

[0067] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a drawing head 131. The multiple drawing heads 131 have substantially the same structure. Each drawing head 131 is connected to a light source unit 136 and an illumination optical system 137. The light source unit 136 includes a light source such as an LED and emits light of a predetermined wavelength. The light source unit 136 may also include other types of light sources. The illumination optical system 137 includes, for example, a rod integrator and lenses. Light emitted from the light source unit 136 is guided to the drawing head 131 via the illumination optical system 137.

[0068] The drawing head 131 has a light modulator 132 and a projection optical system 133. The light modulator 132 has a spatial light modulator. In this embodiment, the spatial light modulator is a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) in which a plurality of light modulator elements, i.e., a plurality of micro mirrors, are arranged two-dimensionally in a rectangular area. Light from the illumination optical system 137 is irradiated onto the plurality of light modulator elements (here, a plurality of micro mirrors) in the light modulator 132. In each light modulator element, the posture of the micro mirror that reflects light toward the projection optical system 133 (open state) and the posture of the micro mirror that reflects light in a direction different from the projection optical system 133 (closed state) can be switched by the control of the control unit 14.

[0069] Of the light irradiated onto the light modulator 132, the light reflected by the light modulator element in the on state enters the projection optical system 133. That is, the light spatially modulated by the light modulator 132 is emitted toward the projection optical system 133. The projection optical system 133 converts this light into a predetermined magnification and guides it toward the target surface 91 of the substrate 9. An image of the light modulator 132 is projected (formed) onto the target surface 91. In the following description, the modulated light emitted from each drawing head 131 toward the substrate 9 is referred to as "drawing light."

[0070] Figure 3 This diagram shows the DMD 21 included in the light modulation unit 132. The DMD 21 is a spatial light modulation device in which a plurality of micromirrors (hereinafter referred to as "micromirror group 212") are two-dimensionally arranged within a rectangular area on a silicon substrate 211. Each micromirror can individually change its posture (tilt angle) using an electrostatic field according to the drawing data written into the corresponding storage cell. Light guided from the illumination optical system 137 is incident on the DMD 21 at an angle, uniformly illuminating the micromirror group 212. For example, the DMD 21 uses a structure having 768 rows and 1024 columns of micromirrors or a structure having 1080 rows and 1920 columns of micromirrors.

[0071] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining drawing of a pattern on the substrate 9 by a plurality of drawing heads 131 . Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the flow of the operation of the drawing device 1. First, Figure 1The main scanning mechanism 127 starts continuous movement (main scanning) from the (+Y) side of the stage 121 to the (-Y) direction (step S1). The movement of the stage 121 is the movement of the irradiation area group described later. Then, when the stage 121 reaches the specified drawing start position (step S2), the control unit 14 controls the irradiation of light by the DMD 21 (step S3). Then, when the stage 121 reaches the specified drawing stop position, the light irradiation control ends (step S4), and the movement of the stage 121 in the main scanning direction also stops (step S5).

[0072] Therefore, if Figure 3 As shown, the area 810 (roughly represented by a rectangle with parallel diagonal lines) illuminated by the drawing light emitted from each drawing head 131 moves from the (-Y) side to the (+Y) direction on the target surface 91 of the substrate 9, drawing a pattern in a stripe-shaped area (hereinafter referred to as a "strip area") 811 extending along the main scanning direction on the target surface 91. Area 810 is a collection of tiny irradiation areas corresponding to the micromirror group 212 of the DMD 21 (more specifically, the micromirrors used for drawing in the micromirror group 212 of the DMD 21), and is therefore hereinafter referred to as the "irradiation area group 810." In the sub-scanning direction (X direction), gaps are provided between the irradiation area groups 810 of the multiple drawing heads 131, and therefore, gaps also exist between the multiple stripe areas 811. The movement of the stage 121 in the main scanning direction relative to the drawing heads 131 also constitutes movement of the irradiation area group 810 in the main scanning direction.

[0073] Next, the sub-scan mechanism 128 moves the stage 121 in the (-X) direction (sub-scan) by a predetermined distance (steps S6 and S7). The movement of the stage 121 in the sub-scan direction relative to the drawing head 131 is also the movement of the irradiation area group 810 in the sub-scan direction. The movement distance of the stage 121 in the sub-scan direction is slightly smaller than the width of the stripe area 811, but Figure 4 This point is ignored in the description (see the following and Figure 8 Related instructions).

[0074] Next, the stage 121 continuously moves from the (-Y) side to the (+Y) direction, repeating steps S1 to S5. The irradiation area group 810 of the drawing light moves from the (+Y) side to the (-Y) direction on the target surface 91. This causes the pattern to be drawn in stripe areas 812, which are adjacent to the (+X) side of each stripe area 811 and extend in the main scanning direction. Stripe areas 812 partially overlap with stripe areas 811. When the irradiation area group 810 reaches the end of the (-Y) side of the substrate 9, the sub-scanning mechanism 128 moves the stage 121 in the (-X) direction by a predetermined distance (steps S6 and S7).

[0075] Then, the stage 121 continuously moves from the (+Y) side to the (-Y) direction, and steps S1 to S5 are repeated. The irradiation area group 810 of the drawing light moves from the (-Y) side to the (+Y) direction on the target surface 91. As a result, a pattern is drawn on the stripe area 813 that is adjacent to the (+X) side of each stripe area 812 and extends in the main scanning direction. Except for the stripe area 813 on the most (+X) side, each stripe area 813 is adjacent to the stripe area 811 on the (+X) side. Stripe area 813 partially overlaps with stripe areas 811 and 812.

[0076] As described above, the control unit 14 controls the movement of the irradiation region group 810 by the stage moving mechanism 122 and the irradiation of each irradiation region of the irradiation region group 810 by the light irradiation unit 13, so that the plurality of irradiation regions pass through various positions on the substrate 9 and are irradiated with light at each position, thereby drawing a pattern on the substrate 9. In this embodiment, the drawing of the pattern on the target surface 91 is completed by performing three consecutive relative movements of the stage 121 in the main scanning direction relative to the drawing head 131 (hereinafter referred to as "main scanning of the stage 121").

[0077] In the drawing device 1, a pattern can be drawn over the entire drawing target area by performing two, four, or more main scans of the stage 121. Alternatively, the drawing heads 131 can be arranged so that the intervals between them in the sub-scanning direction are reduced and the heads 131 are staggered in the main scanning direction, allowing the drawing of the pattern to be completed with a single main scan of the stage 121. In this case, the sub-scanning mechanism 128 can be omitted.

[0078] Figure 6 2 is a diagram showing a micro mirror group 212 included in the DMD 21. In the micro mirror group 212, a plurality of micro mirrors are arranged two-dimensionally in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Among these micro mirrors, the micro mirrors present in the area 221 with parallel oblique lines form a valid area for drawing, and the micro mirrors present in the area with reference numerals 222 form a invalid area not used for drawing. The micro mirrors present in the valid area 221 can change their inclination and can change between a state of irradiating light to a micro irradiation area on the object surface 91 and a state of not irradiating light. The micro mirrors present in the invalid area 222 have a fixed inclination and do not irradiate light onto the object surface 91. The valid area 221 and the invalid area 222 are realized by generating mask information for the DMD 21, that is, by setting a bit for specifying validation or invalidation for each micro mirror. The effective light modulation element group present in the valid area 221 among the plurality of micro mirrors as a plurality of light modulation elements and the irradiation area group (refer to Figure 4Corresponding to the figure mark 810).

[0079] In the validation area 221 Figure 6 At the transverse end portion, the contour of the activation area 221 is a step shape inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction. Figure 7 This is an enlarged view showing the outline of the right end of the effective area 221. The "step shape" means that the ends of a plurality of straight line portions 231 extending in the longitudinal direction are connected via a short straight line portion (hereinafter referred to as a "step portion") 232 extending in the left-right direction. Figure 7 In the example case, the longitudinal straight portion 231 is, for example, the length of a micro-mirror arrangement of 10% of the number of micro-mirrors arranged in the longitudinal direction, and the transverse step portion 232 is the length of a micro-mirror arrangement of 1% of the number of micro-mirrors arranged in the longitudinal direction.

[0080] Figure 8 831 and 832 are enlarged views of two adjacent stripe regions 831 and 832. Figure 8 In the embodiment, reference numerals 831 and 832 are added to the strip regions 831 and 832 to indicate these regions. In addition, the two strip regions 831 and 832 are examples of situations in which the image is being drawn, and are not necessarily the same as the examples in which the image is being drawn. Figure 4 Corresponding. Assume that Figure 8 The strip area 831 and Figure 4 Corresponding to the strip area 812, Figure 8 The strip area 832 and Figure 4 In the case where the stripe area 813 corresponds to the stripe area 832 , there is a stripe area initially drawn by another drawing head 131 on the right side of the stripe area 832 .

[0081] exist Figure 8 In FIG. 8 , the left stripe region 831 extending in the main scanning direction, that is, the longitudinal direction, is a region where a pattern is drawn before the right stripe region 832. Figure 8 In the figure, the irradiation region group 821 in the process of drawing the strip region 831 is represented by a double-dashed imaginary line, and the irradiation region group 822 in the process of drawing the strip region 832 is represented by a solid line. Hereinafter, when distinguishing between the irradiation region group 821 and the irradiation region group 822, they will be referred to as "previous irradiation region group 821" and "subsequent irradiation region group 822". Arrow 825 indicates the moving direction of the preceding irradiation region group 821, and arrow 826 indicates the moving direction of the subsequent irradiation region group 822. In addition, in Figure 6 as well as Figure 8In order to make it easier to understand, the shape of the effective area 221 and the shape of the irradiation area groups 821 and 822 are drawn identically, but due to the influence of the optical system, even if the effective area 221 and the irradiation area groups 821 and 822 overlap, the up and down directions and / or left and right directions are sometimes reversed.

[0082] The stripe area 831 is an area where the control unit 14 controls the Figure 5 Steps S1 to S5 control the light irradiation unit 13 to irradiate the preceding irradiation region group 821 with light, and the preceding irradiation region group 821 is moved parallel to the main scanning direction to perform light irradiation. Hereinafter, stripe region 831 is referred to as "previous stripe region 831." Stripe region 832 is an area in which, under the control of the control unit 14, light is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 13 to the subsequent irradiation region group 822 using steps S1 to S5 after steps S6 and S7, and the subsequent irradiation region group 822 is moved parallel to the main scanning direction to perform light irradiation. Hereinafter, stripe region 832 is referred to as "subsequent stripe region 832."

[0083] Figure 9 The end portion in the sub-scanning direction of the outline of the preceding irradiation region group 821 is enlarged and shown ( Figure 8 The shape of the irradiation area group is similar to Figure 6 The shape of the effective area 221 corresponds to that of the effective area 221. Figure 9 The shape of the outline Figure 7 The shape shown is the same. That is, at the end of the advance irradiation area group 821 in the sub-scanning direction, the outline of the advance irradiation area group 821 is a step shape inclined relative to the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the ends of the plurality of straight line portions 841 extending in the main scanning direction are connected via a short straight line portion (hereinafter referred to as a "step portion") 842 extending in the sub-scanning direction. In other words, the step shape refers to a shape in which the straight line portion 841 extending in the main scanning direction and the step portion 842 extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction are repeated. Figure 9 In the example of , the straight portion 841 is 10% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction.

[0084] The contour of the first irradiation region group 821 is Figure 9 The end in the sub-scanning direction on the opposite side ( Figure 8 The shape of the left end of the irradiation region group 822 is the same as the shape of the right end rotated 180 degrees. Figure 8The shape of the left end is also the same as the shape of the right end rotated 180°. In other words, the design allows the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the subsequent irradiation region group 822 to be arranged horizontally without gaps. However, as described later, the shape can be slightly modified to account for the effects of overlapping irradiation caused by the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the subsequent irradiation region group 822. The above statement that "can be arranged horizontally without gaps" disregards such slight shape modifications.

[0085] Next, the outline of the irradiation area group is Figure 8 The step shape at the right end of the irradiation region group is called the "first step shape" and the first step shape portion in the outline is called the "first step shape portion". Figure 8 The step shape at the left end of is called "second step shape", and the second step shape portion in the outline is called "second step shape portion". Figure 8 In the figure, the first step shape portion is denoted by reference numeral 823, and the second step shape portion is denoted by reference numeral 824. The first step shape and the second step shape are complementary shapes that can arrange the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the following irradiation region group 822 in the same position in the main scanning direction without any gap in the left and right directions.

[0086] like Figure 8 As shown, the range of the first step-shaped portion 823 of the preceding irradiation region group 821 in the sub-scanning direction is consistent with the range of the second step-shaped portion 824 of the subsequent irradiation region group 822 in the sub-scanning direction. Figure 8 In the figure, the range is indicated by annotating reference numeral 833. In the range marked with reference numeral 833, the irradiation of light in the range of the moving preceding irradiation area group 821 (hereinafter, the irradiation of light in the range of the moving irradiation area group will be expressed as "irradiation based on the irradiation area group") and the irradiation of light based on the subsequent irradiation area group 822 are repeated. That is, the area extending in the main scanning direction marked with reference numeral 833 is an overlapping area in which the preceding strip area 831 for irradiating light based on the preceding irradiation area group 821 and the subsequent strip area 832 for irradiating light based on the subsequent irradiation area group 822 partially overlap. In the following description, the overlapping area is marked with reference numeral 833. The area of ​​the strip areas 831 and 832 excluding the overlapping area 833 (that is, the area of ​​each strip area excluding the overlapping area that exists on both sides in principle, and in Figure 8 The area within the range marked with reference numeral 834 is referred to as a “non-overlapping area.” The non-overlapping area 834 is an area through which only one of the preceding irradiation area group 821 and the subsequent irradiation area group 822 passes.

[0087] The preceding irradiation region group 821 continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 834 of the preceding strip region 831 at a constant time. The subsequent irradiation region group 822 also continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 834 of the subsequent strip region 832 at the same constant time. Furthermore, at each position of the overlapping region 833, the total time that the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the subsequent strip region 832 pass through is the constant time. Therefore, assuming that both irradiation region groups 821 and 822 always irradiate the target surface 91 with the maximum amount of light, the same amount of light is irradiated to each position of the non-overlapping region 834 and the overlapping region 833. In other words, the amount of light irradiated per unit area in the non-overlapping region 834 and the overlapping region 833 is constant. As a result, a pattern can be appropriately drawn in the non-overlapping region 834 and the overlapping region 833.

[0088] Figure 10 is a diagram showing a micro mirror group 212a of a comparative example, and Figure 6 Invalid regions 242 are located at the upper right and lower left of the micro-mirror group 212a, and the remaining regions are valid regions 241. Each invalid region 242 is a longitudinally elongated rectangle (strip-shaped), with a longitudinal length that is 50% of the longitudinal length of the micro-mirror group 212a.

[0089] In the validation area 241 Figure 10 At the transverse end of the active region 241, the contour of the active region 241 has a shape including a step. Specifically, the contour of the active region 241 at the transverse end has a shape consisting of two linear portions 251 extending in the longitudinal direction connected by a short linear portion (hereinafter referred to as the "step portion") 252 extending in the transverse direction. Hereinafter, the shape formed by the two linear portions 251 and the step portion 252 is referred to as a "stepped portion."

[0090] Figure 11 is an enlarged view showing two adjacent strip areas 861 and 862. Figure 8 Correspondingly, the ranges of the strip areas 861 and 862 are marked with reference numerals 861 and 862 to indicate these areas. Figure 11 , the stripe region 861 extending in the longitudinal direction on the left is a preceding stripe region in which a pattern is drawn before the subsequent stripe region 862 on the right. The stripe region 862 on the right is a subsequent stripe region. Arrow 855 indicates the direction of movement of the preceding irradiation region group 851, and arrow 856 indicates the direction of movement of the subsequent irradiation region group 852.

[0091] The shapes of the irradiation area groups 851 and 852 are similar to Figure 10 The shape of the effective area 241 corresponds to that of each irradiation area group 851, 852. Figure 11 The shape of the right end portion is called the "first step shape portion 853", and the outline of the subsequent irradiation area group 822 is Figure 11 The shape of the left end portion is referred to as a "second stepped shape portion 854".

[0092] like Figure 11 As shown, the range of the first step-shaped portion 853 in the sub-scanning direction is consistent with the range of the second step-shaped portion 854 in the sub-scanning direction. Figure 11 In the figure, the range is indicated by the reference numeral 863. The range indicated by the reference numeral 863 is the overlapping area where the irradiation based on the light of the preceding irradiation area group 851 and the irradiation based on the light of the subsequent irradiation area group 852 are repeated. In the following description, the area of ​​the strip areas 861 and 862 excluding the overlapping area 863 (that is, the area of ​​each strip area excluding the overlapping area that exists on both sides in principle, and Figure 11 The region within the range denoted by reference numeral 864 is referred to as a “non-overlap region.” The non-overlap region 864 is a region through which only one of the preceding irradiation region group 851 and the subsequent irradiation region group 852 passes.

[0093] The preceding irradiation region group 851 continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 864 of the preceding strip region 861 at a constant time. The subsequent irradiation region group 852 also continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 864 of the subsequent strip region 862 at the same constant time. In contrast, at each position of the overlapping region 863, the preceding irradiation region group 851 passes through in half the constant time, and the subsequent irradiation region group 852 also passes through in half the constant time. The total time taken for the irradiation region groups 851 and 852 to pass through is the constant time. Therefore, assuming that both irradiation region groups 851 and 852 always irradiate the target surface 91 with the maximum amount of light, the same amount of light is irradiated to each position of the non-overlapping region 864 and the overlapping region 863. In other words, the amount of light per unit area in the non-overlapping region 864 and the overlapping region 863 is constant.

[0094] Figure 12A : is a diagram for explaining the change in the amount of light irradiation when the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly increased in the comparative example. Figure 12A In FIG, the preceding irradiation region group 851 and the following irradiation region group 852 are hypothetically arranged side by side. When the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly greater than the design value, a gap is generated between the straight portion of the first step-shaped portion 853 extending in the main scanning direction and the straight portion of the second step-shaped portion 854 extending in the main scanning direction. Figure 12AIn the figure, the range of the gap is indicated by reference numeral 865. At each position within the range 865, only one of the preceding irradiation region group 851 and the subsequent irradiation region group 852 passes through, and the length of the straight portion is 50% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction (refer to Figure 10 The straight line portion 251), therefore, the time the irradiation area group passes through is 50% of the other ranges.

[0095] Figure 12B : is a diagram for explaining the change in the amount of light irradiation when the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly reduced in the comparative example. Figure 12B In, with Figure 12A Similarly, the preceding irradiation region group 851 and the subsequent irradiation region group 852 are arranged side by side. When the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly smaller than the design value, an overlapping area is generated between the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction of the first step-shaped portion 853 and the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction of the second step-shaped portion 854. Figure 12B In the figure, the range of the overlapping area is indicated by reference numeral 866. At each position within range 866, both the preceding irradiation area group 851 and the subsequent irradiation area group 852 pass through, and the length of the straight portion is 50% of the length of the irradiation area group in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the time spent passing through is 150% of the time spent in the other ranges.

[0096] Figure 13A Is used to illustrate Figure 8 A graph showing the change in the amount of light irradiation when the amount of movement in the sub-scanning direction of the irradiation region group is slightly increased. Figure 13A In the figure, the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the following irradiation region group 822 are also shown arranged side by side. When the movement amount of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly larger than the design value, the straight portion 841 (refer to Figure 9 ) creates a gap between the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction of the second step-shaped portion 824. Figure 13A In the figure, reference numeral 835 represents a gap range. In reality, there are ten ranges 835. At each position within range 835, the irradiation region group does not pass through the gap by the length of the main scanning direction. The length of the straight portion is 10% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction. Therefore, the irradiation region group passes through the gap 90% of the time in the other ranges.

[0097] Figure 13B Is used to illustrate Figure 8 The figure shows the change of the light irradiation amount when the movement amount of the irradiation area group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly reduced. Figure 13B In, with Figure 13A Similarly, the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the subsequent irradiation region group 822 are arranged side by side. When the amount of movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction is slightly smaller than the design value, an overlapping area is generated between the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction of the first step-shaped portion 823 and the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction of the second step-shaped portion 824. Figure 13B In the figure, reference numeral 836 indicates the range of one overlapping region. In reality, there are ten ranges 836. At each position within range 836, both the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the following irradiation region group 822 pass through the region. Since the length of the straight portion is 10% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction, the time taken to pass through the region is 110% of the time taken to pass through the other ranges.

[0098] As mentioned above, in Figure 8 In the irradiation area groups 821 and 822, the portion of the outline passing through the overlapping area 833 is a step shape. Figure 11 Compared with the comparative example, the change of the irradiation amount in the sub-scanning direction is dispersed. As a result, the influence of the error of the movement amount of the irradiation area group in the sub-scanning direction on the drawn pattern can be suppressed to be smaller than that in the comparative example. As a result, it is possible to achieve appropriate drawing of high-definition patterns. For example, when drawing a thin and long line extending in the sub-scanning direction, Figure 12A In the comparative example, the line becomes thinner in the range 865, but Figure 13A In the range 835, the line is almost not thin. In addition, in Figure 12B In the comparative example, the line becomes thicker in the range 866, but Figure 13B In the range 836, the line hardly thickens.

[0099] The length of any straight line portion included in the first step shape and the second step shape is preferably 20% or less of the length of the irradiation area group in the main scanning direction (more precisely, the length when the irradiation area group is cut by a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction in the non-overlapping area, and the same applies hereinafter). More preferably, the length of the straight line portion is 10% or less of the length of the irradiation area group in the main scanning direction. The shorter the straight line portion, the more it can suppress fluctuations in the amount of light irradiation. However, if it is too short, the width of the overlapping area in the sub-scanning direction increases. Therefore, the length of the straight line portion is preferably at least 1% of the length of the irradiation area group in the main scanning direction.

[0100] In order to make the joints of the stripe areas less noticeable in the drawn pattern, the width of the overlapping area 833 in the sub-scanning direction is preferably 0.1% or more of the width of the non-overlapping area 834 in the sub-scanning direction, and more preferably 1% or more. In addition, from the perspective of drawing efficiency, the width of the overlapping area 833 in the sub-scanning direction is preferably 20% or less of the width of the non-overlapping area 834 in the sub-scanning direction, and more preferably 10% or less. Figure 17 The same applies to other modified examples. Of course, the above numerical ranges exclude the stripe area located at the extreme end of the drawing area.

[0101] In the drawing device 1, similar to the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-70506 (Document 1), the DMD can also be slightly tilted. That is, the arrangement of the micro-mirrors possessed by the DMD is tilted relative to the direction corresponding to the main scanning direction. The entire disclosure of Document 1 is incorporated into this application. By tilting the DMD, the irradiation area group is also tilted relative to the main scanning direction. As a result, the positions of the centers of the micro-irradiation areas corresponding to each micro-mirror in the sub-scanning direction are closer than the spacing of the micro-mirrors in the non-tilted state. As a result, it is possible to reduce the unit of change of the drawing line width to less than the spacing of the micro-mirrors. However, relative to the spacing of the positions of the centers of the micro-irradiation areas in the sub-scanning direction, a micro-irradiation area becomes relatively larger.

[0102] Figure 14 This is a diagram illustrating an inclined DMD 21, and shows a portion of a micro-mirror 213 included in a micro-mirror group 212 in an enlarged manner. As already explained, in the DMD 21, a plurality of light modulating elements, i.e., a plurality of micro-mirrors 213, are arranged in a rectangular shape along the row and column directions perpendicular to each other. Figure 14 In , the longitudinal direction corresponds to the main scanning direction, and the transverse direction corresponds to the sub-scanning direction. Figure 14 In the example shown in FIG1 , when focusing on one micro-mirror 213, the micro-mirror 213 that is four steps below the micro-mirror 213 in the approximately longitudinal direction is located directly below the micro-mirror 213 adjacent to the right of the micro-mirror 213. This tilt is hereinafter referred to as a "4-to-1 tilt."

[0103] Figure 15 Yes Figure 14 The diagram shows an active region 221 and an inactive region 222 in the micro-mirror assembly 212. As already explained, the micro-mirrors in the active region 221 can change their inclination, switching between irradiating and not irradiating the micro-irradiation regions on the target surface 91. The micro-mirrors in the inactive region 222 have a fixed inclination and do not irradiate the target surface 91.

[0104] exist Figure 15 Zhongye and Figure 6 Similarly, at the transverse end of the activation region 221, the contour of the activation region 221 is a stepped shape that is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction. That is, the ends of the plurality of straight portions extending in the longitudinal direction are connected via short straight portions extending in the transverse direction, i.e., stepped portions. The DMD 21 is arranged in a 4 to 1 tilt, so that when viewed macroscopically, the longitudinal straight portions are straight lines extending approximately in the longitudinal direction. Figure 15 In the example, the length of a straight portion is the longitudinal length corresponding to the main scanning direction of the micro-mirror group 212, that is, 10% of the length when the micro-mirror group 212 is cut by a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction at the position excluding the step-shaped portion.

[0105] Figure 16 This is an enlarged view showing the arrangement of the micro-mirrors 213 near a step 232 of the effective area 221. The straight portions 231 above and below the step 232 appear jagged due to the inclination of the micro-mirror group 212. Figure 16 In the case of the micro-mirror marked with reference numeral 213a, the area below the micro-mirror 213a is the invalidation area 222, and the micro-mirror 213b adjacent to the left side of the micro-mirror 213a belongs to the validation area 221. Furthermore, the four micro-mirrors 213 located below the micro-mirror 213b in the longitudinal direction belong to the validation area 221, and the area below the lowest micro-mirror 213c is the invalidation area 222. In this way, at a 4-to-1 inclination, the micro-mirrors 213 are arranged in the straight portion 231 in such a manner that four micro-mirrors advance downward and one micro-mirror is offset in the horizontal direction. Figure 16 In the example of the step portion 232, the micro-mirrors 213 of the active area 221 are arranged in a substantially horizontally inclined straight line. Of course, in the step portion 232, the micro-mirrors 213 may be arranged so that four micro-mirrors advance to the right and one micro-mirror shifts downward.

[0106] Thus, when viewed macroscopically, the longitudinal straight portion 231 only needs to be a straight line extending substantially in the longitudinal direction. When viewed microscopically (i.e., under magnification), it may also have a small step (e.g., a step the size of a tiny reflector). The transverse stepped portion 232 does not need to be perpendicular to the straight portion 231; it may simply extend in a direction intersecting the straight portion 231. Furthermore, when viewed macroscopically, the stepped portion 232 only needs to be a straight line; when viewed microscopically, it does not need to be a straight line.

[0107] Figure 17 is an enlarged view showing two adjacent strip areas 831 and 832. Figure 8 Corresponding. Figure 17 Except for the difference in the shape of the irradiation area group, Figure 8 Same, therefore, in Figure 17 In, with Figure 8 The corresponding component markings and Figure 8 The same reference numerals are used. Figure 17 In FIG. 8 , the left stripe region 831 extending in the longitudinal direction is a preceding stripe region in which a pattern is drawn before the right stripe region 832. The right stripe region 832 is a succeeding stripe region.

[0108] and Figure 16 Similarly, the plurality of micro-mirrors 213 on the target surface 91 corresponding to the plurality of micro-mirrors 213 are arranged in a rectangular shape along the row direction and the column direction perpendicular to each other. Moreover, the column direction is inclined with respect to the main scanning direction. The effective light modulation element group included in the activation area 221 corresponds to the irradiation area groups 821 and 822. That is, the step shape (first step shape) at the right end and the step shape (second step shape) at the left end of the outline of the irradiation area groups 821 and 822 are shapes in which the straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction and the step portion extending in the direction intersecting the main scanning direction are repeated.

[0109] In addition, with Figure 16 Similarly, when viewed macroscopically, the longitudinal straight portion 841 only needs to be a straight line extending substantially in the longitudinal direction, and when viewed microscopically, it may have a small step (e.g., a step the size of a small irradiation area). The stepped portion 842 does not need to be perpendicular to the straight portion 841, and may extend in a direction intersecting the straight portion 841. When viewed macroscopically, the stepped portion 842 only needs to be a straight line, but when viewed microscopically, it does not need to be a straight line.

[0110] exist Figure 15 as well as Figure 17 In the figure, the shape of the effective area 221 and the shape of the irradiation area groups 821 and 822 are depicted as the same for ease of understanding. However, due to the influence of the optical system, even if the effective area 221 and the irradiation area groups 821 and 822 overlap, the up and down directions and / or left and right directions are sometimes reversed.

[0111] The step shape (second step shape) at the left end of the outline of the preceding irradiation area group 821 is the same as the shape of the step shape (first step shape) at the right end rotated 180°. The same is true for the outline of the subsequent irradiation area group 822. Therefore, the preceding irradiation area group 821 and the subsequent irradiation area group 822 can be arranged without gaps along the left and right at the same position in the main scanning direction. In this way, the first step shape and the second step shape are shapes that complement each other. However, as described later, considering the influence of repeated irradiation of the preceding irradiation area group 821 and the subsequent irradiation area group 822, a slight shape correction can also be made. The above-mentioned "can be arranged without gaps along the left and right" is an expression that ignores such slight shape corrections.

[0112] and Figure 8 Similarly, the range of the first step-shaped portion 823 of the preceding irradiation region group 821 in the sub-scanning direction coincides with the range of the second step-shaped portion 824 of the subsequent irradiation region group 822 in the sub-scanning direction. The range denoted by reference numeral 833 represents the overlapping region where irradiation with light from the moving preceding irradiation region group 821 and irradiation with light from the subsequent irradiation region group 822 are repeated. In other words, the overlapping region 833 is the region where the stripe region 831 and the stripe region 832 overlap.

[0113] The preceding irradiation region group 821 continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 834 of the preceding strip region 831 at a constant time. The subsequent irradiation region group 822 also continuously passes through each position of the non-overlapping region 834 of the subsequent strip region 832 at the same constant time. Furthermore, the first step shape and the second step shape are complementary to each other. Therefore, at each position of the overlapping region 833, the total time for the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the subsequent strip region 832 to pass through is the constant time.

[0114] The direction in which the first and second step shapes extend is further along the main scanning direction than the column direction of the irradiation region groups 821 and 822 (i.e., the direction on the target surface 91 corresponding to the column direction of the micro-mirror group 212). In other words, the direction in which the first and second step shapes extend is a direction between the main scanning direction and the column direction (i.e., the direction in which the main scanning direction is tilted in line with the tilt of the spatial light modulator).

[0115] exist Figure 17 In the case of Figures 12A to 13BSimilarly, in irradiation region groups 821 and 822, the portion of the outline that passes through the overlapping region 833 is a step-shaped portion. This minimizes the effect of errors in the movement of the irradiation region group in the sub-scanning direction on the drawn pattern. Preferably, the length of the straight line portion included in the step-shaped portion is no more than 20% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction (more specifically, the length when the irradiation region group is cut along a straight line extending in the main scanning direction in the non-overlapping region). Further preferably, the length of the straight line portion is no more than 10% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, preferably, the length of the straight line portion is no less than 1% of the length of the irradiation region group in the main scanning direction.

[0116] In addition, when the DMD21 is tilted, since the irradiation area corresponding to a tiny reflector 213 is larger than the changeable unit in the sub-scanning direction relative to the drawing line width, the change in the light irradiation amount in the sub-scanning direction caused by the error in the movement amount of the irradiation area group in the sub-scanning direction will be relatively gentle.

[0117] The above-described drawing device 1 and its operation can be modified in various ways.

[0118] exist Figure 14 In the example shown in FIG, the DMD 21 is arranged with a 4-to-1 tilt, but the tilt may be changed to various configurations such as 8-to-1, 14-to-1, or 16-to-1. Figure 18 This is an enlarged view showing the first step shape of the irradiation region group when the DMD 21 is arranged with an 8-to-1 tilt. Figure 18 Each square represents an irradiation area corresponding to one micro-mirror 213. In straight section 841, focusing on target irradiation area 845a, irradiation area 845c, which is located approximately eighth vertically below irradiation area 845b adjacent to the left of target irradiation area 845a, is located directly below target irradiation area 845a. In stepped section 842, the eight irradiation areas are arranged in a direction approximately along the sub-scanning direction.

[0119] Figure 19 1 is a diagram showing another example of the first step shape of the irradiation region group when the DMD 21 is arranged in an 8-to-1 tilt. Figure 19 The upper 8 irradiation areas and the lower 8 irradiation areas of the 16 irradiation areas indicated by the thick lines in the center are accurately located at the upper and lower positions. Figure 18 In the same way as in the case of , a straight line portion 841 is formed. However, the 8 irradiation areas of the thick line below and the 8 irradiation areas further below are arranged continuously in the column direction. Therefore, it is equivalent to shifting the irradiation area to the right by the amount of one irradiation area, forming a virtual step portion 842. In other words, by continuously arranging the irradiation areas in the column direction, a step portion 842 with a width of the amount of one irradiation area is set. Figure 19 In FIG. 8 , lines corresponding to the straight portion 841 and the step portion 842 are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0120] However, when the sub-scanning end of the outline of the irradiation region group is entirely parallel to the column direction, the relationship between the straight portion 841 and the stepped portion 842 is unclear. This outline does not have a shape that is a combination of straight portions extending in the main scanning direction and stepped portions extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction. In other words, when the entire micro-mirror group 212 of the DMD 21 is within the active area and the irradiation region group is provided corresponding to it, no virtual stepped portion exists.

[0121] Figure 19 The example is an example in which a very small step portion 842 is provided between the straight portions 841. Therefore, the stepped shape can also be regarded as an inclined straight line as a whole. In this case, the portion of the outline of the preceding irradiation region group 821 that passes through the overlapping region 833 can be regarded as a first inclined straight line portion extending in a direction between the main scanning direction and the column direction (a direction that is tilted so that the main scanning direction and the tilt of the spatial light modulator are aligned). The portion of the outline of the subsequent irradiation region group 822 that passes through the overlapping region 833 can also be represented as a second inclined straight line portion that is complementary to the first inclined straight line portion, that is, a second inclined straight line portion with the same inclination as the first inclined straight line portion.

[0122] The above description describes the contours of the preceding irradiation region group 821 and the contours of the subsequent irradiation region group 822 in the overlapping region 833 as complementary shapes. That is, at each position in the non-overlapping region 834 and the overlapping region 833, the time it takes for one irradiation region group to pass through is the same as the total time it takes for both irradiation region groups to pass through. However, when the photosensitive material being irradiated with light is irradiated twice, the degree of exposure is greater than when irradiated once. In this case, the contours of the irradiation region groups 821 and 822 can be corrected so that the total time it takes for the two irradiation region groups to pass through the overlapping region 833 is slightly shorter than the time it takes for one irradiation region group to pass through the non-overlapping region 834. The above description disregards such corrections. For example, the phrase "the first step shape and the second step shape are complementary shapes" does not mean that the contours of the irradiation region groups are corrected.

[0123] While the above description describes the length of each straight portion and the size of the step-shaped portion as being constant, these do not necessarily need to be constant. Even when a step-shaped portion includes straight portions of varying lengths, the preferred length of each straight portion is 1% to 20% of the length of the irradiation region group when cut along a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction.

[0124] The number of drawing heads 131 may be one or more. When two or more drawing heads 131 are provided in the light irradiation unit 13, the preceding irradiation area group 821 and the subsequent irradiation area group 822 may be irradiation area groups corresponding to different drawing heads 131. Alternatively, the plurality of drawing heads 131 may be staggered in front and back with respect to the main scanning direction and closely arranged in the sub-scanning direction, so that drawing is completed on all stripe areas in a single main scan.

[0125] The light irradiation unit 13 that irradiates the object with light can be modified in various ways. For example, a PLV (Planar Light Valve) can be used instead of a DMD. By providing an active region 221 and an inactive region 222 in a two-dimensional spatial light modulator, the contour shape of the irradiation area group irradiated by the light irradiation unit 13 can be easily changed to a desired shape. However, the contour shape of the irradiation area group can also be set by methods other than setting the active region 221 and the inactive region 222. For example, an arrangement of spatial light modulator elements that matches the shape of the irradiation area group can be used.

[0126] In the above embodiment, the stage moving mechanism 122 functions as an irradiation area moving mechanism that moves the irradiation area group over the object. However, the irradiation area moving mechanism can be configured in a variety of ways. For example, the mechanism that moves the light irradiation unit 13 relative to the object can be configured as the irradiation area moving mechanism. Alternatively, both the mechanism that moves the light irradiation unit 13 relative to the object and the mechanism that moves the object relative to the light irradiation unit 13 can be configured as the irradiation area moving mechanism. The irradiation area moving mechanism moves the irradiation area group over the object by moving the object relative to the light irradiation unit 13.

[0127] As described above, the drawing device 1 can also be used to draw patterns other than the pattern of the solder mask layer. In addition, the substrate 9 can be a semiconductor substrate, a glass substrate, etc. in addition to a printed wiring substrate. The drawing object of the drawing device of the present invention is not limited to an object having a so-called photosensitive material. Moreover, the object on which the drawing device 1 draws the pattern by irradiating light is not limited to a substrate. For example, the drawing device 1 can be used as a device for drawing patterns on each layer of a modeling material in a three-dimensional modeling device. In this case, the object to be drawn is a layer of microparticles or liquid of ceramics, synthetic resins, metal powders, engineering plastics, etc., and the molding material is melted, solidified, or solidified by drawing the pattern based on the irradiation of light. Of course, the drawing device of the present invention can be used for various other purposes of drawing patterns.

[0128] The configurations of the above-described embodiment and various modifications may be appropriately combined as long as they do not contradict each other.

Claims

1. A pattern drawing device for drawing a pattern on an object by irradiating light, wherein: have: The light irradiation unit irradiates light onto the object. an irradiation area moving mechanism for moving the irradiation area group irradiated with light from the light irradiation unit on the object, and a control unit that controls movement of the irradiation region group and irradiation of light onto each irradiation region of the irradiation region group, and draws on the object by irradiating light onto each position on the object while moving the plurality of irradiation regions through the object; By controlling the control unit, the preceding stripe area on the object is irradiated with light by controlling the irradiation of light from the light irradiation unit to the preceding irradiation area group and causing the preceding irradiation area group to move parallel to the main scanning direction. The subsequent stripe area adjacent to the preceding stripe area and partially overlapping with the overlapping area is irradiated with light by controlling the irradiation of light from the light irradiation unit to the subsequent irradiation area group and causing the subsequent irradiation area group to move parallel to the main scanning direction. At each position of the non-overlapping area in the preceding strip area and the subsequent strip area, the preceding irradiation area group or the subsequent irradiation area group passes continuously at a constant time. The portion of the outline of the preceding irradiation region group passing through the overlapping region is a first stepped shape in which a straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction and a step portion extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction are overlapped. The portion of the outline of the subsequent irradiation region group passing through the repeated region is a second step shape complementary to the first step shape. The straight line portion included in any one of the first step shape and the second step shape is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 20% of the cut length when the preceding irradiation region group and the subsequent irradiation region group are cut along a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction in the non-overlapping region.

2. The pattern drawing device according to claim 1, wherein The light irradiation unit includes a spatial light modulator in which a plurality of light modulators are two-dimensionally arranged in a rectangular area, and a group of effective light modulators among the plurality of light modulators corresponds to the group of irradiation areas on the object.

3. The pattern drawing device according to claim 2, wherein: The plurality of light modulation elements are a plurality of micro mirrors whose postures can be changed independently.

4. The pattern drawing device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The plurality of regions on the object corresponding to the plurality of light modulators are arranged in a rectangular shape in row and column directions perpendicular to each other. The column direction is inclined relative to the main scanning direction, The first step shape and the second step shape extend in a direction further along the main scanning direction than in the column direction.

5. The pattern drawing device according to claim 1, wherein: The width of the overlapping region is not less than 0.1% and not more than 20% of the width of the non-overlapping region.

6. A method for drawing a pattern on an object by moving a group of irradiated areas on an object and controlling the irradiation of light to each irradiated area of ​​the irradiated area group, irradiating light to each position on the object while allowing a plurality of irradiated areas to pass through the object, thereby drawing a pattern on the object, wherein: The pattern drawing method comprises: a step of irradiating a preceding stripe region on the object with light by controlling irradiation of light to a preceding irradiation region group and moving the preceding irradiation region group parallel to a main scanning direction; and a step of controlling light irradiation to a subsequent irradiation region group and moving the subsequent irradiation region group parallel to the main scanning direction to irradiate light to a subsequent stripe region adjacent to the preceding stripe region and partially overlapping with the overlapping region; At each position of the non-overlapping area in the preceding strip area and the subsequent strip area, the preceding irradiation area group or the subsequent irradiation area group passes continuously at a constant time. The portion of the outline of the preceding irradiation region group passing through the overlapping region is a first stepped shape in which a straight line portion extending in the main scanning direction and a step portion extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction are overlapped. The portion of the outline of the subsequent irradiation region group passing through the repeated region is a second step shape complementary to the first step shape. The straight line portion included in any one of the first step shape and the second step shape is greater than or equal to 1% and less than or equal to 20% of the cut length when the preceding irradiation region group and the subsequent irradiation region group are cut along a straight line parallel to the main scanning direction in the non-overlapping region.

Images