Laser irradiation system, laser processing system, and exposure system

Abstract

The utility model provides a laser irradiation system, a laser processing system and an exposure system, which can restrain the influence of deflection caused by the dead weight of a mask so as to carry out laser irradiation with high precision, and also can restrain dust from being attached to the surface of the mask. The laser irradiation system comprises a first optical function part and a second optical function part, the first optical function part comprises a laser light source, the second optical function part is used for arranging a mask with a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of an irradiated body, and the laser irradiation system is used for irradiating laser to the irradiated body through the mask. Wherein the mask includes an effective region having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of the irradiated body, and the ratio of the length of the longest side among the four sides, which are the outer edges of the quadrangular mask, to the thickness of the effective region in the laser transmission direction is 100 or more, and the mask is disposed in the second optical function part so that the thickness of the effective region in the laser transmission direction is less than 100. The outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides of the four sides, are approximately vertical to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to a laser irradiation system, a laser processing system and an exposure system. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor package substrates are shifting from the trend of "More Than Moore" to the trend of system-on-a-chip (SoC), and development is being actively promoted along this trend.

[0003] Furthermore, the structure of semiconductor package substrates has become increasingly complex and high-density, and devices using excimer lasers are increasingly being used for manufacturing base substrates thereof.

[0004] As semiconductor package substrates become more dense, the wiring of semiconductor package substrates is also required to be high-precision, and the wiring is also becoming multi-layered. Due to the thinning and multi-layering of such wiring, the line and space (L&S) gradually becomes narrower and more complex. When the wiring width becomes narrower, there is a tendency for the wiring resistance to increase.

[0005] In order to connect multiple layers of wiring, through holes (vias) are provided, or in order to solve the problem of increased wiring resistance, grooves (trench) are provided in the substrate during the manufacture of semiconductor package substrates, and wiring is formed along these grooves. By forming such wiring, the cross-sectional area of ​​the wiring can be increased, thereby suppressing the increase of wiring resistance.

[0006] An example of a process for producing such a semiconductor package substrate is described below.

[0007] First, a build-up film is laminated on both sides of an inner substrate (core layer) made of glass epoxy resin material using a dedicated vacuum laminator. The through holes or grooves are processed on the surface of the build-up film obtained in this way, and a metal layer is formed on it by plating to form an electrode.

[0008] In addition, in order to meet the requirements of further high density, the diameter of the through hole itself is gradually getting smaller. Moreover, it is also required to form a straight-cylindrical through hole (straight-cylindrical through hole) with a small difference between the top diameter and the bottom diameter. The groove is also required to be a straight-cylindrical groove.

[0009] In order to process the substrate as straight as possible and form a straight-shaped hole or a straight-shaped groove with high precision, it is effective to use a laser beam with high resolution and high energy density. In such processing, it is more preferable to use an excimer laser than a solid-state laser device. Although the excimer laser has a shallow focusing depth, if this laser is used, it can be processed with high resolution and high energy density, and a straight-shaped through hole or a straight-shaped groove can be formed at a clear and accurate position.

[0010] Patent document 1 discloses an invention related to a laser hole drilling method and apparatus. For example, claim 1 of patent document 1 states that: a linear or rectangular beam is irradiated onto a processing area of ​​a substrate to be processed through a contact mask by a contact mask method, and the linear or rectangular beam is scanned relative to the contact mask.

[0011] Patent document 2 discloses an invention related to a processing device and a processing method for ablation processing. The processing device for ablation processing of claim 1 of Patent document 2 includes a scanning mechanism that moves a line beam forming unit including a line beam forming optical system relative to a device body to scan linear light.

[0012] [Prior art literature]

[0013] [Patent Document]

[0014] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-79678

[0015] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-49560 Utility Model Content

[0016] [Problems to be solved by the utility model]

[0017] In recent years, large masks are gradually being used in laser irradiation systems such as processing systems or exposure systems. In these prior arts, the mask is often arranged horizontally in the same horizontal direction as the system's setting surface. Therefore, as the mask becomes larger, there is a problem that the mask may be greatly bent due to its own weight. Therefore, there is a concern that the image performance may be reduced during exposure, and there is a problem of reduced processing accuracy during processing. In particular, the larger the size of the mask and the thinner the thickness of the mask, the more significant the problem becomes. In response to this problem, the thickness of the mask is increased to increase the rigidity of the mask in accordance with the size of the mask, thereby suppressing the bending when placed horizontally to a certain extent. However, in the method of thickening the mask, the weight of the mask increases significantly, and there is a concern that the operability of the mask setting and the like may be deteriorated.

[0018] Furthermore, the degree of mask deflection also varies depending on the material, thickness, etc. Therefore, when using different masks, complex alignment of the entire optical system must be performed, which results in a problem of being extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive to adjust.

[0019] The utility model is completed in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a laser irradiation system that can suppress problems such as deflection caused by the weight of the mask even when a large mask is used, and a method for setting the mask used to constitute such a laser irradiation system.

[0020] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0021] The utility model sets the mask to be vertically arranged, so that even if the thickness of the mask is reduced, the bending of the mask during setting can be suppressed. More specifically, the utility model is completed to achieve the above purpose, and provides a laser irradiation system, including a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated body through the mask set in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., the two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface where the laser irradiation system is set.

[0022] According to this laser irradiation system, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and dust can be suppressed from adhering to the mask surface, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0023] In this case, the laser irradiation system may be configured such that the mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region.

[0024] The laser irradiation system is easy to operate and low in cost because the thickness of the mask is thin, and problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask are stably suppressed.

[0025] The utility model can be set as a laser processing system, which performs ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object by means of the irradiation energy of the laser beam. The laser processing system includes: an irradiation processing part, including a carrier for holding the irradiated object; and the laser irradiation system.

[0026] This provides a laser irradiation system in which problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask are suppressed.

[0027] In this case, a laser processing system can be configured in which the second optical function portion, the first optical function portion, and the irradiation processing portion can be separated from each other.

[0028] This facilitates split transportation and can reduce installation costs.

[0029] In this case, the laser processing system may further include a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask from the second optical function portion.

[0030] Thereby, various patterns can be easily processed.

[0031] The utility model can provide an exposure system, wherein the irradiated object is a substrate with a resist film on the surface, and the exposure system performs exposure processing on the resist film through the irradiation energy of a laser beam. The exposure system comprises: an exposure processing unit, comprising a carrier for holding the irradiated object; and the laser irradiation system.

[0032] This provides an exposure system in which problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask are suppressed.

[0033] In this case, an exposure system can be configured in which the second optical function section, the first optical function section, and the exposure processing section can be separated from each other.

[0034] This facilitates split transportation and can reduce installation costs.

[0035] In this case, the exposure system may further include a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask from the second optical function unit.

[0036] Thereby, various exposure patterns can be easily formed.

[0037] The utility model can provide a laser processing method for an irradiated object, which uses the laser processing system to perform ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object.

[0038] This makes it possible to perform high-precision processing while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0039] The utility model can provide an exposure processing method for performing exposure processing on the resist film on the substrate by using the exposure system.

[0040] This makes it possible to perform a high-precision exposure process while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0041] The utility model is completed in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, and provides a method for setting a mask, wherein a mask is set for a laser irradiation system, wherein the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, wherein the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated body via the mask set in the second optical functional part, wherein as the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is set in the second optical functional part so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is set.

[0042] According to this mask setting method, a laser irradiation system can be constructed, that is, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed, and the laser irradiation can be performed with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, so that the defects caused by dust can be suppressed. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0043] In this case, a mask setting method may be configured such that a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region is used as the mask.

[0044] The mask setting method of the present invention can constitute a laser irradiation system that is easy to operate and low-cost because the mask is thin, and that stably suppresses problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask.

[0045] In this case, a method of setting the mask can be configured in which the mask is set using a mask changer.

[0046] This makes it possible to construct a laser irradiation system capable of easily forming various patterns.

[0047] The utility model can provide a setting method of a laser processing system, wherein the laser processing system comprises the laser irradiation system and an irradiation processing section including a carrier for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical functional section, the first optical functional section and the irradiation processing section are separable from each other, and after the first optical functional section, the second optical functional section and the irradiation processing section are respectively separated and transported to the setting position of the laser processing system, the laser processing system is set as an integral unit at the setting position of the laser processing system, and the mask is set on the second optical functional section before or after the transport by the mask setting method.

[0048] Furthermore, a method for setting up an exposure system can be provided, wherein the exposure system comprises the laser irradiation system and an exposure processing unit including a carrier for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical functional unit, the first optical functional unit, and the exposure processing unit are separable from each other, and after the first optical functional unit, the second optical functional unit, and the exposure processing unit are separated and transported to a setting position of the exposure system, the exposure system is set as an integrated unit at the setting position of the exposure system, and the mask is set on the second optical functional unit before or after the transport by using the mask setting method.

[0049] In this way, the influence of deflection caused by the mask's own weight can be suppressed, and laser irradiation can be performed with high precision. In addition, the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, thereby reducing the height of the system and reducing the installation cost of the laser processing system / exposure system.

[0050] Moreover, the utility model provides a mask, which is a quadrilateral-shaped mask vertically arranged in a laser irradiation system, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the longest side of the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100.

[0051] According to the mask of the utility model, the influence of deflection caused by its own weight can be suppressed to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and dust can be suppressed from adhering to the mask surface, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0052] The utility model sets the mask to be vertically arranged, so that even if the thickness of the mask is reduced, the bending of the mask during the setting can be suppressed. More specifically, the utility model is completed to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, and provides a laser irradiation system, including a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated body through the mask set in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is set.

[0053] According to this laser irradiation system, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and dust can be suppressed from adhering to the mask surface, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0054] In this case, the laser irradiation system may be configured such that the mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region.

[0055] The laser irradiation system is easy to operate and low in cost because the thickness of the mask is thin, and problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask are stably suppressed.

[0056] The utility model can be set as a laser processing system, which performs ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object by means of the irradiation energy of the laser beam. The laser processing system includes: an irradiation processing part, including a carrier for holding the irradiated object; and the laser irradiation system.

[0057] This provides a laser processing system that suppresses problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0058] In this case, a laser processing system can be configured in which the second optical function portion, the first optical function portion, and the irradiation processing portion can be separated from each other.

[0059] This facilitates split transportation and can reduce installation costs.

[0060] In this case, the laser processing system may further include a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask from the second optical function portion.

[0061] Thereby, various patterns can be easily processed.

[0062] The utility model can provide an exposure system, wherein the irradiated object is a substrate with a resist film on the surface, and the exposure system performs exposure processing on the resist film through the irradiation energy of a laser beam. The exposure system comprises: an exposure processing unit, comprising a carrier for holding the irradiated object; and the laser irradiation system.

[0063] This provides an exposure system in which problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask are suppressed.

[0064] In this case, an exposure system can be configured in which the second optical function section, the first optical function section, and the exposure processing section can be separated from each other.

[0065] This facilitates split transportation and can reduce installation costs.

[0066] In this case, the exposure system may further include a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask from the second optical function unit.

[0067] Thereby, various exposure patterns can be easily formed.

[0068] The utility model can provide a laser processing method for an irradiated object, which uses the laser processing system to perform ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object.

[0069] This makes it possible to perform high-precision processing while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0070] The utility model can provide an exposure processing method for performing exposure processing on the resist film on the substrate by using the exposure system.

[0071] This makes it possible to perform a high-precision exposure process while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0072] The utility model is completed in order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, and provides a method for setting a mask, wherein the mask is set for a laser irradiation system, the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated body through the mask set in the second optical functional part, wherein, as the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is set in the second optical functional part so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is set.

[0073] According to this mask setting method, a laser irradiation system can be constructed, that is, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed, and the laser irradiation can be performed with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, so that the defects caused by dust can be suppressed. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0074] In this case, a mask setting method may be configured such that a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region is used as the mask.

[0075] The mask setting method of the present invention can constitute a laser irradiation system that is easy to operate and low-cost because the mask is thin, and that stably suppresses problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask.

[0076] In this case, a method of setting the mask can be configured in which the mask is set using a mask changer.

[0077] This makes it possible to construct a laser irradiation system capable of easily forming various patterns.

[0078] The utility model can provide a setting method of a laser processing system, wherein the laser processing system comprises the laser irradiation system and an irradiation processing section including a carrier for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical functional section, the first optical functional section and the irradiation processing section are separable from each other, and after the first optical functional section, the second optical functional section and the irradiation processing section are respectively separated and transported to the setting position of the laser processing system, the laser processing system is set as an integral unit at the setting position of the laser processing system, and the mask is set on the second optical functional section before or after the transport by the mask setting method.

[0079] Furthermore, a method for setting up an exposure system can be provided, wherein the exposure system comprises the laser irradiation system and an exposure processing unit including a carrier for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical functional unit, the first optical functional unit, and the exposure processing unit are separable from each other, and after the first optical functional unit, the second optical functional unit, and the exposure processing unit are separated and transported to a setting position of the exposure system, the exposure system is set as an integrated unit at the setting position of the exposure system, and the mask is set on the second optical functional unit before or after the transport by using the mask setting method.

[0080] In this way, the influence of deflection caused by the mask's own weight can be suppressed, and laser irradiation can be performed with high precision. In addition, the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, thereby suppressing the defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, thereby reducing the height of the system and reducing the installation cost of the laser processing system / exposure system.

[0081] Moreover, the utility model provides a mask, which is a quadrilateral-shaped mask vertically arranged in a laser irradiation system, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the shortest side of the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100.

[0082] According to the mask of the utility model, the influence of deflection caused by its own weight can be suppressed to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and dust can be suppressed from adhering to the mask surface, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0083] Moreover, the utility model provides a laser irradiation system, including a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated body via the mask set in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side of the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides of the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is set.

[0084] According to the laser irradiation system of the utility model, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, so that it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the laser irradiation system can be reduced.

[0085] [Effects of the utility model]

[0086] As described above, the laser irradiation system of the present invention can suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and can also suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0087] Furthermore, the laser processing system / exposure system of the present invention suppresses problems such as mask bending due to the weight of the mask or dust adhesion to the mask. The laser processing method / exposure method of the present invention can prevent mask deformation or dust adhesion to the mask while performing high-precision processing / exposure processing.

[0088] Furthermore, if the mask setting method of the utility model is used, it can be set as a laser irradiation system, that is, it is possible to suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask, and to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that the defects caused by dust can be suppressed. Furthermore, it is possible to make most of the long optical path along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced. If the laser processing system / exposure system setting method of the utility model is used, it is possible to suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask, and to perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that the defects caused by dust can be suppressed, and it is also possible to make most of the long optical path along the horizontal plane, so that the height of the system can be reduced, and the system setting cost can be reduced.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the mask of the present invention, the influence of deflection due to its own weight can be suppressed and laser irradiation can be performed with high precision, and dust adhesion to the mask surface can be suppressed, so that defects caused by dust are less likely to occur. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0090] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 (d) is a diagram showing an example of a laser irradiation processing system (laser processing system, exposure system) including the laser irradiation system of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 2 This is a conceptual diagram showing the arrangement of the mask of the present invention.

[0092] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a mask.

[0093] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the processed region of the irradiated object and the irradiated region.

[0094] Figure 5 (a) Figure 5 (b) is a diagram illustrating an example of overlapping irradiation in a uniaxial direction.

[0095] Figure 6 (a) to Figure 6 (c) is a diagram illustrating an example of overlapping irradiation from the first row to the third row.

[0096] Figure 7 This is a conceptual diagram of shaping of the irradiation shape of a laser beam in an example of a shaping optical system.

[0097] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a laser irradiation processing system (laser processing system, exposure system) including the laser irradiation system of the present invention.

[0098] Fig. 9 (A) to Fig. 9 (G) is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a vertical mask changer.

[0099] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of a cassette storage system that may be included in an example of a vertical mask changer.

[0100] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0101] 1~4: Laser beam

[0102] 10: First optical functional part

[0103] 11: Laser light source (laser oscillator)

[0104] 12: Forming optical system

[0105] 13: X1 cylindrical lens

[0106] 14: Y1 cylindrical lens

[0107] 15: X2 cylindrical lens

[0108] 16: Y2 cylindrical lens

[0109] 17: Focusing lens

[0110] 20: Second optical functional part

[0111] 21: Mask

[0112] 21A, 21B: Side

[0113] 21X, 21Y, 80X, 80Y: Scanning axis

[0114] 22: Valid area

[0115] 23: Alignment camera for mask

[0116] 25: Mask holder

[0117] 26: Mask storage

[0118] 27: Mask clip

[0119] 28: Vertical mask changer

[0120] 29: Mask Cabinet

[0121] 29A: Opening

[0122] 30: Third optical function unit

[0123] 31: Reduced projection optical system

[0124] 40: Carrier

[0125] 50: Reflector

[0126] 60: Alignment camera for substrate

[0127] 70: Beam image detection camera

[0128] 80: Irradiated body

[0129] 81, 90, 91, 92, 93: Irradiation area

[0130] 100: Laser irradiation system

[0131] 100A: noodles

[0132] 110: Laser irradiation treatment unit

[0133] 110A: Laser irradiation processing department

[0134] 110B: Exposure processing unit

[0135] 200: Laser irradiation processing system

[0136] 200A: Laser Processing System

[0137] 200B: Exposure system

[0138] 300A, 300B: Loading and unloading department

[0139] f1, f2: focal length

[0140] L1~L4: Size DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0141] As described above, there is a demand for a laser irradiation system that can suppress problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask even when a large mask is used, and a method of installing a mask constituting such a laser irradiation system.

[0142] The inventors of the present invention have repeatedly and attentively studied the above-mentioned subject, and as a result, found that, with the aid of the laser irradiation system described below, it is possible to suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, it is possible to make most of the long optical path along the horizontal plane, so that the height of the system can be reduced, thereby completing the utility model, the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a laser light source having a laser irradiation area corresponding to the irradiated object. The invention relates to a laser irradiation system for irradiating the laser light from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask arranged in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0143] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, with the aid of the mask setting method described below, it is possible to construct a system that can suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the mask's own weight and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and can also suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, thereby suppressing the poor laser irradiation system caused by dust, and further, can make most of the long light path along the horizontal plane, thereby lowering the height of the system, thereby completing the utility model, the mask setting method sets the mask on the laser irradiation system, the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set A mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, the laser irradiation system being used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated object via the mask arranged in the second optical functional portion, wherein as the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is arranged in the second optical functional portion so that the outer edges of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0144] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, according to the mask described below, it is possible to suppress the influence of deflection due to its own weight and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced, thereby completing the utility model, the mask is a quadrilateral-shaped mask vertically arranged in the laser irradiation system, which includes an effective area with a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the longest side of the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100.

[0145] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, with the aid of the laser irradiation system described below, it is possible to suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the deadweight of the mask and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced, thereby completing the utility model. The laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object , the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask arranged in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area with a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side of the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides of the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0146] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, with the aid of the mask setting method described below, it is possible to construct a system that can suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the mask's own weight and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and can also suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, thereby suppressing the poor laser irradiation system caused by dust, and further, can make most of the long light path along the horizontal plane, thereby lowering the height of the system, thereby completing the utility model, the mask setting method sets the mask on the laser irradiation system, the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set A mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, wherein the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated object via the mask arranged in the second optical functional portion, wherein as the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is arranged in the second optical functional portion so that the outer edges of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0147] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, according to the mask described below, it is possible to suppress the influence of deflection due to its own weight and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced, thereby completing the utility model, the mask is a quadrilateral-shaped mask vertically arranged in the laser irradiation system, which includes an effective area with a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the shortest side of the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100.

[0148] Moreover, the inventors have discovered that, according to the laser irradiation system described below, it is possible to suppress the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask and perform laser irradiation with high precision, and it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so it is difficult to produce defects caused by dust. Furthermore, most of the long light path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the laser irradiation system can be reduced, thereby completing the utility model, the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object. The laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask arranged in the second optical functional part, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and in the second optical functional part, the mask is configured so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0149] In this specification, "A is substantially perpendicular to B" does not mean that A is completely perpendicular to B, but means that A can be inclined to B by plus or minus 5 degrees (the angle between A and B is 85 to 95 degrees). Of course, as long as the effect of the present invention is utilized, it can also be inclined by plus or minus 10 degrees (the angle between A and B is 80 to 100 degrees). The present invention is described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0150] [Laser irradiation system]

[0151] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 (d) is a schematic diagram showing an example of a laser processing system including the laser irradiation system of the present invention. Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 The laser irradiation system 100 shown in (d) includes: a first optical function unit 10 including a laser light source (laser oscillator) 11; and a second optical function unit 20 for providing a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object 80. Furthermore, the laser irradiation system 100 is a laser irradiation system for irradiating the laser light 1 from the laser light source 11 to the irradiated object 80 via the mask 21 provided in the second optical function unit 20.

[0152] The mask 21 includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body 80. In addition, in one embodiment of the mask, the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask 21, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is 100 or more. This ratio is further preferably 150 or more, and more preferably 200 or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is considered to be about 250 from the perspective of ease of operation. In addition, when the mask is a square, the length of the longest side among the four sides refers to the length of one side of the square.

[0153] Furthermore, in another embodiment of the mask, the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask 21, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100. This ratio is further preferably greater than 150, and more preferably greater than 200. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is considered to be about 250 from the perspective of ease of operation. In addition, when the mask is a square, the length of the shortest side among the four sides refers to the length of one side of the square.

[0154] In the present invention, the so-called quadrilateral does not mean a strict quadrilateral, and the four corners may be chamfered by straight lines or curves, and there may be a notch or protrusion in the middle of the side that serves as a support part for a fixing clamp or an operating clamp.

[0155] And, if Figure 2 As shown in the conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the mask, in the second optical functional portion 20, the mask 21 is configured so that the outer edges of the mask 21, that is, the two opposite sides 21A and 21B among the four sides are substantially perpendicular to the surface 100A where the laser irradiation system 100 is set. In other words, in the second optical functional portion 20, the mask 21 is configured so that the normal line of the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical functional portion is oriented in the in-plane direction of the surface 100A or in the substantially horizontal direction.

[0156] As mentioned above, the size of the irradiated object is required to be large, and accordingly, the mask gradually becomes large. Furthermore, in the case of a reduced projection optical system, the mask size becomes even larger. On the other hand, the precision of the irradiation treatment of the irradiated object such as the substrate is improved, and if the image of the mask is distorted, it will affect the accuracy of the irradiation treatment.

[0157] When the mask is installed in the same horizontal direction as the surface on which the system is installed as in Patent Document 2, if the mask is installed alone, it will be distorted by gravity, which will deteriorate the accuracy of the irradiation treatment.

[0158] When adding support to the lower part of the mask to suppress the occurrence of deflection, the support must be an optically transmissive support, but when the mask becomes large, the thickness of the support material must be thickened, which not only causes problems in terms of cost, but also the absorption of laser energy in the support material becomes greater, and the energy efficiency of laser irradiation becomes worse.

[0159] Furthermore, when the mask is installed parallel to the surface on which the system is installed, there is a greater risk that dust will fall on the mask. If production is carried out in a state where dust has fallen, a large number of products will be defective in quality.

[0160] Furthermore, if dust enters between the support material and the mask at the bottom of the mask, not only will the product be defective or the mask be scratched due to the dust, but also optical unevenness will occur in the tiny gap locally generated between the support material and the mask due to the difference in refractive index, thus irradiating an uneven laser beam.

[0161] Furthermore, since the optical path length from the laser light source to the substrate is long, if the mask is horizontal, the height of the system becomes high. By making the mask vertical, the height of the system can be reduced.

[0162] If, as in the laser irradiation processing system of the present invention, the outer edge of the mask 21, i.e., two opposite sides of the four sides, are set in a substantially vertical direction relative to the surface 100A on which the laser irradiation system 100 is set, the phenomenon of mask 21 being bent can be suppressed. In addition, there is no need for support to prevent bending caused by optically transparent materials, so the use efficiency of laser energy is high, and irradiation processing with very high uniformity can be performed with high precision. In addition, it is also possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, so that a laser irradiation system that can suppress defects caused by dust can be constructed. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be made along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced. Thus, a pellicle-less system can also be achieved.

[0163] In addition, the surface 100A on which the laser irradiation system 100 is installed can be set as a horizontal surface. Moreover, the so-called configuration in a substantially vertical direction means that it is configured in a vertical direction in design, including the range of deviation from the vertical direction within the error range in manufacturing and installation. Of course, it is most preferred that the mask is vertical to the surface on which the laser irradiation system 100 is installed ( Figure 2 θ=90°).

[0164] Furthermore, there can be provided the laser irradiation system as described above.

[0165] The following is a further detailed description.

[0166] (First optical functional part)

[0167] The first optical function portion 10 includes a laser light source 11. The laser light source 11 may be, for example, a laser light source (laser oscillator) that irradiates (emits) the laser beam 1 in a pulsed state.

[0168] The laser beam 1 irradiated from the laser light source 11 is preferably an excimer laser. Compared with conventional solid-state lasers, such as laser diode (LD) excited solid-state (diode pumped solid-state (DPSS)) lasers, the excimer laser has a shorter wavelength and therefore has a higher resolution. Therefore, by using an excimer laser in the laser irradiation processing system 200, a more precise laser irradiation processing can be achieved. Moreover, for example, the excimer laser has a very large absorption for epoxy-based substrate materials, and the laser irradiation processing capability is high.

[0169] Furthermore, the laser beam 1 emitted from the laser light source 11 may be provided with a shaping optical system 12. The shaping optical system 12 may also shape the laser beam 1, for example Figure 1 The irradiation shape shown in (a) is formed into, for example, Figure 1 For example, the shaping optical system 12 is preferably an optical system as described below, that is, including a plurality of cylindrical lenses, which shapes the laser beam 1 from the laser light source 11 into a laser beam having a rectangular irradiation shape and a uniform irradiation energy density, especially a top hat type laser beam.

[0170] Figure 7 A conceptual diagram showing shaping of an irradiation shape of a laser beam in a shaping optical system including a plurality of cylindrical lenses. Figure 7 The shaping optical system 12 shown includes: a plurality of cylindrical lenses including an X1 cylindrical lens 13, a Y1 cylindrical lens 14, an X2 cylindrical lens 15 and a Y2 cylindrical lens 16; and a condenser lens 17. The X1 cylindrical lens 13 and the X2 cylindrical lens 15 are as shown in FIG. Figure 7 As shown in the lower part of , they are arranged at intervals twice their focal lengths f1. The Y1 cylindrical lenses 14 and the Y2 cylindrical lenses 16 are also arranged at intervals twice their focal lengths.

[0171] Depend on Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 The laser beam 1 generated by the laser light source 11 shown in (d) is as follows Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the laser beam 1 has an uneven irradiation shape (beam profile). When the laser beam 1 having such an irradiation shape is incident on the shaping optical system 12, the components of the laser beam 1 are shaped according to their positions in the X and Y directions. Figure 7In the lower part of FIG. 1 , for example, the component indicated by “2” is schematically shown as being formed by the cylindrical lens 14 and the cylindrical lens 16. Each component of the laser beam 1 is formed by the cylindrical lens 13 to the cylindrical lens 16 and is focused at a position separated from the focusing lens 17 by a focal length f2. By focusing each component, Figure 7 As shown, the laser beam 2 is formed into a top-hat beam shape and is emitted from the shaping optical system 12 as emitted light.

[0172] By rearranging the structures of the cylindrical lenses in the X direction and the Y direction, it is possible to form a beam shape such as a square or a rectangle.

[0173] By using such a plurality of cylindrical lenses 13 to 16 to shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 1 , it is possible to shape a high-quality laser beam 2 having a rectangular shape, particularly a top-hat-shaped beam profile, with extremely uniform energy density.

[0174] Moreover, by using this rectangular beam profile for overlapping irradiation, it is possible to achieve laser irradiation processing that is averaged within the allowable range of the target laser irradiation processing without any unirradiated areas, i.e. dead spots, thereby achieving laser irradiation processing of the irradiated object 80 with extremely high precision and high efficiency.

[0175] (Second optical functional part)

[0176] As described above, a mask is provided in the second optical function portion 20. The utility model is effective when the mask thickness is thin. Therefore, it is preferred that the mask 21 is a mask having a thickness of less than 10 mm in the laser transmission direction of the effective area 22. This thickness is further preferably less than 8 mm, and more preferably less than 6 mm. There is no particular restriction on the lower limit, but it is considered to be about 5 mm from the viewpoint of ease of operation. In addition, depending on the size of the mask, the upper limit of the thickness is sometimes as thick as about 20 mm or 15 mm. In this way, when the thickness of the mask is thin, it is easy to operate and the cost is low. In the laser irradiation system of the utility model, even in the case of such a thin mask, problems such as deflection caused by the deadweight of the mask can be stably suppressed.

[0177] In addition, the size of the mask 21 is not particularly limited. In the present invention, for example, the mask 21 described below can be used, that is, the lateral and longitudinal dimensions perpendicular to the thickness direction (respectively Figure 3 The dimension L1 and dimension L2 of the effective area 22 are 700 mm or more, more preferably 800 mm or more, and the lateral and longitudinal dimensions perpendicular to the thickness direction (respectively Figure 3The size L3 and the size L4) are 500 mm or more, and more preferably 650 mm or more. The upper limits of the size L1 and the size L2 are not particularly limited, and for example, they can be set to 2500 mm or 2000 mm. Moreover, the upper limits of the size L3 and the size L4 are not particularly limited, and for example, they can be set to 2350 mm or 1850 mm. In addition, the utility model is more effective when the size of the mask is large, and such size L1 and the size L2 are 800 mm or more, and are further effective when they are 1000 mm or more, and are more effective when they are 1500 mm or more, and are particularly effective when they are 1700 mm or more. Both L1 and L2 may satisfy these size conditions, or only one of them may satisfy these size conditions.

[0178] Furthermore, the ratio of the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the mask perpendicular to the thickness direction (L1 / L2, L3 / L4) can be set to 1 / 2 or more and 2 / 1 or less, and more preferably, 4 / 5 or more and 5 / 4 or less.

[0179] The weight of the mask is not particularly limited, and can be, for example, 5 kg to 50 kg, more preferably 5 kg to 20 kg, and more preferably 5 kg to 10 kg.

[0180] These masks are formed by forming a light-shielding film such as chromium on a transparent substrate that allows laser light to pass through, and forming an opening by forming a pattern on the light-shielding film. The transparent substrate is preferably formed of a glass material, for example, a synthetic quartz glass substrate, a quartz glass substrate, an aluminosilicate glass substrate, a soda-lime glass substrate, a low thermal expansion glass (SiO2-TiO2 glass, etc.) substrate, etc. Among these materials, synthetic quartz glass is suitable from the perspective of transmittance, rigidity, and ease of use.

[0181] In the present invention, such a large mask 21 can be used. Furthermore, the energy density of the laser beam irradiated to the substrate can be increased by using the large mask 21 and the reduced projection optical system 31. As a more specific example, a mask having an outer shape of 700 mm×800 mm and an effective area 22 of 600 mm×600 mm can be cited.

[0182] The mask 21 may include a mask irradiation region irradiated with the laser beam 2 passing through the first optical function portion 10. In this case, the mask irradiation region is a part of the effective region 22 of the mask 21.

[0183] The second optical function section 20 preferably further includes a mask stage that holds the mask 21 and scans the mask 21. By attaching a scanning axis to the mask stage that holds the mask 21, the scanning operation of the mask can be efficiently performed.

[0184] Furthermore, by installing a correction function (pitch axis, θ axis) on the mask stage, the setting angle (vertical) of the mask can be easily adjusted, and correction can be easily made relative to the surface shape of the irradiated object 80, thereby enabling accurate irradiation.

[0185] The second optical function unit 20 can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 2 that has passed through the first optical function unit 10 through the mask 21. The second optical function unit 20 can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 2 shaped into a rectangular shape into a pattern corresponding to the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80, for example.

[0186] The laser irradiation system 100 of the present invention may also be configured such that, through the second optical function unit 20, for example, Figure 1 The laser beam 4 of the irradiation shape shown in (c) passes through an arbitrary return mirror 50 as shown in Figure 1 The traveling direction is changed as shown in (d) and is incident on an arbitrary third optical function portion 30 (described later). Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 In the example of the laser irradiation system 100 shown in (d) of FIG. 8 , the laser beam 3 emitted from the third optical function portion 30 is configured to irradiate a portion of the irradiated object 80 held on the stage 40 .

[0187] (Third optical functional part)

[0188] In the laser irradiation system 100 of the present invention, it is preferred that Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 As shown in (d), between the second optical function unit 20 and the stage 40 holding the irradiated body, a third optical function unit 30 including a reduction projection optical system 31 is also included. The irradiation area of ​​the laser beam 3 that has passed through the mask 21 can be reduced by any reduction optical system 31 described below, thereby increasing the energy density of the laser beam 4 irradiated to the substrate. Therefore, even if the mask 21 with a large area is enlarged, by using the reduction optical system 31 corresponding thereto, it is possible to implement a fine irradiation process of the target.

[0189] In recent years, the miniaturization of laser irradiation processing such as substrate processing or exposure is being promoted, and several microns are gradually required as the minimum width of laser irradiation. Even fine dust can affect it, especially fine dust attached to the mask part can cause a lot of defects. Therefore, by enlarging the mask 21 than the actual irradiation size, and using the reduced projection optical system 31 of the rear section of the laser beam 3 passing through the mask 21 for reduced projection exposure, the influence caused by fine dust can be minimized. As a result, it is also easier to achieve film-free.

[0190] Furthermore, by enlarging the mask 21 more than the actual laser irradiation pattern, the energy of the laser beam 2 irradiated to the mask 21 can be made smaller than the laser irradiation treatment energy. If the reduction ratio of the reduction projection optical system 31 is set to N, the energy of the laser beam irradiated to the mask surface becomes 1 / (N / (N / N) / (N / N) / (N / N) compared with the laser irradiation energy of the surface of the irradiated body 80. 2 ). Thus, thermal drift due to the energy of the laser beam 2 can be suppressed, so that thermal expansion of the mask 21 can be suppressed, and high-precision laser irradiation processing can be performed even after a long laser irradiation operation.

[0191] Furthermore, since it is possible to suppress the degradation of optical components (for example, the forming optical system 12 and the mask 21 ) due to the heat of the laser beam, the life of the optical components can be extended.

[0192] Furthermore, in the laser irradiation system 100 described above, which is configured to perform synchronous scanning irradiation with the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed, a very small-diameter reduction projection lens can be used compared to the method described in Patent Document 2, which moves the irradiation position of the laser beam. Therefore, in addition to being advantageous in terms of cost, the laser irradiation accuracy can be made very high because the distortion of the lens is small or the aberration caused by the lens can be reduced.

[0193] The reduced projection optical system 31 may include a pair of reduced projection lenses. When the reduced projection optical system 31 is an infinite optical system, the magnification of the reduced projection optical system 31 can be adjusted, for example, by the ratio of the focal length of the reduced projection lens and the distance between the reduced projection lenses. In addition, this reduction ratio N can be set to 2 or more, preferably 3 or more, and more preferably 4 or more. The upper limit is not particularly limited, but is considered to be about 5 from the perspective of the laser resistance of the mask and the laser energy density required for the processing of the desired processing object.

[0194] The reduction projection lens is preferably a lens with a high numerical aperture (NA). By using a reduction projection lens with a high NA, a through hole or a groove that is closer to a straight cylindrical shape can be formed.

[0195] The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably selected based on the energy density required for the laser irradiation process of the irradiated object 80. The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably 0.12 or more.

[0196] The third optical function unit 30 preferably further includes a cooling component for cooling the reduced projection optical system 31. By including the cooling component, the influence of heat caused by the energy of the laser beam in the reduced projection optical system 31 can be further suppressed. In the reduced projection optical system 31, the laser beam 3 passing through the mask 21 is reduced by 1 / N, so the energy of the laser beam passing through the lens portion at the front end of the object is N times the energy of the laser beam irradiated to the mask 21. 2 Therefore, in order to suppress the thermal energy, by giving a cooling function to the reduced projection optical system 31, the thermal drift caused by the energy of the laser beam can be suppressed, and high-precision laser irradiation can be performed even after a long laser irradiation operation.

[0197] And, in the laser irradiation system 100 previously described, which is configured to carry out synchronous scanning irradiation under the state of fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam, a very small reduction projection lens can be used compared with the method of patent document 2. The cooling component of the reduction projection lens cannot directly give the cooling component to the lens itself, but cools the sleeve portion that holds the lens, so when the lens caliber becomes larger, although temperature management can be performed in the peripheral portion of the lens, the cooling effect is difficult to spread to the vicinity of the key central portion, thereby making it difficult to perform thermal management. Therefore, even the weak energy absorption toward the lens caused by long-term laser beam irradiation is also prone to distortion caused by heat. The third optical function unit 30 has a cooling function, and uses a lens with a small caliber, thereby suppressing this undesirable condition. And then, it is also possible to suppress the defect caused by the laser beam irradiation toward the reduction projection optical system 31, and extend the service life.

[0198] [Laser irradiation processing system]

[0199] Figure 8 The structure of the laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention is shown. The laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention comprises: the laser irradiation system 100 described above; and a laser irradiation processing unit 110 including a stage 40 for mounting an irradiated object such as a substrate.

[0200] [Scanning mechanism]

[0201] The laser irradiation processing system 200 is also preferably configured to continuously scan the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 while irradiating the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 with pulses of the laser beam 2 and the laser beam 4 , respectively, during scanning irradiation in at least one direction.

[0202] By continuously scanning and irradiating, the scanning time can be greatly reduced compared to the step and repeat operation of repeatedly walking and stopping. In particular, positioning when stopping from the walking state can be omitted, thereby preventing the deterioration of the position accuracy caused by its acceleration and deceleration.

[0203] Furthermore, since these actions are frequently performed, the load on the travel axis or motor increases when the machine moves and stops repeatedly. By continuously performing the scanning irradiation action, the burden on the axis can be reduced, and the heating of the travel axis can be suppressed, so that the deterioration of the position accuracy caused by thermal drift can be further prevented, thereby enabling very high-precision laser irradiation processing.

[0204] [Photographing components and alignment mechanism]

[0205] The laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention preferably also includes: a shooting component for reading the characteristic part of the irradiated object 80; a shooting component for reading the characteristic part of the mask 21; and an alignment mechanism for aligning the relative positions of the irradiated object and the mask based on the position information of the characteristic part of the irradiated object and the characteristic part of the mask.

[0206] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 The laser irradiation processing system 200 shown in (d) includes: a mask alignment camera 23 as a photographing component, which reads the characteristic part of the mask 21; an irradiated object alignment camera 60 as a photographing component, which reads the characteristic part of the irradiated object 80; and an alignment mechanism (not shown). The mask alignment camera 23 is configured to send the position information of the characteristic part of the mask 21 to the alignment mechanism. The irradiated object alignment camera 60 is configured to send the position information of the characteristic part of the irradiated object 80 to the alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is configured to align the relative positions of the irradiated object 80 and the mask 21 based on these position information.

[0207] By aligning the position of the mask 21 and the position of the irradiated object 80 by the imaging means, it is possible to perform laser irradiation processing in which the mask pattern is projected onto the accurate position of the surface of the irradiated object 80 .

[0208] In particular, when processing an irradiated object, laser irradiation is often performed on multiple layers. If the laser irradiation processing position of each layer is not accurately aligned with the target position, the circuits of each layer cannot be connected, or even if connected, poor quality such as high conduction resistance will occur. In order to suppress this problem, the accuracy of the laser irradiation processing position is required.

[0209] At this time, it is preferable to further include a means for correcting the laser irradiation shape of the irradiated object 80 with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on the information of the alignment mechanism.

[0210] The shape of the projection image of the pattern of the mask 21 is not necessarily an accurate similar shape to the laser irradiation shape of the irradiated object 80, and the magnification is not always the same due to the influence of thermal expansion, etc. In addition, due to slight distortion or deformation of the irradiated object 80, the shape of the laser irradiation on the irradiated object 80 may need to be deformed relative to the projection image of the mask 21.

[0211] Therefore, as described above, the position of the mask 21 and the position of the irradiated object 80 are obtained by the shooting components (the alignment camera 23 for the mask and the alignment camera 60 for the irradiated object), and based on this information, the projection image of the mask 21 is made consistent with the shape of the irradiated object to be treated by laser irradiation, thereby enabling accurate laser irradiation treatment of the irradiated object.

[0212] Specifically, for example, the projection position of the projection image of the mask 21 is acquired by the beam image detection camera 70, and correction is performed based on the information of the projection position to optimize the projection magnification of the third optical functional unit 30, and the scanning speed during scanning irradiation is optimized based on the information. Thus, the longitudinal magnification and lateral magnification of the irradiated object 80 relative to the image of the mask 21 can be arbitrarily changed within a certain range, so that the optimal laser irradiation processing shape can be applied.

[0213] The irradiated object 80 may include an irradiation region where a pattern is projected by the laser beam 4 that has passed through the mask 21 (and any third optical function portion 30 ). Figure 4 FIG. 4 shows a state where the irradiated object 80 is placed on the stage 40, and shows an example of the relationship between the irradiated area 90 of the irradiated object 80 and the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Figure 4 As shown, the irradiated area 90 is smaller than the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80 .

[0214] Figure 4 The irradiation area 90 shown is an irradiation area of ​​a pulsed laser beam 4. The irradiation area 90 projects a pattern using the laser beam passing through the mask 21, and thus corresponds to a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, that is, the mask irradiation area.

[0215] like Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 As shown in the example of (d), the mask 21 is configured to Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 The scanning axis 21X and the scanning axis 21Y shown in (d) are scanned. Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 The scanning axis 80X and the scanning axis 80Y shown in (d) are scanned.

[0216] Furthermore, the laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention is configured to perform laser irradiation processing on the irradiation region 81 of the irradiated object 80 by scanning the irradiation mask 21 and the stage 40 with the laser beam 2 and the laser beam 4 .

[0217] [Mask Changer]

[0218] The laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention preferably includes a mask changer, and preferably uses the mask changer to set the mask. For example, it may also include a vertical mask changer configured to change multiple masks. If it is a processing system including such a vertical mask changer, it can constitute a laser irradiation processing system that can easily form various patterns.

[0219] Fig. 9 (A) to Fig. 9 (G) shows an example of a vertical mask changer and a schematic diagram of a mask changer using the vertical mask changer. Fig. 9 The example of setting and replacing the mask 21 of the mask holder 25 schematically shown in (A) is shown. In this example, a mask stocker 26 which is a part of a vertical mask changer is used. The mask stocker 26 is configured to store a plurality of masks.

[0220] First, if Fig. 9 As shown in (B), the mask 21 is taken out from the mask stocker 26 using the mask clamp 27. The gripping (clamping) form of the mask 21 by the mask clamp 27 is not particularly limited. The mask stocker 26 and the mask clamp 27 constitute a vertical mask changer 28, and the vertical mask changer 28 is configured to replace a plurality of masks 21.

[0221] like Fig. 9 As shown in (C), the mask 21 is set on the mask holder 25 while maintaining the longitudinal state. Fig. 9 As shown in (D), the grip of the mask clamp 27 is released (released).

[0222] When replacing, Fig. 9 As shown in (E), the mask 21 set on the mask holder 25 is grasped by the mask clamp 27, and then, as shown in Fig. 9 As shown in (F), the mask 21 is removed from the mask holder 25. The removed mask 21 is as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 As shown in (G), it is placed in the mask storage 26. Then, Fig. 9Similarly, as shown in (B), the mask 21 to be used next is taken out from the mask storage 26, and the mask 21 is set on the mask holder 25 according to the process described above. Thus, a plurality of masks 21 can be replaced while maintaining a vertical configuration. In this way, a laser irradiation system that can easily form various patterns can be constructed. Furthermore, by replacing the mask 21 while maintaining a vertical configuration, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from accumulating on the effective area of ​​the mask 21 or the mask 21 from bending during the replacement process of the mask 21.

[0223] The laser irradiation processing system 200 of the present invention may also include Fig.10 The mask cabinet 29 shown. The mask cabinet 29 is configured to store and carry out a plurality of mask stockers 26. For example, the mask cabinet 29 is configured to include an opening 29A, and in the mask cabinet 29, the mask stocker 26 storing the target mask 21 can be moved to the position of the opening 29A while maintaining the mask 21 in a vertical configuration.

[0224] [How to set the mask]

[0225] Next, the mask setting method of the utility model is described. The mask setting method of the utility model is a mask setting method for setting a mask 21 for a laser irradiation system 100, the laser irradiation system 100 includes a first optical function part 10 and a second optical function part 20, the first optical function part 10 includes a laser light source 11, and the second optical function part 20 is used to set a mask 21 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object 80, and the laser irradiation system 100 is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated object 80 via the mask 21 set in the second optical function part 20.

[0226] In one embodiment of the utility model, as the mask 21, a mask is used which includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body 80, and the ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area 22 in the laser transmission direction is 100 or more. In addition, the mask 21 is arranged in the second optical function part 20 so that the outer edge of the mask 21, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are in a substantially vertical direction relative to the surface on which the laser irradiation system 100 is arranged.

[0227] In another embodiment of the utility model, as the mask 21, a mask is used which includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body 80, and the ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area 22 in the laser transmission direction is 100 or more. In addition, the mask 21 is arranged in the second optical function part 20 so that the outer edge of the mask 21, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are in a substantially vertical direction relative to the surface on which the laser irradiation system 100 is arranged.

[0228] According to this mask setting method, a laser irradiation system can be constructed, that is, the influence of the deflection caused by the weight of the mask can be suppressed, and the laser irradiation can be performed with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, so that the defects caused by dust can be suppressed. Furthermore, most of the long optical path can be along the horizontal plane, so the height of the system can be reduced.

[0229] As the mask 21, as described above, a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region 22 can be used. Thus, a laser irradiation system can be constructed that is easy to operate and low-cost due to the thin mask, and that stably suppresses problems such as deflection due to the weight of the mask.

[0230] [Laser processing system]

[0231] like Figure 8 As shown, by combining the laser irradiation system 100 of the present invention with a laser irradiation processing unit 110A including a stage 40 for holding an irradiated object 80 as a laser irradiation processing unit 110, a laser processing system 200A for forming fine concavoconvexities on the irradiated object 80 by ablation processing using the irradiation energy of the laser beam 4 can be provided as the laser irradiation processing system 200. According to the laser processing system of the present invention, problems such as deflection of the mask due to its own weight or adhesion of dust to the mask are suppressed.

[0232] In the laser processing system 200A of the present invention, it is preferred that the second optical function unit 20, the first optical function unit 10 and the laser irradiation processing unit 110A can be separated from each other. Thus, the splitting and transportation are easy, and the installation cost can be reduced. For example, Figure 8 As shown, a detachable portion 300A may be provided between the second optical function portion 20 and the first optical function portion 10 , and a detachable portion 300B may be provided between the second optical function portion 20 and the laser irradiation processing portion 110A to enable separation.

[0233] It is preferable to further include a mask changer 28 capable of installing and removing the mask 21 to the second optical function unit 20. This makes it possible to easily process various patterns in the laser processing system. For the mask changer 28, please refer to the above description.

[0234] Furthermore, regarding the specific example of laser processing using the laser processing system 200A including the laser irradiation system 100 of the utility model, it can also be constructed as described in detail below, performing overlapping irradiation (first form) and / or performing synchronous scanning irradiation (second form) in a state where the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed.

[0235] (First Form)

[0236] The laser processing system 200A of the first form is configured to perform laser irradiation processing on the irradiated object 80 by scanning and irradiating the mask 21 and the stage 40 while overlapping a part of the irradiation area 90 during the irradiation processing operation on the irradiated object 80. Hereinafter, the operation of irradiating with a laser beam while overlapping a part of the irradiation area 90 is referred to as overlapping irradiation.

[0237] Next, refer to Figure 5 (a) Figure 5 (b) and Figure 6 (a) to Figure 6 (c) , while illustrating an example of overlapping irradiation.

[0238] Figure 5 (a) shows an irradiation area 90 of a pulsed laser beam on an irradiated object 80. In the overlapping irradiation of this example, the mask 21 and the stage 40 are scanned, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (b), the laser beam is irradiated in such a manner that the irradiation area 91 of the first shot and the irradiation area 92 of the second shot partially overlap in the arrow direction along the scanning axis 80X. Then, the laser beam is irradiated in such a manner that the irradiation area 93 of the third shot partially overlaps the irradiation area 91 of the first shot and the irradiation area 92 of the second shot. This overlapping irradiation is repeated after the fourth shot, thereby expanding the processing area along the scanning axis 80X.

[0239] Figure 6 (a) indicates that Figure 5 The first row of the irradiated area 81 is ablated along the scanning axis 80X by overlapping irradiation as shown in (b). Figure 6 As shown in (b), in the direction of the scanning axis 80Y (orthogonal to the scanning axis 80X) Figure 6In the manner of partially overlapping the area in (a) where the overlapping irradiation is performed, overlapping irradiation is performed along the scanning axis 80X, thereby ablating the second row of the irradiated area 81 along the scanning axis 80X. Figure 6 As shown in (c), in the direction of the scanning axis 80Y and in Figure 6 (a) and Figure 6 In (b), overlapping irradiation is performed along the scanning axis 80X in a manner that overlaps a portion of the area subjected to overlapping irradiation, thereby performing ablation processing on the third row of the irradiated area 81 along the scanning axis 80X. This overlapping irradiation is repeated for the fourth row and thereafter of the irradiated area 81, thereby expanding the processing area throughout the irradiated area 81. As a result, overlapping irradiation can be performed at a certain interval in both the scanning axis 80X and the scanning axis 80Y.

[0240] The overlapping portion of the irradiation area is irradiated with the laser beam multiple times. As a result, this portion is subjected to a deep ablation process corresponding to the pattern shape of the mask, so that the irradiation area 81 can be processed to a target depth corresponding to the pattern shape of the mask.

[0241] In the laser processing system 200A of the first form, a pulsed and rectangular laser beam having uniform irradiation energy density is converted into a laser beam 4 having a processing shape through the mask 21 and irradiated to the irradiation area 90 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, the processing depth of the irradiation area 90 in the irradiated object 80 corresponding to a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, that is, the mask irradiation area, can be made uniform and irradiated multiple times, so that roughly uniform concavoconvex processing can be performed with good accuracy throughout the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, according to this laser processing system 200A, fine concavoconvex processing can be performed with good accuracy throughout the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0242] Moreover, this laser processing system 200A does not need to use high laser energy, and the laser light source or optical components used do not need to be expensive but can be constructed cheaply, and can suppress the deterioration of accuracy caused by thermal drift of the laser beam, thereby enabling high-precision processing.

[0243] Furthermore, since the laser processing system 200A irradiates the object with the laser beam 4 in a pulsed manner, the overlapping irradiation can be performed at a high speed.

[0244] That is, according to the laser processing system 200A of the first aspect of the present invention, deep through-hole processing and / or groove processing can be performed at high speed.

[0245] Furthermore, according to the laser processing system 200A of the first aspect of the present invention, since overlapping irradiation is performed, the substrate irradiation area per shot can be reduced. As a result, high-density irradiation becomes possible.

[0246] (Second Form)

[0247] The laser processing system 200A of the second embodiment is configured such that the mask 21 and the stage 40 are synchronously moved in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the directions of irradiation with the laser beams 2 and 4 , thereby maintaining a corresponding positional relationship relative to each other.

[0248] Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 In the example of (d), they are configured so that the movement of the mask 21 along the scanning axis 21X is synchronized with the movement of the stage 40 along the scanning axis 80X, and the movement of the mask 21 along the scanning axis 21Y is synchronized with the movement of the stage 40 along the scanning axis 80Y, so that the mask 21 and the stage 40 maintain a corresponding positional relationship relative to each other.

[0249] Furthermore, the laser processing system 200A of the second form is configured such that, when processing the irradiated object 80, the mask 21 and the stage 40 are operated synchronously while the irradiation position of the laser beam 4 is fixed, so that the mask 21 and the stage 40 are scanned and irradiated to perform surface uneven processing of the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Hereinafter, such scanning irradiation that can be performed by the laser processing system 200A of the second form is referred to as "synchronous scanning irradiation while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed".

[0250] According to this synchronous scanning irradiation, laser irradiation processing can be performed with higher accuracy than when the laser beam is scanned. In addition, if this laser processing system 200A is used, a large area mask can be used as the mask 21, and by using the large area mask and the third optical function unit 30 described in the latter section, laser irradiation processing can also be performed with higher energy density.

[0251] Moreover, in the laser processing system 200A of this second form, similarly to the laser processing system 200A of the first form, a pulsed and rectangular laser beam having uniform irradiation energy density is converted into a laser beam 4 having a processing shape through the mask 21, and irradiated to the irradiation area 90 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, in the laser processing system 200A of the second form, similarly to the first form, the processing depth of the irradiation area 90 in the irradiated object 80 corresponding to the mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, can be made uniform and irradiated multiple times, so that substantially uniform concavoconvex processing can be performed with good accuracy over the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, in this laser processing system 200A, fine concavoconvex processing can be performed with good accuracy over the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0252] Furthermore, the laser processing system 200A does not need to use high laser energy, and the laser light source or optical components used do not need to be expensive but can be constructed cheaply, and can suppress the deterioration of accuracy caused by thermal drift of the laser beam, thereby enabling high-precision processing. Furthermore, small optical parts can be used, so cheap and high-precision optical parts can be used.

[0253] The laser processing system 200A of the first embodiment is preferably configured to perform, in addition to the overlap irradiation described above, synchronized scanning irradiation with the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed, similar to the second embodiment.

[0254] [Laser processing method]

[0255] The laser processing system 200A of the present invention can be used to perform ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object 80. This can prevent deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask, and perform high-precision processing.

[0256] The first processing method of the utility model is a method of performing the overlapping irradiation described above using the laser processing system 200A of the first embodiment. Therefore, according to the first processing method of the utility model, fine concave-convex processing can be performed with good accuracy throughout the processed area of ​​the substrate. Moreover, irradiation at high energy density can be performed, so that deep through-hole processing and / or groove processing can be performed at high speed.

[0257] The processing method of the present invention is not limited to the method using the laser processing system 200A of the first embodiment.

[0258] For example, the second form of the processing method of the utility model is a processing method for forming fine projections and depressions on the surface of a substrate as an irradiated body 80 by ablation processing with the help of the irradiation energy of a laser beam, wherein a laser beam formed into a rectangular shape is passed through a mask, thereby irradiating the substrate with the laser beam in such a manner that the substrate irradiation area becomes smaller than the processed area of ​​the substrate, and during the processing action on the substrate, the surface projections and depressions of the processed area of ​​the substrate are processed while a part of the substrate irradiation area is overlapped.

[0259] In this processing method, the laser beam is irradiated to the substrate in a manner that the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the processed area of ​​the substrate, and the surface concavo-convex processing of the processed area of ​​the substrate is performed while a part of the substrate irradiation area is overlapped, that is, overlapping irradiation is performed, so that the processed area of ​​the substrate can be processed with good accuracy and roughly uniform concavo-convex processing. Therefore, in this form of processing system, fine concavo-convex processing can be performed with good accuracy throughout the processed area of ​​the substrate.

[0260] Moreover, in the processing method of the second aspect of the present invention, by using an excimer laser, it is possible to perform higher-precision concavoconvex processing.

[0261] Alternatively, the processing method of the third form of the utility model is to use the laser processing system 200A of the second form to perform the previously described method of synchronous scanning irradiation in a state where the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed. Therefore, according to the processing method of the third form of the utility model, it is possible to perform fine concave-convex processing with good accuracy throughout the processed area of ​​the substrate. Moreover, according to the processing method of the third form, it is possible to perform processing with a higher accuracy than the case where the laser beam is scanned. Moreover, if this processing method is used, a large area mask can also be used as the mask 21, and by using the large area mask and the third optical function unit 30 described previously, it is also possible to perform processing with a higher energy density.

[0262] In the processing operation on the substrate, it is particularly preferable to perform both the overlapping irradiation and the synchronous scanning irradiation in a state where the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed.

[0263] In the processing method of the first aspect or the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use a laser processing system 200A that satisfies one or more of the arbitrary matters described above.

[0264] Moreover, in the processing method of the first or third form of the utility model, it is preferred that during scanning irradiation in at least one direction, the laser beam 2 or the laser beam 4 is pulsed onto the mask 21 and the substrate carrier 40 respectively while the mask 21 and the substrate carrier 40 are continuously scanned.

[0265] By performing such scanning, for the reasons described above, the scanning time can be significantly reduced compared to the stepping and repetitive motion of repeatedly walking and stopping.

[0266] Furthermore, in the processing method of the first aspect or the third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that scanning irradiation is repeatedly performed a plurality of times for each irradiation region 81 of the irradiated object 80 .

[0267] As described above, although high precision is required for the concavo-convex processing of a substrate, there is a demand for high aspect ratio processing in which the depth is increased.

[0268] However, the depth that can be processed in one scan (one pass) is limited, and especially in the processing by the non-stop scanning, it is impossible to irradiate the once processed part multiple times.

[0269] Therefore, by performing laser pulse irradiation while scanning, and performing this operation multiple times for each irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80, processing can be performed to a target depth, thereby enabling high-speed processing.

[0270] In addition, during each scanning operation (first scanning, second scanning, etc.), for example, while referring to Figure 4 and Figure 5 (a) Figure 5 As described in (b), the irradiation region 90 is moved and irradiation is performed in a moving manner according to the number of times, thereby averaging the processing depth, thereby enabling processing with a uniform depth.

[0271] The first or third form of the processing method preferably also includes: reading the characteristic parts of the irradiated object 80 and the characteristic parts of the mask 21; and based on the position information of the characteristic parts of the irradiated object 80 and the characteristic parts of the mask 21, using an alignment mechanism to align the relative positions of the irradiated object 80 and the mask 21.

[0272] The characteristic portion of the irradiated object 80 can be read, for example, by the substrate alignment camera 60. The characteristic portion of the mask 21 can be read, for example, by using the mask alignment camera 23.

[0273] Based on the information obtained by using the mask alignment camera 23 and the substrate alignment camera 60, the position of the mask 21 is aligned with the position of the irradiated object 80 by an alignment mechanism, thereby enabling concavoconvex processing in which the mask pattern is projected onto the surface of the irradiated object 80 at an accurate position.

[0274] At this time, it is preferable to further include correcting the processed shape of the irradiated object 80 with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on the information of the alignment mechanism.

[0275] This processing method can perform more accurate concavoconvex processing on the substrate. This correction can be performed by combining the third optical function unit 30, the beam image detection camera 70, the scanning mechanism of the mask 21, the scanning mechanism of the substrate stage 40, etc.

[0276] [Method for manufacturing substrate]

[0277] In the manufacturing method of the substrate of the utility model, the substrate is processed by the laser processing method of the utility model. If this is the manufacturing method of the substrate, the processing depth of the substrate irradiation area in the substrate corresponding to a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, that is, the mask irradiation area, can be made uniform and multiple irradiations can be performed, so that the processed area of ​​the substrate can be roughly uniformly processed with good precision. Therefore, if this form of the manufacturing method of the substrate is used, a substrate with fine convex and concave processing formed with good precision throughout the processed area of ​​the substrate can be manufactured.

[0278] Moreover, the manufacturing method of this type of substrate does not require the use of high laser energy, and the laser light source or optical components used do not need to be expensive but can be constructed inexpensively. Therefore, the deterioration of accuracy caused by thermal drift of the laser beam can be suppressed, thereby enabling the manufacture of substrates that have been processed with high precision.

[0279] In particular, if the manufacturing method of the substrate is performed by the first form of processing method, the overlapping irradiation is performed during the processing of the substrate, so that deep through-hole processing and / or groove processing can be performed at high speed. Moreover, the substrate irradiation area can be reduced, so high-density irradiation becomes possible.

[0280] Furthermore, in the case of a manufacturing method of a substrate using the third processing method, the synchronous scanning irradiation is performed while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed during the processing of the substrate, so that the processing can be performed with higher accuracy than when the laser beam is scanned. Furthermore, in this processing method, a large area mask can be used, so that the processing can be performed with a higher energy density.

[0281] The manufacturing method of the substrate of the utility model can be particularly advantageously applied to the manufacturing of semiconductor packages.

[0282] [How to set up the laser processing system]

[0283] Next, a method for setting up a laser processing system is described, wherein the laser processing system includes the laser irradiation system of the present invention and an irradiation processing unit including a stage for holding an irradiated object. Figure 8As shown, a loading and unloading section 300A may be provided between the second optical function section 20 and the first optical function section 10, and a loading and unloading section 300B may be provided between the second optical function section 20 and the laser irradiation processing section 110A, etc., so that they can be separated. Furthermore, the first optical function section 10, the second optical function section 20, and the laser irradiation processing section 110A are separated and transported to the installation site of the laser processing system 200A. Subsequently, an integrated laser processing system 200A is set at the installation site of the laser processing system 200A. Furthermore, by the above-mentioned mask installation method, the mask is set on the second optical function section 20 before or after the transportation. If this is the installation method of the laser processing system, the installation cost can be reduced.

[0284] [Exposure system]

[0285] Furthermore, the irradiated body 80 is set as a substrate having a resist film on its surface. Figure 1 (a) to Figure 1 In the laser irradiation processing unit 110 of (d), an exposure processing unit 110B including a stage for holding a substrate having a resist film on its surface as an irradiated body 80 is provided, thereby providing an exposure system 200B for performing exposure processing on the resist film by irradiation energy of a laser beam as the laser irradiation processing system 200. Thus, it becomes an exposure system that suppresses problems such as deflection of the mask due to its own weight or adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0286] In the exposure system 200B of the present invention, it is also preferred that the second optical function unit 20, the first optical function unit 10 and the exposure processing unit 110B can be separated from each other, similarly to the laser processing system. Thus, the splitting and conveying are easy, and the installation cost can be reduced. It is preferred that a mask changer 28 capable of setting and removing the mask 21 from the second optical function unit 20 is also included. Thus, various exposure patterns can be easily formed.

[0287] [Exposure processing method]

[0288] The exposure system 200B of the present invention can be used to perform exposure processing on the surface of the irradiated object 80. This can prevent deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask, and perform high-precision exposure processing.

[0289] [How to set up the exposure system]

[0290] Next, a method for setting up an exposure system is described. The exposure system includes a laser irradiation system of the present invention and an exposure processing unit including a stage for holding an irradiated object. The method for setting up the exposure system of the present invention is similar to the method for setting up the laser processing system described above. Figure 8As shown in the figure, the loading and unloading section 300A, the loading and unloading section 300B, etc. are set so that the second optical function section 20, the first optical function section 10 and the exposure processing section 110B can be separated from each other, and the first optical function section 10, the second optical function section 20 and the exposure processing section 110B are separated and transported to the installation position of the exposure system 200B. Then, the integrated exposure system 200B is set at the installation place of the exposure system 200B. And, by the above-mentioned mask installation method, the mask is set on the second optical function section 20 before or after the transportation. If this is the installation method of the exposure system, the installation cost can be reduced.

[0291] This specification includes the following aspects.

[0292] [1]: A laser irradiation system, comprising a first optical functional unit and a second optical functional unit, wherein the first optical functional unit comprises a laser light source, and the second optical functional unit is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask set in the second optical functional unit, wherein:

[0293] The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100,

[0294] In the second optical function portion, the mask is arranged so that the outer edge of the mask, that is, two opposing sides among four sides, are substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is provided.

[0295] [2]: The laser irradiation system according to [1], wherein the mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area.

[0296] [3]: A laser processing system for performing ablation processing on the surface of an irradiated object by using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, the laser processing system comprising:

[0297] An irradiation processing unit includes a stage for holding the irradiated object; and a laser irradiation system according to [1] or [2].

[0298] [4]: The laser processing system according to [3], wherein the second optical function portion, the first optical function portion, and the irradiation processing portion can be separated from each other.

[0299] [5]: The laser processing system according to [3] or [4] further includes a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask for the second optical functional unit.

[0300] [6]: An exposure system, wherein the irradiated object is a substrate having a resist film on the surface, and the exposure system performs an exposure process on the resist film by irradiation energy of a laser beam, the exposure system comprising:

[0301] An exposure processing unit includes a stage for holding the irradiated object; and a laser irradiation system according to [1] or [2].

[0302] [7]: The exposure system according to [6], wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the exposure processing unit can be separated from each other.

[0303] [8]: The exposure system according to [6] or [7] further includes a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask for the second optical functional unit.

[0304] [9]: A laser processing method for an irradiated object, comprising performing ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object using the laser processing system according to any one of [3] to [5].

[0305]

[10] : An exposure processing method, using the exposure system according to any one of [6] to [8] to perform exposure processing on the resist film on the substrate.

[0306]

[11] : A method for setting a mask, wherein the mask is set on a laser irradiation system, wherein the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, wherein the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated object via the mask set on the second optical functional part, wherein:

[0307] As the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body and in which the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is arranged in the second optical functional portion so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0308]

[12] : The method for setting a mask according to

[11] , wherein a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area is used as the mask.

[0309]

[13] : The method for setting a mask according to

[11] or

[12] , wherein a mask changer is used to set the mask.

[0310]

[14] : A method for setting up a laser processing system, the laser processing system comprising the laser irradiation system and an irradiation processing unit including a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein:

[0311] The second optical function part, the first optical function part and the irradiation processing part are separated from each other, and after the first optical function part, the second optical function part and the irradiation processing part are separated and transported to the installation location of the laser processing system, the laser processing system is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing system.

[0312] By using the mask setting method according to any one of

[11] to

[13] , the mask is set on the second optical function portion before or after the transport.

[0313]

[15] : A method for setting up an exposure system, wherein the exposure system comprises the laser irradiation system and an exposure processing unit including a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein:

[0314] The second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the exposure processing unit are separated from each other, and after the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit and the exposure processing unit are separated and transported to the installation location of the exposure system, the exposure system is integrated at the installation location of the exposure system.

[0315] By using the mask setting method according to any one of

[11] to

[13] , the mask is set on the second optical function portion before or after the transport.

[0316]

[16] : A mask having a quadrilateral shape and arranged vertically in a laser irradiation system, wherein:

[0317] The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object,

[0318] The ratio of the length of the longest side among the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective region in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is 100 or more.

[0319]

[17] : A laser irradiation system, comprising a first optical functional unit and a second optical functional unit, wherein the first optical functional unit comprises a laser light source, and the second optical functional unit is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask set in the second optical functional unit, wherein:

[0320] The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100,

[0321] In the second optical function portion, the mask is arranged so that the outer edge of the mask, that is, two opposing sides among four sides, are substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is provided.

[0322]

[18] : The laser irradiation system according to

[17] , wherein the mask is a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area.

[0323]

[19] : A laser processing system for performing ablation processing on the surface of an irradiated object by using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, the laser processing system comprising:

[0324] An irradiation processing unit includes a carrier for holding the irradiated object; and a laser irradiation system according to

[17] or

[18] .

[0325]

[20] : The laser processing system according to

[19] , wherein the second optical function part, the first optical function part and the irradiation processing part can be separated from each other.

[0326]

[21] : The laser processing system according to

[19] or

[20] further includes a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask for the second optical functional unit.

[0327]

[22] : An exposure system, wherein the irradiated object is a substrate having a resist film on the surface, and the exposure system performs an exposure process on the resist film by irradiation energy of a laser beam, the exposure system comprising:

[0328] An exposure processing unit includes a stage for holding the irradiated object; and a laser irradiation system according to

[17] or

[18] .

[0329]

[23] : The exposure system according to

[22] , wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the exposure processing unit can be separated from each other.

[0330]

[24] : The exposure system according to

[22] or

[23] further includes a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask for the second optical functional unit.

[0331]

[25] : A laser processing method for an irradiated object, comprising performing ablation processing on the surface of the irradiated object using a laser processing system according to any one of

[19] to

[21] .

[0332]

[26] : An exposure processing method, using the exposure system according to any one of

[22] to

[24] to perform exposure processing on the resist film on the substrate.

[0333]

[27] : A method for setting a mask, wherein the mask is set on a laser irradiation system, wherein the laser irradiation system includes a first optical functional part and a second optical functional part, wherein the first optical functional part includes a laser light source, and the second optical functional part is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser to the irradiated object via the mask set on the second optical functional part, wherein:

[0334] As the mask, a mask is used which includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body and in which the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100, and the mask is arranged in the second optical functional portion so that the outer edge of the mask, i.e., two opposite sides among the four sides, are approximately perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is arranged.

[0335]

[28] : The method for setting a mask according to

[27] , wherein as the mask, a mask having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area is used.

[0336]

[29] : The method for setting a mask according to

[27] or

[28] , wherein a mask changer is used to set the mask.

[0337]

[30] : A method for setting up a laser processing system, wherein the laser processing system comprises the laser irradiation system and an irradiation processing unit including a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein:

[0338] The second optical function part, the first optical function part and the irradiation processing part are separated from each other, and after the first optical function part, the second optical function part and the irradiation processing part are separated and transported to the installation location of the laser processing system, the laser processing system is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing system.

[0339] By using the mask setting method according to any one of

[27] to

[29] , the mask is set on the second optical function portion before or after the transport.

[0340]

[31] : A method for setting up an exposure system, wherein the exposure system comprises the laser irradiation system and an exposure processing unit including a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein:

[0341] The second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the exposure processing unit are separated from each other, and after the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit and the exposure processing unit are separated and transported to the installation location of the exposure system, the exposure system is integrated at the installation location of the exposure system.

[0342] By using the mask setting method according to any one of

[27] to

[29] , the mask is set on the second optical function portion before or after the transport.

[0343]

[32] : A mask having a quadrilateral shape and arranged vertically in a laser irradiation system, wherein:

[0344] The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object,

[0345] The ratio of the length of the shortest side among the four sides of the quadrilateral to the thickness of the effective region in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is 100 or more.

[0346]

[33] : A laser irradiation system, comprising a first optical functional unit and a second optical functional unit, wherein the first optical functional unit comprises a laser light source, and the second optical functional unit is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask set in the second optical functional unit, wherein:

[0347] The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the shortest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction (length / thickness) is greater than 100,

[0348] In the second optical function portion, the mask is arranged so that the outer edge of the mask, that is, two opposing sides among four sides, are substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is provided.

[0349] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments are examples, and all those having substantially the same structure and having the same functions and effects as the technical ideas described in the claims of the present invention are included in the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A laser irradiation system, comprising a first optical functional unit and a second optical functional unit, wherein the first optical functional unit comprises a laser light source, and the second optical functional unit is used to set a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the laser irradiation system is used to irradiate the laser beam from the laser light source to the irradiated object via the mask set in the second optical functional unit, wherein the laser irradiation system is characterized in that: The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the ratio of the length of the outer edge of the quadrilateral mask, i.e., the longest side among the four sides, to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction is greater than 100, In the second optical function portion, the mask is arranged so that the outer edge of the mask, that is, two opposing sides among four sides, are substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the laser irradiation system is provided.

2. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective region.

3. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first optical function portion includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses for shaping the shape of the laser beam.

4. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mask is a mask having an opening in a light shielding film provided on a transparent substrate that transmits laser light.

5. The laser irradiation system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transparent substrate includes any one of a synthetic quartz glass substrate, a quartz glass substrate, an aluminosilicate glass substrate, a soda-lime glass substrate, and a low thermal expansion glass substrate.

6. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the mask perpendicular to the thickness direction is greater than or equal to 1 / 2 and less than or equal to 2 / 1.

7. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ratio of the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of the mask perpendicular to the thickness direction is greater than or equal to 4 / 5 and less than or equal to 5 / 4.

8. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weight of the mask is greater than or equal to 5 kg and less than or equal to 70 kg.

9. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The weight of the mask is greater than or equal to 5 kg and less than or equal to 20 kg.

10. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: A third optical function unit including a reduction projection optical system is further included between the second optical function unit and the stage holding the irradiated object.

11. The laser irradiation system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The third optical function unit includes a cooling member for cooling the reduced projection optical system.

12. The laser irradiation system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The reduced projection optical system includes a pair of reduced projection lenses.

13. The laser irradiation system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The reduction ratio N of the reduction projection optical system is greater than or equal to 2.

14. The laser irradiation system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The reduction ratio N of the reduction projection optical system is 3 or more.

15. The laser irradiation system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The reduction ratio N of the reduction projection optical system is 4 or more.

16. The laser irradiation system according to claim 12, characterized in that: The numerical aperture of the reduction projection lens is greater than 0.

12.

17. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: include: A photographing component for reading a characteristic portion of the irradiated object; A photographing component for reading a characteristic portion of the mask; and an alignment mechanism that aligns the opposing positions of the irradiated object and the mask based on position information of the characteristic portion of the irradiated object and the characteristic portion of the mask.

18. The laser irradiation system according to claim 17, characterized in that: include: A member for correcting a laser irradiation shape of the irradiated object with respect to the pattern of the mask based on information of the alignment mechanism.

19. The laser irradiation system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second optical function portion includes a mask stage that holds the mask and scans the mask.

20. The laser irradiation system according to claim 19, characterized in that: The mask stage has a correction function for adjusting the installation angle of the mask.

21. A laser processing system for performing ablation processing on the surface of an irradiated object by using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, wherein the laser processing system is characterized in that include: An irradiation processing unit includes a stage for holding the irradiated object; And the laser irradiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. The laser processing system according to claim 21, characterized in that: The second optical function portion, the first optical function portion, and the irradiation processed portion are separable from each other.

23. The laser processing system according to claim 21, characterized in that: Also includes: The mask changer can set and remove the mask to the second optical function unit.

24. An exposure system, wherein the irradiated object is a substrate having a resist film on the surface, and the exposure system performs exposure processing on the resist film by irradiation energy of a laser beam, wherein the exposure system is characterized in that include: An exposure processing unit including a stage for holding the irradiated object; And the laser irradiation system according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

25. The exposure system according to claim 24, characterized in that The second optical function section, the first optical function section, and the exposure processing section are separable from each other.

26. The exposure system according to claim 24, characterized in that Also includes: The mask changer can set and remove the mask to the second optical function unit.

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