Exposure device, exposure method and method for manufacturing flat panel display, and exposure data creation method

Abstract

To solve problems such as a phenomenon (change in line width by non-linearity of photosensitive characteristic) which becomes insufficient by its exposure amount after resist development, even if the same exposure amount as a non-splicing area is given to a splicing area.SOLUTION: An exposure device includes an illumination optical system, a plurality of spatial light modulators illuminated by light from the illumination optical system, a plurality of projection optical systems for irradiating an exposure object with light emitted from the spatial light modulators, and a stage on which the exposure object is mounted. The stage moves the exposure object in a predetermined scanning direction while a scanning exposure visual field is overlapped by the plurality of projection optical systems, and thereby scans the exposure object with the light made to irradiate the exposure object. The spatial light modulators set the illuminance of an overlap part (Oa) which is overlapped on the exposure object and is exposed with light to be higher than the illuminance of non-overlap parts (Sa and Sb) which is exposed with light without being overlapped on the exposure object, at the time of exposure.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, an exposure method, a manufacturing method for a flat panel display, and an exposure data creating method. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-111848, filed on July 5, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as an exposure apparatus that irradiates illumination light onto a substrate via an optical system, there has been known an exposure apparatus that uses a spatial light modulator to modulate light, passes the modulated light through a projection optical system, and forms an image of this light on a resist applied to the substrate to perform exposure (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-266779 Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure apparatus comprising: a plurality of spatial light modulators having a plurality of elements; an illumination optical system that illuminates the plurality of spatial light modulators with pulsed light; a plurality of projection optical systems that irradiate an exposure object with light emitted from the spatial light modulators; a stage on which the exposure object is placed; and a control unit that switches the plurality of elements between a first state in which the pulsed light is guided to the projection optical system and a second state in which the pulsed light is not guided to the projection optical system, wherein the stage moves the exposure object in a predetermined scanning direction while overlapping a scanning exposure field by the plurality of projection optical systems, thereby scanning the exposure object with the light irradiated to the exposure object; and the control unit switches between the first state and the second state of the plurality of elements during exposure, and controls the plurality of elements so that the number of the pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to overlapping portions exposed on the exposure object and overlapping is greater than the number of the pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to non-overlapping portions exposed on the exposure object without overlap.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of exposing an exposure object using the above-mentioned exposure apparatus, wherein the stage moves the exposure object in a predetermined scanning direction while overlapping a scanning exposure field by a plurality of the projection optical systems, thereby causing light irradiated to the exposure object to scan the exposure object, and during exposure, the plurality of elements are switched between the first state and the second state, and the plurality of elements are controlled so that the number of pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to overlapping portions exposed on the exposure object in an overlapping manner is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to non-overlapping portions exposed on the exposure object without overlap.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a flat panel display, comprising: exposing an exposure object by the above-described exposure method; and developing the exposed exposure object.

[0007] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an exposure data creation method comprising: a plurality of spatial light modulators having a plurality of elements; an illumination optical system that illuminates the plurality of spatial light modulators with pulsed light; a plurality of projection optical systems that irradiate an exposure object with light emitted from the spatial light modulators; a stage on which the exposure object is placed; and a control unit that switches the plurality of elements between a first state in which the pulsed light is guided to the projection optical system and a second state in which the pulsed light is not guided to the projection optical system, wherein the stage is used in an exposure apparatus that moves the exposure object in a predetermined scanning direction while overlapping a scanning exposure field of view using the plurality of projection optical systems, thereby scanning the exposure object with light irradiated thereto; and wherein during exposure, the plurality of elements are switched between the first state and the second state, and exposure data is created to control the plurality of elements so that the number of pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to overlapping and exposed overlapping portions on the exposure object is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated via the projection optical system to non-overlapping portions on the exposure object that are exposed without overlapping. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the external configuration of an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a lighting module and a projection module. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a lighting module. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of an optical modulation unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a light modulation unit, illustrating the on state of a mirror at the center of the page. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a light modulation section, illustrating an off state of a mirror at the center of the page. [Figure 7](A) is a diagram showing the exposure fields of two projection modules. (B) is a diagram showing the exposure area formed on the exposure object. (C) is a graph showing the amount of light exposed by scanning exposure. (D) is a graph showing the integrated illuminance (integrated exposure amount) of light irradiated onto the exposure object. [Figure 8] (A) is a diagram showing the exposure fields of two projection modules. (B) is a diagram showing the exposure area formed on the exposure object. (C) is a graph showing the amount of light exposed by scanning exposure. (D) is a graph showing the integrated illuminance (integrated exposure amount) of light irradiated onto the exposure object. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the arrangement of rectangular projection areas of a spatial light modulator projected onto a substrate in an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state of continuous exposure (normal exposure mode) using only two projection areas in FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a special exposure mode in the case of a negative resist. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of the distribution in the Y direction of the cumulative number of on-state mirrors exposed in the stitch area in the modified example, where (A) is a diagram showing an example of the distribution in the normal exposure mode, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of the distribution in the special exposure mode. [Figure 13] 1A is a diagram showing an exposure area formed on an exposure object when the exposure object according to the third embodiment is exposed, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an exposure area formed on an exposure object, and FIG. 1C is a graph showing the integrated number of pulses by scanning exposure. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a schematic example of an exposure mode of the exposure apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following detailed description of the present invention is illustrative only and not limiting. The same or similar reference characters are used throughout the drawings and the following detailed description.

[0010] [First embodiment] [Exposure equipment] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the external configuration of an exposure apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. The exposure apparatus 1 is an apparatus that irradiates an exposure object with modulated light. In a specific embodiment, the exposure apparatus 1 is a step-and-scan projection exposure apparatus, a so-called scanner, in which a rectangular (corner-shaped) glass substrate used in electronic devices such as liquid crystal display devices (flat panel displays) is used as an exposure object. The glass substrate as the exposure object may have at least one side length or diagonal length of 500 mm or more. The glass substrate as the exposure object may be a substrate for a flat panel display. The exposure object (e.g., a substrate for a flat panel display) exposed by the exposure apparatus 1 is developed and provided as a product. A resist (e.g., a negative resist) is formed on the surface of the exposure object. The main body of the exposure apparatus 1 is configured similarly to the main body of the exposure apparatus 1 disclosed in, for example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0030702.

[0011] The exposure apparatus 1 includes a base 11, a vibration isolation table 12, a main column 13, a stage 14, an optical table 15, an illumination module 16, a projection module 17 (projection optical system), a light source unit 18, an optical fiber 19, an optical modulation section 20 (not shown in FIG. 1), and a control section 21. In the following, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system is used as necessary to explain the present invention, in which the direction parallel to the optical axis direction of the projection module 17 that irradiates the light modulated by the light modulation unit 20 onto the exposure object is defined as the Z-axis direction, and the directions of a predetermined plane perpendicular to the Z-axis are defined as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction are mutually perpendicular (intersecting). In this embodiment, the X-axis direction is the scanning movement direction of the exposure object (substrate) 23, and the Y-axis direction is the stepping direction of the exposure object (substrate) 23.

[0012] The base 11 is a base for the exposure apparatus 1, and is placed on a vibration isolation table 12. The base 11 supports a stage 14, on which an object to be exposed is placed, so that the stage 14 is movable in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

[0013] The stage 14 supports an object to be exposed. In scanning exposure, the stage 14 is used to position the object to be exposed with high precision relative to a plurality of partial images of a circuit pattern projected via the projection module 17. The stage 14 drives the object to be exposed in six degrees of freedom (the above-mentioned X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions and the rotational directions about each axis).

[0014] The stage 14 is moved in the X-axis direction at a predetermined constant speed during scanning exposure, and is stepped in the Y-axis direction when changing the exposure target area on the exposure object. Note that a plurality of exposure target areas are formed on the exposure object. The stage 14 moves the exposure object and the projection module 17 relative to each other in the scanning direction.

[0015] The exposure apparatus 1 is capable of exposing a plurality of exposure target regions on one exposure object. The configuration of the stage 14 is not particularly limited, but a stage device such as that disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0057140 can be used. The stage device is, for example, a stage device with a so-called coarse and fine movement configuration that includes a gantry-type two-dimensional coarse movement stage and a fine movement stage that is finely driven relative to the two-dimensional coarse movement stage. In the stage device with a coarse and fine movement configuration, the exposure object can be moved in three degrees of freedom in a horizontal plane by the coarse movement stage, and the exposure object can be finely moved in six degrees of freedom by the fine movement stage.

[0016] The main column 13 supports an optical base 15 above the stage 14 (in the positive direction of the Z axis). The optical base 15 supports an illumination module 16, a projection module 17, and a light modulation unit 20.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the illumination module 16, the projection module 17, and the light modulation section 20. As shown in FIG. The lighting modules 16 are disposed above the optical base 15 and connected to the light source unit 18 via optical fibers 19. In one example of this embodiment, the lighting modules 16 include a first lighting module 16A, a second lighting module 16B, a third lighting module 16C, and a fourth lighting module 16D. In the following description, when there is no need to distinguish between the first lighting module 16A to the fourth lighting module 16D, they will be collectively referred to as the lighting modules 16.

[0018] Each of the first lighting module 16A to the fourth lighting module 16D guides light emitted from the light source unit 18 via an optical fiber 19 to the first light modulation section 20A, the second light modulation section 20B, the third light modulation section 20C, and the fourth light modulation section 20D, respectively. The lighting module 16 illuminates the light modulation section 20.

[0019] The light modulation unit 20, which will be described in more detail later, is controlled based on drawing data (digital data in a two-dimensional bitmap format or the like) of a circuit pattern to be transferred to a substrate 23 as an exposure target, and dynamically modulates the spatial intensity distribution of illumination light from the illumination module 16 according to the pattern to be exposed. The modulated light modulated by the light modulation unit 20 is guided to the projection module 17. The first light modulation unit 20A to the fourth light modulation unit 20D are disposed at different positions from one another on the XY plane. In the following description, when the first light modulation unit 20A to the fourth light modulation unit 20D are not to be distinguished from one another, they are collectively referred to as the light modulation unit 20.

[0020] The projection module 17 is disposed below the optical base 15, and irradiates modulated light modulated by the light modulation unit 20 onto the substrate 23 (having a photosensitive layer on its surface) placed on the stage 14. The projection module 17 forms an image of the light modulated by the light modulation unit 20 (an image of a light intensity distribution according to a pattern) on the substrate 23, and exposes the photosensitive layer (photoresist) of the substrate 23. In other words, the projection module 17 projects an image of a dynamic variable pattern generated by the light modulation unit 20 onto the substrate 23. In one example of this embodiment, the projection module 17 includes a first projection module 17A to a fourth projection module 17D corresponding to the above-mentioned first illumination module 16A to fourth illumination module 16D and first light modulation unit 20A to fourth light modulation unit 20D. In the following description, when the first projection module 17A to fourth projection module 17D are not distinguished from each other, they are collectively referred to as the projection module 17.

[0021] A unit consisting of the first illumination module 16A, the first light modulation section 20A, and the first projection module 17A is called a first exposure module. Similarly, a unit consisting of the second illumination module 16B, the second light modulation section 20B, and the second projection module 17B is called a second exposure module. Each exposure module is provided at a different position on the XY plane, and can expose a pattern at a different position on an exposure object placed on the stage 14. The stage 14 can scan and expose the entire surface of the exposure object or the entire surface of the exposure object area by moving relatively in the X-axis direction, which is the scanning direction, with respect to the exposure module. Also, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the first exposure modules of the first illumination module 16A, the first projection module 17A, and the first light modulation section 20A in FIG. 2 are arranged in a row in the Y-axis direction as well. Similarly, the second exposure modules of the second illumination module 16B, the second projection module 17B, and the second light modulation section 20B in FIG. 2 are arranged in a row in the Y-axis direction as well. Similarly, a plurality of third exposure modules including a third illumination module 16C, a third projection module 17C, and a third light modulation section 20C in Fig. 2 are also arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction. Similarly, a plurality of fourth exposure modules including a fourth illumination module 16D, a fourth projection module 17D, and a fourth light modulation section 20D in Fig. 2 are also arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction.

[0022] The illumination module 16 is also referred to as an illumination system. The illumination module 16 (illumination system) illuminates a spatial light modulator 201 (spatial light modulation element) of the light modulation section 20, which will be described later. The projection module 17 is also referred to as a projection unit. The projection module 17 (projection unit) may be a life-size system that projects an image of a pattern on the light modulation unit 20 at life-size, or may be a magnification system or a reduction system. The projection module 17 is preferably made of one or two types of glass material (particularly, quartz or fluorite).

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of light source units 18 (light source unit R18R, light source unit L18L) are provided. As the light source unit 18, a light source unit using a highly coherent laser as a light source, a light source unit using a light source such as a semiconductor laser type UV-LD, and a light source unit using a lens relay type retarder can be adopted. As the light source 18a provided in the light source unit 18, a lamp or a laser diode that emits wavelengths such as 405 nm or 365 nm can be cited. The light source unit 18 may include an optical distribution system that supplies illumination light (pulsed light) with approximately the same illuminance to each optical fiber 19. In addition, as the light source unit 18, a fiber amplifier laser light source that has a peak intensity at a specific wavelength within the ultraviolet wavelength range (300 to 436 nm) and can output an ultraviolet pulse with an extremely short emission time, for example, within several tens of picoseconds, at a frequency of 100 KHz or more can also be used.

[0024] In addition to the above-mentioned units, the exposure apparatus 1 is equipped with a position measurement unit (not shown) composed of an interferometer, an encoder, etc., and measures the relative position of the stage 14 with respect to the optical table 15. In addition to the above-mentioned units, the exposure apparatus 1 is equipped with an AF (Auto Focus) unit 42 that measures the position of the stage 14 or the substrate 23 on the stage 14 in the Z-axis direction. The exposure apparatus 1 further includes an alignment unit 41 that measures the position of an alignment mark formed on an underlayer in order to align the relative positions of the respective patterns when exposing and superimposing a different pattern on a pattern (underlayer) already exposed on the substrate 23. The AF unit 42 and / or the alignment unit 41 may be configured as a TTL (Through the lens) that performs measurement via the projection module 17.

[0025] 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the exposure module. Taking the first exposure module as an example, an example of a specific configuration of the illumination module 16, the light modulation section 20, and the projection module 17 will be described.

[0026] The illumination module 16 includes a module shutter 161 and an illumination optical system 162. The module shutter 161 switches whether or not to guide pulsed light, which is supplied from the optical fiber 19 with a predetermined intensity and at a predetermined period, to the illumination optical system 162.

[0027] The illumination optical system 162 emits the pulsed light supplied from the optical fiber 19 to the light modulation section 20 via a collimator lens 162A, a fly-eye lens 162C, a condenser lens 162E, and the like, thereby illuminating the light modulation section 20 almost uniformly. The fly-eye lens 162C performs wavefront division of the pulsed light incident on the fly-eye lens 162C, and the condenser lens 162E superimposes the wavefront-divided light on the light modulation section 20. The illumination optical system 162 may include a rod integrator instead of the fly-eye lens 162C. The illumination optical system 162 of this embodiment further includes a variable neutral density filter 162B, a variable aperture stop 162D, and a plane mirror 162F. The variable neutral density filter 162B attenuates the illuminance of the illumination light (pulsed light) incident on the fly-eye lens 162C to adjust the exposure amount. The variable aperture diaphragm 162D changes the illumination σ by adjusting the size (diameter) of a nearly circular light source image formed on the exit surface side of the fly-eye lens 162C. The plane mirror 162F reflects the illumination light (pulsed light) from the condenser lens 162E so that it illuminates the light modulation unit 20 at an angle.

[0028] The light modulation unit 20 includes a spatial light modulator (SLM) 201 that functions as a variable mask that changes the pattern of the spatial intensity distribution of the reflected light of the illumination light at high speed based on drawing data, and an off-light absorbing plate 202.

[0029] The spatial light modulator 201 is a digital mirror device (digital micromirror device, DMD). The spatial light modulator 201 can spatially and temporally modulate the illumination light.

[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of the spatial light modulator 201 of this embodiment. In the figure, a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system of Xm-axis, Ym-axis, and Zm-axis will be used for explanation. The spatial light modulator 201 includes a plurality of micromirrors 203 (mirrors) arranged on an XmYm plane. The micromirrors 203 constitute elements (pixels) of the spatial light modulator 201. The micromirrors 203 can change the tilt angles around the Xm axis and the Ym axis. The micromirrors 203 are turned on (first state) by tilting around the Ym axis, for example, as shown in FIG. 5. The micromirrors 203 are turned off (second state) by tilting around the Xm axis, as shown in FIG. 6. The micromirrors 203 in the on state guide pulsed light to the projection module 17. The micromirrors 203 in the off state do not guide pulsed light to the projection module 17.

[0031] The spatial light modulator 201 controls the direction in which incident light is reflected for each micromirror (element) by switching the tilt direction of each micromirror 203. As an example, the digital micromirror device of the spatial light modulator 201 has a pixel count of about 4 Mpixels, and can switch the micromirror 203 between an on state and an off state at a frequency of about 10 kHz. In the spatial light modulator 201, a plurality of elements are individually controlled at a predetermined time interval. When the spatial light modulator 201 is a DMD, the elements are the micromirrors 203, and the predetermined time interval is a period (for example, a period of 10 kHz) at which the micromirrors 203 are switched between an on state and an off state.

[0032] 3, the off-light absorbing plate 202 absorbs light (off light) emitted (reflected) from elements of the spatial light modulator 201 that are in the off state. The light emitted from elements of the spatial light modulator 201 that are in the on state is guided to the projection module 17.

[0033] The projection module 17 projects the light emitted from the turned-on elements of the spatial light modulator 201 onto an object to be exposed. The projection module 17 includes a magnification adjustment unit 171 and a focus adjustment unit 172. The light modulated by the spatial light modulator 201 (modulated light) is incident on the magnification adjustment unit 171.

[0034] The magnification adjustment unit 171 adjusts the magnification of the imaging plane 163 of the modulated light emitted from the spatial light modulator 201 by driving some of the lenses in the optical axis direction. The imaging plane 163 is an imaging plane (best focus plane) that is conjugate with the overall reflecting surface of the spatial light modulator 201 and is created by the projection module 17. In other words, the magnification adjustment unit 171 adjusts the magnification of the image on the surface of the substrate 23 as the exposure target.

[0035] The focus adjustment unit 172 adjusts the imaging position, i.e., the focus, by driving the entire lens group in the optical axis direction so that the modulated light emitted from the spatial light modulator 201 is imaged on the surface of the substrate 23 measured by the AF unit 42 described above.

[0036] The projection module 17 projects only the image of light emitted from the ON-state elements of the spatial light modulator 201 onto the surface of the exposure object. Therefore, the projection module 17 can project and expose the image of the pattern formed by the ON-state elements of the spatial light modulator 201 onto the surface of the substrate 23. That is, the projection module 17 can form the image of the spatially modulated variable mask on the surface of the substrate 23. In addition, since the spatial light modulator 201 can switch the ON state and OFF state of the micromirror 203 at a predetermined period (frequency) as described above, the projection module 17 can form modulated light modulated in time (i.e., modulated light in which the shape of light and dark (light distribution) in the XY plane of the imaging light flux reflected by the spatial light modulator 201 and incident on the projection module 17 changes at high speed over time) on the surface of the substrate 23. A variable aperture stop 173 is provided at the pupil position of the projection module 17. The variable aperture stop 173 is used to change the resolution and depth of focus (DOF) by adjusting (limiting) the numerical aperture (NA) on the substrate 23 side of the imaging light beam reflected by the on-state micromirror of the spatial light modulator 201. The variable aperture stop 162D and the variable aperture stop 173 are in an optically nearly conjugate relationship.

[0037] As described above, the spatial light modulator 201 is illuminated by pulsed light supplied at a predetermined period. Therefore, the spatial light modulator 201 is driven at a period that is an integer multiple of the period of the pulsed light. For example, when the period of the drive frequency (10 KHz) of the micromirror of the spatial light modulator 201 is Tm and the period of the pulsed light is Tp, they are set so that Tm / Tp is an integer. The projection module 17 irradiates the substrate 23 with the pulsed light modulated by the spatial light modulator 201. A pattern is formed on the substrate 23 by a collection of the pulsed light. The multiple pulsed light (their central positions) guided by the projection module 17 to the exposure object are guided to different positions on the substrate 23.

[0038] 4 to 6, the Xm axis is parallel to the X axis, and the Ym axis is parallel to the Y axis. As a result, the micromirror 203 in the ON state (the micromirror 203 tilted about the Ym axis) tilts with respect to the X axis direction, which is the scanning direction.

[0039] The Ym axis is also referred to as the first tilt axis T1. In the spatial light modulator 201, the multiple micromirrors 203 each rotate around the first tilt axis T1 (Ym axis), and the multiple micromirrors 203 adjust their inclination with respect to the scanning direction to be turned on, thereby emitting light to the projection module 17. In the spatial light modulator 201, the multiple micromirrors 203 are aligned linearly in the scanning direction, and are also aligned in the direction of the first tilt axis T1.

[0040] 2, the control unit 21 is configured by, for example, a computer having a calculation unit such as a CPU and a storage unit. The computer controls each unit of the exposure apparatus 1 according to a program that executes control of each unit that operates in the exposure process. The control unit 21 controls the operation of, for example, the illumination module 16, the light modulation unit 20, the projection module 17, and the stage 14. The control unit 21 switches the multiple micromirrors 203 between an on state (first state) and an off state (second state).

[0041] The storage unit is configured using a computer-readable storage medium device such as a memory. The storage unit stores various information related to the exposure process. The storage unit stores, for example, information related to the exposure pattern during the exposure process (including recipe information such as target exposure amount and scanning speed in addition to drawing data). The storage unit stores, for example, information input via the communication unit or the input unit. The communication unit includes a communication interface for connecting the exposure apparatus to an external device. The input unit includes an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel. The input unit accepts input of various information for the exposure apparatus.

[0042] [Exposure method] The stage 14 moves the substrate 23 relative to the exposure module in a predetermined scanning direction, so that the light irradiated by the exposure module scans the substrate 23 based on the information on the exposure pattern stored in the storage unit, and a predetermined exposure pattern is formed.

[0043] Fig. 7A is a diagram showing the exposure fields PIa and PIb of two adjacent projection modules 17 on the substrate 23. As shown in Fig. 7A, the exposure fields PIa and PIb are rectangular. The long sides of the exposure fields PIa and PIb are inclined with respect to the X and Y directions. The exposure fields PIa and PIb each have a shape similar to the overall shape of the area in which a large number of micromirrors of the spatial light modulator 201 are arranged.

[0044] The area of ​​the exposure field PIa where the two long sides overlap in the X direction is called the central area PIac. The edge area of ​​the exposure field PIa on the -Y side that is not included in the central area PIac is called the first edge area PIa1. The edge area of ​​the exposure field PIa on the +Y side that is not included in the central area PIac is called the second edge area PIa2.

[0045] The area of ​​the exposure field PIb where the two long sides overlap in the X direction is called the central area PIbc. The edge area on the -Y side of the exposure field PIb that is not included in the central area PIbc is called the first edge area PIb1. The edge area on the +Y side of the exposure field PIb that is not included in the central area PIbc is called the second edge area PIb2.

[0046] The central regions PIac and PIbc of the exposure fields PIa and PIb each have a width Ws in the Y direction. The first end regions PIa1 and PIb1 and the second end regions PIa2 and PIb2 each have a width Wo. In the exposure fields PIa and PIb adjacent to each other in the Y direction, the positions of the first end region PIa1 and the second end region PIb2 in the X direction are generally the same. The shapes and positions of the exposure fields PIa and PIb are set by setting the arrangement of the exposure modules, the aperture, and the like.

[0047] Fig. 7B is a diagram showing exposure areas formed on substrate 23 when the exposure object is scanned in the X direction by stage 14 and exposed by exposure fields PIa and PIb. As shown in Fig. 7B, a scanning exposure area SIa exposed by exposure field PIa and a scanning exposure area SIb exposed by exposure field PIb are formed on substrate 23.

[0048] It can be said that the scanning exposure areas SIa, SIb are the exposure fields PIa, PIb extended in the X direction by scanning exposure in the X direction. The non-scanning direction ends of the scanning exposure areas SIa, SIb overlap with the non-scanning direction ends of the adjacent scanning exposure areas SIa, SIb. For example, the exposure area by the first end area PIa1 and the exposure area by the second end area PIb2 coincide with each other. The "non-scanning direction" is the direction that intersects with the scanning direction.

[0049] 7C is a graph showing the amount of light exposed on the substrate 23 exposed by scanning exposure in the X direction. The vertical axis of the graph is the amount of light exposed. The amount of light exposed is a value showing the amount of light exposed in the "overlap area" relative to the amount of light exposed on the object to be exposed in the "non-overlap area" described below. The horizontal axis is the coordinate in the Y direction. As shown in Fig. 7C, the amount of exposure E on the exposure object is a constant value E1. That is, in the Y direction, the amount of exposure E in the portion Sa, Sb exposed by one of the scanning exposure fields SIa, SIb (hereinafter also referred to as the "non-overlap portion"), and the amount of exposure E in the portion Oa exposed by the overlapping of the two scanning exposure fields SIa, SIb (hereinafter also referred to as the "overlap portion") both have a value of E1. Therefore, the amount of exposure E in the non-overlap portions Sa, Sb and the amount of exposure E in the overlap portion Oa are equal. The non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb are areas that are exposed without overlap.

[0050] (D) in Figure 7 is a graph showing the integrated illuminance (integrated exposure amount) of light irradiated onto an object to be exposed by scanning exposure in the X direction. The vertical axis of the graph is integrated illuminance. Integrated illuminance is the sum of the (pulsed) light irradiated onto an object to be exposed in both the "non-overlapped area" and the "overlapped area". In other words, the greater the number of pulses, the greater the integrated illuminance, and the smaller the number of pulses, the smaller the integrated illuminance. The horizontal axis is the coordinate in the Y direction. 7D, the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion Oa is higher than the integrated illuminance in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb, so that the amount of light exposure E in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb is equal to the amount of light exposure E in the overlapping portion Oa.

[0051] In order to make the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion Oa higher than the integrated illuminance in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb, the following method is adopted. The control unit 21 controls the on and off states of the micromirrors 203 of the spatial light modulator 201 in regions corresponding to the regions of the exposure fields PIa and PIb (the first end region PIa1 and the second end region PIb2). In detail, the control unit 21 controls the micromirrors 203 so that the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the overlapping portion Oa is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb. For example, the number of micromirrors 203 in the on state per unit area in the overlapping portion Oa can be greater than the number of micromirrors 203 in the on state per unit area in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb. This makes it possible to make the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion Oa higher than the integrated illuminance in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb.

[0052] In the exposure apparatus 1, the control unit 21 controls the micromirrors 203 so that the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the overlapping portion Oa is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb. This makes the amount of light exposure E in the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb equal to the amount of light exposure E in the overlapping portion Oa. This makes it possible to suppress bias in the amount of light exposure between the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb and the overlapping portion Oa.

[0053] In the exposure method using the exposure apparatus 1, the micromirrors 203 are controlled so that the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the overlapping portion Oa is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb. This makes the amount of light exposure E in the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb equal to the amount of light exposure E in the overlapping portion Oa. This makes it possible to suppress bias in the amount of light exposure between the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb and the overlapping portion Oa.

[0054] The exposure apparatus 1 may be equipped with a master clock (an oscillator that generates a master clock) (not shown) that serves as a reference for synchronization. In the exposure apparatus 1, devices such as the stage 14, the illumination module 16, the projection module 17, and the light modulation unit 20 may be driven based on the master clock. The control unit 21 can control the timing of pulsed light emission from the light source 18 and the operation of each device based on the master clock. By referring to the master clock, the operation timing of each device is appropriately adjusted individually, and the relationship between the operation timings of multiple devices is appropriately set.

[0055] In order to clarify the effects of the exposure apparatus 1 of the embodiment, a comparative example will be presented. Fig. 8 (A) to (B) show a comparative embodiment. Fig. 8 (A) is a diagram showing the exposure fields PIa and PIb of two adjacent projection modules 17. Fig. 8 (B) is a diagram showing an exposure area formed on substrate 23 when exposed by exposure fields PIa and PIb. Fig. 8 (C) is a graph showing the amount of light exposure by scanning exposure in the X direction. Fig. 8 (D) is a graph showing the integrated illuminance of light irradiated onto substrate 23 by scanning exposure in the X direction.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 8D, the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion Oa is equal to the integrated illuminance in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb. As shown in FIG. 8C, the photosensitivity E in the overlapping portion Oa is lower than the photosensitivity E2 of the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb. In this comparative embodiment, the photosensitivity is reduced in the overlapping portion Oa. Therefore, the bias in the photosensitivity between the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb and the overlapping portion Oa becomes large. In this comparative embodiment, for example, the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the overlapping portion Oa is equal to the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 7A, in the exposure apparatus 1, the first end region PIa1 and the second end region PIb2 are almost aligned in the X direction, but the positional relationship between the first end region PIa1 and the second end region PIb2 is not limited to the illustrated example. Compared to Fig. 7A, by adjusting the positions of the exposure field PIa and the exposure field PIb in a direction toward or away from each other, the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion can be adjusted. For example, when the exposure field PIa and the exposure field PIb are close to each other, the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion becomes large.

[0058] [How to create exposure data] An example of a method for creating the exposure data shown in (C) and (D) of FIG. 7 will be described. Information for adjusting the number of micromirrors 203 in the ON state in the overlap portion Oa and the non-overlap portions Sa and Sb is input to the control unit 21 shown in Fig. 2. This provides exposure data such that the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the overlap portion Oa is greater than the number of pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlap portions Sa and Sb.

[0059] In the exposure apparatus 1, as shown below, in addition to adjusting the number of micromirrors in the ON state, a method using a light-shielding member may be used in combination. The configuration of the light-shielding member is not particularly limited, but light-shielding members or neutral density filters as disclosed in International Publication No. 2020 / 145044, International Publication No. 2020 / 203002, International Publication No. 2020 / 203003, International Publication No. 2020 / 203111, and International Publication No. 2020 / 138497 may be used.

[0060] The light blocking member can block light irradiated to the central regions PIac and PIbc of the exposure fields PIa and PIb (see FIG. 7A), thereby making the integrated illuminance of the central regions PIac and PIbc lower than that of the first end region PIa1 and the second end region PIb2.

[0061] In the exposure apparatus of the embodiment, when the number of micromirrors in the ON state is adjusted at the edge of the scanning exposure field, the position of the edge of the scanning exposure field may be shifted in the width direction. When the number of micromirrors in the ON state is adjusted at a position close to the center of the scanning exposure field, such a position shift is unlikely to occur. Taking this into consideration, it is preferable to select the micromirrors to be turned on. Adjusting the number of ON micromirrors evenly at both edges of the scanning exposure field may help to prevent misalignment. Misalignment may also be intentionally created by adjusting the number of ON micromirrors unevenly at both edges of the scanning exposure field.

[0062] [Flat panel display manufacturing method] The exposure apparatus 1 can manufacture electronic devices such as liquid crystal displays (flat panel displays) using the above-mentioned exposure method.

[0063] [Second embodiment] 9 is a diagram showing a schematic arrangement example of rectangular projection areas PIa and PIb of the spatial light modulator 201 projected onto the substrate 23 by the projection modules 17A and 17B shown in FIG. 2. An example of an exposure apparatus 1 and an exposure method according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the same figure. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment may be omitted by assigning the same reference numerals. Note that in FIG. 9, projection modules 17C and 17D other than the projection modules 17A and 17B are not shown, but the same can be said about the projection modules 17C and 17D as about the projection modules 17A and 17B.

[0064] Reference numerals 17a and 17b denote circular projection fields. Here, the centers Axa and Axb of the projection fields 17a and 17b are the optical axis positions of the projection modules 17A and 17B, respectively, and are assumed to coincide with the centers of the exposure fields (hereinafter also referred to as projection areas) PIa and PIb. The projection areas PIa arranged at regular intervals in the Y direction and the projection areas PIb arranged at regular intervals in the Y direction are also arranged at regular intervals in the X direction. Furthermore, the projection areas PIa and the projection areas PIb are arranged at an angle θp in the XY plane parallel to the surface of the substrate 23, and are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other in the Y direction. By scanning exposure of the substrate 23 in the X direction, the ends of the projection areas PIa and PIb in the Y direction overlap, thereby performing continuous exposure.

[0065] Here, the overlapping portion of the projection regions PIa and PIb is referred to as a joint region (joint portion) PIw, and the non-overlapping portions are referred to as non-joint regions PIac and PIbc. The width of the joint region PIw is referred to as Wo, and the width of the non-joint regions PIac and PIbc is referred to as Ws. The angle θp is determined by the dimensions and arrangement pitch of the micromirrors on the spatial light modulator 201, the drawing accuracy (drawing resolution) of the pattern line width projected onto the substrate 23 via the projection module 17, and the like, but is generally within 10 degrees.

[0066] Furthermore, if the dimension of the short side (side extending in the X direction) of the projection areas PIa and PIb is Dx, the width Wo in the Y direction of the joint area PIw is set to Wo>Dx sinθp, taking into consideration the adjustment range when each spatial light modulator 201 is slightly shifted in the XY direction or slightly rotated within the XY plane.

[0067] Next, the state of normal joint exposure using two projection areas PIa and PIb (normal) will be explained using Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the state of joint exposure (normal exposure mode) using only the two projection areas PIa and PIb in Fig. 9. The black dots inside each of the projection areas PIa and PIb in Fig. 10 show an example of the arrangement of micromirrors that are turned on.

[0068] 10, assuming that lines L1 and L2 on the substrate 23 pass through the non-spliced ​​area Ws in the projection area PIb on the substrate 23, when exposing a pattern portion on the lines L1 and L2, multiple micromirrors located on each of the lines L1 and L2 are selected and sequentially turned on (dots) in synchronization with the scanning movement position of the substrate 23 and the period of the pulsed light. Therefore, multiple dots on one line L1 or L2 are pulse-exposed at the same point in the X direction on the substrate 23. The number of micromirrors (dots) in the on-state located on the lines L1 and L2 in the non-seamless region Ws is a number determined according to the target exposure amount. Therefore, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 10, in the non-seamless region Ws, the integrated number (number of pulses) Nt of micromirrors in the on-state is determined according to the target exposure amount. The above is the same for each position of lines L6 and L7 in the non-seamed area Ws in the adjacent projection area PIa, and the integrated number (number of pulses) of the micromirrors in the ON state is set to Nt. Note that in the lower part of Fig. 10, the part in the Y direction where the integrated number is zero is an area where the micromirrors are set to the OFF state and no exposure is performed (parts that are not exposed on the drawing data).

[0069] On the other hand, the cumulative number of on-state micromirrors (dots) located on each of the lines L3, L4, and L5 passing through the stitching area Wo in Fig. 10 is also set to Nt corresponding to the target exposure amount. Here, as described in Fig. 9, since Wo>Dx·sinθp is set, on the line L4 located at the center of the width in the Y direction of the stitching area Wo, the cumulative number of dots Nt is obtained only on the projection area PIa side and only on the PIb side, but in this case, the stitching area Wo is overexposed. Therefore, in the normal exposure mode, the sum of the number of dots located on each of the lines L3, L4, and L5 in the stitching area Wo on the projection area PIa side and the number of dots located on each of the lines LL3, L4, and L5 in the stitching area Wo on the projection area PIb side is set to be the cumulative number (number of pulses) Nt.

[0070] When the micromirrors of the spatial light modulator 201 correspond to the number of pixels of a 4K screen (3840 × 1920), depending on the illuminance and angle θp of the illumination light, it is desirable that the cumulative number Nt of micromirrors (dots) in the ON state on the lines L1, L2, L6, and L7 in the non-seamed region Ws is 30 or more, preferably 50 or more. Also, the size of one dot on the substrate 23 is about 1 μm. However, with some photoresists, such as negative resists, even if the same amount of exposure (cumulative number Nt) is applied to the seam area Wo as to the non-seam area Ws, after resist development, the amount of exposure may be insufficient (such as a change in line width due to nonlinearity of the photosensitive characteristics).

[0071] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic example of a special exposure mode for a negative resist. The projection areas PIa, PIb, and lines L1 to L7 in Fig. 11 are the same as those in Fig. 10, and the patterns exposed in the projection areas PIa, PIb are also the same as those in Fig. 10. 10, it is set as Wo>Dx sinθp. As a result, in the stitching area PIw, drawing pattern data is created for driving the mirrors of the DMD so that the integrated number of dots (the number of micromirrors in the ON state) on the lines L3, L4, and L5 in the projection area PIa and the number of dots (the number of micromirrors in the ON state) on the lines L3, L4, and L5 in the projection area PIb is greater than the number Nt corresponding to the target exposure amount.

[0072] Among the dots shown in Fig. 11, the dots indicated by arrows are added to the dots in Fig. 10. How much to increase the number of dots (the number of micromirrors in the ON state) in the stitching region PIw, that is, how much to increase the amount of exposure given to the stitching region PIw, is determined by a test exposure in advance, taking into account the type of negative resist, the thickness of the resist layer, etc. In Fig. 11, the integrated number Np at the center position in the width direction of the stitching region PIw (on line L4) is greater than Nt and is the maximum value.

[0073] In this type of exposure apparatus 1, it is required that the error with respect to the target exposure amount is several percent or less, preferably 2% or less. If the integrated number Nt (see Figs. 10 and 11) for obtaining the target exposure amount is set to 50, the increase or decrease of one dot among them will result in an error of ±2%. Therefore, it is desirable that the integrated number Nt corresponding to the target exposure amount is as large as possible, but the amount of drawing pattern data may increase accordingly. This also means that the integrated number Nt can be adjusted relatively freely with respect to the position in the Y direction, so it is possible to finely adjust the exposure amount by varying the integrated number Nt by ±1 dot or more depending on the pattern to be exposed that appears in the projection areas PIa and PIb. Therefore, when fine line and space (L&S) patterns and contact holes (via holes) are mixed in the projection areas PIa and PIb, that is, when periodic patterns and isolated patterns are mixed, it is also possible to give them slightly different exposure amounts. Therefore, the exposure amount can be finely adjusted in localized parts of the pattern exposed by each exposure module (projection module 17), making it possible to more precisely control the line width (the dimension of the resist image after development).

[0074] [Variations] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a modified example of the distribution in the Y direction of the cumulative number of mirrors (dots) in the ON state exposed in the stitch area PIw. Fig. 12 (A) and (B) show a schematic diagram of the response when a difference occurs in the illuminance of the illumination light projected onto the spatial light modulator 201 that generates the left projection area PIb and the spatial light modulator 201 that generates the right projection area PIa. Fig. 12 (A) corresponds to the normal exposure mode of Fig. 10, and (B) corresponds to the special exposure mode of Fig. 11.

[0075] In Fig. 12A, the illuminance is higher in the left projection area PIb than in the right projection area PIa. Therefore, the cumulative number Nt1 of on-state mirrors required to obtain the target exposure amount in the projection area PIb is set to be smaller than the cumulative number Nt2 of on-state mirrors required to obtain the target exposure amount in the projection area PIa. Then, as shown in Fig. 12A, the cumulative number in the joint area PIw is set to change linearly between Nt1 and Nt2 depending on the position in the Y direction.

[0076] 12B is also a case where an illuminance difference occurs between the left and right sides, similar to (A), and within the joint region PIw, the integrated number is set to be greater than the linear change in (A). This modified example can be applied when the illuminance of the illumination light on the spatial light modulator 201 cannot be precisely aligned between multiple exposure modules, or when the intensity of the reflected light from the spatial light modulator 201 cannot be precisely aligned between modules, and can extend the operating time of the exposure apparatus in stable operation.

[0077] In the second embodiment and the modified example described above, when the number of micromirrors in the ON state is adjusted at the edge portion extending in the X direction of the pattern existing in the stitching area PIw shown in FIG. 11, the position of the edge portion of the pattern may be shifted in the Y direction (the line width may be widened). In that case, the added micromirror in the ON state is selected to be located inside the edge portion of the pattern projected in the ON state. This makes it possible to suppress the position shift and the line width fluctuation of the pattern existing in the stitching area PIw. In addition, if the line width of the pattern in the stitching area PIw tends to become narrower due to the influence of nonlinearity during exposure of the negative resist, micromirrors corresponding to both edges of the pattern existing in the stitching area PIw can be intentionally added and turned on so that both edges in the Y direction of the pattern existing in the stitching area PIw are slightly widened.

[0078] [Third embodiment] FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an exposure area formed on an exposure object (substrate 23) according to the third embodiment when the exposure object is exposed. FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an exposure area formed on an exposure object. FIG. 13C is a graph showing the integrated number of pulses by scanning exposure. With reference to the same figure, an example of an exposure apparatus 1 and an exposure method according to the third embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof may be omitted. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the overlapping portion Oa is exposed using two projection modules 17 adjacent to each other in a direction intersecting the scanning direction (e.g., the Y direction), whereas FIG. 13(A) shows an example in which the accumulated number of pulses in the overlapping portion Oa is made higher than the accumulated number of pulses in the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb by using two projection modules 17 adjacent to each other in the scanning direction (e.g., 17b and 17d).

[0079] Fig. 13(A) shows exposure areas formed on an exposure object when the exposure object is scanned in the X direction by the stage 14 and exposed by the exposure fields PIa and PIb. As shown in Fig. 13(A), a scanning exposure area SIa exposed by the exposure field PIa and a scanning exposure area SIb exposed by the exposure field PIb are formed on the exposure object.

[0080] It can be said that the scanning exposure fields SIa and SIb are the exposure fields PIa and PIb extended in the X direction by scanning exposure in the X direction. The end of the scanning exposure field SIa in the scanning direction overlaps with the end of the adjacent scanning exposure field SIb in the scanning direction. The non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb are areas where the scanning exposure areas SIa and SIb do not overlap, and are exposed only by the scanning exposure areas SIa or SIb. The integrated pulse number in the overlapping portion Oa can be made higher than the integrated pulse number in the non-overlapping portions Sa and Sb. The scanning exposure areas SIa and SIb can have an overlapping portion Oa in the non-scanning direction, as shown in FIG. 7. This makes it possible to reduce the moving distance of the stage 14 in the scanning direction while maintaining the line width of the negative resist at a predetermined amount.

[0081] It is possible to form the overlapping portion Oa even when one projection module 17 is used. In this case, after the exposure object is scanned in the +X direction by the stage 14 to form the scanning exposure area SIa, the stage 14 is moved in the -X direction by an amount corresponding to the overlapping portion Oa, and then the exposure object is scanned in the +X direction by the stage 14 to form the scanning exposure area SIb.

[0082] In this example (when one projection module 17 is used), the scanning exposure areas SIa and SIb are formed by scanning the exposure object in the same direction, but the direction in which the exposure object is scanned when forming the scanning exposure area SIa may be opposite to the direction in which the exposure object is scanned when forming the scanning exposure area SIb.

[0083] In Fig. 13, the width of the overlapping portion Oa in the scanning direction can be changed. For example, by increasing the width, the effect of stage movement errors that may occur during scanning exposure can be averaged and reduced. By decreasing the width, the exposure time of the overlapping portion Oa can be shortened, and the total distance traveled by the stage can be shortened.

[0084] In FIG. 13C, the horizontal axis indicates the position of the exposure object in the scanning direction. The vertical axis indicates the number of integrated pulses. When exposing the overlap portion Oa with the exposure field PIa, the number of integrated pulses can be changed monotonically (monotonically increasing or decreasing). When exposing the overlap portion Oa with the exposure field PIb, the number of integrated pulses can be changed monotonically (monotonically increasing or decreasing). The monotonous change includes not only a linear monotonous change as in FIG. 13C, but also a nonlinear monotonous change. When the photosensitive characteristic of the resist is nonlinear, it is particularly effective to change the number of integrated pulses nonlinearly when exposing the overlap portion Oa.

[0085] [Fourth embodiment] 14 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of an example of an exposure mode of the exposure apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. With reference to the same figure, an example of the exposure apparatus 1 and exposure method according to the fourth embodiment will be described. In the following description, the same components as those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof may be omitted.

[0086] 14, when exposing the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb, micromirrors other than the micromirrors in the peripheral region (halftone dot portion) forming the long and short sides of the two-dimensional array of many micromirrors in the spatial light modulator 201 may be used for exposure, and when exposing the overlapping portion Oa, the micromirrors in the peripheral region (halftone dot portion) may also be used for exposure. This allows the number of integrated pulsed lights irradiated to the overlapping portion Oa to be greater than the number of integrated pulsed lights irradiated to the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb when exposing the negative resist. In other words, the number of micromirrors available for exposing the overlapping portion Oa can be greater than the number of micromirrors available for exposing the non-overlapping portions Sa, Sb.

[0087] It should be noted that the disclosures of all US patent application publications and US patent specifications relating to the exposure apparatus and the like cited in the above embodiments are incorporated herein by reference.

[0088] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes, etc. are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. In the above embodiment, the effective integrated illuminance is relatively increased in the overlapping portion by increasing the exposure length (i.e., the number of pulses) or decreasing the number of pulses, but the method of adjusting the integrated illuminance in the overlapping portion is not limited to this. For example, a method of correcting the line width to a design value based on the actual exposure result is also conceivable. In this case, it is possible to make the line width of the negative resist a predetermined amount by adding or deleting pulses near the edge of the line that is actually exposed. Therefore, a substantially uniform pattern can be formed. Note that, in order to make the shape and line width of the pattern formed by the negative resist in the overlapping portion and the non-overlapping portion substantially the same, the line width correction by increasing or decreasing the number of pulses near the pattern of the exposed pattern and the shape correction by increasing or decreasing the number of pulses in the places other than the pattern edge portion may be corrected based on the exposure result.

[0089] The exposure method of the embodiment includes the following aspects. An exposure method in which the number of pulses near the exposed patterns of the non-overlapping or overlapping portions, or both, is increased or decreased, or the number of pulses inside other than near the patterns is increased or decreased, so that the line width and shape of the exposed patterns of the non-overlapping portions and the overlapping portions are approximately the same. The resist formed on the exposure target is, for example, a negative resist that is formed after development by a photoreaction in the portion irradiated with light.

[0090] The exposure data creation method according to the embodiment includes the following aspects. An exposure data creation method for increasing or decreasing the number of pulses near the exposure patterns of non-overlapping or overlapping portions, or both, or increasing or decreasing the number of pulses inside other than near the patterns, so that the line width and shape of the exposure pattern of the non-overlapping portions and the overlapping portions are approximately the same. The resist formed on the exposure target is, for example, a negative resist that is formed after development by a photoreaction in the portion irradiated with light. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1 Exposure equipment 14 Stages 17 Projection module (projection optical system) 162 Illumination optical system 201 Spatial Light Modulator 203 Micromirror (element) Oa Overlap Sa,Sb Non-overlapping part

Claims

1. a first spatial light modulator including a plurality of elements; a second spatial light modulator including a plurality of elements; a substrate holder that holds a substrate onto which the light from the first spatial light modulator and the light from the second spatial light modulator are projected and that is capable of moving the substrate in a scanning direction relative to the first spatial light modulator or the second spatial light modulator; A width in a non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction in an overlapping portion where a part of a projection area of ​​the first spatial light modulator and a part of a projection area of ​​the second spatial light modulator projected onto the substrate overlap is defined as Wo, an angle formed between a side extending in a direction closer to the non-scanning direction than the scanning direction and the non-scanning direction in one of the projection areas of the first spatial light modulator and the projection area of ​​the second spatial light modulator is θp; In the one projection region, when a dimension of a side extending in a direction closer to the scanning direction than the non-scanning direction is Dx, Wo>Dx sin θp is satisfied. Exposure equipment.

2. the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator and the plurality of elements of the second spatial light modulator are controlled so that an integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is greater than an integrated illuminance of a non-overlapping portion other than the overlapping portion in the one projection region; 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The light from the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator or the light from the plurality of elements of the second spatial light modulator is added so that an integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is greater than an integrated illuminance of the non-overlapping portion, and the light from the plurality of elements of the second spatial light modulator is irradiated on an inner side than an edge portion of a pattern projected onto the overlapping portion. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 .

4. The light from the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator or the light from the plurality of elements of the second spatial light modulator is added so that an integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is greater than an integrated illuminance of the non-overlapping portion, and the light from the plurality of elements of the second spatial light modulator is irradiated onto an edge portion of a pattern projected onto the overlapping portion. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2 .

5. The integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion varies nonlinearly in the non-scanning direction.

2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1.

6. a first spatial light modulator including a plurality of elements; a substrate holder that holds a substrate onto which light from the first spatial light modulator is projected and is capable of moving the substrate in a scanning direction relative to the first spatial light modulator; a width in a non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of an overlapping portion between a part of a first projection area of ​​the first spatial light modulator projected onto the substrate by projecting light from the first spatial light modulator onto the substrate while moving the substrate in the scanning direction and a part of a second projection area, different from the first projection area of ​​the first spatial light modulator, projected onto the substrate by projecting light from the first spatial light modulator onto the substrate while moving the substrate in a direction parallel to the scanning direction; Wo; In one of the first projection region and the second projection region, an angle formed between a side extending in a direction closer to the non-scanning direction than the scanning direction and the non-scanning direction is defined as θp; In the one projection region, when a dimension of a side extending in a direction closer to the scanning direction than the non-scanning direction is Dx, Wo>Dx sin θp is satisfied. Exposure equipment.

7. the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator are controlled so that an integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is greater than an integrated illuminance of a non-overlapping portion other than the overlapping portion in the one projection region; 7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6.

8. an integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is added to be greater than an integrated illuminance of the non-overlapping portion; and the light from the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator is irradiated to an area inside an edge portion of a pattern projected onto the overlapping portion.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7.

9. The integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion is added to be greater than the integrated illuminance of the non-overlapping portion, and the light from the elements of the first spatial light modulator is irradiated onto an edge portion of a pattern projected onto the overlapping portion.

8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7.

10. The integrated illuminance of the overlapping portion varies nonlinearly in the non-scanning direction.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 6.

11. the plurality of elements of the first spatial light modulator are disposed in a peripheral portion, and include a plurality of elements that are used when projecting light onto the overlapping portion, and are not used when projecting light onto a non-overlapping portion of the one projection region other than the overlapping portion; The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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