Lithography system
By using a drawing device with an air supply system that mixes temperature-adjusted and external air to control the internal temperature, the cost of maintaining the device's temperature is reduced, addressing the expense issue associated with large temperature control devices.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023157474
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-04-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing drawing devices require large, expensive temperature control devices to maintain a constant temperature inside the device, which increases manufacturing costs due to the significant difference between the clean room temperature and the required internal temperature being not large enough to justify the cost of large air flow temperature control.
A drawing device configuration that includes a holding portion, a light irradiation portion, a cover, and an air supply portion that mixes second air with a temperature adjusted by a temperature control unit and third air taken from outside the cover, to generate first air with a controlled temperature, thereby adjusting the internal temperature of the cover at a lower cost.
This configuration allows for the adjustment of the internal temperature of the drawing device at a lower cost, reducing manufacturing expenses while maintaining the necessary temperature conditions.
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Figure 2025048583000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a drawing apparatus that draws a pattern on a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light. [Background technology]
[0002] Conventionally, when drawing a pattern on a printed circuit board, a semiconductor board, or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "board"), a drawing device is used that draws a pattern on a photosensitive material formed on the board by irradiating the photosensitive material with light. In such a drawing device, main parts such as a holding part that holds the board and a light irradiating part that irradiates the board with light are housed in a cover in order to maintain a constant atmosphere around the board.
[0003] For example, in the exposure apparatus, which is a direct imaging type imaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a chamber is provided to cover the exposure unit and the camera unit, and the chamber is connected to an air conditioner by a duct. An internal thermometer is placed inside the chamber, and an external thermometer is placed outside the chamber. The air conditioner is controlled so that the temperature inside the chamber is maintained at a temperature that is a predetermined offset value lower than the median of the installation environment temperature of the exposure apparatus. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-235378 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] Generally, the difference between the temperature of the clean room in which the drawing apparatus is installed and the temperature required inside the drawing apparatus is not large. On the other hand, a large amount of temperature-controlled air is required to keep the inside of the drawing apparatus at a constant temperature, and a large, expensive temperature control device that generates a large amount of air is required.
[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to reduce the manufacturing cost of a drawing device by adjusting the temperature inside the cover with an inexpensive configuration. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] A first aspect of the present invention is a drawing device that draws a pattern on a substrate by irradiating light, the drawing device comprising: a holding unit that holds a substrate; a light irradiation unit that draws a pattern on the substrate by emitting light toward the substrate held by the holding unit; a cover that covers the holding unit and the light irradiation unit; and an air supply unit that supplies temperature-adjusted first air into the cover, the air supply unit comprising a temperature control unit that takes in air outside the cover and generates temperature-adjusted second air, an intake unit that takes in air outside the cover, and a mixing unit that mixes the second air guided from the temperature control unit with third air guided from the intake unit to generate the first air.
[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is the drawing device of aspect 1, wherein the air supply unit further includes a thermometer that acquires the temperature of the first air, and a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the second air based on the temperature of the first air acquired by the thermometer.
[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is the drawing apparatus of the first aspect (which may be either the first or second aspect), wherein the air supply unit further includes a flow rate control unit that controls the flow rate of at least one of the second air and the third air in accordance with a target flow rate of the first air.
[0010] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the drawing apparatus of the third aspect, wherein the cover has a door that opens when replacing the substrate held in the holder, and the flow control unit increases the flow rate of the first air while the door is open.
[0011] A fifth aspect of the present invention is the drawing device of the first aspect (which may be any one of the first to fourth aspects), further comprising another temperature control unit having the same model number as the temperature control unit, and the other temperature control unit supplies a fourth air having a controlled temperature into the light irradiation unit.
[0012] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a drawing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiation unit in a direction parallel to the substrate held by the holding unit, thereby moving the holding unit relative to the light irradiation unit, and the light irradiation unit comprises a drawing head that emits modulated light toward the substrate held by the holding unit, and the moving mechanism moves the substrate held by the holding unit relative to the light irradiation unit while the drawing head is emitting modulated light, thereby drawing a pattern on the substrate. Effect of the Invention
[0013] According to the present invention, the temperature inside the cover can be adjusted with an inexpensive configuration, and the manufacturing costs of the imaging device can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]
[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drawing apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration for supplying air into the cover. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration for adjusting the temperature of the first air. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the duct. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0015] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drawing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The drawing apparatus 1 irradiates a photosensitive material forming the upper surface of a substrate 9 with spatially modulated light in a substantially beam-like form. Then, the light irradiation area is scanned over the substrate 9 to draw a pattern. The drawing apparatus 1 is a so-called direct drawing apparatus. In FIG. 1, three mutually orthogonal directions are indicated by arrows as an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and the Z direction is a vertical direction (i.e., an up-down direction).
[0016] The substrate 9 is, for example, a substrate used in the manufacture of a substantially rectangular flat-plate-shaped printed wiring board. On the (+Z) main surface (hereinafter also referred to as "upper surface 91") of the substrate 9, a resist film formed of a photosensitive material is provided on a copper layer. In the drawing device 1, a circuit pattern is drawn (i.e., an image of the circuit pattern is formed) on the resist film of the substrate 9. The type, shape, etc. of the substrate 9 may be changed in various ways.
[0017] The imaging apparatus 1 includes a stage 21, a stage movement mechanism 22, an alignment unit 3, a light irradiation unit 4, a base 5, a cover 6, and an air supply unit 7. In order to facilitate understanding of the drawing, in Fig. 1, the outer shape of the cover 6 and ducts 73 and 74, which will be described later, are indicated by two-dot chain lines, and each component housed inside the cover 6 is indicated by solid lines.
[0018] The cover 6 is a housing that houses the stage 21, the stage moving mechanism 22, the alignment unit 3, the light irradiation unit 4, the base 5, etc. in an internal space 60. The internal space 60 of the cover 6 is isolated from the space outside the cover 6. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the cover 6 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped whose length in the Y direction is longer than its length in the X direction. In addition, a step is provided on the top surface of the cover 6 (i.e., the surface on the (+Z) side), and a portion on the (+Y) side of the top surface is located closer to the (+Z) side than a portion on the (-Y) side.
[0019] The stage 21 is a substantially rectangular flat member arranged below the alignment unit 3 and the light irradiation unit 4 (i.e., on the (-Z) side). The stage 21 includes a holder 25 that holds the substrate 9 in a horizontal state. The holder 25 is, for example, a vacuum chuck that adsorbs and holds the lower surface of the substrate 9. The holder 25 may have a structure other than a vacuum chuck, and may be, for example, a mechanical chuck. The upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 placed on the holder 25 is perpendicular to the Z direction and parallel to the X and Y directions.
[0020] The stage moving mechanism 22 is a moving mechanism that moves the stage 21 relatively to the alignment unit 3 and the light irradiation unit 4 in a horizontal direction (i.e., a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9). The stage moving mechanism 22 includes a first moving mechanism 23 and a second moving mechanism 24. The second moving mechanism 24 supports the stage 21 from below and moves the stage 21 linearly in the X direction along the guide rail. The first moving mechanism 23 supports the second moving mechanism 24 from below and moves the stage 21 together with the second moving mechanism 24 linearly in the Y direction along the guide rail. The driving sources of the first moving mechanism 23 and the second moving mechanism 24 are, for example, linear servo motors or motors attached to ball screws. The structures of the first moving mechanism 23 and the second moving mechanism 24 may be modified in various ways.
[0021] The drawing apparatus 1 may be provided with a stage rotation mechanism that rotates the stage 21 about a rotation axis extending in the Z direction. The drawing apparatus 1 may also be provided with a stage lifting mechanism that moves the stage 21 in the Z direction. For example, a servo motor can be used as the stage rotation mechanism. For example, a linear servo motor can be used as the stage lifting mechanism. The structures of the stage rotation mechanism and the stage lifting mechanism may be modified in various ways.
[0022] The stage moving mechanism 22 is attached on the upper surface of the base 5 and is supported from below by the base 5. The base 5 is, for example, substantially rectangular parallelepiped in which the length in the Y direction is longer than the length in the X direction. The base 5 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes an upper plate portion 51, a pedestal portion 52, and a plurality of legs 53. The upper plate portion 51 is a substantially flat member extending substantially perpendicularly to the Z direction. The shape of the upper plate portion 51 in a plan view (i.e., the shape as viewed from the (+Z) side) is, for example, substantially rectangular in which the length in the Y direction is longer than the length in the X direction. The upper surface of the upper plate portion 51 (i.e., the upper surface of the base 5) is a substantially flat surface perpendicular to the Z direction.
[0023] The pedestal portion 52 is connected to the lower surface of the upper plate portion 51 and supports the upper plate portion 51 from below. The pedestal portion 52 is, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped member whose length in the Y direction is longer than its length in the X direction. The multiple legs 53 are substantially columnar members disposed apart from one another and connected to the lower surface of the pedestal portion 52. The multiple legs 53 extend downward from the lower surface of the pedestal portion 52 and are in contact with the floor of the clean room, and support the pedestal portion 52 and upper plate portion 51 of the base 5, as well as each component provided on the base 5, from below.
[0024] The alignment section 3 includes a plurality of alignment cameras 31 (two in the example shown in FIG. 1) arranged in the X direction. Each alignment camera 31 is supported above the stage 21 and the stage movement mechanism 22 by a support section 40 provided across the stage 21 and the stage movement mechanism 22. The support section 40 is a gate-shaped member (a so-called gantry) that straddles the stage 21 and the stage movement mechanism 22, and is provided so as to stand up from the upper surface of the base 5.
[0025] The two alignment cameras 31 are attached to the (+Y) side surface of the support part 40. Of the two alignment cameras 31, for example, one alignment camera 31 is fixed to the support part 40, and the other alignment camera 31 is movable in the X direction on the support part 40. This makes it possible to change the distance in the X direction between the two alignment cameras 31. Note that the number of alignment cameras 31 in the alignment part 3 may be one, or three or more.
[0026] Each alignment camera 31 captures an image of an alignment mark (not shown) provided in advance on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In the drawing device 1, alignment of the substrate 9 (i.e., correction of the relative position of the substrate 9 with respect to the drawing head 41) is performed based on the image of the alignment mark acquired by the alignment camera 31.
[0027] The light irradiation unit 4 includes a plurality of drawing heads 41 (six in the example shown in FIG. 1) arranged in the X direction, and a casing 42 that houses the drawing heads 41. The plurality of drawing heads 41 have approximately the same structure. Each drawing head 41 includes a spatial light modulator, and emits modulated (i.e., spatially modulated) light downward from an opening in the casing 42. The spatial modulation may be two-dimensional or one-dimensional. Each drawing head 41 is supported above the stage 21 and the stage movement mechanism 22 by the support unit 40 described above. The six drawing heads 41 are attached to the (-Y) side of the support unit 40.
[0028] The six drawing heads 41 are arranged in a substantially straight line substantially parallel to the X direction. The six drawing heads 41 are positioned substantially the same in the Y and Z directions. Note that the multiple drawing heads 41 do not necessarily need to be arranged in a straight line, and may be arranged, for example, in a staggered manner. Furthermore, the light irradiation unit 4 may have one drawing head 41, or two or more drawing heads 41.
[0029] In the drawing device 1, pattern drawing on the substrate 9 is performed by a so-called multi-pass method. Specifically, while modulated light from the multiple drawing heads 41 of the light irradiation unit 4 is irradiated onto the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9, the first moving mechanism 23 of the stage moving mechanism 22 moves the substrate 9 in the Y direction to pass under the drawing heads 41. As a result, the irradiation area of the light from the multiple drawing heads 41 is scanned in the Y direction on the substrate 9, and drawing on the substrate 9 is performed. In this way, the substrate 9 moves relatively to the light irradiation unit 4 while each drawing head 41 is emitting modulated light toward the substrate 9 held by the holding unit 25, and a pattern is drawn on the substrate 9.
[0030] Next, the second moving mechanism 24 moves the substrate 9 stepwise by a predetermined distance in the X direction. Then, the first moving mechanism 23 moves the substrate 9 in the Y direction, and the drawing head 41 irradiates the substrate 9 with light in parallel with the movement again, thereby drawing on the substrate 9. In the drawing device 1, the irradiation of light on the substrate 9 moving in the Y direction and the stepwise movement of the substrate 9 in the X direction are alternately performed, thereby drawing a pattern on the substrate 9. In the following description, the Y direction is also referred to as the "main scanning direction" or simply the "scanning direction", and the X direction is also referred to as the "sub-scanning direction". The main scanning direction and the sub-scanning direction are directions approximately parallel to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In the stage moving mechanism 22, the first moving mechanism 23 is a main scanning mechanism that moves the stage 21 relatively to the drawing head 41 in the main scanning direction. The second moving mechanism 24 is a sub-scanning mechanism that moves the stage 21 relatively to the drawing head 41 in the sub-scanning direction.
[0031] In the drawing apparatus 1, drawing on the substrate 9 may be performed by a single pass method (also called a one-pass method) in which drawing of a pattern on the substrate 9 is completed by moving the substrate 9 relatively to the drawing head 41 only once in the Y direction. In this case, sub-scanning of the substrate 9 by the second moving mechanism 24 (i.e., step movement in the X direction) is not performed when drawing the pattern. In other words, the stage moving mechanism 22 is a scanning mechanism that moves the stage 21 at least in the scanning direction relative to the drawing head 41.
[0032] In the drawing device 1, a door 63 for carrying in and out the substrate 9 is provided at the end of the cover 6 on the (-Y) side (i.e., one end in the scanning direction). The door 63 is used when carrying in the substrate 9 into the internal space 60 of the cover 6 and when carrying out the substrate 9 from the internal space 60. Specifically, the door 63 is opened when the stage 21 moves to the (-Y) side from the alignment unit 3 and the light irradiation unit 4 and is located near the end of the internal space 60 on the (-Y) side, and the substrate 9 is taken out of the holder 25 of the stage 21 through the door 63 and placed on the holder 25. The substrate 9 may be carried in and out by an operator or automatically by a conveying device. The door 63 is provided on the upper surface and the side surface on the (-X) side of the cover 6. The arrangement and shape of the door 63 may be changed in various ways. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the door 63 is in a closed state.
[0033] An air supply port 64 is provided at the end of the cover 6 on the (+Y) side (i.e., the end on the other side in the scanning direction). In the example shown in Fig. 1, the air supply port 64 is provided on the side surface of the cover 6 on the (+Y) side. The air supply port 64 is disposed above the upper plate portion 51 on the side surface of the cover 6 on the (+Y) side. The number of air supply ports 64 may be two or more.
[0034] The air supply unit 7 includes two temperature adjustment units 71a and 71b, an intake unit 72, and two ducts 73 and 74. The air supply port 64 is connected to the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72 via the duct 73. The temperature adjustment unit 71a takes in air outside the cover 6, generates temperature-adjusted air, and introduces the air into the duct 73. "Taking in air outside the cover 6" means taking in air from a clean room in which the drawing apparatus 1 is installed. The intake unit 72 also takes in air outside the cover 6 and introduces the air into the duct 73. The air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the air sent out from the intake unit 72 are mixed in the duct 73 and are guided to the air supply port 64.
[0035] As the temperature adjustment unit 71a, for example, a known temperature adjustment device of a heat pump type or a Peltier type can be used (the same applies to the temperature adjustment unit 71b). Air supplied to the internal space 60 of the cover 6 from the air supply port 64 flows in the (-Y) direction. The air passes mainly above the substrate 9 held on the stage 21 and is discharged from an opening (not shown) on the (-Y) side of the cover 6, and is collected as necessary. The air supply port 64 may be provided on the side surface of the end of the cover 6 on the (-Y) side, or on the upper surface of the cover 6.
[0036] The temperature adjustment unit 71b is connected to the casing 42 of the light irradiation unit 4 via a duct 74. Specifically, the duct 74 branches and is connected to the (+X) side and (-X) side ends of the casing 42. The temperature adjustment unit 71b supplies temperature-adjusted air into the light irradiation unit 4. This keeps the temperature of the optical elements in each drawing head 41 constant.
[0037] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the air supply unit 7 that supplies air into the cover 6. As described above, the temperature adjustment unit 71a, the intake unit 72, and the duct 73 adjust the temperature of the air in the clean room and supply it into the cover 6. The duct 73 has a duct 731 connected to the temperature adjustment unit 71a, a duct 732 connected to the intake unit 72, a connection unit 733 that connects the duct 731 and the duct 732, and a duct 734 that connects the connection unit 733 and the cover 6. The temperature adjustment unit 71a has, for example, a heat pump that uses a refrigerant and a fan. The temperature adjustment unit 71a adjusts the temperature of the air in the clean room taken in by the fan using the heat pump and guides it to the duct 731. The temperature adjustment unit 71a may lower or raise the temperature of the air that is taken in. The intake unit 72 has a fan, and guides the air in the clean room taken in by the fan directly to the duct 732.
[0038] At the connection portion 733, the air guided from the temperature adjustment portion 71a and the air guided from the intake portion 72 are combined, and these airs are mixed in the duct 734 and guided into the cover 6. That is, the duct 734 functions as a mixing portion that mixes the air guided from the temperature adjustment portion 71a and the air guided from the intake portion 72. Hereinafter, the air supplied from the duct 734 into the cover 6 will be referred to as "first air", the air guided from the temperature adjustment portion 71a to the duct 731 as "second air", and the air guided from the intake portion 72 to the duct 732 as "third air".
[0039] The temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72 have filters for removing particles, and send out clean second air and clean third air. This provides clean first air. The filter may be provided downstream of the connection unit 733. The filter may be provided at any position that can purify the first air, and is provided between the intake port of the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the connection unit 733, between the intake port of the intake unit 72 and the connection unit 733, or between the connection unit 733 and a position near the air supply port 64 in the cover 6.
[0040] A first thermometer 741 is provided in a position close to cover 6 of duct 734, and first thermometer 741 acquires the temperature of the first air flowing in duct 734. First thermometer 741 may be provided in the vicinity of air supply port 64. A second thermometer 742 is provided in duct 732, and second thermometer 742 acquires the temperature of third air flowing in duct 732. Second thermometer 742 may be provided on the intake side of intake unit 72.
[0041] As described above, in the drawing apparatus 1, the first air, which is a mixture of the second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the third air sent out from the intake unit 72, is supplied into the cover 6. Usually, the temperature in the clean room is not significantly different from the temperature in the cover 6. On the other hand, in order to adjust the temperature in the cover 6 and to prevent particles from entering the cover 6, it is necessary to supply air at a certain flow rate (i.e., the amount of air flowing per unit time) into the cover 6. However, if a commercially available temperature adjustment device that can ensure a sufficient flow rate is used as the temperature adjustment unit 71a, the temperature adjustment capacity will be excessive. In particular, a large temperature adjustment device is required to obtain a sufficient amount of clean air after passing through a filter that removes particles.
[0042] In the drawing device 1, an inexpensive temperature adjustment device that cannot ensure a sufficient flow rate when used alone is adopted as the temperature adjustment unit 71a. Then, by mixing the second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a with the third air sent out from the intake unit 72 (typically an intake fan with a simple structure) that does not have a temperature adjustment function, the temperature inside the cover 6 can be adjusted with an inexpensive configuration. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the drawing device 1 can be reduced.
[0043] The imaging device 1 is further provided with another temperature adjustment unit 71b for cooling the light irradiation unit 4. The temperature adjustment unit 71b supplies a fourth air whose temperature is adjusted into the light irradiation unit 4. The temperature adjustment units 71a and 71b have the same model number. "The same model number" means that they can be ordered without distinction at the time of procurement (except for minor options that do not affect performance), and the procurement price can be reduced. Since the temperature adjustment units 71a and 71b have the same model number, the manufacturing cost of the imaging device 1 can be further reduced.
[0044] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration for adjusting the temperature of the first air. However, as described later, each of the components directly or indirectly connected to the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72 can be omitted. That is, when there is no need to control the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72, the components shown in FIG. 3 for controlling them are not necessary. In FIG. 3, all of the components referred to in the multiple operation examples described below are shown, and components not referred to in each operation example and electrical connections between the components may be omitted as appropriate. All of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be considered to be included in the air supply unit 7.
[0045] Temperature control unit 751 and flow rate control unit 752 each represent a function realized by a dedicated electric circuit having a calculation circuit, a general-purpose calculation unit (i.e., a computer), or a combination of a dedicated electric circuit and a computer. A signal output from temperature control unit 751 is input to temperature adjustment unit 71a, and the temperature of the second air sent out from temperature adjustment unit 71a is controlled.
[0046] A signal output from the flow rate control unit 752 is input to the temperature adjustment unit 71a and / or the intake unit 72, and the flow rate of the second air and / or the third air is controlled. A signal indicating the temperature of the first air acquired by the first thermometer 741 is input to the temperature control unit 751. A signal indicating the temperature of the first air may be input to the flow rate control unit 752. A signal indicating the temperature of the third air acquired by the second thermometer 742 is input to the temperature control unit 751 as necessary. A signal indicating the temperature of the third air may be input to the flow rate control unit 752. The third thermometer 743 is provided in the cover 6, and acquires the temperature of the air in the vicinity of the holding unit 25 of the cover 6. A signal indicating the temperature acquired by the third thermometer 743 is input to the temperature control unit 751. A signal output from the third thermometer 743 may be input to the flow rate control unit 752.
[0047] The door sensor 76 outputs a signal indicating that the door 63 of the cover 6 is open when replacing the substrate 9 held by the holder 25, and this signal is input to the flow rate control unit 752. When the door 63 opens and closes automatically, a control signal indicating that the door 63 is open may be input to the flow rate control unit 752 instead of the signal from the door sensor 76. The temperature control unit 751 and the flow rate control unit 752 are connected, and adjustments are made to increase and decrease the temperature of the second air and to increase and decrease the flow rate of the first air. In FIG. 3, the temperature control unit 751 and the flow rate control unit 752 are shown as separate functions, but they may be highly linked to each other and do not need to be clearly distinguished as electrical circuits (or programs).
[0048] Next, a first operation example for supplying the first air into the cover 6 of the drawing device 1 will be described. In the first operation example, the target temperature and target flow rate (i.e., target air volume) of the first air are set in advance. The second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a has an adjustable temperature but a constant flow rate. The flow rate of the third air sent out from the intake unit 72 is fixed as an amount obtained by subtracting the flow rate of the second air from the target flow rate of the first air.
[0049] Under the above conditions, in the first operation example, feedback control is performed in which the temperature control unit 751 adjusts the temperature of the second air so as to reduce the difference between the temperature of the first air and the target temperature based on the temperature of the third air acquired by the second thermometer 742, i.e., the temperature of the air in the clean room, and the temperature of the first air acquired by the first thermometer 741. Note that various known controls may be adopted as the feedback control. In the above control, since the temperature in the clean room is utilized, the temperature of the first air is quickly adjusted to the target temperature even if the temperature of the air near the intake unit 72 changes significantly.
[0050] In the second operation example, under the preconditions of the first operation example, feedback control is performed in which temperature control unit 751 adjusts the temperature of second air so as to reduce the difference between the temperature of the first air and a target temperature, based only on the temperature of the first air acquired by first thermometer 741, without measuring the temperature of the third air. That is, second thermometer 742 is not used. In the second operation example, the necessary components are simplified, and the operation is also simplified.
[0051] In the third operation example, the target temperature of the first air is set in advance. On the other hand, the target flow rate of the first air is determined to be a minimum value, but is not fixed to a constant value. The temperature and flow rate of the second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a are adjustable. The flow rate of the third air sent out from the intake unit 72 is fixed.
[0052] Under the above conditions, in the third operation example, feedback control is performed in which temperature control unit 751 adjusts the temperature of the second air sent out from temperature adjustment unit 71a and flow rate control unit 752 adjusts the flow rate of the second air so as to reduce the difference between the temperature of the first air and a target temperature based on the temperature of the third air acquired by second thermometer 742 and the temperature of the first air acquired by first thermometer 741. At this time, the temperature and flow rate of the second air are determined so as to minimize the power consumption in temperature adjustment unit 71a while complying with the constraint that the flow rate of the first air does not fall below a minimum value.
[0053] In any of the above operation examples, the temperature acquired by the third thermometer may be used instead of the first thermometer. Since the third thermometer acquires the temperature of the air in the vicinity of the holding unit 25, even if there is a temperature difference between the first air and the air in the vicinity of the holding unit 25, the use of the third thermometer realizes preferable control of the temperature and / or flow rate of the first air.
[0054] In the fourth operation example, while adjusting the temperature of the first air in the various operation examples described above, the flow rate of the first air is increased by the flow rate control unit 752 while the door 63 of the cover 6 is open when replacing the substrate 9. That is, while the door 63 is open, a signal is input from the door sensor 76 to the flow rate control unit 752, and the flow rate of the second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a is increased by the flow rate control unit 752. The flow rate control unit 752 may increase the flow rate of the third air sent out from the intake unit 72. This increases the flow rate of the first air, and while the door 63 is open, it is possible to maintain the temperature inside the cover 6 while suppressing the intrusion of particles from the door 63.
[0055] A signal from the door sensor 76 may be input to the temperature control unit 751, or the flow rate determined by the flow rate control unit 752 may be input to the temperature control unit 751. The temperature control unit 751 controls the temperature of the temperature adjustment unit 71a while referring to the change in the flow rate, so that the flow rate of the first air can be increased and the first air can be brought to an appropriate temperature more quickly.
[0056] The operation of adjusting the temperature inside the cover 6 can be changed in various ways. For example, when the flow rate of the intake unit 72 is fixed and the temperature and flow rate of the temperature adjustment unit 71a have been adjusted in advance, all of the first thermometer 741, the second thermometer 742, the third thermometer 743, the door sensor 76, the temperature control unit 751, and the flow rate control unit 752 in FIG. 3 can be omitted. When the accuracy of the temperature of the first air is improved by feedback control of the temperature of the first air, at least the first thermometer 741 that acquires the temperature of the first air and the temperature control unit 751 that controls the temperature of the second air based on the temperature of the first air are required. Also, instead of the first thermometer 741, a third thermometer 743 that acquires the temperature of the air near the holding unit 25 may be used. The temperatures acquired by the first thermometer 741 and the third thermometer 743 may be used by the temperature control unit 751. Furthermore, when the temperature inside the clean room is also used, the temperature acquired by the second thermometer 742 is input to the temperature adjustment unit 71a.
[0057] Furthermore, when controlling the flow rate in addition to the temperature control of the temperature adjustment unit 71a, temperature information input to the temperature adjustment unit 71a is also input to the flow rate control unit 752, or information is sent from the temperature adjustment unit 71a to the flow rate control unit 752. However, the temperature control unit 751 and the flow rate control unit 752 do not need to be strictly distinguished from each other physically or functionally.
[0058] The flow rate control unit 752 controls the flow rate of at least one of the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72 according to a target flow rate of the first air that is determined in advance or calculated. This allows the flow rate of the first air to be a preferred flow rate as necessary. This control does not need to be feedback control, but advanced control such as feedback control may be adopted. In order to reduce the manufacturing cost of the drawing device 1, it is preferable that only one of the temperature adjustment unit 71a and the intake unit 72 has a variable flow rate and the flow rate of the other is fixed. Note that "the flow rate is fixed" means that the flow rate is constant when the resistance to blowing out the air is constant.
[0059] The control in which the flow rate control unit 752 increases the flow rate of the first air while the door 63 is open in response to a signal from the door sensor 76 may be applied to any of the above controls, and may also be applied when the temperature of the first air is not feedback controlled. That is, in the drawing device 1, the flow rate of the first air may be increased using only the door sensor 76 and the flow rate control unit 752 while the door 63 is open, regardless of the temperature adjustment of the first air.
[0060] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the duct 73. In the duct 73 of Fig. 4, compared to Fig. 2, the connection part 733a functions as a mixer that mixes the second air and the third air. Hereinafter, the connection part 733a will be referred to as "mixer 733a". The mixer 733a is box-shaped, and ducts 731, 732, and 734 are connected to the mixer 733a.
[0061] Into mixing section 733a, the second air led from temperature adjustment section 71a flows in through duct 731, and the third air led from intake section 72 flows in through duct 732, and these airs are mixed to generate the first air, which is then led out to duct 734. Inside mixing section 733a may be a simple cavity, may have a fan built in that stirs the air, or may have a plate fixed inside that changes the direction of the air flow while mixing the air. In this way, various types of mixing sections 733a may be present in duct 73.
[0062] From the viewpoint of reducing the amount of air supplied into the cover 6, a structure that narrows the space through which the air flows within the cover 6 may be adopted. Specifically, the outer peripheral edge of the upper surface of the upper plate portion 51 in FIG. 1 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the cover 6 over substantially the entire circumference, so that the first air supplied to the cover 6 flows only above the upper plate portion 51 in the internal space 60. This makes it possible to reduce the flow rate of the first air supplied into the cover 6. As a result, the temperature control capacity required of the temperature control portion 71a can be further reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the drawing device 1 can be further reduced. In addition, in order to make the air flow in the internal space 60 uniform, it is preferable to provide an air diffusion portion (for example, a plate with many holes provided therein and perpendicular to the flow of the first air) near the air supply port 64.
[0063] In the imaging apparatus 1, the position of the holding unit 25 may be fixed, and the light irradiation unit 4 may move relative to the holding unit 25 to perform imaging on the substrate 9. That is, the imaging apparatus 1 is provided with a moving mechanism that moves at least one of the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4 in a direction parallel to the substrate 9 held by the holding unit 25 (i.e., a direction parallel to the upper surface 91) to move the holding unit 25 relatively to the light irradiation unit 4. Of course, both the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4 may move in a direction parallel to the substrate 9. Note that the imaging apparatus 1 may be an apparatus in which the stage moving mechanism 22 does not exist.
[0064] The drawing device 1 is not limited to a so-called direct drawing device. The air supply unit 7 can be used in various devices that draw a pattern on the substrate 9 by irradiating light. For example, the air supply unit 7 can be used in a device that irradiates a mask on which a pattern is formed with light and irradiates the substrate with the light that has passed through the mask, thereby drawing a pattern on the substrate 9. In this way, various configurations that draw a pattern on the substrate 9 by emitting light toward the substrate 9 held by the holding unit 25 can be adopted as the light irradiation unit 4 in the drawing device 1.
[0065] The substrate 9 is not limited to a substrate for a printed wiring board, but may be a glass substrate for a mask substrate or a substrate for other purposes.
[0066] The cover to which the first air is supplied may at least cover the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4. For example, an inner cover that covers the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4 may be provided inside the cover 6 in Fig. 1, and the first air may be supplied to this inner cover. "Covering the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4" does not mean that the outside and the inside of the cover are completely isolated, but means that the holding unit 25 and the light irradiation unit 4 are covered so that (almost) all of the air inside the cover can be the first air.
[0067] The air supply unit 7 that supplies the first air whose temperature has been adjusted into the cover 6 can be further modified in various ways. For example, if the flow rate of the first air does not need to be always equal to or greater than the flow rate of the second air sent out from the temperature adjustment unit 71a, the intake unit 72 does not need to be operating all the time. For example, the intake unit 72 may operate only while the door 63 is open. If the vertical relationship between the temperature of the air inside the cover 6 and the temperature of the air inside the clean room is constant, the temperature adjustment unit 71a may have only a cooling function or only a heating function.
[0068] The configurations in the above-described embodiment and each of the modified examples may be combined as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]
[0069] 1 Drawing device 4. Light irradiation unit 6 Cover 7 Air supply section 9 Substrate 22 Stage movement mechanism (movement mechanism) 25 Holding part 41 Drawing head 63 Door 71a,71b Temperature control section 72 Intake section 733a Mixing section 734 Duct (mixing section) 741 1st thermometer 751 Temperature Control Unit 752 Flow Control Unit
Claims
1. A drawing apparatus for drawing a pattern on a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, comprising: A holder for holding the substrate; a light irradiation unit that emits light toward the substrate held by the holder to draw a pattern on the substrate; a cover for covering the holding unit and the light irradiation unit; an air supply unit that supplies temperature-adjusted first air into the cover; Equipped with The air supply unit, a temperature adjustment unit that takes in air outside the cover and generates a second air having a adjusted temperature; an intake section that takes in air outside the cover; a mixing section that mixes the second air introduced from the temperature adjustment section and the third air introduced from the intake section to generate the first air; A drawing device comprising:
2. The drawing device according to claim 1 , The air supply unit, A thermometer for acquiring a temperature of the first air; a temperature control unit that controls a temperature of the second air based on the temperature of the first air acquired by the thermometer; The drawing device further comprises:
3. The drawing device according to claim 1 , The drawing apparatus, wherein the air supply unit further includes a flow rate control unit that controls a flow rate of at least one of the second air and the third air in accordance with a target flow rate of the first air.
4. The drawing device according to claim 3, the cover has a door that opens when replacing the substrate held by the holder, The drawing apparatus, wherein the flow rate control unit increases the flow rate of the first air while the door is open.
5. The drawing device according to claim 1 , Further comprising another temperature control unit having the same model number as the temperature control unit, The other temperature adjustment unit supplies fourth air, the temperature of which is adjusted, into the light irradiation unit.
6. 6. The drawing device according to claim 1, a moving mechanism for moving at least one of the holding unit and the light irradiation unit in a direction parallel to the substrate held by the holding unit, thereby moving the holding unit relative to the light irradiation unit; the light irradiation unit includes a drawing head that emits modulated light toward the substrate held by the holding unit, A drawing device in which a pattern is drawn on a substrate by the moving mechanism moving the substrate held in the holding unit relative to the light irradiation unit while the drawing head is emitting modulated light.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Image forming apparatus and image forming method
JP2006235378A