Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of accurately and inexpensively measuring the position of a stage.SOLUTION: An exposure device 100 includes a stage 2, a stage moving mechanism 3, a housing 10, a light-receiving sensor 631, a light source 611, and a position calculation part 97. The stage 2 holds a substrate W. The stage moving mechanism 3 moves the stage 2 in a Y direction. The housing 10 houses the stage 2 and the stage moving mechanism 3 inside. The light-receiving sensor 631 has a plurality of light-receiving elements which are fixed to the inside of the housing 10, are positioned so as to be separated in a -X direction from the stage 2, and are arrayed in the Y direction. The light source 611 is fixed to the stage 2, and emits a laser beam L1 in the -X direction. The position calculation part 97 calculates the position of the stage 2 in the Y direction, using an incident position P1 where the laser beam L1 emitted from the light source 611 is directly incident on the light-receiving sensor 631.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The subject matter disclosed in this specification relates to a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as a method of forming a pattern on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, an exposure apparatus that performs direct drawing by light irradiation is known. In this type of exposure apparatus, a substrate on which a photosensitive layer such as a resist is formed is held by a stage, and the stage is moved in the main scanning direction. Then, depending on the position of the stage in the main scanning direction, pattern light is emitted from an exposure head, and a predetermined pattern is drawn on the photosensitive layer.

[0003] In recent years, with the miniaturization of patterns, high positional accuracy has been required for the stage of the exposure apparatus. Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, the positions of a chuck that holds a substrate in the X and Y directions are measured using a laser length measuring system. Further, Patent Document 1 describes detecting the rotation (yawing) of the chuck from the measured positions of the chuck in the X and Y directions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the laser length measuring system, a mirror attached to the stage is irradiated with laser light, and the laser light reflected by the mirror is observed. For this reason, there is a risk that the measurement accuracy may decrease because the measurement result includes an error component based on the shape of the mirror or the like. Further, in order to reduce such an error component of the mirror, it is necessary to improve the processing accuracy of the mirror, so there is a risk that the device cost may increase significantly.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of accurately and at low cost measuring the position of a stage.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] To solve the above problems, a first aspect is a substrate processing apparatus, including a stage that supports a substrate, a stage moving mechanism that moves the stage in a first direction, a housing that houses the stage and the stage moving mechanism inside, a first light receiving sensor that is fixed inside the housing, is located away from the stage in one direction of a second direction intersecting the first direction, and has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the first direction, a first light source that is fixed to the stage and emits light in one direction of the second direction, and a position calculation unit that calculates the position of the stage in the first direction using a first incident position where light from the first light source directly enters the first light receiving sensor.

[0008] A second aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, further including a second light receiving sensor that is fixed inside the housing, is located away from the stage in one direction of the first direction, and has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the second direction, and a second light source that is fixed to the stage and emits light in one direction of the first direction, and the position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the second direction using a second incident position where light from the second light source enters the second light receiving sensor.

[0009] A third aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the second aspect, and the position calculation unit calculates a rotation angle of the stage about an axis in a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction using the position of the stage in the first direction and the second direction and the first incident position or the second incident position.

[0010] The fourth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the second or third aspect, further comprising a third light-receiving sensor that is fixed inside the housing, is located away from the stage in the other direction of the second direction, and has a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in the first direction, and a third light source that is fixed to the stage and emits light in the other direction of the second direction. The position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the first direction using a third incident position where the light from the third light source is incident on the third light-receiving sensor.

[0011] The fifth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the second or third aspect, further comprising a fourth light-receiving sensor that is fixed inside the housing, is located away from the stage in the other direction of the first direction, and has a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in the second direction, and a fourth light source that is fixed to the stage and emits light in the other direction of the first direction. The position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the second direction using a fourth incident position where the light from the fourth light source is incident on the fourth light-receiving sensor.

[0012] The sixth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, wherein the first light source is located on a first straight line that passes through the center of the stage in the first direction and the second direction and is parallel to the second direction.

[0013] The seventh aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein the second light source is located on a second straight line that passes through the center of the stage and is parallel to the first direction.

[0014] The eighth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, further comprising an exposure head that can expose the substrate supported by the stage that moves in the first direction by the stage moving mechanism.

[0015] A ninth aspect is the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect or the second aspect, which has a pair of the first light receiving sensors. The pair of first light receiving sensors are arranged apart from each other in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction. The light emitted from the first light source is incident on the pair of first light receiving sensors. The position calculation unit calculates the rotation angle of the stage about the axis in the second direction based on the incident positions where the light from the first light source is incident on the pair of first light receiving sensors.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the first aspect to the ninth aspect, since the position of the stage is calculated without passing through a mirror, the position of the stage in the first direction can be measured with high precision and at low cost.

[0017] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the second aspect, since the position of the stage 2 can be measured without passing through a mirror, the position of the stage 2 movable in the Y direction in the X direction can be measured with high precision and at low cost.

[0018] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the third aspect, the rotation of the stage can be appropriately corrected according to the calculated rotation angle.

[0019] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the fourth aspect, by using the third incident position for calculating the position of the stage, the position of the stage can be measured more accurately.

[0020] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the fifth aspect, by using the fourth incident position for calculating the position of the stage, the position of the stage can be measured more accurately.

[0021] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the sixth aspect, the operation for obtaining the position of the stage can be facilitated.

[0022] According to the substrate processing apparatus of the seventh aspect, the operation for obtaining the stage position can be facilitated.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in this embodiment are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. In the drawings, for ease of understanding, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as appropriate.

[0025] In the following description, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are defined to explain the positional relationship between elements. The X direction, Y direction, and Z direction intersect each other, and more preferably are orthogonal to each other. In the drawings, arrows indicating the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are appropriately attached. The direction in which the tip of the arrow points is taken as the + (plus) direction, and the opposite side of the + direction is taken as the - (minus) direction. Also, the Z direction is taken as the vertical direction, the +Z direction is taken as the upward direction, and the -Z direction is taken as the downward direction.

[0026] <1. First Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an exposure apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing a stage 2, a position measurement unit 6, and a housing 10 included in the exposure apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, side wall portions 102 and 103, which are part of the housing 10, are omitted for the purpose of explaining the configuration of the exposure apparatus 100.

[0027] The exposure apparatus 100 is a substrate processing apparatus that irradiates light onto the upper surface of a substrate W on which a layer of a photosensitive material (photosensitive layer) such as a resist is formed, and draws a pattern. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate, a printed circuit board, a substrate for a color filter, a glass substrate for a flat panel display used in a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device, or a substrate for an optical disk.

[0028] The exposure apparatus 100 includes a base 1, a stage 2, a stage moving mechanism 3, an exposure unit 5, a position measurement unit 6, a control unit 9, and a housing 10.

[0029] The base 1 has a rectangular shape in a top view. The base 1 supports the stage 2 and the stage moving mechanism 3 from below.

[0030] The stage 2 has an upper surface 2S as a support surface for supporting the substrate W. In a top view looking at the upper surface 2S from above, the upper surface 2S is square (here, rectangular). The upper surface 2S is a horizontal plane parallel to the X direction and the Y direction. The substrate W is placed on the upper surface 2S in a horizontal posture. A plurality of suction holes are formed in the upper surface 2S. The stage 2 can fix the substrate W to the upper surface 2S by applying a negative pressure (suction pressure) to the suction holes. Note that a chuck for gripping the periphery of the substrate W may be provided on the upper surface 2S, and the substrate W may be fixed to the upper surface 2S by the chuck.

[0031] The stage moving mechanism 3 is a mechanism for moving the stage 2 in the main scanning direction (Y direction), sub-scanning direction (X direction), and rotational direction (rotational direction around the Z axis (θ direction)). The stage moving mechanism 3 includes a support plate 31, a sub-scanning mechanism 32, a base plate 33, a main scanning mechanism, and a rotation mechanism 35.

[0032] The support plate 31 is disposed below the stage 2 and rotatably supports the stage 2. The base plate 33 is disposed below the support plate 31 and supports the support plate 31 and the sub-scanning mechanism 32. The sub-scanning mechanism 32 moves the support plate 31 in the X direction, which is the sub-scanning direction, with respect to the base plate 33. The main scanning mechanism 34 moves the base plate 33 in the Y direction, which is the main scanning direction, with respect to the base 1. When the base plate 33 moves in the Y direction, the stage 2 moves in the Y direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 32 and the main scanning mechanism 34 are constituted by, for example, a linear motor mechanism including a linear motor and a guide, or a ball screw mechanism including a rotary motor, a ball screw, and a guide. The rotation mechanism 35 is provided on the support plate 31 and rotates the stage 2 about a rotation axis A extending in the Z direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 32, the main scanning mechanism 34, and the rotation mechanism 35 operate based on a control command from the control unit 9.

[0033] The exposure unit 5 is disposed inside the housing 10. The exposure unit 5 has one or a plurality of exposure heads 51. In this example, five exposure heads 51 are arranged along the X direction. Each exposure head 51 has a spatial light modulator 510. The spatial light modulator 510 spatially modulates the laser light based on the strip data corresponding to the drawing pattern.

[0034] The exposure unit 5 has a light irradiation unit 53. The light irradiation unit 53 irradiates a laser beam onto the exposure head 51. The light irradiation unit 53 includes a laser drive unit 531, a laser oscillator 533, and an illumination optical system 535. By the operation of the laser drive unit 531, the laser oscillator 533 emits a laser beam to the illumination optical system 535. The illumination optical system 535 performs operations such as magnification change of the laser beam incident from the laser oscillator 533 and uniformization of the light quantity distribution. The laser beam emitted from the illumination optical system 535 is irradiated onto the spatial light modulator 510 of each exposure head 51.

[0035] The spatial light modulator 510 spatially modulates the laser beam irradiated from the light irradiation unit 53 in channel units, and reflects the necessary light that contributes to the pattern drawing and the unnecessary light that does not contribute to the pattern drawing in different directions from each other. Note that spatially modulating light means changing the spatial distribution (amplitude, phase, polarization, etc.) of the light. The exposure head 51 projects the modulated laser beam onto the substrate W that moves directly below the exposure head 51. Thereby, the drawing pattern is exposed on the unprocessed substrate W.

[0036] For the spatial light modulator 510, a diffractive grating type optical element such as a GLV (Grating Light Valve, registered trademark of Silicon Light Machines, USA) or a DMD (Digital Mirror Device) can be used, for example.

[0037] The housing 10 is a box-shaped member that houses the base 1, the stage 2, the stage moving mechanism 3, the exposure unit 5, and the position measurement unit 6 inside. The housing 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 10 has four side wall portions 101, 102, 103, 104 (hereinafter referred to as "side wall portions 101 to 104").

[0038] The side wall portion 101 is located away from the stage 2 in the -X direction, and the side wall portion 102 is located away from the stage 2 in the -Y direction. The side wall portion 103 is located away from the stage 2 in the +X direction, and the side wall portion 104 is located away from the stage 2 in the +Y direction.

[0039] The side wall portions 101 and 103 have inner surfaces facing each other in the X direction. The inner surfaces of the side wall portions 101 and 103 are parallel to the Y direction. The side wall portions 102 and 104 have inner surfaces facing each other in the Y direction. The inner surfaces of the side wall portions 102 and 104 are parallel to the X direction. Also, in this example, the inner surfaces of the side wall portions 101 to 104 are parallel to the Z direction.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the position measurement unit 6 includes light sources 611, 612, 613, and 614 (hereinafter referred to as light sources 611 to 614), and four light receiving sensors 631, 632, 633, and 634 (hereinafter referred to as "light receiving sensors 631 to 634").

[0041] The light source 611 is an example of a first light source, the light source 612 is an example of a second light source, the light source 613 is an example of a third light source, and the light source 614 is an example of a fourth light source. The light receiving sensor 631 is an example of a first light receiving sensor, the light receiving sensor 632 is an example of a second light receiving sensor, the light receiving sensor 633 is an example of a third light receiving sensor, and the light receiving sensor 634 is an example of a fourth light receiving sensor.

[0042] The light sources 611 to 614 are devices that emit linear laser light extending along the Z direction. The light sources 611 to 614 are fixed to the side surface of the stage 2. More specifically, the light source 611 is fixed to the -X side surface of the stage 2, and the light source 612 is fixed to the -Y side surface of the stage 2. Also, the light source 613 is fixed to the +X side surface of the stage 2, and the light source 614 is fixed to the +Y side surface of the stage 2.

[0043] The light source 611 emits laser light L1, L2, L3, and L4 (hereinafter referred to as "laser light L1 to L4") in the -X direction, the light source 612 emits laser light in the -Y direction, the light source 613 emits laser light in the +X direction, and the light source 614 emits laser light in the +Y direction. The laser light L1 to L4 emitted from the light sources 611 to 614 are directly incident on the light receiving sensors 631 to 634, respectively. That is, the laser light L1 to L4 is incident on the light receiving sensors 631 to 634 directly without passing through a mirror or the like.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the light sources 611 and 613 are located at the center of the stage 2 in the Y direction. The light sources 611 and 613 are located on the first straight line SL1 in a top view. The first straight line SL1 is a virtual straight line that passes through the center point CP1 of the upper surface 2S of the stage 2 and is parallel to the X direction in a top view. The laser beams L1 and L3 emitted from the light sources 611 and 613 travel on the first straight line SL1 and are respectively incident on the light receiving sensors 631 and 633.

[0045] Also, the light sources 612 and 614 are located at the center of the stage 2 in the X direction. The light sources 612 and 614 are located on the second straight line SL2 in a top view. The second straight line SL2 is a virtual straight line that passes through the center point CP1 of the upper surface 2S of the stage 2 and is parallel to the Y direction in a top view. The laser beams L2 and L4 emitted from the light sources 612 and 614 travel on the second straight line SL2 and are respectively incident on the light receiving sensors 632 and 634.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 2, the light receiving sensor 631 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall portion 101, and the light receiving sensor 632 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall portion 102. Also, the light receiving sensor 633 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall portion 103, and the light receiving sensor 634 is fixed to the inner surface of the side wall portion 104.

[0047] The light receiving sensors 631 and 633 both extend along the Y direction and each have a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the Y direction. The light receiving sensors 632 and 634 both extend along the X direction and each have a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the X direction. The light receiving elements are, for example, photodiodes. The light receiving sensors 631 to 634 are one-dimensional sensors. Note that the light receiving sensors 631 to 634 may be two-dimensional sensors in which a plurality of light receiving elements are also arranged in the Z direction.

[0048] The light-receiving sensors 631 to 634 are electrically connected to the control unit 9. The light-receiving sensors 631 to 634 have the coordinate information of each light-receiving element, and output a signal indicating the position of the light-receiving element where the laser lights L1 to L4 are incident, that is, a signal indicating the incident positions P1, P2, P3, P4 (hereinafter referred to as "incident positions P1 to P4") to the control unit 9.

[0049] Although not shown in the figure, the light sources 611 to 614 are electrically connected to the control unit 9, and turn on and off the laser lights L1 to L4 based on the control commands from the control unit 9.

[0050] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 9 shown in Figure 1. The control unit 9 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit 90. The storage unit 90 is electrically connected to the processor. The storage unit 90 is composed of a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk. The storage unit 90 stores a program P. The program P may be provided to the control unit 9 via a magnetic medium, an optical disk such as a DVD, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive. By the processor executing the program P, the control unit 9 functions as an irradiation control unit 91, a stage control unit 93, a drawing control unit 95, and a position calculation unit 97. Note that a part of the functions of the control unit 9 may be realized by a dedicated circuit (for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)).

[0051] The irradiation control unit 91 controls the light irradiation unit 53 of the exposure unit 5 to cause the light irradiation unit 53 to emit a line beam of light toward the exposure head 51. The stage control unit 93 controls the stage moving mechanism 3 to move the stage 2 in the Y direction, which is the main scanning direction, and the X direction, which is the sub-scanning direction, with respect to the exposure head 51. The drawing control unit 95 controls the spatial light modulator 510 of the exposure head 51 using the drawing recipe stored in the storage unit 90 and the position information of the stage 2. More specifically, the drawing control unit 95 controls the drive voltage applied to each channel of the spatial light modulator 510 to modulate the line beam of light on the spatial light modulator 510 so as to correspond to the drawing pattern. Thereby, pattern light corresponding to the drawing pattern is formed, and the pattern light is emitted from the exposure head 51.

[0052] The drawing recipe describes, for example, pattern data indicating the drawing pattern to be formed on the substrate W and various conditions for drawing (such as the amount of light emitted from the exposure unit 5 and the moving speed of the stage 2) in a predetermined data format. The pattern data is, for example, data obtained by rasterizing CAD data generated using CAD (Computer Aided Design), and the position information on the substrate W where light is to be irradiated is recorded in pixel units. Specifically, the data calculated by the position calculation unit 97 is used as the position information of the stage 2.

[0053] The position calculation unit 97 calculates the position of the stage 2 in the Y direction and the X direction. The position calculation unit 97 also calculates the angle of rotation (yaw) about the axis in the Z direction of the stage 2. More specifically, the position calculation unit 97 calculates the position and rotation angle of the stage 2 using the incident positions of the laser beams L1 to L4 detected by the light receiving sensors 631 to 634. As shown in FIG. 3, the data indicating the incident positions detected by the light receiving sensors 631 to 634 is input to the control unit 9 via the interface.

[0054] Next, a method for the position calculation unit 97 to calculate the position and rotation angle of the stage 2 will be described. In the following description, the position of the center point CP1 of the stage 2 is denoted as coordinates (X, Y). Here, X indicates the position in the X direction, and Y indicates the position in the Y direction. The origin (0, 0) is the connecting portion of the side wall portions 101 and 102 in the housing 10. Also, the position of the connecting portion of the side wall portions 103 and 104 is (A, B).

[0055] First, as shown in FIG. 2, when the rotation of the stage 2 can be ignored, the Y coordinate of the incident position P1 of the laser beam L1 detected by the light receiving sensor 631, or the Y coordinate of the incident position P3 of the laser beam L3 detected by the light receiving sensor 633, is the position of the stage 2 in the Y direction. Also, the X coordinate of the incident position P2 of the laser beam L2 detected by the light receiving sensor 632, or the X coordinate of the incident position P4 of the laser beam L4 detected by the light receiving sensor 634, is the position of the stage 2 in the X direction.

[0056] Note that the position (X, Y) of the stage 2 can also be calculated using the four incident positions P1 to P4. That is, the position calculation unit 97 may obtain the straight line passing through the incident positions P1 and P3 as the first straight line SL1, and obtain the straight line passing through the incident positions P2 and P4 as the second straight line SL2. Then, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the intersection of the first straight line SL1 and the second straight line SL2 as the position (X, Y) of the stage 2.

[0057] Furthermore, the position (X, Y) of stage 2 can also be obtained from three of the incident positions P1 to P4. For example, the position calculation unit 97 may obtain a first straight line SL1 passing through the incident positions P1 and P3, and obtain a second straight line SL2 that is orthogonal to the obtained first straight line SL1 and passes through the incident position P2 (or the incident position P4). Alternatively, the position calculation unit 97 may obtain a second straight line SL2 passing through the incident positions P2 and P4, and obtain a first straight line SL1 that is orthogonal to the obtained second straight line SL2 and passes through the incident position P1 (or the incident position P3). Then, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the intersection point of the obtained first straight line SL1 and second straight line SL2 as the position (X, Y) of stage 2.

[0058] FIG. 4 is a top view showing stage 2 rotated by a predetermined angle θ about the axis in the Z direction. When considering the rotation of stage 2, first, the position calculation unit 97 calculates the position (X, Y) of stage 2. Specifically, the position (X, Y) of stage 2 is obtained as the intersection point of the straight line connecting the incident positions P1 and P3 and the straight line connecting the incident positions P2 and P4. As described above, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the position (X, Y) of stage 2 using only three of the incident positions P1 to P4.

[0059] Also, when the position calculation unit 97 obtains the rotation angle θ of stage 2, first, it calculates the distances R1, R2, R3, and R4 (hereinafter referred to as "distances R1 to R4") between the light receiving sensors 631 to 634. The distances R1 to R4 are the distances from the position of stage 2 to the light receiving sensors 631 to 634, respectively. The distances R1 to R4 are represented by the following equations (1) to (4), respectively.

[0060] (1) R1 = X (2) R2 = Y (3) R3 = A - X (4) R4 = B - Y

[0061] Subsequently, the position calculation unit 97 calculates the rotation angle θ using any one of the incident positions P1 to P4 detected by the light receiving sensors 631 to 634. For example, when using the incident position P1 of the light receiving sensor 631, if the actually detected incident position P1 is (0, n), then n is represented by the following equation (5) using the position Y of the stage 2 in the Y direction, the distance R1, and the rotation angle θ.

[0062] (5) n = Y - R1·tanθ

[0063] By solving this equation (5) for θ, the rotation angle θ can be obtained. More specifically, in equation (5), since R1 = X according to equation (1), n is represented by the following equation (6).

[0064] (6) n = Y - X·tanθ

[0065] When solving equation (6) for tanθ, tanθ is represented by the following equation (7).

[0066] (7) tanθ = (Y - n) / X

[0067] Furthermore, when solving equation (7) for θ, θ is represented by the following equation (8).

[0068] (8) θ = arctan((Y - n) / X)

[0069] As shown in equation (8), the position of the stage can be obtained from the position (X, Y) of the stage 2 and the incident position P1.

[0070] As shown in Equation (5), in calculating the rotation angle θ, a value obtained by multiplying the distance R (R is any one of R1 to R4) between the stage 2 and each light-receiving sensor 631 to 634 by tan θ (R·tan θ) is used. Therefore, in order to obtain the rotation angle θ with higher accuracy, the distance R should be made as large as possible. From this perspective, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the rotation angle θ using the incident position of the light-receiving sensor that is the largest among the distances R1 to R4 (that is, the farthest from the stage 2).

[0071] In addition, the position calculation unit 97 may obtain the rotation angle θ from among the incident positions P1 to P4, for example, from the incident positions P1, P3, or the incident positions P2, P4. For example, after the position calculation unit 97 obtains the first straight line SL1 from the straight line passing through the incident positions P1 and P3, the angle formed by the first straight line SL1 with respect to the straight line parallel to the X direction may be obtained as the rotation angle θ. Further, after the position calculation unit 97 obtains the second straight line SL2 from the straight line passing through the incident positions P2 and P4, the angle formed by the second straight line SL2 with respect to the straight line parallel to the Y direction may be obtained as the rotation angle θ.

[0072] The position calculation unit 97 may calculate the rotation angle θ based on Equation (8) before starting the main scanning movement for exposing the photosensitive layer of the substrate W. Then, by using the calculated rotation angle θ, the stage control unit 93 controls the rotation mechanism 35 to correct the rotation angle of the stage 2. Thereby, the exposure accuracy can be improved. In addition, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the rotation angle θ during the main scanning movement. Then, by using the calculated rotation angle θ, the drawing control unit 95 may correct the exposure position. To correct the exposure position, for example, the pattern data may be rotationally corrected according to the rotation angle θ. By such correction of the exposure position, the exposure accuracy can be improved.

[0073] <2. Second Embodiment> Next, the second embodiment will be described. In the following description, for elements having the same functions as the elements already described, the same reference numerals or reference numerals with added alphabetic characters may be used, and detailed descriptions may be omitted.

[0074] In the exposure apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, the rotation (yawing) of the stage 2 about the axis extending in the Z direction is detected. However, the rotation of the stage 2 about the axes in other directions may be detected instead.

[0075] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a pair of light receiving sensors 631 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, in the present embodiment 100, a pair of light receiving sensors 631 are provided on the side wall portion 101 of the housing 10. The pair of light receiving sensors 631 are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced apart in the Z direction. The laser light L1 emitted from the light source 611 enters each of the pair of light receiving sensors 631 while crossing the pair of light receiving sensors 631 in the Z direction.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a side view showing a side surface of the stage 2 according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 6, as shown by the solid line, when the stage 2 is not rotating (not pitching) about the axis in the X direction, as shown in FIG. 5, the laser light L1 enters the pair of light receiving sensors 631 at the same position in the Y direction. On the other hand, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6, when the stage 2 rotates about the axis in the X direction, the light source 611 and the laser light L1 also rotate accordingly. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, a shift occurs in the incident position with respect to the pair of light receiving sensors 631 in the Y direction. For this reason, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the pitching angle based on the incident position and the amount of shift with respect to the pair of light receiving sensors 631. For example, the position calculation unit 97 may calculate the angle formed by the straight line connecting the incident positions of the pair of light receiving sensors 631 with respect to the Z-axis direction as the pitching angle.

[0077] Although not shown, the position measurement unit 6A may include a pair of light receiving sensors 632, 633, or 634 that are arranged apart from each other in the Z direction, similar to the pair of light receiving sensors 631. For example, when having a pair of light receiving sensors 632, the position calculation unit 97 can calculate the rotation (rolling) of the stage 2 about the axis in the Y direction using the incident position of the laser light L2 from the light source 612.

[0078] <3. Third Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the light receiving sensors 631 to 634 are respectively fixed to the side wall portions 101 to 104. However, the light receiving sensors 631 to 634 may be configured to be movable.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a side view showing the light receiving sensor 631a according to the third embodiment. The exposure apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes a light receiving sensor 631a and a sensor moving mechanism 7 that moves the light receiving sensor 631a in the Y direction. The sensor moving mechanism 7 includes a moving table 71, a pair of guide rails 72, a linear motion mechanism 73, and a position detector 74.

[0080] Similar to the light receiving sensor 631, the light receiving sensor 631a has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged along the Y direction. In the Y direction, the length of the light receiving sensor 631a is shorter than the length of the light receiving sensor 631. The number of light receiving elements of the light receiving sensor 631a is smaller than the number of light receiving elements of the light receiving sensor 631.

[0081] The moving table 71 is a plate-like member, and the light receiving sensor 631a is fixed to the +X side surface. The pair of guide rails 72 are fixed to the side wall portion 101 and extend along the Y direction. The moving table 71 is connected to the pair of guide rails 72. The linear motion mechanism 73 is connected to the moving table 71 and moves the moving table 71 in the Y direction. The linear motion mechanism 73 is configured by a motor using a linear motor or a ball screw. The linear motion mechanism 73 operates based on the control of the control unit 9. The moving table 71 moves in the Y direction along the guide rail 72 by the driving force of the linear motion mechanism 73. As a result, the light receiving sensor 631a also moves in the Y direction. The position detector 74 detects the position of the moving table 71 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 9. The position detector 74 is, for example, a linear encoder.

[0082] The position calculation unit 97 moves the movement table 71 in accordance with the movement of the stage 2 in the Y direction. Thereby, even if the laser beam L1 moves in the Y direction together with the stage 2, it is possible to make the laser beam L1 enter the light receiving sensor 631a. Further, when the position calculation unit 97 calculates the incident position where the laser beam L1 enters the light receiving sensor 631a, it calculates using the position of the light receiving element that detected the laser beam L1 in the light receiving sensor 631a and the position of the light receiving sensor 631a detected by the position detector 74.

[0083] In this way, since the sensor movement mechanism 7 moves the light receiving sensor 631a in the Y direction, the light receiving sensor 631a can be made shorter, so that the number of light receiving elements can be reduced. Although not shown, the light receiving sensors 632 to 634 may also be made movable by the sensor movement mechanism.

[0084] As described above, the exposure apparatus 100 as a substrate processing apparatus includes the stage 2, the stage movement mechanism 3, the housing 10, the light receiving sensor 631 as the first light receiving sensor, the light source 611 as the first light source, and the position calculation unit 97. The stage 2 supports the substrate W. The stage movement mechanism 3 moves the stage 2 in the Y direction as the first direction. The housing 10 is accommodated inside the stage 2 and the stage movement mechanism 3. The light receiving sensor 631 is fixed inside the housing 10. The light receiving sensor 631 is located away from the stage 2 in the -X direction as one of the second directions intersecting the Y direction. The light receiving sensor 631 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the Y direction. The light source 611 is fixed to the stage 2. The light source 611 emits the laser beam L1 in the -X direction. The position calculation unit 97 calculates the position of the stage 2 in the Y direction using the incident position P1 as the first incident position where the laser beam L1 from the light source 611 directly enters the light receiving sensor 631.

[0085] According to this configuration, the position of stage 2 is calculated using the incidence position P1 where the laser beam L1 emitted from the light source 611 fixed to stage 2 directly enters the light receiving sensor 631. Thereby, since the position of stage 2 can be measured without passing through a mirror, the position of stage 2 movable in the Y direction in the Y direction can be measured with high precision and at low cost.

[0086] Further, the exposure apparatus 100 further includes a light receiving sensor 632 as a second light receiving sensor and a light source 612 as a second light source. The light receiving sensor 632 is fixed inside the housing 10 and is located away from stage 2 in the -Y direction, which is one of the Y directions with respect to stage 2. The light receiving sensor 632 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the X direction. The light source 612 is fixed to stage 2 and emits light in the -Y direction. The position calculation unit 97 calculates the position of stage 2 in the X direction using the incidence position P2, which is the second incidence position where the light from the light source 612 enters the light receiving sensor 632.

[0087] According to this configuration, since the position of stage 2 can be measured without passing through a mirror, the position of stage 2 movable in the Y direction in the X direction can be measured with high precision and at low cost.

[0088] Further, the position calculation unit 97 calculates the rotation angle θ of stage 2 about the Z-axis, which is the direction intersecting the Y direction and the X direction, using the position (X, Y) of stage 2 in the Y direction and the X direction and the incidence position P1 or the incidence position P2.

[0089] According to this configuration, the rotation of the stage can be appropriately corrected according to the calculated rotation angle θ.

[0090] Further, the exposure apparatus 100 further includes a light receiving sensor 633 as a third light receiving sensor and a light source 613 as a third light source. The light receiving sensor 632 is fixed inside the housing 10 and is located away from the stage 2 in the +X direction, which is the other direction in the X direction with respect to the stage 2. The light receiving sensor 633 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the X direction. The light source 613 is fixed to the stage 2 and emits light in the +X direction. The position calculation unit 97 calculates the position of the stage 2 in the Y direction using the incident position P3 as the third incident position where the light from the light source 613 enters the light receiving sensor 633.

[0091] According to this configuration, by using the incident position P3 for calculating the position of the stage 2, the position of the stage 2 can be measured with higher accuracy.

[0092] Further, the exposure apparatus 100 further includes a light receiving sensor 634 as a fourth light receiving sensor and a light source 614 as a fourth light source. The light receiving sensor 634 is fixed inside the housing 10 and is located away from the stage 2 in the +Y direction, which is the other direction in the Y direction with respect to the stage 2. The light receiving sensor 634 has a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the X direction. The light source 614 is fixed to the stage 2 and emits light in the +Y direction. The position calculation unit 97 calculates the position of the stage 2 in the X direction using the incident position P4 as the fourth incident position where the light from the light source 614 enters the light receiving sensor 634.

[0093] According to this configuration, by using the incident position P4 for calculating the position of the stage 2, the position of the stage 2 can be measured with higher accuracy.

[0094] Further, the light source 611 is located on a first straight line SL1 that passes through the center point CP1 as the center of the stage 2 in the Y direction and the X direction and is parallel to the X direction.

[0095] According to this configuration, the calculation for obtaining the position of the stage 2 can be facilitated.

[0096] Further, the light source 612 is located on a second straight line SL2 that passes through the center point CP1 of the stage 2 and is parallel to the Y direction.

[0097] According to this configuration, the calculation for obtaining the position of the stage 2 can be facilitated.

[0098] Further, the exposure apparatus 100 further includes an exposure head 51. The exposure head 51 can expose the substrate W supported by the stage 2 that moves in the Y direction by the stage moving mechanism 3.

[0099] According to this configuration, by controlling the exposure head 51 using the position of the stage 2 calculated by the position calculation unit 97, the exposure position can be made appropriate.

[0100] Further, the exposure apparatus 100 has a pair of light receiving sensors 631. The pair of light receiving sensors 631 are arranged apart from each other in the Z direction as a third direction intersecting the Y direction and the X direction. The light emitted from the light source 611 is incident on the pair of light receiving sensors 631. The position calculation unit 97 calculates the rotation angle of the stage 2 about the axis in the X direction based on the incident positions where the light from the light source 611 is incident on the pair of light receiving sensors 631.

[0101] According to this configuration, the rotation of the stage 2 can be appropriately corrected according to the calculated rotation angle.

[0102] Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is illustrative in all aspects and the present invention is not limited thereto. Innumerable modifications that are not illustrated can be assumed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Each configuration described in the above embodiments and each modification can be appropriately combined or omitted as long as they do not contradict each other.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0103] 2 Stage 3 Stage Moving Mechanism 5 Exposure Unit 9 Control Unit 10 Housing 51 Exposure Head 97 Position Calculation Unit 100 Exposure Device 101 - 104 Side Wall Parts 611 - 614 Light Sources 631 - 634 Light Receiving Sensors 631a Light Receiving Sensor L1 - L4 Laser Lights P1 - P4 Incident Positions SL1 First Straight Line SL2 Second Straight Line W Substrate

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a stage for supporting a substrate; a stage moving mechanism for moving the stage in a first direction; a housing for accommodating the stage and the stage moving mechanism therein; a first light receiving sensor fixed inside the housing, located away from the stage in one direction intersecting the first direction, and having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the first direction; a first light source fixed to the stage and emitting light in one direction of the second direction; a position calculation unit for calculating the position of the stage in the first direction using a first incident position where light from the first light source directly enters the first light receiving sensor; A substrate processing apparatus comprising the above components.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a second light receiving sensor fixed inside the housing, located away from the stage in one direction of the first direction, and having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the second direction; a second light source fixed to the stage and emitting light in one direction of the first direction; The position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the second direction using a second incident position where light from the second light source enters the second light receiving sensor. A substrate processing apparatus.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The position calculation unit calculates the rotation angle of the stage about an axis in a direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction using the positions of the stage in the first direction and the second direction and the first incident position or the second incident position. A substrate processing apparatus.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising: a third light receiving sensor fixed inside the housing, located away from the stage in the other direction of the second direction, and having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the first direction; a third light source fixed to the stage and emitting light in the other direction of the second direction; The position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the first direction using a third incident position where light from the third light source enters the third light receiving sensor. A substrate processing apparatus.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, further comprising: a fourth light receiving sensor fixed inside the housing, located away from the stage in the other direction of the first direction, and having a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the second direction; A fourth light source that is fixed to the stage and emits light in the other direction of the first direction, further comprising, The position calculation unit calculates the position of the stage in the second direction using a fourth incident position where light from the fourth light source is incident on the fourth light receiving sensor. A substrate processing apparatus.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, The first light source is located on a first straight line that passes through the center of the stage in the first direction and the second direction and is parallel to the second direction. A substrate processing apparatus.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, The second light source is located on a second straight line that passes through the center of the stage and is parallel to the first direction. A substrate processing apparatus.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, An exposure head capable of exposing the substrate supported by the stage that is moved in the first direction by the stage moving mechanism, further comprising. A substrate processing apparatus.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, having a pair of the first light receiving sensors, The pair of first light receiving sensors are arranged apart from each other in a third direction that intersects the first direction and the second direction, The light emitted from the first light source is incident on the pair of first light receiving sensors, The position calculation unit calculates the rotation angle of the stage about the axis in the second direction based on the incident positions where the light from the first light source is incident on the pair of first light receiving sensors. A substrate processing apparatus.

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