Work stage, exposure apparatus and exposure method

Abstract

To provide a work stage enabling highly-accurate exposure, an exposure apparatus and an exposure method.SOLUTION: A work stage includes a holding member and a suction part. The holding member is movable in a prescribed direction and configured to hold an object. The suction part includes: a suction face onto which the objected is sucked; a first aperture disposed at the suction face and configured to be penetrated by the holding member; a second aperture disposed at the suction face and configured not to be penetrated by the holding member; and an airtight member disposed between an inner surface of the first aperture and the holding member, and capable of sealing between the inner surface and the holding member. In a state sealed by the airtight member, through using decompression means configured to decompress the first aperture and the second aperture, the object is sucked onto the suction face, and compression means configured to increase a pressure at the first aperture without increasing a pressure at the second aperture is used, in a state with the object sucked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a workpiece stage, an exposure apparatus, and an exposure method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an exposure apparatus that uses lift pins to place a workpiece on a vacuum suction stage. In this exposure apparatus, when the lift pins are lowered, the flange members come into close contact with the cover member, preventing vacuum leakage from the holes in which the lift pins are placed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-151407 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In such exposure apparatuses, there is a demand for technology that enables high-precision exposure.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a work stage, an exposure apparatus, and an exposure method that enable high-precision exposure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, a work stage according to one embodiment of the present technology includes a holding member and a suction portion. The holding member is movable in a predetermined direction and holds an object. The suction portion has an adsorption surface to which the object is adsorbed, a first hole formed on the adsorption surface and through which the holding member passes, a second hole formed on the adsorption surface and through which the holding member does not pass, and a sealing member arranged between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member and capable of sealing the space between the inner surface and the holding member. With the sealing member in a sealed state, a pressure reducing means is used to reduce the pressure in the first hole and the second hole, thereby adsorbing the object to the adsorption surface, and with the object in an adsorbed state, a pressure increasing means is used to increase the pressure only in the first hole without increasing the pressure in the second hole.

[0007] In this work stage, the object is attached to the attachment surface by reducing the pressure in the first hole through which the holding member passes and the second hole through which the holding member does not pass, and then the pressure in only the first hole is increased without increasing the pressure in the second hole, enabling high-precision exposure.

[0008] The holding member may have a through hole, in which case the pressure increasing means may be means for increasing the pressure in the first hole via the through hole in the sealed state.

[0009] The holding member may be a rod-shaped member having a first portion and a second portion having a diameter smaller than that of the first portion. In this case, the sealing member may be annular, disposed so as to surround the holding member, and have an inner diameter equal to that of the first portion. Furthermore, when adsorbing the object, the holding member may be moved to bring the first portion into contact with the sealing member, thereby achieving the sealed state. Furthermore, the pressurizing means may be means for increasing the pressure in the first hole through a gap between the second portion and the sealing member by moving the holding member and bringing the second portion into opposition to the sealing member.

[0010] The second portion may include a tapered portion in which the diameter changes continuously.

[0011] The sealing member may have a ring shape and be attached to surround the holding member so as to be movable integrally with the holding member. In this case, when the object is to be adsorbed, the holding member may be moved so that the sealing member abuts against the inner surface of the first hole, thereby achieving the sealed state.

[0012] The pressure increasing means may be a means for increasing the pressure in the first hole through a gap between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member by moving the holding member and separating the sealing member from the inner surface of the first hole.

[0013] The pressure reducing means may be means for reducing the pressure in the second hole, thereby reducing the pressure in the first hole via a space between the suction surface and the object.

[0014] The holding member may have a through hole, in which case the decompression means may be means for decompressing the first hole via the through hole, thereby decompressing the second hole via a space between the suction surface and the object.

[0015] The holding member may have a through hole, and the object may be adsorbed to the holding member by reducing the pressure in the through hole while the object is being held.

[0016] The suction unit may include a base and a suction stage that is disposed in contact with the base and has the suction surface. In this case, the first hole and the second hole may be configured across the base and the suction stage, respectively, and the sealing member may be disposed inside the first hole of the base.

[0017] An exposure apparatus according to one aspect of the present technology includes the workpiece stage and a light emitting unit. The light emitting portion emits light.

[0018] The exposure apparatus may further include a mask, which is disposed between the workpiece stage and the light emitting section and on which a pattern to be transferred onto the object is formed.

[0019] An exposure method according to one aspect of the present technology includes holding an object with a holding member that is movable in a predetermined direction. The object is placed on an attraction surface formed by the holding member, the attraction surface having a first hole through which the holding member passes and a second hole through which the holding member does not pass. A sealing member disposed between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member seals the inner surface and the holding member. The object is attracted to the attraction surface by using a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure in the first hole and the second hole. A pressure increasing means is used that increases the pressure only in the first hole without increasing the pressure in the second hole. The object is attracted and, with the pressure increasing means in use, light is irradiated onto the object, thereby transferring the pattern.

[0020] During the irradiation, the light may be irradiated through a mask on which a pattern is formed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, high-precision exposure is possible. Note that the effects described here are not necessarily limited to those described herein, and any of the effects described in this disclosure may be employed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present technology. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a work stage. [Figure 3A] FIG. [Figure 3B] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a workpiece is held by a pin. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a workpiece is placed on a sealing portion. [Figure 6A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper end of the pin has descended to the position of the hole in the suction stage. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the upper end of the pin has descended to the position of the hole in the suction stage. [Figure 7A] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state in which the upper part faces the O-ring. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the state in which the upper part faces the O-ring. [Figure 8A] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing variations of atmospheric air supply. [Figure 8B] 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing variations of atmospheric air supply. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present technology will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] [Exposure equipment] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an exposure apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present technology. The exposure apparatus 1 includes a light output unit 2, a mask M, a mask stage 3, a projection lens 4, a workpiece stage 5, and a pipe L.

[0025] The light emitting unit 2 has a lamp 6, a mirror 7, and a lamp house 8. The lamp 6 is a light source that emits light in all directions. The mirror 7 is capable of reflecting light and is disposed vertically above the lamp 6. The lamp house 8 is a housing that houses the lamp 6 and the mirror 7.

[0026] A pattern such as a circuit pattern to be transferred to the workpiece W is formed on the mask M. The mask stage 3 holds the mask M below the light emitting unit 2. The projection lens 4 is configured as a reduction optical system that reduces the pattern on the mask M and forms an image on the surface of the workpiece W, and is disposed below the mask M.

[0027] The workpiece stage 5 is a mechanism on which the workpiece W is placed, and is arranged below the projection lens 4. The detailed configuration of the workpiece stage 5 will be described later. In this embodiment, for example, a printed circuit board is arranged as the workpiece W, but the workpiece W may be any object to be exposed. The workpiece W is coated with, for example, a resist that is exposed by exposure light.

[0028] One end of the pipe L is connected to the work stage 5, and the other end is a bifurcated branch path. One of the branch paths is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via a valve B1. The other branch path is connected to an air inlet (not shown) via a valve B2.

[0029] In this embodiment, light is emitted from the lamp 6 while the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece stage 5 and vacuum-adsorbed by the workpiece stage 5. The optical paths of the emitted light are indicated by arrows in FIG. 1. Light emitted downward from the lamp 6 and light emitted upward and then reflected downward by the mirror 7 pass through the mask M and the projection lens 4 and reach the workpiece W. As a result, light is irradiated onto the workpiece W via the mask M, and the pattern of the mask M is transferred.

[0030] The process of placing the workpiece W on the workpiece stage 5 and the vacuum suction process will be explained in detail later. The specific configuration of each mechanism of the exposure apparatus 1 is not limited. For example, the projection lens 4 does not need to be provided. The exposure apparatus 1 may also be used for optical alignment processing, etc. The exposure apparatus 1 may also be a DI (Direct Imaging) exposure apparatus that exposes the workpiece W by directly writing a wiring pattern on the workpiece W by scanning with laser light without using a mask M. In this case, the exposure apparatus 1 does not include a mask M or a mask stage 3, and each of the exposure sections that expose the pattern onto the workpiece W is configured by a laser light source, a modulator that modulates the laser light according to the pattern, a lens for irradiating the laser light, etc. The workpiece W corresponds to an embodiment of an object according to the present technology.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the work stage 5. As shown in FIG. 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views of the work stage 5. FIG. Below, XYZ coordinates are defined as shown in the figure. In addition, in some cases, the X direction is the left-right direction (positive side is the right side, negative side is the left side), the Y direction is the depth direction (positive side is the front side, negative side is the back side), and the Z direction is the up-down direction (positive side is the top side, negative side is the bottom side).

[0032] Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional perspective view of the workpiece stage 5 cut along the XZ plane passing through the center of the pin 14 labeled in Fig. 2. Fig. 3B is a view of the cross section as viewed from the positive side of the Y axis. Figs. 3A and 3B show the vicinity of the pin 14 labeled in Fig. 2. The arrangement and number of holes 23, etc., may differ slightly from those shown in Fig. 2.

[0033] The work stage 5 has a base 11, a seal portion 12, a suction stage 13, and pins 14. The base 11 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and is made of a rigid material such as metal. The top surface 15 of the base 11 has a rectangular shape, and the peripheral portion is slightly lower than the interior (portion other than the peripheral portion). The seal portion 12 is an elastic member and is arranged in a rectangular ring shape along the peripheral portion (lower portion) of the top surface 15 of the base 11. Note that FIG. 2 shows the seal portion 12 schematically.

[0034] The suction stage 13 has a rectangular flat plate shape. The suction stage 13 typically has a rectangular shape, but is not limited thereto and may also have a square shape. In this example, the suction stage 123 has a square shape. The suction stage 13 is made of a material such as aluminum or stainless steel. The suction stage 13 has substantially the same shape as the area (a portion other than the peripheral edge) surrounded by the seal portion 12 on the upper surface 15 of the base 11, and is disposed in this area. The seal portion 12 is designed and disposed so that the position of its upper surface is higher than the upper surface 16 of the suction stage 13 when not elastically deformed. On the other hand, the seal portion 12 can also be compressively deformed in the vertical direction until the position of its upper surface is flush with the upper surface 16 of the suction stage 13.

[0035] Holes 17 are formed in the base 11, and holes 18 are formed in the suction stage 13. The holes 17 and 18 are each circular when viewed from above, are through-holes, and communicate with each other in the vertical direction. That is, they are formed across the base 11 and the suction stage 13. In this example, a total of nine holes 17 and 18 are arranged at equal intervals in three rows and three columns when viewed from above. In FIG. 2, only the hole 18 in the lower left (left side of the figure) is labeled.

[0036] Hole 17 has a shape in which holes 17a, 17b, 17c, and 17d, each with a different diameter, are connected in order from the top. Hole 17b has a smaller diameter than hole 17a, hole 17c has a smaller diameter than hole 17b, and hole 17d has a larger diameter than hole 17c. The diameter of hole 17d may be the same as the diameter of hole 17c. Hole 18 is configured to have a diameter of 5 mm or more, for example.

[0037] Base 11 further includes an O-ring 19 and a fixing member 20. O-ring 19 is an elastic member having a ring shape, and its outer diameter is approximately the same as the diameter of hole 17b. The vertical width of O-ring 19 is also approximately the same as the vertical width of hole 17b. O-ring 19 is embedded in hole 17b so as to abut against the side and bottom surfaces of hole 17b.

[0038] The fixing member 20 is a ring-shaped member having a certain thickness, and is made of a rigid material. The outer diameter of the fixing member 20 is approximately the same as the diameter of the hole 17a. The fixing member 20 is embedded in the hole 17a so as to abut against the side and bottom surfaces of the hole 17a. Furthermore, the fixing member 20 is positioned within the hole 17a by being screwed to the bottom surface of the hole 17a. In this example, the fixing member 20 is screwed in by four screws 21. Note that Figures 3A and 3B are cross-sectional views, and only some of the four screws are shown. The fixing member 20 may also be positioned by a method other than screwing.

[0039] Furthermore, the inner diameter of the fixing member 20 is slightly larger than the inner diameter of the O-ring 19 (substantially the same as the hole 17c). Therefore, the fixing member 20 covers the upper side of the O-ring 19. This restricts the vertical movement of the O-ring 19, and fixes the position of the O-ring 19. By using the fixing member 20, the O-ring 19 can be positioned with high precision. Furthermore, even if the O-ring 19 deteriorates due to wear or the like, the O-ring 19 can be easily replaced by removing the fixing member 20.

[0040] Furthermore, holes 22 are formed in the base 11, and holes 23 are formed in the suction stage 13. The holes 22 are grooves formed in the upper surface 15 of the base 11. In Figure 2 and other figures, the holes 22 are located below the suction stage 13 and cannot be seen in their entirety, but the holes 22 are formed so as to form a roughly lattice shape when viewed from above. In other words, multiple grooves extending in the X direction and multiple grooves extending in the Y direction are lined up, and each groove has a shape that intersects with each other.

[0041] 2, in this example, a total of 100 holes 23 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in 10 rows and 10 columns when viewed from above. Holes 23 are configured so that the diameter of the upper side (the portion facing upper surface 16) is, for example, 1 mm or less.

[0042] Hole 22 communicates with all holes 23. That is, holes 22 and 23 are configured across base 11 and suction stage 13. On the other hand, hole 22 does not communicate with holes 17 or 18. Specifically, hole 22 has a roughly lattice-like shape, but its shape is different at the position where hole 17 is present, so that hole 22 does not communicate with hole 17. Note that hole 22 may have a shape other than a lattice-like shape, and the specific shape is not limited as long as hole 22 communicates with all holes 23 but does not communicate with holes 17 or 18.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 2, a pipe L is connected to the right side of the base 11, and the hole 22 also communicates with the pipe L. In this example, the connection portion of the pipe L to the base 11 is bifurcated, but this portion does not have to be branched as shown in Fig. 1.

[0044] The pin 14 is a rod-shaped member consisting of a lower portion 14a and an upper portion 14c with different diameters, and a tapered portion 14b between the lower portion 14a and the upper portion 14c. Note that Figure 2 shows the pin 14 diagrammatically without distinguishing between the various portions. The diameter of the lower portion 14a is larger than the diameter of the upper portion 14c. The diameter of the tapered portion 14b gradually decreases from the lower portion 14a to the upper portion 14c. "Continuously changing" means that there are no discrete changes in diameter, i.e., no steps. The diameter of the lower portion 14a is smaller than the diameter of the hole 18 in the suction stage 13, slightly smaller than the diameter of the hole 17c and the inner diameter of the fixing member 20, and slightly larger than the inner diameter of the O-ring 19 when the O-ring 19 is not elastically deformed.

[0045] 2, 3A, and 3B show a state in which pin 14 passes through holes 17 and 18. At this time, pin 14 also passes through the inside of O-ring 19 and fixing member 20, so it can be said that O-ring 19 is arranged to surround pin 14. Furthermore, in this state, O-ring 19 abuts against lower part 14a of pin 14 while undergoing slight elastic deformation so that its inner diameter expands. Therefore, O-ring 19 is arranged between the inner surface (side surface) of hole 17b and pin 14, sealing the gap between the inner surface and pin 14. Meanwhile, hole 17c and fixing member 20 face lower part 14a with a small gap therebetween.

[0046] In this technology, the pin 14 is movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the vertical movement of the pin 14 is achieved by a movement mechanism (not shown). At this time, because the O-ring 19 has elasticity, the pin 14 is able to slide while abutting against the O-ring 19. Furthermore, if the pin 14 continues to move downward, the tapered portion 14b may eventually reach the position of the O-ring 19, and a gap may be created between the pin 14 and the O-ring 19.

[0047] Furthermore, a through hole 24 extending in the vertical direction is formed in the pin 14. The lower side of the through hole 24 is connected to a vacuum pump and an air inlet portion (not shown).

[0048] The diameters of holes 17 and 18 and the outer and inner diameters of O-ring 19 and fixing member 20 may be set to any size within the feasible range of the present technology, depending on the diameter of pin 14, etc. For example, pin 14 may actually be moved while in contact with O-ring 19, and the inner diameter of O-ring 19 may be designed so that pin 14 can slide with an appropriate force. The diameter of hole 23 may also be any size.

[0049] The base 11 and the suction stage 13 correspond to an embodiment of the suction unit according to the present technology. Holes 17 and 18 correspond to an embodiment of the first hole through which pin 14 passes. Holes 22 and 23 correspond to an embodiment of a second hole through which pin 14 does not pass. The O-ring 19 corresponds to one embodiment of the sealing member. The lower portion 14a corresponds to one embodiment of the first portion. The tapered portion 14b and the upper portion 14c correspond to an embodiment of the second portion.

[0050] [Exposure processing] The following describes the exposure process performed by the exposure apparatus 1. First, the workpiece W is transported by a transport mechanism (not shown), and then, with the pins 14 protruding upward (as shown in FIGS. 2, 3A, and 3B), the workpiece W is placed on the upper ends of the pins 14, thereby holding the workpiece W. In other words, the pins 14 function as holding members that hold the workpiece W.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the workpiece W is held by the pins 14. As shown in FIG. In this example, it is assumed that the exposure process is performed on a workpiece W having a rectangular flat plate shape. In Figure 4, the sides of the workpiece W are shown with thick lines, and the interior (the part other than the sides) is shown with diagonal lines. Note that the workpiece W is shown as transparent to make the drawing easier to see, but the actual workpiece W may be opaque.

[0052] Next, the movement mechanism moves the pins 14 downward, and the workpiece W also moves downward. Here, the shape of the sealing portion 12 is designed to be the same shape and size as the shape of the side of the workpiece W, and the upper surface of the sealing portion 12 is located higher than the suction stage 13, so the workpiece W is placed on the sealing portion 12 with the entire side abutting the upper surface of the sealing portion 12.

[0053] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the workpiece W is placed on the sealing section 12. As shown in FIG. At this time, the workpiece W is placed at a position slightly higher than the suction stage 13, so that the underside of the interior of the workpiece W (part other than the peripheral edge) faces the upper surface 16 of the suction stage 13 with a gap therebetween. This forms an internal space S surrounded by the workpiece W, the seal portion 12, and the suction stage 13. The internal space S can also be said to be the space between the suction stage 13 and the workpiece W.

[0054] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing a state in which the upper end of the pin 14 has descended to the position of the hole 18 of the suction stage 13. Note that in Fig. 6A, the workpiece W is not shown to make the drawing easier to see. Even in this state, the lower portion 14a of the pin 14 is in contact with the O-ring 19, and therefore the O-ring 19 provides a tight seal.

[0055] Next, the hole 22 of the base 11 is evacuated via the pipe L. Note that "evacuating" does not only mean creating a complete vacuum inside the hole 22, but also includes, for example, reducing the internal air pressure to a predetermined pressure that is lower than atmospheric pressure.

[0056] Hole 22 communicates with hole 23 of suction stage 13, hole 23 communicates with internal space S, and internal space S communicates with holes 17a and 18. Therefore, hole 23, internal space S, and holes 17a and 18 are simultaneously evacuated in conjunction with evacuating hole 22. In this way, a means for depressurizing holes 17a and 18 and holes 22 and 23, by depressurizing holes 22 and 23, is used.

[0057] On the other hand, the internal space S is not in communication with anything other than the holes 17a, 18, 22, and 23, and by abutting the lower part 14a against the O-ring 19, the hole 17a is sealed by the O-ring 19, so that air does not flow in from below the hole 17a. Therefore, the vacuum does not leak to the outside other than the internal space S and the holes 17a, 18, 22, and 23.

[0058] The workpiece W is subjected to a downward force due to the negative pressure in the internal space S, and the seal portion 12 is compressed and deformed as the workpiece W moves downward and is adsorbed to the suction stage 13 and stops. In other words, the upper surface 16 of the suction stage 13 functions as an adsorption surface that adsorbs the workpiece W. As the workpiece W approaches the suction stage 13, the volume of the internal space S decreases, and when the workpiece W is completely adsorbed, the internal space S disappears.

[0059] There is a very small gap between the upper surface 15 of the base 11 and the lower surface of the suction stage 13. Therefore, even when the workpiece W is almost completely suctioned and the internal space S has almost disappeared, a small leak occurs from the gap, and the holes 17a and 18 are evacuated.

[0060] At this time, negative pressure from holes 17a and 18 acts on the workpiece W at the position of hole 18, causing the workpiece W to be slightly depressed downward at the position of hole 18. On the other hand, the diameter of hole 23 is extremely small, so the depression of the workpiece W at the position of hole 23 is negligibly small.

[0061] After the evacuation is completed, the movement mechanism operates again to move the pin 14 further downward, and eventually the tapered portion 14b reaches the position of the O-ring 19, and the tapered portion 14b faces the O-ring 19. Whether the evacuation is completed or not is determined, for example, by a vacuum sensor. As the pin 14 moves further downward, the upper portion 14c faces the O-ring 19.

[0062] 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the state in which the upper portion 14c faces the O-ring 19. In these figures, the arrows indicate the compressive deformation of the seal portion 12. Also, in Fig. 7A, the workpiece W is not shown.

[0063] When tapered portion 14b faces O-ring 19, a gap is created between tapered portion 14b and O-ring 19, and air flows into holes 17a and 18 from below through this gap. After that, when upper portion 14c faces O-ring 19, the air continues to flow in in the same way. Note that a gas such as nitrogen gas may be flowed in instead of air.

[0064] As a result, the pressure in holes 17a and 18 increases. In this example, the pressure in holes 17a and 18 increases to atmospheric pressure, but "pressure increase" also includes any case in which the air pressure in holes 17a and 18 becomes higher than the previous air pressure. At this time, an internal space S does not form again between the workpiece W and the suction stage 13. Therefore, the air in holes 17a and 18 does not flow into holes 22 and 23 via the internal space S. Furthermore, although a small leak may occur in holes 22 and 23 from the gap between the base 11 and the suction stage 13, holes 22 and 23 maintain a negative pressure due to vacuuming. Therefore, the negative pressure in holes 22 and 23 maintains the suction of the workpiece W to the suction stage 13.

[0065] In this example, when the workpiece W is adsorbed, a means for increasing the pressure only in holes 17a and 18 without increasing the pressure in holes 22 and 23 is used, which involves moving pin 14 and aligning tapered portion 14b and upper portion 14c with O-ring 19, thereby increasing the pressure in holes 17a and 18 through the gap between tapered portion 14b and upper portion 14c and O-ring 19.

[0066] The workpiece W, which had been slightly depressed downward at the position of the hole 18 due to the increased pressure at the holes 17a and 18, returns to its original flat state because that portion is no longer subjected to negative pressure.

[0067] In this state, light is emitted from the lamp 6, and the pattern of the mask M is transferred onto the workpiece W. After the transfer is complete, the holes 22 and 23 are opened to the atmosphere via the pipe L, and the suction of the workpiece W to the suction stage 13 is released. Next, the pins 14 move upward again, and the workpiece W is lifted (the state shown in FIG. 4). The workpiece W is then transported by the transport mechanism, and the exposure process is completed.

[0068] As described above, in the exposure apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the holes 17 and 18 through which the pins 14 pass and the holes 22 and 23 through which the pins 14 do not pass are depressurized to adsorb the workpiece W to the upper surface 16 of the suction stage 13, and in this state, the pressure is increased only in the holes 17 and 18 without increasing the pressure in the holes 22 and 23. This enables high-precision exposure.

[0069] In the manufacturing process of semiconductors, printed circuit boards, liquid crystal substrates, and other workpieces, a workpiece stage is used to hold the workpiece by suction to prevent misalignment during exposure processing. In this case, it is considered that the transfer of the workpiece between the workpiece stage and a transport arm that transports the workpiece is performed using pins provided on the workpiece stage. Specifically, the workpiece is transported to the upper side of the workpiece stage by the transport arm, the pins are raised by the pin movement means, and the pins receive the workpiece from the transport arm. The transport arm retracts from the upper side of the workpiece stage, the pins are lowered by the pin movement means, and the workpiece is placed on the workpiece stage. A vacuum is supplied to vacuum suction holes provided on the workpiece placement surface of the workpiece stage, and the workpiece is held by suction on the workpiece stage.

[0070] However, the vacuum suction holes around the pins must be relatively large, for example, 5 mm or larger in diameter. If vacuum suction is performed with holes of that diameter, the workpiece will be significantly recessed in that area, preventing the mask pattern from being transferred accurately and adversely affecting the exposure conditions.

[0071] In this technology, by increasing the pressure in the holes 17a and 18 after the workpiece W is adsorbed, the depression in the workpiece W at the hole 18 is eliminated, and exposure is performed with the workpiece W in a flat state. This makes it possible to perform exposure processing with high resolution.

[0072] In addition, in this technology, the suction part that suctions the workpiece W is composed of two members: the base 11 and the suction stage 13. As a result, when the workpiece W is suctioned, a small leak occurs from the gap between the base 11 and the suction stage 13, and holes 17a and 18 are reliably evacuated.

[0073] <Other embodiments> The present technology is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various other embodiments can be realized. In the following description, the description of the same parts as those in the configuration and operation of the exposure apparatus 1 described in the above embodiment will be omitted or simplified.

[0074] [Vacuum supply and atmospheric supply variations] 2 and the like, holes 22 and 23 are evacuated, whereby holes 17a and 18 are evacuated via internal space S. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a means for evacuating holes 17a and 18 via through-hole 24 of pin 14 to evacuate holes 22 and 23 via internal space S may be used as the decompression means.

[0075] Specifically, with the workpiece W placed on it (FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B), holes 17a and 18 are evacuated via the through-hole 24 of pin 14, rather than via the pipe L, and holes 22 and 23 are also evacuated via the internal space S. This reduces the pressure in holes 17a and 18, as well as holes 22 and 23, and achieves suction of the workpiece W.

[0076] Furthermore, when only holes 17a and 18 are opened to the atmosphere after the workpiece W has been adsorbed, only holes 17a and 18 may be pressurized via through-hole 24. That is, after the state of FIGS. 6A and 6B, without lowering pin 14 as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, only holes 17a and 18 may be opened to the atmosphere by allowing air to flow in through through-hole 24 while the state of FIGS. 6A and 6B remains, i.e., while the holes are closed by O-ring 19. The inflow of air through through-hole 24 is achieved by controlling a solenoid valve or the like.

[0077] Including the above variations, there are two possible variations for vacuum supply: "vacuuming holes 22 and 23" and "vacuuming through through-hole 24." There are also two possible variations for air supply: "taper leak method (a method of lowering pin 14 to cause a vacuum leak)" and "hollow leak method (a method of letting air in through through-hole 24)."

[0078] That is, four variations that combine these (1) "Vacuum holes 22 and 23" + "Hollow leak method" (2) "Vacuuming through the through-hole 24" + "Hollow leak method" (3) "Vacuum holes 22 and 23" + "Taper leak method" (4) "Vacuuming through the through-hole 24" + "Taper leak method" Either of these may be adopted.

[0079] In (1) and (2) of these, since no taper leak is performed, the pin 14 may have a rod shape with a constant diameter without having a tapered portion 14b. In (3), since neither vacuuming nor atmospheric supply is performed via the through-hole 24, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the pin 14 does not have a through-hole 24. This makes it possible to manufacture the exposure apparatus 1 inexpensively. In addition, with such a wide variety of variations, it is possible to select an appropriate method depending on the configuration of the exposure apparatus 1, etc.

[0080] 8A and 8B are schematic diagrams showing variations of the air supply, with Fig. 8A showing a state in which the pin 14 is raised, and Fig. 8B showing a state in which the pin 14 is lowered. In this example, the pin 14 does not have a tapered portion 14b and has a constant diameter. The upper end of the pin 14 has a larger diameter, and an O-ring 19 is placed just below that so as to surround the pin 14. The O-ring 19 is fixed to the pin 14 and moves integrally with the pin 14 when the pin 14 slides.

[0081] Hole 18 has a diameter larger than the diameter of the upper end of pin 14 and the diameter of O-ring 19. Hole 17 consists of upper hole 17e, central hole 17f, and lower hole 17g. Hole 17e has a larger diameter than hole 17g. The side surface of hole 17f is tapered, and the diameter changes continuously from hole 17e to hole 17g. Hole 17g has a diameter slightly larger than that of pin 14, so that when pin 14 is raised (FIG. 8A), air flows in through the gap between pin 14 and the side surface of hole 17g.

[0082] When pin 14 descends, O-ring 19 comes into contact with the tapered surface of hole 17f (FIG. 8B). That is, O-ring 19 is disposed between the inner surface of hole 17f and pin 14, sealing the gap between the inner surface of hole 17f and pin 14. This prevents air from flowing into hole 17f from below.

[0083] That is, when supplying vacuum, pin 14 is lowered, and when supplying atmospheric air, pin 14 is raised, separating O-ring 19 from the inner surface of hole 17. Alternatively, when supplying atmospheric air, pin 14 may be kept lowered and atmospheric air may be allowed to flow in through through-hole 24. This eliminates the need for fixing member 20 and screws 21 for fixing O-ring 19, making it possible to realize exposure apparatus 1 with an even simpler configuration.

[0084] Furthermore, hole 17 does not have to have a tapered surface on the side. That is, there may be no portion corresponding to hole 17f, and there may be a step between holes 17e and 17g. In this case, if the diameter of hole 17g is smaller than the diameter of O-ring 19, when pin 14 descends, O-ring 19 will come into contact with the step (the bottom surface of hole 17e) and pin 14 will come to rest. This achieves a tight seal.

[0085] Alternatively, if a step is also present, the diameter of hole 17g may be made substantially the same as the diameter of O-ring 19. In this case, when pin 14 descends, O-ring 19 fits snugly into hole 17g midway, causing pin 14 to come to rest. Such a sealing may be achieved.

[0086] [Suction during holding] The workpiece W may be adsorbed onto the pins 14 by reducing the pressure in the through-holes 24 while the workpiece W is being held. Specifically, while the pins 14 are holding the workpiece W (before or after the workpiece W is placed on the adsorption stage 13), the air pressure inside the through-holes 24 is reduced, and the workpiece W is adsorbed onto the upper ends of the pins 14 using negative pressure. This allows the workpiece W to be held stably, making it possible to prevent the workpiece W from falling off the pins 14.

[0087] [Work Stage Components] By providing tapered portion 14b on pin 14 and changing the diameter continuously, damage to O-ring 19 caused by sliding of pin 14 is reduced, and the force required for sliding is also reduced. On the other hand, the portion corresponding to tapered portion 14b may be a step with a diameter that changes discretely. This makes it possible to manufacture pin 14 easily.

[0088] Furthermore, within the scope of feasibility of the present technology, the pin 14 may be movable in a direction other than the vertical direction. For example, the pin 14 may be movable in a direction slightly inclined relative to the vertical direction.

[0089] 2 and other examples, nine holes 17 and 18 are provided in a grid pattern, and 100 holes 23 are provided, but these specific numbers are not limited. For example, several thousand holes 23 may be provided. The arrangement is also not limited, and for example, the arrangement may be such that the holes are not evenly spaced.

[0090] The shape of the sealing portion 12 is not limited, and any shape may be adopted within the scope of the feasibility of the present technology. Typically, a shape that matches the edge of the workpiece W is adopted as the shape of the sealing portion 12 so that a closed internal space S is created when the workpiece W is placed on the sealing portion 12. For example, if the workpiece is disk-shaped, the sealing portion 12 may be made annular. Furthermore, as long as the present technology is feasible, a configuration that does not use the sealing portion 12 may be adopted.

[0091] "Depressurizing the first hole" also includes depressurizing only a portion of the first hole. In this example, the "first hole" is hole 17 and 18, and the portions that are actually depressurized are hole 17a, which is a portion of hole 17, and hole 18, but this case is also included in "depressurizing the first hole." On the other hand, all of holes 17 and 18 may be depressurized. The same applies to "increasing the pressure in the first hole."

[0092] It is also possible to combine at least two of the features of the present technology described above. That is, the various features described in each embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without distinction between the embodiments. Furthermore, the various effects described above are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be achieved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] M...Mask 1...Exposure device 2...Light emitting part 5. Work Stage 11...Bass 13...Suction stage 14...pin 14a...Lower 14b...Tapered section 14c...Top 17, 17a~g, 18, 22, 23...hole 19...O-ring 24...Through hole

Claims

1. a holding member that is movable in a predetermined direction and holds an object; an adsorption surface to which the object is adsorbed; a first hole formed on the suction surface and through which the holding member passes; a second hole formed on the suction surface, the second hole being such that the holding member does not pass through; a sealing member disposed between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member, the sealing member being capable of sealing the gap between the inner surface and the holding member; an adsorption portion; a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure in the first hole and the second hole while the object is sealed by the sealing member, thereby adsorbing the object to the adsorption surface; A pressure increasing means is used to increase the pressure only in the first hole without increasing the pressure in the second hole while the object is being attracted. Work stage.

2. 2. The work stage according to claim 1, the holding member has a through hole, The pressure increasing means is means for increasing the pressure in the first hole through the through hole in the sealed state. Work stage.

3. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, the sealing member has an annular shape, is disposed so as to surround the holding member, and has an inner diameter equal to the diameter of the first portion; When the object is to be attracted, the holding member is moved to bring the first portion into contact with the sealing member, thereby achieving the sealed state; The pressure increasing means is means for increasing the pressure in the first hole through a gap between the second portion and the sealing member by moving the holding member and causing the second portion to face the sealing member. Work stage.

4. The work stage according to claim 3, The second portion includes a tapered portion in which the diameter changes continuously. Work stage.

5. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, the sealing member has an annular shape and is attached to surround the holding member so as to be movable integrally with the holding member; When the object is to be attracted, the holding member is moved and the sealing member is brought into contact with the inner surface of the first hole, thereby achieving the sealed state. Work stage.

6. 6. The work stage according to claim 5, The pressure increasing means is means for increasing the pressure in the first hole through a gap between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member by moving the holding member and separating the sealing member from the inner surface of the first hole. Work stage.

7. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, The pressure reducing means reduces the pressure of the second hole, thereby reducing the pressure of the first hole through a space between the attraction surface and the object. Work stage.

8. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, the holding member has a through hole, The pressure reducing means reduces the pressure in the first hole via the through-hole, thereby reducing the pressure in the second hole via a space between the suction surface and the object. Work stage.

9. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, The holding member has a through hole, and the through hole is decompressed while the object is being held, thereby causing the object to be adsorbed to the holding member. Work stage.

10. 3. The work stage according to claim 1 or 2, the suction unit includes a base and a suction stage that is disposed in contact with the base and has the suction surface; the first hole and the second hole are formed across the base and the suction stage, respectively; The sealing member is disposed within the first hole of the base. Work stage.

11. a holding member that is movable in a predetermined direction and holds an object; an adsorption surface to which the object is adsorbed; a first hole formed on the suction surface and through which the holding member passes; a second hole formed on the suction surface, the second hole being such that the holding member does not pass through; a sealing member disposed between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member, the sealing member being capable of sealing the gap between the inner surface and the holding member; an adsorption portion; a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure in the first hole and the second hole while the object is sealed by the sealing member, thereby adsorbing the object to the adsorption surface; A pressure increasing means is used to increase the pressure only in the first hole without increasing the pressure in the second hole while the object is being attracted. Work stage and a light emitting portion that emits light; An exposure apparatus comprising:

12. 12. The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a mask disposed between the work stage and the light emitting unit, the mask having a pattern to be transferred to the object; An exposure apparatus comprising:

13. holding an object with a holding member that is movable in a predetermined direction; placing the object on an attraction surface having a first hole through which the holding member passes and a second hole through which the holding member does not pass; a sealing member disposed between the inner surface of the first hole and the holding member to seal the inner surface and the holding member; a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure in the first hole and the second hole, thereby attracting the object to the attraction surface; using a pressure increasing means for increasing the pressure only in the first hole without increasing the pressure in the second hole, The object is irradiated with light while the pressure increasing means is being used, thereby transferring the pattern. Exposure method.

14. The exposure method according to claim 13, During the irradiation, light is irradiated through a mask on which a pattern is formed. Exposure method.

Images