Substrate stage device

Abstract

To configure a substrate stage device positioning and supporting a substrate arranged in a vacuum chamber so as to constantly arrange the substrate in a normal position of a stage body.SOLUTION: A substrate stage device includes: a stage body 3 on the upper surface of which a substrate Sg is arranged; a support rod 5 inserted to each of open holes 32 formed in the stage body in a vertical position; and transportation means 4 for relatively transporting the stage body to the support rod between a substrate receiving position and a substrate treatment position in a vertical direction. Included is position correction means 7 that corrects a substrate position to the stage body at least either in transportation on a XY plane or rotation in a θ direction by pressing each of multiple positions of an outer surface of the substrate at an alignment position in vertical position between the substrate receiving position and the substrate treatment position. It is configured such that the position correction means is positioned below the stage body at the substrate treatment position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate stage device that is arranged in a vacuum chamber and supports and positions a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] The manufacturing process of flat panel displays involves forming various thin films on the surface of a glass substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate"). Sputtering devices, for example, have traditionally been used for this film formation process (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Meanwhile, substrates on which films are formed have become larger with each generation (e.g., 2300 mm × 2700 mm for the G8.7 generation) and thinner (e.g., 0.5 mm). When forming films on such substrates using the so-called deposit-down method, the substrates transported by a transfer robot must be transferred and placed on a stage body of a substrate stage device located in a vacuum chamber. In this case, for example, multiple through-holes extending vertically are formed in the stage body, and support rods of a predetermined length are inserted into each through-hole. Then, the stage body is moved downward relative to the support rods so that the upper ends of the support rods protrude from the stage body (substrate transfer position), and the substrate is temporarily received from the transfer robot so that the substrate is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods. From this state, the stage body is moved upward relative to the stage body, whereby the substrate is placed on the upper surface of the stage body (substrate processing position).

[0003] The stage body may be equipped with an electrostatic chuck mechanism for attracting and holding a substrate, and may also be equipped with a mechanism for heating or cooling the substrate during film formation. In this case, if the diameter of the through-holes formed in the stage body is large, problems such as uneven temperature distribution across the substrate surface during heating or cooling may occur. Therefore, the diameter of the through-holes must be kept as small as possible (e.g., 6 mm or less), and the diameter of the support rods cannot be made large accordingly. Therefore, when the substrate is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods at the substrate transfer position, the support rods may buckle, causing the substrate to shift relative to the stage body, resulting in the substrate being unable to be placed in the correct position on the stage body. In such a case, for example, if a mask plate is installed above the stage body to limit the film formation area and a film is formed on the substrate through the mask plate, the film formation area may shift, hindering successful film formation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-133065 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-57218 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate stage device that allows a substrate to be placed in the correct position on the stage main body at all times. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the substrate stage device of the present invention, which is placed within a vacuum chamber and supports and positions a substrate, comprises a stage body on whose upper surface a substrate is placed, support rods which are respectively inserted into a plurality of through-holes which are formed in the stage body and extend in the vertical direction, and movement means which moves the stage body in the vertical direction relative to the support rods between a substrate transfer position where the upper ends of each support rod protrude from the stage body and a substrate processing position where the upper ends of each support rod are retracted into the through-holes, and when the stage body is moved relatively upward from a state in which the substrate is supported by each support rod at the substrate transfer position, the position before the center of the substrate comes into contact with the upper surface of the stage body is defined as the alignment position, and the substrate plane is defined as the XY plane and the direction of rotation about an axis perpendicular to the XY plane is defined as the θ direction, by pressing each of multiple points on the outer surface of the substrate at the alignment position, the substrate position is corrected relative to the stage body by at least one of movement within the XY plane and rotation in the θ direction, and is characterized in that the position correction means is configured to be located below the stage body at the substrate processing position.

[0007] According to the present invention, when a substrate transported by a transport robot is placed on the stage body, the substrate is first received from the transport robot at the substrate transfer position so that the substrate is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods. At this time, taking into account deflection due to the substrate's own weight, the amount of protrusion of each support rod from the stage body may gradually increase from the center of the stage body toward its outer edge. In this state, buckling or other issues that may occur in the support rods may cause the substrate to become misaligned with respect to the stage body in the XY plane. The stage body is then moved upward relative to the support rods, and the relative movement is temporarily stopped when it reaches an alignment position just before (just before) the center of the substrate contacts the upper surface of the stage body.

[0008] At the alignment position, the outer surface of the substrate is pressed appropriately at multiple points to slide the upper end faces of the support rods, correcting (aligning) the substrate position relative to the stage body. At this time, the amount of movement of the substrate in the XY plane and the angle of rotation in the θ direction can be determined experimentally in advance. Alternatively, an imaging device such as a CCD camera can be installed inside the vacuum chamber to capture an image of the substrate at the alignment position, and the amount of movement and angle of rotation of the substrate can be determined each time based on the image data. Once the substrate position has been corrected, the stage body is moved further upward relative to the stage body. The upper ends of the support rods then reach the substrate processing position, where they are immersed in the through-holes, and the substrate is placed in the correct position on the top surface of the stage body.

[0009] In the present invention, the "substrate processing position" does not only refer to a state in which the upper ends of the support rods are completely inserted into the through-holes, but also includes a state in which the upper ends of the support rods slightly protrude from the through-holes, leaving a gap between the upper surface of the stage body and the lower surface of the substrate, and the substrate is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods. Thus, in the present invention, even if the substrate becomes misaligned when it is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods at the substrate transfer position, the substrate position is corrected at the alignment position between the substrate transfer position and the substrate processing position, so the substrate can always be placed in the correct position on the stage body. Moreover, because the position correcting means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position, if an adhesion prevention plate is placed around the stage body at the substrate processing position, problems such as contamination of the position correcting means with film formation material during film formation processing in the vacuum chamber do not occur.

[0010] In the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which the stage body further includes guide members that are vertically attached to the underside of the stage body so as to surround the lower edges of the through holes and that guide the relative movement of the support rods that pass through the stage body, the guide members including stopper members that prevent the support rods from falling out of the through holes when the stage body is moved relatively upward from the substrate transfer position to the substrate processing position. This makes it possible to minimize tilting of the support rods within the through holes when supporting a substrate at the substrate transfer position. Moreover, by changing the position of the stopper member, the amount by which the upper ends of the support rods protrude from the stage body at the substrate processing position can be easily changed, which is advantageous.

[0011] In the present invention, the upper end surfaces of the support rods preferably have an upwardly convex shape. This advantageously minimizes the contact area between the upper ends of the support rods and the substrates, allowing the substrates supported by each support rod to slide easily when a pressing force is applied to the substrates by the position adjustment means. In this case, the upper end surfaces of the support rods may be formed with multiple upwardly convex portions. Repeated substrate position adjustments may cause wear on the upper end surfaces of the support rods. In the present invention, a configuration can be adopted in which a cap body made of a different material from the support rod is attached to the upper end of the support rod in a manner that prevents rotation relative to the support rod. This allows the support rods to be made of a material with relatively high mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the cap body can be made of a material that minimizes damage to the back surface of the substrate when it is slid. This allows the cap body to be the only replaceable part, which is cost-effective. Furthermore, there is no problem with the cap body falling off the upper end of the support rod when the substrate is slid. If an internal space is created in the cap body when the cap body is attached to the upper end of the support rod, it is preferable to form a vent hole that reaches the outer surface of the cap body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 4 is another schematic cross-sectional view of a sputtering apparatus that is equipped with the substrate stage device of the present embodiment. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are a cross-sectional view and an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the upper end portion of the support rod. [Figure 4] 5(a) to 5(d) are cross-sectional views that explain the operation of the substrate stage device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a cap body according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the substrate stage device SM of the present invention will be described, taking as an example an application to a sputtering device for depositing a film on one surface of a glass substrate (hereinafter referred to as "substrate Sg") by sputtering using a deposition-down method. Hereinafter, the plane of the substrate Sg is referred to as the XY plane, and the direction of rotation about the Z axis perpendicular to the XY plane is referred to as the θ direction. Furthermore, the direction in which targets are arranged parallel to the substrate Sg is referred to as the X axis direction, and the longitudinal direction of the targets perpendicular to the X direction is referred to as the Y axis direction. Furthermore, the stage body moves in the Z axis direction, and terms indicating directions are based on FIG. 1, which shows the installation posture of the sputtering device.

[0014] 1 and 2, a magnetron-type sputtering apparatus Sa equipped with substrate stage device SM of this embodiment includes a vacuum chamber 1. An exhaust port 11 is provided in the side wall of the vacuum chamber 1. The exhaust port 11 is connected to a vacuum pump 13, such as a rotary pump or a turbomolecular pump, via an exhaust pipe 12, and the inside of the vacuum chamber 1 can be evacuated to a predetermined pressure. The side wall of the vacuum chamber 1 is also provided with a gas inlet 14 for introducing a sputtering gas made of a rare gas such as argon (which may also contain a reactive gas such as oxygen). The gas inlet 14 is connected to a gas source (not shown) via a gas inlet pipe 16 equipped with a mass flow controller 15, and the sputtering gas can be introduced at a controlled flow rate. A cathode unit 2 serving as a film formation source is detachably attached to the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 1.

[0015] The cathode unit 2 includes multiple targets 21 (four in this embodiment) arranged side by side at equal intervals in the X-axis direction. Each target 21 is made of a metal material or metal compound selected according to the composition of the thin film to be deposited on the substrate Sg and is shaped like a rectangle in a plan view. In this case, the dimensions (width in the X direction and length in the Y direction) of each target 21 are set so that, when facing the substrate Sg, the area where the targets 21 are arranged side by side is slightly larger than the substrate Sg. Each target 21 is bonded to a copper backing plate 22 and detachably attached to the upper wall of the vacuum chamber 1 via an insulator 23, with its sputtering surface 21a facing downward. Each target 21 is connected to a sputtering power supply 24 installed outside the vacuum chamber 1. In this embodiment, two adjacent targets 21, 21 are paired, and AC power can be applied between each pair of targets 21, 21. The cathode unit 2 also includes magnet units 25 arranged above each target 21.

[0016] The magnet unit 25 has a support plate (yoke) 25a made of a magnetic material and having a rectangular outline, which is arranged parallel to the sputtering surface 21a of the target 21. A central magnet 25b extending in the Y direction at the center of the support plate 25a's underside and peripheral magnets 25c arranged along the outer periphery of the support plate 25a and surrounding the central magnet 25b are provided with opposite polarities on the lower side. This allows a balanced, closed-loop, tunnel-shaped magnetic field (not shown) to be formed in the space below each target 21. Although not specifically shown or described, each magnet unit 25 may be connected to a drive source such as a motor or air cylinder so that each magnet unit 25 (integrally) reciprocates in the X direction at a predetermined stroke value and at a constant speed in parallel with the X direction during film formation by sputtering. The substrate stage device SM of this embodiment is provided in the lower space of the vacuum chamber 1, facing the area where each target 21 is arranged side by side.

[0017] The substrate stage device SM includes a metal stage body 3 having, on its upper surface, a substrate mounting surface 31 that matches the contours of the substrate Sg. A drive shaft 41 is connected to the underside of the stage body 3, penetrating the bottom wall of the vacuum chamber 1 while maintaining airtightness and protruding into the vacuum chamber 1. The stage body 3 is movable up and down via the drive shaft 41 by a drive source 42, such as an air cylinder or linear motor, installed outside the vacuum chamber 1. In this embodiment, the drive shaft 41 and the drive source 42 constitute a moving means 4, which moves the stage body 3 up and down between a substrate transfer position where the substrate Sg is transferred away from the target 21 and a substrate processing position (position shown in FIG. 1 ) where the stage body 3 passes through an alignment position and approaches the target 21 to perform film formation. Although not specifically shown or described, a chuck plate of an electrostatic chuck having a contour matching the substrate mounting surface 31 may be attached to the substrate mounting surface 31 to electrostatically attract the substrate Sg during film formation. On the other hand, a passage for circulating a coolant or a heater may be installed inside the stage body 3 so that the substrate Sg can be controlled to a predetermined temperature during film formation by sputtering. Known components can be used for these components, so further detailed explanation will be omitted. The stage body 3 is formed with a plurality of through-holes 32 that penetrate in the vertical direction. The diameter of each through-hole 32 and the distance between each through-hole 32 are set appropriately taking into consideration the size of the substrate Sg, the temperature distribution of the substrate Sg during film formation, and the like.

[0018] A support rod 5 is inserted into each through-hole 32 with a gap therebetween. Each support rod 5 is made of a metal rod having a relatively high mechanical strength. It has a large-diameter portion 51 that is stored in the through-hole 32 with a gap therebetween at the substrate processing position, and a small-diameter portion 52 that extends downward from the large-diameter portion 51. As shown in FIG. 3 , a cap body 53 (a component of the support rod 5) made of a different material is attached to the upper end of each support rod 5. The cap body 53 is made of a material that minimizes damage to the back surface of the substrate Sg when the substrate Sg slides over it, as described below, such as a resin molded body made of polyimide, and has an attachment hole 53a formed on its lower surface that extends upward. In this case, another small-diameter portion 54 is formed on the upper end of each support rod 5, and the cap body 53 is attached by being inserted into the small-diameter portion 54 from above. A key portion 55 is formed on the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 51, and a key groove portion 53b is formed on the lower end of the cap body 53. As a result, when the cap body 53 is attached, it is prevented from rotating relative to each support rod 5, and when the substrate Sg is slid, the cap body 53 does not come off the support rod 5. The cap body 53 is formed with a vent hole 56 that reaches the internal space of the cap body 53 when it is attached.

[0019] A guide member 6 is vertically attached to the stage main body 3 so as to surround the lower edge of each through-hole 32. The guide member 6 has a cylindrical member 62 of a predetermined length made of a metal with a relatively high mechanical strength and having an insertion hole 61 formed therein, through which the small-diameter portion 52 of each support rod 5 is inserted. A cylindrical protrusion 63 is provided on the upper surface of the cylindrical member 62, extending upward so as to surround the upper edge of the insertion hole 61, and the protrusion 63 is fitted into the through-hole 32 from below. As a result, when the stage main body 3 moves upward relative to each support rod 5, the lower surface of the large-diameter portion 51 of each support rod 5 abuts against the upper surface of the protrusion 63, thereby locking each support rod 5 (restricting downward movement of each support rod 5), and preventing each support rod 5 from falling out of each through-hole 32. In this embodiment, the large-diameter portion 51 and the protrusion 63 form a stopper member. The length of the large diameter portion 51 of each support rod 5 is set appropriately taking into consideration the amount of protrusion of each support rod 5 from the stage body 3 at the substrate transfer position and the thickness of the stage body 3, and the diameters of the large diameter portion 51 and the small diameter portion 52 are set taking into consideration the diameters of the through holes 32 and the insertion holes 61. Furthermore, the cylindrical member 62 is provided with a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 64, 64 to guide the relative movement of each support rod 5 (its small diameter portion 52) in the vertical direction.

[0020] A support plate 65 is disposed on the inner surface of the lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1. A regulating base 66 is disposed on the upper surface of the support plate 65, with the lower end surfaces of the support rods 5 abutting against it to restrict the downward movement of each support rod 5. The regulating base 66 also serves as a stopper member. The regulating base 66 can also be disposed directly on the inner surface of the lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1, without the support plate 65. Furthermore, a detachable spacer member (not shown) may be disposed on the upper or lower surface of the regulating base 66 to appropriately adjust the amount of protrusion of each support rod 5 from the stage body 3 at the substrate transfer position. A position correcting means 7 is provided within the vacuum chamber 1 in correspondence with the alignment position. The position correcting means 7 includes an XY stage 72 mounted on a support base 71 attached to the inner surface of the side wall of the vacuum chamber 1. A known XY stage that can be used within the vacuum chamber 1 can be used, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. A support column 73 is erected on the XY stage 72, and a resin pressure pad 74 is attached to the upper end of the support column 73 so that it can come into contact with the side surface of the substrate Sg. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the position correcting means 7 is arranged so that a pressure force can be applied via the pressure pad 74 to three locations on two sides of the substrate Sg facing each other in the X-axis direction: the center of one side of the substrate Sg and both ends of the other side of the substrate Sg. An adhesion prevention plate 8 is also provided within the vacuum chamber 1 so as to surround the periphery of the stage body 3 when it is in the substrate processing position. Hereinafter, with reference to Fig. 4, film formation on the substrate Sg using the sputtering apparatus Sa will be described.

[0021] When forming a film on the substrate Sg, the substrate Sg, which has been transported by a transport robot (not shown), is placed on the stage body 3. At this time, the stage body 3 of the substrate stage device SM is in the substrate transfer position (see FIG. 4(a)), with the lower surface of the small-diameter portion 52 of each support rod 5 abutting the upper surface of the regulating base 66, and each support rod 5 protruding a predetermined amount from the stage body 3. Taking into account deflection due to the substrate Sg's own weight, the protrusion amount of the large-diameter portion 51 of each support rod 5 from the stage body 3 may be gradually increased from the center of the stage body 3 toward its outer edge. In this state, the substrate Sg is transported into the vacuum chamber 1 by the transport robot through a substrate outlet 17 (see FIG. 1) opened in the side wall of the vacuum chamber 1, and the substrate Sg is temporarily received so that it is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods 5 (specifically, cap bodies 53). The transport robot is retracted, the substrate outlet 17 is closed, and the stage body 3 is then moved upward relative to the support rods 5. Then, when the upper surface of the stage body 3 and the lower surface of the substrate Sg approach each other and reach the alignment position just before (just before) the center of the substrate Sg comes into contact with the upper surface of the stage body 3, the relative movement is temporarily stopped (see FIG. 4(b)). At the alignment position, the lower surface of the small diameter portion 52 of each support rod 5 abuts against the upper surface of the regulating base 66.

[0022] At the alignment position, the XY stages 72 of the position correcting means 7 are operated to bring the pressure pads 74 into contact with three locations on the side of the substrate Sg. Then, a CCD camera (not shown) installed in the vacuum chamber 1 captures an image of the substrate Sg. Based on the captured image data, the amount of displacement of the substrate Sg in the XY plane relative to the stage body 3 is measured. Based on this measured displacement, the amount of movement of the pressure pads in the XY plane is determined. In this case, using the pressure pad 74 at the center of one side of the substrate Sg as a fulcrum, the remaining two pressure pads 74 are moved in at least one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions to rotate the substrate Sg in the θ direction. By moving the pressure pads 74 in at least one of the X-axis and Y-axis directions based on the thus determined amount of movement, the substrate Sg slides on the upper end surfaces of the support rods 5, thereby correcting the substrate position (see FIG. 4(c)). After that, the pressure pads 74 are retracted (see FIG. 4(d)), and the stage body 3 is further moved upward.

[0023] When the stage body 3 moves upward, the small-diameter portions 52 of the support rods 5 move downward relative to the stage body 3 while being guided by a pair of upper and lower guide rollers 64, 64. When the lower surfaces of the large-diameter portions 51 of the support rods 5 abut against the upper surfaces of the protruding pieces 63, the support rods 5 are locked, restricting the downward movement of the support rods 5 and preventing the support rods 5 from falling out of the through-holes 32. In this state, the lower surfaces of the small-diameter portions 52 of the support rods 5 are spaced from the upper surface of the regulating base 66, and the large-diameter portions 51, including the cap bodies 53, of the support rods 5 are completely immersed in the through-holes 32, reaching the substrate processing position (see FIG. 1). As a result, the substrate Sg is placed in the correct position on the upper surface of the stage body 3. In this state, film formation is performed by sputtering in the vacuum chamber 1 under a vacuum atmosphere. After the film formation, the stage body 3 is lowered from the substrate processing position to the substrate transfer position.

[0024] According to the above embodiment, even if the substrate Sg becomes misaligned when it is supported by the upper end surfaces of the support rods 5 at the substrate transfer position, the substrate position is corrected at the alignment position between the substrate transfer position and the substrate processing position, so the substrate Sg can always be placed in the correct position on the stage body 3. Moreover, at the substrate processing position, the position correcting means 7 is located below the adhesion prevention plate 8, so the position correcting means 7 is not contaminated with the film formation material during the film formation process in the vacuum chamber 1. Furthermore, the provision of the guide member 6 makes it possible to minimize tilting of the support rods 5 within the through holes 32 when the substrate Sg is supported at the substrate transfer position. Furthermore, the provision of the cap body 53 allows the cap body 53 to be the only replaceable part, which is advantageous in terms of cost, and also prevents the cap body 53 from falling off the upper end of the support rod 5 when the substrate Sg is slid.

[0025] Although the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the stage main body 3 is moved up and down by the moving means 4. However, this is not limited to this. The substrate stage device SM can also be configured so that the support rods 5 move up and down. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the large diameter portion 51 and the protruding piece portion 63 of the support rod 5 constitute a stopper member. However, this is not limited to this. Although not specifically shown or described, the guide member 6 may be formed with a plurality of accommodating grooves positioned below the lower guide roller 64 and extending along the XY plane at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction, and a spherical engaging body is provided in each accommodating groove while being biased by a coil spring. Alternatively, an engaging groove recessed in the circumferential direction may be formed at a predetermined position in the large diameter portion 51 of each support rod 5. When each engaging body engages with the engaging groove, the downward movement of each support rod 5 is restricted, preventing each support rod 5 from falling out of each through-hole 32.

[0026] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the regulating base 66 is disposed on the inner surface of the lower wall of the vacuum chamber 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the regulating base 66, cylindrical receiving pipes 66 that receive the lower ends of the small diameter portions 52 of the support rods 5 can be provided upright. This prevents the support rods 5 from tilting unnecessarily when the substrate Sg slides over the upper end surfaces of the support rods 5 at the alignment position to correct the substrate position. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the position correcting means 7 is disposed so that pressing force can be applied to three locations on the side surface of the substrate Sg via the pressing pads 74, but any form is possible as long as the substrate position can be corrected by sliding the substrate Sg over the upper end surfaces of the support rods 5.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the cap body 53 has an upper end surface formed into a flat surface, but this is not limited thereto. It is preferable that the upper end surface of the support rod 5 or the cap body 53 has an upwardly convex shape so that sliding resistance is minimized when the substrate Sg is slid by applying a pressing force from the pressure pad 74. In particular, as shown in FIG. 5 , the cap body 530 according to a modified example has an upper end surface 531 with multiple convex shapes repeated. Furthermore, while the cap body 53 is attached to the support rod 5 in a rotation-preventing manner using the key portion 55 and the key groove portion 53b, this is not limited thereto, and other known mechanisms may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] SM...substrate stage device, Sg...glass substrate (substrate), 1...vacuum chamber, 3...stage body, 32...through hole, 4...moving means, 5...support rod, 51...large diameter portion (component of stopper member), 52...small diameter portion, 53...cap body (component of support rod), 55...engagement groove (component of stopper member), 6...guide member, 63...projection portion (component of stopper member), 7...position correction means.

Claims

1. A substrate stage apparatus that is disposed in a vacuum chamber and supports and positions a substrate, the stage body has an upper surface on which a substrate is placed; support rods inserted into a plurality of through holes formed in the stage body and extending in the vertical direction; and a moving means for moving the stage body in the vertical direction relative to the support rods between a substrate transfer position where an upper end of each support rod projects from the stage body and a substrate processing position where an upper end of each support rod is retracted into the through hole; a substrate stage device further comprising position correction means for correcting the position of the substrate relative to the stage body by at least one of movement within the XY plane and rotation in the θ direction by pressing a plurality of points on the outer surface of the substrate at the alignment position, where the position correction means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position, and the position correction means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position, and the position correction means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position, and the position correction means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position, and the position correction means is located above the stage body at the alignment position, and the position correction means is located below the stage body at the substrate processing position.

2. 2. A substrate stage device as described in claim 1, further comprising a guide member that is hung from the underside of the stage body so as to surround the lower edge of the through hole, and that guides the relative movement of the support rod that passes through the interior, and wherein the guide member comprises a stopper member that prevents the support rod from falling out of the through hole when the stage body is moved relatively upward from the substrate transfer position to the substrate processing position.

3. 3. A substrate stage device according to claim 1, wherein the upper end surfaces of the support rods are shaped to be convex upward.

4. 3. A substrate stage device according to claim 1, wherein a cap body made of a material different from that of said support rod is attached to the upper end of said support rod in a state where it is prevented from rotating relative to said support rod.

Images