Direct drawing device, and direct drawing method

Abstract

To continue exposure even when there is inconvenience in an optical modulation element.SOLUTION: A direct drawing device includes multiple elements arranged in the sub-scanning direction, an optical modulation element for modulating the light from a light source, and an exposure head for exposing a substrate with light modulated by the optical modulation element. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose sub-exposure areas with light modulated using selection elements, and after the sub-exposure areas are exposed, it moves the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the width of the sub-exposure area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to exposure of substrates, including, for example, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as organic electroluminescence (EL) displays, substrates for optical disks, substrates for magnetic disks, substrates for magneto-optical disks, glass substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for field emission displays (FEDs), and substrates for solar cells. [Background technology]

[0002] Direct imaging equipment (maskless exposure equipment) that performs direct exposure without using a photomask widely uses an optical modulation element such as a digital micromirror device (DMD) or a grating light valve (GLV: registered trademark) instead of a photomask, and performs exposure by scanning the stage while operating the optical modulation element in accordance with the exposure data.

[0003] Here, the optical modulation element is a micro electromechanical system (MEMS) having a minute and complicated structure, and there is a concern of failure or poor performance.

[0004] In response to this, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2023-122118 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique in which the exposure area of ​​an exposure head in which a failure has been detected is compensated for by another exposure head. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-122118 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to an exposure apparatus having a single exposure head when a malfunction occurs in the optical modulation element.

[0007] The technology disclosed in the present specification has been made in consideration of the problems described above, and is a technology for continuing exposure even when a malfunction occurs in an optical modulation element. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A direct imaging apparatus according to a first aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is an apparatus for direct imaging of a substrate, and includes a light source, an optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in a sub-scanning direction and for modulating light from the light source, an exposure head for exposing the substrate to the light modulated by the optical modulation element, a first drive unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction, a second drive unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction, and a modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element and an operation of the first drive unit. and a control unit for controlling the operation of the second driving unit, wherein at least one of the elements that is a part of the plurality of elements of the optical modulation element is a selection element, an area that is exposed through the exposure head with the light modulated using the selection element is a sub-exposure area, and the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is a sub-exposure width, and the control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure area with the light modulated using the selection element, and after the sub-exposure area is exposed, moves the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width. A direct imaging apparatus according to a second aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to the direct imaging apparatus according to the first aspect, and the selection element comprises a plurality of the elements arranged adjacent to each other. A direct imaging device, which is a third aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, is related to the direct imaging device of the first or second aspect, and further includes a selection unit that selects the selected element from a plurality of the elements, and the selection unit determines the modulation state of the light of each of the elements and selects the selected element based on the result of the determination. A direct imaging device which is a fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is related to a direct imaging device which is any one of the first to third aspects, and defines the area exposed corresponding to all of the elements of the optical modulation element as the total exposure area, and defines the area of ​​the total exposure area other than the sub-exposure area as the remaining area, and the control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width after the sub-exposure area has been exposed, and moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction so that the remaining area is exposed with the light modulated using the selection element. A direct imaging device, which is a fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, is related to a direct imaging device, which is any one of the first to fourth aspects, and wherein a plurality of selection elements are selected, the selection elements including a first selection element and a second selection element, and the control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure area with the light modulated using the first selection element, and after the sub-exposure area is exposed, moves the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width, and moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction so as to expose the same sub-exposure area with the light modulated using the second selection element. A direct imaging device, which is a sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, is related to a direct imaging device, which is any one of the first to fifth aspects, and the selection element is different before and after relatively moving the exposure head by the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction. A direct imaging method that is a seventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification is a direct imaging method for a substrate using a direct imaging device that has a plurality of elements arranged in a sub-scanning direction, and that includes an optical modulation element for modulating light from a light source, and an exposure head for exposing the substrate to the light modulated by the optical modulation element, and includes the steps of: designating at least one of the elements that is a part of the plurality of elements of the optical modulation element as a selection element; designating an area that is exposed via the exposure head with the light modulated using the selection element as a sub-exposure area; designating a width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-exposure width; and relatively moving the exposure head in a main scanning direction that intersects with the sub-scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure area with the light modulated using the selection element; and, after the sub-exposure area has been exposed, relatively moving the exposure head in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to at least the first and seventh aspects of the technique disclosed in the present specification, even if there is a defect in the optical modulation element, it is possible to perform light modulation and even exposure using a selection element that is not defective.

[0010] Furthermore, objects, features, aspects, and advantages associated with the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the detailed description and accompanying drawings set forth below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an optical modulation element of an illumination optical system. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a plurality of exposure heads. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually showing the configuration of a plurality of exposure heads. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram conceptually showing a connection configuration between each drive unit and control unit of the exposure apparatus. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate, a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head, and a selection ribbon of an optical modulation element. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head, and the selection ribbon of the optical modulation element. FIG. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head. [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head, and the selection ribbon of the optical modulation element. FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of the relationship between an exposure area on a substrate and a head corresponding area of ​​an exposure head. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of variations in exposure amount for each sub-exposure region. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features will be shown for the purpose of explaining the technology, but these are merely examples and are not necessarily essential features for enabling the embodiments to be implemented.

[0013] The drawings are schematic, and for the sake of convenience, components may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. The relative sizes and positions of components shown in different drawings are not necessarily accurately depicted and may be changed as appropriate. Hatching may also be used in drawings such as plan views that are not cross-sectional views to facilitate understanding of the embodiments.

[0014] In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them may be omitted to avoid duplication.

[0015] Furthermore, in the description given in this specification, when a certain component is described as "comprising," "including," or "having," unless otherwise specified, this is not an exclusive expression that excludes the presence of other components.

[0016] Furthermore, although ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" may be used in the descriptions in this specification, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments, and the contents of the embodiments are not limited to the order that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0017] Furthermore, in the description given in this specification, expressions such as "positive direction of the ... axis" or "negative direction of the ... axis" refer to the direction along the arrow of the ... axis shown in the figure as the positive direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow of the ... axis shown in the figure as the negative direction.

[0018] Furthermore, in the description provided in this specification, terms that indicate specific positions or directions, such as "top," "bottom," "left," "right," "side," "bottom," "front," or "back," may be used, but these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments and have no relation to the positions or directions when the embodiments are actually implemented.

[0019] <Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus (direct imaging apparatus) according to this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the exposure apparatus (direct imaging apparatus) according to this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the exposure apparatus 1 includes a stage 10 for holding a substrate 9, a stage driver 20 connected to the stage 10, a head unit 30 having multiple exposure heads (exposure head 32a, exposure head 32b, exposure head 32c, exposure head 32d, and exposure head 32e) arranged in the X-axis direction, and a controller 50 for controlling the operation of each driver in the apparatus. The controller 50 controls the controlled object by executing a program stored in an internal or external recording medium (e.g., a volatile or non-volatile memory such as a HDD, RAM, ROM, or flash memory), and is composed of, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, or a microcomputer. The exposure apparatus 1 may also include an irradiation light imaging unit 40 for imaging the light (irradiation light) emitted from each exposure head.

[0021] Stage 10 has a flat plate-like outer shape and is a holding unit for holding substrate 9 in a horizontal position on its upper surface. A plurality of suction holes (not shown here) are formed in the upper surface of stage 10. Therefore, when substrate 9 is placed on stage 10, the suction pressure of the suction holes fixes substrate 9 to the upper surface of stage 10. Note that a layer of photosensitive material such as color resist is formed on the surface of substrate 9 held on stage 10.

[0022] The stage driving unit 20 is a mechanism for moving the stage 10 in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction), the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction), and the rotation direction (rotation direction around the Z-axis). The stage driving unit 20 includes a rotation mechanism 21 that rotates the stage 10, a support plate 22 that rotatably supports the stage 10, a sub-scanning mechanism 23 that moves the support plate 22 in the sub-scanning direction, a base plate 24 that supports the support plate 22 via the sub-scanning mechanism 23, and a main scanning mechanism 25 that moves the base plate 24 in the main scanning direction.

[0023] The rotation mechanism 21 includes a linear motor 21a composed of a slider attached to the end of the stage 10 on the negative side of the Y axis and a stator installed on the upper surface of the support plate 22. A rotation shaft 21b is provided between the lower surface of the center of the stage 10 and the support plate 22. Therefore, when the linear motor 21a is operated, the slider moves in the X axis direction along the stator, and the stage 10 rotates around the rotation shaft 21b on the support plate 22 within a predetermined angle range.

[0024] The sub-scanning mechanism 23 includes a linear motor 23a configured with a slider attached to the lower surface of the support plate 22 and a stator installed on the upper surface of the base plate 24. In addition, a pair of guide portions 23b extending in the sub-scanning direction are provided between the support plate 22 and the base plate 24. Therefore, when the linear motor 23a is operated, the support plate 22 moves in the sub-scanning direction along the guide portions 23b on the base plate 24. When the support plate 22 moves in the sub-scanning direction, the substrate 9 also moves in the sub-scanning direction, thereby moving the exposure head relative to the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction.

[0025] The main scanning mechanism 25 includes a linear motor 25a configured by a slider attached to the underside of the base plate 24 and a stator placed on a base 60 of the exposure apparatus 1. In addition, a pair of guide portions 25b extending in the main scanning direction are provided between the base plate 24 and the base 60. Therefore, when the linear motor 25a is operated, the base plate 24 moves in the main scanning direction along the guide portions 25b on the base 60. When the base plate 24 moves in the main scanning direction, the substrate 9 also moves in the main scanning direction, thereby moving the exposure head relative to the substrate 9 in the main scanning direction.

[0026] The head unit 30 is a mechanism for irradiating the upper surface of the substrate 9 held on the stage 10 with pulsed light of a predetermined pattern. The head unit 30 has a frame 31 mounted on a base 60 so as to straddle the stage 10 and the stage drive unit 20, and five exposure heads (exposure head 32a, exposure head 32b, exposure head 32c, exposure head 32d, and exposure head 32e) attached to the frame 31 at equal intervals along the sub-scanning direction. Each exposure head is connected to one laser oscillator 34 via an illumination optical system 33. A laser drive unit 35 is also connected to the laser oscillator 34.

[0027] Therefore, when the laser driving unit 35 is operated, pulsed light is generated from the laser oscillator 34, and the generated pulsed light is introduced into each exposure head via the illumination optical system 33.

[0028] The illumination optical system 33 includes at least one optical modulation element such as a GLV (registered trademark) or a DMD that modulates pulsed light emitted from a laser oscillator 34. The configuration of the illumination optical system 33 will be described later.

[0029] Each exposure head is provided with an exit section 36 for emitting pulsed light introduced from the illumination optical system 33 downward, an aperture unit 37 for partially blocking the pulsed light, and a projection optical system 38 for forming an image of the pulsed light on the upper surface of the substrate 9. An aperture AP, which is a glass plate on which a predetermined light-blocking pattern is formed, is set in the aperture unit 37. The pulsed light emitted from the exit section 36 is partially blocked when it passes through the aperture AP set in the aperture unit 37, and enters the projection optical system 38 as a light beam of a predetermined pattern. The pulsed light that has passed through the projection optical system 38 is then irradiated onto the upper surface of the substrate 9, thereby drawing (exposing) a predetermined pattern on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.

[0030] As shown conceptually in FIG. 1, each exposure head is provided with an aperture driver 39 for adjusting the position of the aperture AP set in the aperture unit 37. The aperture driver 39 can select a pattern to be projected onto the substrate 9 or adjust the projection position of the pattern by adjusting the horizontal position (including the inclination within the horizontal plane) of the aperture AP. The aperture driver 39 can also prohibit irradiation of the pulsed light by blocking the entire irradiation area of ​​the pulsed light with the light-shielding portion of the aperture AP. The aperture driver 39 can be configured, for example, by combining multiple linear motors.

[0031] After one exposure in the main scanning direction is completed, the exposure device 1 normally moves the stage 10 in the sub-scanning direction by the entire exposure width W, and then irradiates pulsed light from each exposure head while moving the stage 10 again in the main scanning direction. In this way, the exposure device 1 normally forms a color filter pattern on the substrate 9 by repeating drawing (exposure) in the main scanning direction a predetermined number of times (for example, four times) while shifting the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction by the entire exposure width W of the exposure heads.

[0032] Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an optical modulation element 33A of the illumination optical system 33. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the optical modulation element 33A includes a substrate 14A and a plurality of ribbons 14B (microbridges) that are movable gratings arranged in parallel on the substrate 14A. A plurality of slits 14C are formed between the plurality of ribbons 14B.

[0033] The ribbon 14B is positioned apart from the substrate 14A except for its ends, and its lower surface facing the substrate 14A is made of a flexible material such as SiNx, and its upper surface opposite the lower surface is made of a reflective electrode film made of a single-layer metal film such as aluminum.

[0034] The plurality of ribbons 14B are arranged in correspondence with the sub-scanning direction. In FIG. 3, the plurality of ribbons 14B are arranged along the X-axis direction. Note that the plurality of ribbons 14B only need to be arranged in correspondence with the respective exposure regions (sub-exposure regions described later) in the sub-scanning direction in FIG. 4 described later, and do not actually need to be arranged in the same direction as the sub-scanning direction. When the optical modulation element 33A is a DMD, it is only necessary that some of the plurality of micromirrors arranged two-dimensionally are arranged in correspondence with the respective exposure regions (sub-exposure regions described later) in the sub-scanning direction in FIG. 4 described later.

[0035] Optical modulation element 33A is driven and controlled by turning on / off the voltage applied between ribbon 14B and substrate 14A. When the voltage applied between ribbon 14B and substrate 14A is turned on, an electrostatic attraction force is generated between ribbon 14B and substrate 14A due to electrostatically induced charges, causing ribbon 14B to bend toward substrate 14A. On the other hand, when the voltage applied between ribbon 14B and substrate 14A is turned off, the above-mentioned bending is eliminated and ribbon 14B moves away from substrate 14A.

[0036] Typically, one pixel is made up of a plurality of ribbons 14B, for example, six ribbons 14B. By alternately arranging the ribbons 14B to which a voltage is applied, a diffraction grating can be generated by applying a voltage, thereby modulating light.

[0037] Based on exposure data stored in advance in a memory or the like, ribbons 14B of optical modulation element 33A are controlled by control unit 50, and light modulated for each pixel is input to output unit .

[0038] Each exposure head can also expose to multiple exposure areas. For example, exposure head 32a can expose to exposure areas Aa and Ab, exposure head 32b can expose to exposure areas Aa, Ab, and Ac, exposure head 32c can expose to exposure areas Ab, Ac, and Ad, exposure head 32d can expose to exposure areas Ac, Ad, and Ae, and exposure head 32e can expose to exposure areas Ad and Ae. Note that the exposure areas that can be exposed are not limited to the exposure areas corresponding to each exposure head and the adjacent exposure areas, as described above.

[0039] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure areas on the substrate and the multiple exposure heads. In the example shown in Fig. 4, exposure is performed on the exposure areas at positions corresponding to the respective exposure heads (i.e., exposure area Aa for exposure head 32a, exposure area Ab for exposure head 32b, exposure area Ac for exposure head 32c, exposure area Ad for exposure head 32d, and exposure area Ae for exposure head 32e).

[0040] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of multiple exposure heads. As shown in the example of Figure 5, exposure head 32a, exposure head 32b, exposure head 32c, exposure head 32d, and exposure head 32e are made up of many elemental parts such as aperture AP, aperture drive unit 39, and projection optical system 38. When all of these elemental parts operate normally, normal pulsed light is irradiated onto substrate 9.

[0041] 1 and 2, the irradiation light photographing unit 40 is a mechanism for photographing the pulsed light emitted from each exposure head. The irradiation light photographing unit 40 includes a CCD camera 41, a guide rail 42, and a camera drive mechanism 43 configured with a linear motor or the like. The CCD camera 41 is positioned so that its photographing direction faces upward. When the camera drive mechanism 43 is operated, the CCD camera 41 moves in the sub-scanning direction along the guide rail 42 attached to the side edge of the base plate 24 on the positive side of the Y axis.

[0042] When using the CCD camera 41, first, the main scanning mechanism 25 is operated to position the base plate 24 so that the CCD camera 41 is located below the head unit 30 (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). Then, the camera drive mechanism 43 is operated to move the CCD camera 41 in the sub-scanning direction, while the CCD camera 41 captures an image of the pulsed light emitted from each exposure head. The image data acquired by the image capture is transferred from the CCD camera 41 to the control unit 50. The transferred image data is used, for example, to determine whether or not there is a defect in the corresponding exposure head.

[0043] The control unit 50 is a processing unit for controlling the operation of each driving unit in the exposure apparatus 1. Figure 6 is a diagram conceptually showing the connection configuration between each driving unit of the exposure apparatus 1 and the control unit 50.

[0044] <Exposure head operation> Next, the operation of one of the multiple exposure heads, exposure head 32a, will be described. Note that the other exposure heads 32b, 32c, 32d, and 32e can also perform similar operations.

[0045] Pulsed light emitted from a laser oscillator 34 enters the exposure head 32a via the illumination optical system 33, but if there is a problem with any of the ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A in the illumination optical system 33 (for example, if the ribbon 14B does not move normally or if the range of movement of the ribbon 14B is narrow), the light of the pixel corresponding to that ribbon 14B will not be modulated correctly, and the exposure area corresponding to that light will not be exposed correctly.

[0046] In Figure 4, if the area exposed by the exposure head 32a moving in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction) (a stripe-shaped area with a width W in the X-axis direction) is defined as the total exposure area, and each area exposed by light modulated by each ribbon 14B of the optical modulation element 33a is defined as a sub-exposure area, if a defective ribbon 14B is included as described above, the sub-exposure area of ​​the total exposure area corresponding to the defective ribbon 14B will not be exposed correctly.

[0047] Therefore, in this embodiment, among the multiple ribbons 14B in the optical modulation element 33a, a ribbon 14B that is determined to be free of defects is selected as a selected ribbon, and the exposure head 32a is operated to expose the entire exposure area by performing multiple exposures using the selected ribbon. Note that the entire exposure area also includes areas that are not actually irradiated with light (areas to which an exposure pattern that does not irradiate light is assigned).

[0048] The selected ribbon described above corresponds to at least one ribbon 14B among the multiple ribbons 14B in the optical modulation element 33a. However, it is desirable to select as many normal ribbons 14B as possible that are free of defects, and multiple ribbons 14B may be selected as the selected ribbon. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of facilitating selection and operational control, multiple adjacent ribbons 14B may be grouped together as a selection target (selection target as an area), and the selection target consisting of the multiple ribbons 14B may be determined to have no defects and then selected as the selected ribbon. In this case, the number of multiple ribbons 14B grouped together may differ for each selection target. In other words, the number of ribbons 14B constituting each selection ribbon set in the optical modulation element 33a may differ.

[0049] For example, a first exposure is performed using a selected ribbon on a sub-exposure region of the total exposure region, and then a second exposure is performed using the selected ribbon on the remaining exposure region (remaining region) of the total exposure region. In this case, the amount of movement of the exposure head 32a in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction) is equal to the width of the sub-exposure region in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction). When exposure is performed using a selected ribbon that is a group of multiple ribbons 14B, the amount of movement is equal to the total width of the multiple ribbons 14B in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction). When multiple patterns of widths of the sub-exposure region can be set by varying the number of ribbons 14B included in the selected ribbon, any of the multiple patterns of widths of the sub-exposure region can be used.

[0050] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection ribbons of the optical modulation element 33A. Note that the sizes of the exposure area, the head corresponding area, and the selection ribbons in Figure 7 do not reflect the actual size ratios, but rather conceptually show their relationship. Also, Figure 7 shows a case where multiple ribbons 14B are grouped together as selection targets 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, 140f, 140g, and 140h, and each selection target consists of the same number of ribbons 14B. 7, selection target 140c is the selection target determined to have a defect, selection target 140a is selected as selected ribbon 150a, selection target 140b is selected as selected ribbon 150b, selection target 140d is selected as selected ribbon 150d, selection target 140e is selected as selected ribbon 150e, selection target 140f is selected as selected ribbon 150f, selection target 140g is selected as selected ribbon 150g, and selection target 140h is selected as selected ribbon 150h. On the other hand, selection target 140c is not selected as the selected ribbon due to a malfunction of ribbon 14B or the like.

[0051] In the exposure head 32a, corresponding areas onto which light modulated by each selection ribbon is irradiated are set. Specifically, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150a is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160a, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150d is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160d, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160e, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150f is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160f, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150g is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160g, and the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150h is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160h.

[0052] First, in the first exposure, under the control of the control unit 50, the exposure head 32a arranged at a predetermined exposure position is moved in the main scanning direction, and the corresponding sub-exposure area is exposed using selection ribbon 150a, selection ribbon 150b, selection ribbon 150d, selection ribbon 150e, selection ribbon 150f, selection ribbon 150g, and selection ribbon 150h. In detail, light modulated by selection ribbon 150a is irradiated from head corresponding region 160a to sub-exposure region 240a, light modulated by selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from head corresponding region 160b to sub-exposure region 240b, light modulated by selection ribbon 150d is irradiated from head corresponding region 160d to sub-exposure region 240d, light modulated by selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from head corresponding region 160e to sub-exposure region 240e, light modulated by selection ribbon 150f is irradiated from head corresponding region 160f to sub-exposure region 240f, light modulated by selection ribbon 150g is irradiated from head corresponding region 160g to sub-exposure region 240g, and light modulated by selection ribbon 150h is irradiated from head corresponding region 160h to sub-exposure region 240h.

[0053] Selection ribbon 150a is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240a, selection ribbon 150b is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240b, selection ribbon 150d is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d, selection ribbon 150e is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240e, selection ribbon 150f is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240f, selection ribbon 150g is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240g, and selection ribbon 150h is moved based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240h, each of which is moved under the control of control unit 50. In other words, rather than exposure data corresponding to all exposure regions of exposure head 32a, exposure data indicating the modulation of light to be irradiated onto the sub-exposure region corresponding to each selection ribbon is provided to each selection ribbon, and each selection ribbon is controlled based on the provided exposure data.

[0054] On the other hand, since the selection target 140c is not selected as the selected ribbon, the sub-exposure area 240c corresponding to the head corresponding area 160c is not exposed.

[0055] Next, after the exposure head 32a has been moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW corresponds to the width of the sub-exposure region and is narrower than the width W of the entire exposure region. In the example of Figure 7, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 8 of the width W of the entire exposure region.

[0056] Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 8 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved by the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 7. The exposure head 32a shown by the dotted line in Figure 8 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 7 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before movement). Note that the sizes of the exposure area and the head corresponding area in Figure 8 do not reflect the actual size ratio, but rather show a conceptual representation of the relationship between them.

[0057] In Figure 8, as a result of the above movement, head corresponding area 160a is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240b, head corresponding area 160b is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240c, head corresponding area 160d is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240e, head corresponding area 160e is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240f, head corresponding area 160f is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240g, head corresponding area 160g is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240h, and head corresponding area 160h is positioned to expose an area further outside sub-exposure area 240h (an area outside the entire exposure area).

[0058] Then, for the second exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50, and the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b onto the sub-exposure area 240c.

[0059] The selection ribbons 150b are movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240c. In other words, the exposure data used for control of the selection ribbons 150b in the first exposure (exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240b) is different from the exposure data used for control of the selection ribbons 150b in the second exposure (exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240c).

[0060] On the other hand, in the second exposure, the other selection ribbons and the sub-exposure region corresponding to selection target 140c are not exposed.

[0061] By performing the above operation, the entire exposure area can be exposed by performing multiple exposures with light modulated by the selection ribbons. Specifically, by performing a second exposure by moving the exposure head 32a so that the sub-exposure area 240c that was not exposed in the first exposure is exposed with light modulated by the selection ribbons 150b, the entire exposure area can be exposed using only the light modulated by the selection ribbons, as the sum of the sub-exposure areas including the sub-exposure area 240c.

[0062] Therefore, even if some ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A are defective, ribbons 14B other than the defective ribbon 14B can be selected as selected ribbons, and the entire exposure area can be properly exposed by multiple exposures. In other words, even if some ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A are defective, proper exposure of the entire exposure area can be continued without the need to replace or repair the optical modulation element 33A.

[0063] In the examples of Figures 7 and 8, the selection ribbon 150b adjacent to the selection target 140c is controlled in the second exposure and exposure to the sub-exposure region 240c is performed, but the selection ribbon that is controlled in the second exposure and exposes the sub-exposure region 240c is not limited to the selection ribbon adjacent to the selection target 140c.

[0064] Also, in Figures 7 and 8, for convenience, the exposure head 32a is shown moving in the same direction in the main scanning direction (for example, the positive direction), but the exposure head 32a may move in opposite directions in the main scanning direction (for example, the positive direction and the negative direction) between the first exposure and the second exposure.

[0065] Here, a method of determining whether there is a problem in selecting a ribbon to be selected from the plurality of ribbons 14B in the optical modulation element 33A will be described.

[0066] One possible method for determining the quality of ribbons 14B is to control the exposure head 32a to irradiate the ribbons with the maximum light intensity and compare the light intensities at that time to select a ribbon. Specifically, the exposure head 32a irradiates the ribbons with the maximum light intensity pulses and the irradiated light image capture unit 40 captures the images. The control unit 50 then analyzes the image data acquired by the image capture and compares the light intensity calculated from the image data with a reference light intensity (threshold light intensity) for each sub-exposure region. As a result, ribbons 14B corresponding to sub-exposure regions with a small difference from the threshold light intensity are determined to be ribbons without defects (ribbons that can be selected ribbons), while ribbons 14B corresponding to sub-exposure regions with a large difference from the threshold light intensity are determined to be ribbons with defects (ribbons that cannot be selected ribbons). Note that the light intensity used in the above comparison does not have to be the maximum light intensity, and may be compared with corresponding threshold light intensities in multiple light intensity patterns to improve determination accuracy.

[0067] In the above example, the control unit 50 analyzes the image data and determines the modulation state of the ribbon 14B. However, a functional unit that performs this determination may be provided in the exposure apparatus 1 separately from the control unit 50.

[0068] <Other operations of the exposure head> Next, another operation (three-time exposure) of the exposure head 32a will be described. Figure 9 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection ribbon of the optical modulation element 33A. Note that the sizes of the exposure area, the head corresponding area, and the selection ribbon in Figure 9 do not reflect the actual size ratios, but merely show the relationship between them conceptually.

[0069] In the example of Figure 7, only selection object 140c was not selected as the selected ribbon, but in the example of Figure 9, selection objects 140c, 140d, and 140f are determined to have a problem due to a malfunction of ribbon 14B or low light intensity, and are not selected as the selected ribbon.

[0070] First, in the first exposure, the exposure head 32a, which is arranged at a predetermined exposure position, is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50, and the corresponding sub-exposure region is exposed using the selection ribbons 150a, 150b, 150e, 150g, and 150h. In detail, light modulated by the selection ribbon 150a is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160a to the sub-exposure region 240a, light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160b to the sub-exposure region 240b, light modulated by the selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160e to the sub-exposure region 240e, light modulated by the selection ribbon 150g is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160g to the sub-exposure region 240g, and light modulated by the selection ribbon 150h is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160h to the sub-exposure region 240h.

[0071] Selection ribbon 150a moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240a, selection ribbon 150b moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240b, selection ribbon 150e moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240e, selection ribbon 150g moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240g, and selection ribbon 150h moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240h, all under the control of control unit 50.

[0072] On the other hand, since selection targets 140c, 140d, and 140f are not selected as selected ribbons, sub-exposure area 240c corresponding to head corresponding area 160c, sub-exposure area 240d corresponding to head corresponding area 160d, and sub-exposure area 240f corresponding to head corresponding area 160f are not exposed.

[0073] Next, after the exposure head 32a is moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW corresponds to the width of the sub-exposure area and is narrower than the width of the entire exposure area. In the example of Figure 9, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 8 of the width W of the entire exposure area.

[0074] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 10 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved by the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 9. The exposure head 32a shown by the dotted line in Figure 10 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 9 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before movement). Note that the sizes of the exposure area and the head corresponding area in Figure 10 do not reflect the actual size ratio, but rather show a conceptual representation of the relationship between them.

[0075] In Figure 10, as a result of the above movement, head corresponding area 160a is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240b, head corresponding area 160b is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240c, head corresponding area 160e is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240f, head corresponding area 160g is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240h, and head corresponding area 160h is positioned to expose an area further outside sub-exposure area 240h (an area outside the entire exposure area).

[0076] Then, for the second exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50, and light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b to the sub-exposure area 240c, and light modulated by the selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160e to the sub-exposure area 240f.

[0077] The selection ribbons 150b are movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240c. In other words, the exposure data used for control of the selection ribbons 150b in the first exposure (exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240b) is different from the exposure data used for control of the selection ribbons 150b in the second exposure (exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240c).

[0078] Similarly, the selection ribbon 150e is movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on exposure data that indicates the modulation of the light irradiated onto the sub-exposure region 240f.

[0079] On the other hand, in the second exposure, the other selection ribbons and the sub-exposure regions corresponding to selection targets 140c, 140d, and 140f are not exposed.

[0080] Furthermore, after the exposure head 32a has been moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the control unit 50 controls the exposure head 32a to move in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW.

[0081] Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 11 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved by the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 10. The exposure head 32a shown by the dotted line in Figure 11 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 10 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before movement). Note that the sizes of the exposure area and the head corresponding area in Figure 11 do not reflect the actual size ratio, but rather show a conceptual representation of the relationship between them.

[0082] In Figure 11, as a result of the above movement, head corresponding area 160a is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240c, head corresponding area 160b is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240d, head corresponding area 160e is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240g, and head corresponding area 160g and head corresponding area 160h are positioned to expose an area further outside sub-exposure area 240h (an area outside the entire exposure area).

[0083] Then, for the third exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50, and the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b onto the sub-exposure area 240d.

[0084] Selection ribbons 150b are movable under the control of control unit 50 based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d. In other words, the exposure data used for control of selection ribbons 150b in the first exposure (exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240b), the exposure data used for control of selection ribbons 150b in the second exposure (exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240c), and the exposure data used for control of selection ribbons 150b in the third exposure (exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d) are different.

[0085] On the other hand, in the third exposure, the other selection ribbons and the sub-exposure regions corresponding to selection targets 140c, 140d, and 140f are not exposed.

[0086] By performing the above operation, the entire exposure area can be exposed by performing multiple exposures with light modulated using the selection ribbons. Specifically, by performing a second and third exposure by moving the exposure head 32a so that the sub-exposure areas 240c, 240d, and 240f that were not exposed in the first exposure are exposed with light modulated by the selection ribbons 150b and 150e, the entire exposure area can be exposed using only the light modulated by the selection ribbons as the sum of the sub-exposure areas including the sub-exposure areas 240c, 240d, and 240f.

[0087] Therefore, even if there are problems with the selection targets at multiple locations, the entire exposure area can be properly exposed by multiple exposures.

[0088] Next, another operation (uniform exposure) of the exposure head 32a will be described. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection ribbons of the optical modulation element 33A. Note that the sizes of the exposure area, the head corresponding area, and the selection ribbons in Fig. 12 do not reflect the actual size ratios, but merely show the relationship between them conceptually.

[0089] In the example of Fig. 12, the selection ribbons change with each exposure. In the example of Fig. 12, all selection targets can become selection ribbons, but at the time of the first exposure, selection targets 140c, 140d, 140e, 140f, 140g, and 140h are selected as selection ribbons. In other words, some of the selection targets that are determined to be free of defects are selected as selection ribbons.

[0090] On the other hand, the width W2 of the total exposure area is narrower than the total exposure width W of exposure head 32a. Specifically, the total exposure area is the combined area of ​​sub-exposure area 240c, sub-exposure area 240d, sub-exposure area 240e, sub-exposure area 240f, sub-exposure area 240g, and sub-exposure area 240h.

[0091] First, in the first exposure, under the control of the control unit 50, the exposure head 32a arranged at a predetermined exposure position is moved in the main scanning direction, and the corresponding sub-exposure area is exposed using selection ribbons 150c, 150d, 150e, 150f, 150g, and 150h. In detail, light modulated by selection ribbon 150c is irradiated from head corresponding region 160c to sub-exposure region 240c, light modulated by selection ribbon 150d is irradiated from head corresponding region 160d to sub-exposure region 240d, light modulated by selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from head corresponding region 160e to sub-exposure region 240e, light modulated by selection ribbon 150f is irradiated from head corresponding region 160f to sub-exposure region 240f, light modulated by selection ribbon 150g is irradiated from head corresponding region 160g to sub-exposure region 240g, and light modulated by selection ribbon 150h is irradiated from head corresponding region 160h to sub-exposure region 240h. Each light irradiation is performed with an amount of light such that the desired exposure state is achieved with multiple (here, three) exposures.

[0092] Selection ribbon 150c moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240c, selection ribbon 150d moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d, selection ribbon 150e moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240e, selection ribbon 150f moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240f, selection ribbon 150g moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240g, and selection ribbon 150h moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240h, each under the control of control unit 50.

[0093] On the other hand, in the first exposure, since selection target 140a and selection target 140b are not selected as selected ribbons, sub-exposure area 240a corresponding to head corresponding area 160a and sub-exposure area 240b corresponding to head corresponding area 160b are not exposed.

[0094] Next, after the exposure head 32a has been moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW corresponds to the width of the sub-exposure area and is narrower than the width W2 of the entire exposure area. In the example of Figure 12, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 6 of the width W2 of the entire exposure area.

[0095] Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 13 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved by the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 12. The exposure head 32a shown by the dotted line in Figure 13 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 12 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before movement). Note that the sizes of the exposure area and the head corresponding area in Figure 13 do not reflect the actual size ratio, but rather show a conceptual representation of the relationship between them.

[0096] In Figure 13, as a result of the above movement, head corresponding area 160a is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240b, head corresponding area 160b is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240c, head corresponding area 160c is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240d, head corresponding area 160d is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240e, head corresponding area 160e is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240f, head corresponding area 160f is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240g, head corresponding area 160g is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240h, and head corresponding area 160h is positioned to expose an area further outside sub-exposure area 240h (an area outside the entire exposure area).

[0097] Here, for the second exposure, selection target 140b, selection target 140c, selection target 140d, selection target 140e, selection target 140f, and selection target 140g are selected as the selection ribbon.

[0098] Then, for the second exposure, under the control of the control unit 50, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction, and the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160b onto the sub-exposure region 240c, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150c is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160c onto the sub-exposure region 240d, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150d is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160d onto the sub-exposure region 240e, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160e onto the sub-exposure region 240f, the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150f is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160f onto the sub-exposure region 240g, and the light modulated by the selection ribbon 150g is irradiated from the head corresponding region 160g onto the sub-exposure region 240h. Each light irradiation is performed with an amount of light such that the desired exposure state is achieved after multiple exposures (three times in this case).

[0099] It should be noted that selection ribbon 150b moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240c, selection ribbon 150c moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d, selection ribbon 150d moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240e, selection ribbon 150e moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240f, selection ribbon 150f moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240g, and selection ribbon 150g moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240h, all under the control of control unit 50.

[0100] On the other hand, in the second exposure, since selection target 140a and selection target 140h are not selected as the selected ribbons, sub-exposure area 240b corresponding to head corresponding area 160a and the area corresponding to head corresponding area 160h (areas outside the entire exposure area) are not exposed.

[0101] Furthermore, after the exposure head 32a has been moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the control unit 50 controls the exposure head 32a to move in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW.

[0102] Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 14 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved by the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 13. The exposure head 32a shown by the dotted line in Figure 14 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 13 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before movement). Note that the sizes of the exposure area and the head corresponding area in Figure 14 do not reflect the actual size ratio, but rather show a conceptual representation of the relationship between them.

[0103] In Figure 14, as a result of the above movement, head corresponding area 160a is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240c, head corresponding area 160b is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240d, head corresponding area 160c is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240e, head corresponding area 160d is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240f, head corresponding area 160e is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240g, head corresponding area 160f is positioned to expose sub-exposure area 240h, and head corresponding area 160g and head corresponding area 160h are positioned to expose an area further outside sub-exposure area 240h (an area outside the entire exposure area).

[0104] Here, for the third exposure, selection target 140a, selection target 140b, selection target 140c, selection target 140d, selection target 140e, and selection target 140f are selected as selection ribbons.

[0105] Then, for the third exposure, under the control of control unit 50, exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction, and light modulated by selection ribbon 150a is irradiated from head corresponding region 160a to sub-exposure region 240c, light modulated by selection ribbon 150b is irradiated from head corresponding region 160b to sub-exposure region 240d, light modulated by selection ribbon 150c is irradiated from head corresponding region 160c to sub-exposure region 240e, light modulated by selection ribbon 150d is irradiated from head corresponding region 160d to sub-exposure region 240f, light modulated by selection ribbon 150e is irradiated from head corresponding region 160e to sub-exposure region 240g, and light modulated by selection ribbon 150f is irradiated from head corresponding region 160f to sub-exposure region 240h. Each light irradiation is performed with a light intensity such that the desired exposure state is achieved with multiple (here, three) exposures.

[0106] It should be noted that selection ribbon 150a moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240c, selection ribbon 150b moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240d, selection ribbon 150c moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240e, selection ribbon 150d moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240f, selection ribbon 150e moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240g, and selection ribbon 150f moves based on exposure data indicating the modulation of light irradiated onto sub-exposure region 240h, all under the control of control unit 50.

[0107] On the other hand, in the third exposure, since selection targets 140g and 140h are not selected as selected ribbons, the areas corresponding to head corresponding areas 160g and 160h (areas outside the entire exposure area) are not exposed.

[0108] By performing the above operation, the entire exposure area can be exposed by performing multiple exposures with light modulated using the selection ribbons. Also, by irradiating the same sub-exposure area multiple times with light modulated by different selection ribbons, the difference in exposure amount between sub-exposure areas is reduced, allowing for uniform exposure across the entire exposure area.

[0109] 15 is a diagram showing an example of the variation in exposure amount for each sub-exposure area, in which the vertical axis indicates the exposure amount (relative value) and the horizontal axis indicates the sign of the corresponding sub-exposure area.

[0110] The dotted lines in Fig. 15 show the exposure amount when the light modulated by each selection ribbon is irradiated onto the corresponding sub-exposure region in a single exposure, while the solid lines in Fig. 15 show the exposure amount of each sub-exposure region when three exposures are performed as in Figs. 12, 13, and 14 using selection ribbons with the same modulation characteristics as those in the dotted lines.

[0111] As shown in Figure 15, when exposing three times, the same sub-exposure area is irradiated multiple times with light modulated by different selection ribbons, so the difference in exposure amount between the sub-exposure areas is canceled out and reduced, resulting in reduced variation in exposure amount between the sub-exposure areas. In other words, uniform exposure can be achieved across the entire exposure area.

[0112] <Effects of the above-described embodiments> Next, examples of effects obtained by the above-described embodiments will be described. Note that in the following description, the effects will be described based on the specific configurations exemplified in the above-described embodiments, but these may be replaced with other specific configurations exemplified in the present specification as long as the same effects are obtained. In other words, for convenience, only one of the corresponding specific configurations may be described as a representative below, but the representatively described specific configuration may be replaced with another corresponding specific configuration.

[0113] According to the embodiment described above, the direct imaging apparatus includes a light source, an optical modulation element 33A, an exposure head 32a, a first driving unit, a second driving unit, and a control unit 50. Here, the light source corresponds to, for example, the laser oscillator 34. The first driving unit corresponds to, for example, the main scanning mechanism 25. The second driving unit corresponds to, for example, the sub-scanning mechanism 23. The optical modulation element 33A has a plurality of elements (ribbons 14B) arranged in the sub-scanning direction. The optical modulation element 33A modulates the light from the laser oscillator 34. The exposure head 32a exposes the substrate 9 with the light modulated by the optical modulation element 33A. The main scanning mechanism 25 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the substrate 9 in the main scanning direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 23 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction. The control unit 50 controls the modulation state of light in the optical modulation element 33A, the operation of the main scanning mechanism 25, and the operation of the sub-scanning mechanism 23. Here, at least one ribbon 14B, which is a part of the multiple ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A, is designated as a selected element (selected ribbon). The area exposed via the exposure head 32a with light modulated using the selected ribbon is designated as a sub-exposure area. The width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is designated as a sub-exposure width SW. The control unit 50 then moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction so that the sub-exposure area is exposed with light modulated using the selected ribbon. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit 50 also moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW.

[0114] With this configuration, even if any ribbon 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, light modulation and even exposure can be performed using a selected ribbon that is not defective.

[0115] In the prior art, in an exposure apparatus equipped with multiple exposure heads, a technique is shown in which exposure is continued by using another exposure head in place of a defective exposure head. In such a technique, it is necessary to move the defective exposure head from its exposure position, and a movement margin for the defective exposure head must be secured.

[0116] On the other hand, with the exposure technique using the selection ribbons shown in this embodiment, the amount of movement of the exposure head due to a malfunction of the optical modulation element 33A can be made smaller than in the case of the prior art. Specifically, while the prior art requires the entire exposure head to be moved from the exposure position, with the exposure technique using the selection ribbons shown in this embodiment, it is sufficient to shift the exposure head by the sub-exposure width. Therefore, with this embodiment, it is possible to suppress an increase in the footprint (the margin for movement).

[0117] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the selection ribbon is made up of a plurality of ribbons 14B arranged adjacent to each other. With this configuration, by setting a group of a plurality of arranged ribbons 14B as the selection target, the selection becomes easier than when each of the ribbons 14B provided in the optical modulation element 33A is selected as the selection ribbon, and the burden of controlling the modulation of light using the selection ribbon can also be reduced.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the direct imaging device includes a selection unit that selects a selected ribbon from the plurality of ribbons 14B. Here, the selection unit corresponds to, for example, the control unit 50. The control unit 50 determines the light modulation state of each ribbon 14B and selects the selected ribbon based on the results of the determination. With this configuration, a ribbon 14B that is not defective is selected as the selected ribbon, and light is modulated using the selected ribbon. This makes it possible to perform light modulation and even exposure even if one of the ribbons 14B in the optical modulation element 33A is defective.

[0120] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the area exposed corresponding to all ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defined as the total exposure area. Of the total exposure area, the area other than the sub-exposure area exposed with light modulated by the selected ribbon is defined as the remaining area. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit 50 moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW, and then moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction so that the remaining area is exposed with light modulated using the selected ribbon. With this configuration, for the remaining area of ​​the total exposure area other than the sub-exposure area, the exposure head 32a is moved by the sub-exposure width and then exposed with light modulated using the selected ribbon. This allows exposure of the remaining area, including the selected ribbon, even if there is a defect in any of the ribbons 14B of the optical modulation element 33A.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, a plurality of selection ribbons are selected, and the selection ribbons include a first selection ribbon (e.g., selection ribbon 150c) and a second selection ribbon (e.g., selection ribbon 150b). The control unit 50 then moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction so that the sub-exposure region is exposed with light modulated using the selection ribbon 150c. After the sub-exposure region is exposed, the control unit also moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW, and then moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction so that the same sub-exposure region is exposed with light modulated using the selection ribbon 150b. With this configuration, the same sub-exposure region is irradiated multiple times with light modulated by different selection ribbons, thereby reducing the difference in exposure amount between the sub-exposure regions and enabling uniform exposure across the entire exposure region.

[0122] Since the optical performance at the minimum point is determined by various factors such as the light quantity distribution, lens performance, and focus performance, uniforming the optical performance over the entire exposure area requires consideration of the technical difficulty of adjusting the optical lens, high costs, etc. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, uniform exposure can be easily achieved over the entire exposure area.

[0123] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the selected ribbons are different before and after the exposure head 32a is relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW. With this configuration, the selected ribbons are different before and after the relative movement of the exposure head 32a, which increases the variation in exposure for the sub-exposure regions and the remaining regions.

[0124] According to the embodiment described above, in the direct writing method, the exposure head 32a is moved relatively in the main scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure region with light modulated by the selection ribbon. After the sub-exposure region is exposed, the exposure head 32a is moved relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width SW.

[0125] With this configuration, even if any ribbon 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, light modulation and even exposure can be performed using a selected ribbon that is not defective.

[0126] Unless otherwise specified, the order in which the processes are performed can be changed.

[0127] Furthermore, even if other configurations shown as examples in this specification are appropriately added to the above configuration, that is, even if other configurations in this specification that were not mentioned as the above configuration are appropriately added, the same effect can be achieved.

[0128] <Modifications of the above-described embodiments> In the embodiments described above, the material, composition, dimensions, shape, relative positional relationship, or implementation conditions of each component may also be described, but these are merely examples in all aspects and are not limiting.

[0129] Thus, numerous variations and equivalents not shown are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed herein, including, for example, the modification, addition, or omission of at least one component.

[0130] Furthermore, in at least one of the embodiments described above, when a material name or the like is stated without being specifically specified, unless a contradiction arises, it is assumed that the material in question includes other additives, such as alloys. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 9 Substrate 14A board 14B Ribbon 32a Exposure head 32b Exposure head 32c exposure head 32d exposure head 32e exposure head 33A Optical modulation element 33a Optical modulation element 50 control section 150a Selection Ribbon 150b Selection Ribbon 150c Select Ribbon 150d Selection Ribbon 150e Selection Ribbon 150f Selection Ribbon 150g Selection Ribbon 150h Select Ribbon 240a Sub-exposure area 240b Sub-exposure area 240c Sub-exposure area 240d sub-exposure area 240e sub-exposure area 240f sub-exposure area 240g Sub-exposure area 240h ​​sub-exposure area

Claims

1. It is a direct imaging device for substrates, A light source and an optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in a sub-scanning direction and for modulating light from the light source; an exposure head for exposing the substrate to the light modulated by the optical modulation element; a first drive unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction that intersects with the sub-scanning direction; a second drive unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction; a control unit for controlling a modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element, an operation of the first driving unit, and an operation of the second driving unit; At least one of the elements of the optical modulation element is a selected element; an area exposed through the exposure head with the light modulated by the selection element is defined as a sub-exposure area; a width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is defined as a sub-exposure width, The control unit relatively moving the exposure head in the main scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure area with the light modulated by the selection element; After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head is relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width. Direct drawing device.

2. 2. The direct imaging apparatus according to claim 1, The selection element is composed of a plurality of the elements arranged adjacently. Direct drawing device.

3. 3. The direct imaging apparatus according to claim 1, a selection unit that selects the selected element from the plurality of elements; the selection unit determines the modulation state of the light of each of the elements and selects the selected element based on the result of the determination. Direct drawing device.

4. 3. The direct imaging apparatus according to claim 1, The area exposed to light corresponding to all the elements of the optical modulation element is defined as a total exposure area, A region other than the sub-exposure region in the entire exposure region is defined as a remaining region; the control unit relatively moves the exposure head in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width after the sub-exposure region is exposed, and relatively moves the exposure head in the main scanning direction so that the remaining region is exposed with the light modulated using the selection element. Direct drawing device.

5. 3. The direct imaging apparatus according to claim 1, A plurality of the selection elements are selected, the selection elements include a first selection element and a second selection element; The control unit moving the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure area with the light modulated by the first selection element; After the sub-exposure region is exposed, the exposure head is relatively moved in the sub-scanning direction by the sub-exposure width, and the exposure head is relatively moved in the main scanning direction so that the same sub-exposure region is exposed with the light modulated using the second selection element. Direct drawing device.

6. 3. The direct imaging apparatus according to claim 1, the selection element is different before and after the exposure head is relatively moved by the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction; Direct drawing device.

7. A direct imaging method for a substrate using a direct imaging apparatus having a plurality of elements arranged in a sub-scanning direction, the direct imaging apparatus comprising: an optical modulation element for modulating light from a light source; and an exposure head for exposing the substrate to the light modulated by the optical modulation element, At least one of the elements of the optical modulation element is a selected element; an area exposed through the exposure head with the light modulated by the selection element is defined as a sub-exposure area; a width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is defined as a sub-exposure width, a step of relatively moving the exposure head in a main scanning direction intersecting with the sub-scanning direction so as to expose the sub-exposure region with the light modulated by the selection element; and after the sub-exposure region is exposed, relatively moving the exposure head by the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction. Direct drawing method.

Images