Laser irradiation device

Abstract

SOLUTION: A laser irradiation device according to the present invention comprises a first optical-function section including a laser light source, and a second optical-function section for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiation target, the device being configured to irradiate the irradiation target with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical-function section. The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation region of the irradiation target, the mask being a rectangular mask having a longest side among four sides forming an outer edge of 800 mm or more in length, and in the second optical-function section, the mask is arranged such that a normal line of a surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction.EFFECT: A laser irradiation device is provided that suppresses the influence of deflection of the mask caused by its own weight, enables laser irradiation with high accuracy, and also reduces adhesion of dust to the mask surface, thereby making defects due to dust less likely to occur and achieving a low device height.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laser irradiation device, a laser processing device, a laser processing method, a mask installation method, a laser processing device installation method, and a mask. [Background technology]

[0002] Semiconductor package substrates have been actively developed in line with the trend of "More Than Moore" to SoC (System on a Chip), which integrates systems into a single chip.

[0003] Furthermore, the structure of semiconductor package substrates is becoming more complex and denser, and excimer laser-based devices are being used to manufacture the base substrates.

[0004] As semiconductor package substrates become increasingly dense, the wiring on the substrates is also required to be highly precise, and the wiring is becoming multi-layered. As the wiring becomes thinner and more multi-layered, the line and space (L&S) becomes narrower and more complex. As the wiring width becomes narrower, the wiring resistance tends to increase.

[0005] In order to connect multiple layers of wiring, via holes (VIA) are provided, and to solve the problem of increased wiring resistance, trenches are provided in the substrate during the manufacture of semiconductor package substrates, and wiring is formed along these trenches. By forming such wiring, the cross-sectional area of ​​the wiring can be increased, thereby suppressing the increase in wiring resistance.

[0006] An example of a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor package substrate will be described below. First, a build-up film is laminated on both sides of an inner layer substrate (core layer) made of glass epoxy resin using a dedicated vacuum laminator. The surface of the build-up film thus obtained is then processed to provide the above-mentioned through holes and trenches, and a metal layer is then plated to form electrodes.

[0007] To meet the demand for higher density, the diameter of the required through holes is becoming smaller. There is also a demand for cylindrical through holes with a small difference between the top and bottom diameters (cylindrical VIA). Cylindrical trenches are also being required.

[0008] To process cylindrical holes or cylindrical trenches as precisely as possible in a substrate, it is effective to use a laser beam with high resolution and high energy density. For this type of processing, it is preferable to use an excimer laser rather than a solid-state laser device. Although the focal depth of an excimer laser is shallow, this laser can process with high resolution and high energy density, allowing for the formation of cylindrical VIA holes or cylindrical trenches at precise positions without blurring.

[0009] Patent Document 1 describes an invention relating to a laser drilling method and apparatus. For example, claim 1 of Patent Document 1 describes irradiating a linear or rectangular beam onto a processing area of ​​a substrate to be processed by a contact mask method through a contact mask, and scanning the linear or rectangular beam across the contact mask.

[0010] Patent Document 2 describes an invention relating to a processing device and processing method for ablation processing. The processing device for ablation processing described in claim 1 of Patent Document 2 is equipped with a scanning mechanism that moves a line beam forming unit containing a line beam forming optical system relative to the device body and scans a line-shaped light. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-79678 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-49560 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] In recent years, increasingly large masks have been used in laser irradiation devices used in processing devices, exposure devices, and the like. In these conventional techniques, masks are often placed horizontally so that they are horizontally aligned with the installation surface of the device. As a result, as masks become larger, the problem of significant deflection due to the mask's own weight arises. This can lead to problems such as reduced image performance during exposure and reduced processing accuracy during processing. This problem becomes more pronounced as the mask size increases and its thickness decreases. To address this problem, increasing the mask's thickness and increasing its rigidity as the mask size increases can somewhat suppress deflection when placed horizontally. However, increasing the mask's thickness significantly increases the mask's weight, raising concerns about poor handling, such as during mask installation.

[0013] Furthermore, the degree of mask deflection varies depending on the material, thickness, etc. Therefore, when using different masks, complex alignment of the entire optical system is required, which poses the problem of being extremely time-consuming.

[0014] In particular, in the case of high NA (= high resolution) and high magnification exposure, the allowable value for mask deflection in laser processing is strict.

[0015] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a laser irradiation device that can suppress problems such as deflection of the mask due to its own weight even when a large mask is used, and a method of installing a mask to make such a laser irradiation device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] The present invention provides a laser irradiation device comprising a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and for irradiating a laser onto an irradiated object through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, is rectangular in shape with the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask being 800 mm or longer, and is arranged so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function part is oriented approximately horizontally.

[0017] With this laser irradiation device, the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight can be suppressed, allowing for laser irradiation with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be kept low.

[0018] By placing the mask vertically, it is possible to suppress deflection of the mask when it is installed even if the mask is large. More specifically, the present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and provides a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and that irradiates the irradiated object with a laser through the mask installed on the second optical function unit, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, the mask is rectangular in shape, the longest side of the four sides that are the outer edge of the mask has a length of 800 mm or more, and the second optical function unit is arranged so that a normal to a surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0019] With this laser irradiation device, the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight can be suppressed, allowing for laser irradiation with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be kept low.

[0020] In this case, the mask may be a laser irradiation device in which the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction is 10 mm or less.

[0021] Since the mask is thin, the laser irradiation device is easy to handle and low cost, yet stable and prevents problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight.

[0022] The present invention can be a laser processing apparatus that performs ablation processing on the surface of an irradiated object using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, and can be a laser processing apparatus that includes an irradiation processing unit having a stage that holds the irradiated object, and the above-mentioned laser irradiation device.

[0023] This results in a laser processing device that suppresses problems such as the mask bending due to its own weight and dust adhesion to the mask.

[0024] In this case, the laser processing device may be one in which the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another.

[0025] This makes it easier to transport the unit in sections and reduces installation costs.

[0026] In this case, the laser processing apparatus may further include a mask changer that can set and remove the mask relative to the second optical function section.

[0027] This allows various patterns to be easily processed.

[0028] The present invention can provide a laser processing method for an object to be irradiated, in which ablation processing is performed on the surface of the object to be irradiated using the above-mentioned laser processing apparatus.

[0029] This allows high-precision processing to be performed while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0030] The present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and provides a mask installation method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiation target, and that irradiates the irradiation target with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, comprising: The mask is a rectangle whose longest side of the four outer edges is 800 mm or longer, and the mask is installed on the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces approximately horizontally.

[0031] This method of setting the mask allows for highly accurate laser irradiation while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also prevents dust from adhering to the mask surface, resulting in a laser irradiation device that can prevent defects caused by dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0032] In this case, the mask may have a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area.

[0033] The mask installation method of the present invention makes it possible to create a laser irradiation device that is easy to handle and low-cost because the mask is thin, while also being stable and suppressing problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight.

[0034] In this case, the mask can be set using a mask changer.

[0035] This makes it possible to provide a laser irradiation device that can easily form various patterns.

[0036] The present invention provides a method for installing a laser processing apparatus having the laser irradiation device and an irradiation processing unit equipped with a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit and the irradiation processing unit are transported separately to the installation location of the laser processing apparatus, and then the laser processing apparatus is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing apparatus, and a mask is installed on the second optical function unit before or after the transport using the above-mentioned mask installation method.

[0037] This allows for high-precision laser irradiation while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also prevents dust from adhering to the mask surface, thereby reducing defects caused by dust.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced while also reducing the installation costs of the laser processing device.

[0038] The present invention also provides a rectangular mask that is installed vertically in a laser irradiation device, comprising: an effective area having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object; The mask has a rectangular shape, and the longest side of the four sides is 800 mm or longer.

[0039] The mask according to the present invention can suppress the influence of bending due to its own weight, allowing for laser irradiation with high accuracy, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0040] By placing the mask vertically, it is possible to suppress deflection of the mask when it is installed even if the mask is large. More specifically, the present invention has been made to achieve the above object, and provides a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and that irradiates the irradiated object with a laser through the mask installed on the second optical function unit, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, the mask is a rectangle with a length of the shortest side of four sides that are the outer edge of the mask being 1000 mm or more, and the laser irradiation device is arranged so that a normal to a surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0041] With this laser irradiation device, the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight can be suppressed, allowing for laser irradiation with high precision, and the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be kept low.

[0042] In this case, the mask may be a laser irradiation device in which the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction is 10 mm or less.

[0043] Since the mask is thin, the laser irradiation device is easy to handle and low cost, yet stable and prevents problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight.

[0044] The present invention can be a laser processing apparatus that performs ablation processing on the surface of an irradiated object using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, and can be a laser processing apparatus that includes an irradiation processing unit having a stage that holds the irradiated object, and the above-mentioned laser irradiation device.

[0045] This results in a laser processing device that suppresses problems such as the mask bending due to its own weight and dust adhesion to the mask.

[0046] In this case, the laser processing device may be one in which the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another.

[0047] This makes it easier to transport the unit in sections and reduces installation costs.

[0048] In this case, the laser processing apparatus may further include a mask changer that can set and remove the mask relative to the second optical function section.

[0049] This allows various patterns to be easily processed.

[0050] The present invention can provide a laser processing method for an object to be irradiated, in which ablation processing is performed on the surface of the object to be irradiated using the above-mentioned laser processing apparatus.

[0051] This allows high-precision processing to be performed while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0052] The present invention can provide a laser exposure device that performs exposure processing on the surface of an irradiated object using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, and that includes an exposure unit having a stage that holds the irradiated object, and the above-mentioned laser irradiation device.

[0053] This results in an exposure apparatus that suppresses problems such as mask bending due to its own weight and dust adhesion to the mask.

[0054] In this case, the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the exposure unit can be separable from one another in the laser exposure device.

[0055] This makes it easier to transport the unit in sections and reduces installation costs.

[0056] In this case, the laser exposure device may further include a mask changer that can set and remove the mask relative to the second optical function section.

[0057] This makes it possible to easily form various exposure patterns.

[0058] The present invention can provide a laser exposure method for an object to be irradiated, which uses the above-mentioned laser exposure apparatus to perform an exposure process on the surface of the object to be irradiated.

[0059] This makes it possible to perform a highly accurate exposure process while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0060] The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and provides a mask installation method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit equipped with a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated body, and that irradiates the irradiated body with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, wherein the mask is a rectangle with the shortest side of its four outer edges having a length of 1000 mm or more, and the mask is installed in the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented approximately horizontally.

[0061] This method of setting the mask allows for highly accurate laser irradiation while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also prevents dust from adhering to the mask surface, resulting in a laser irradiation device that can prevent defects caused by dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0062] In this case, the mask may have a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area.

[0063] The mask installation method of the present invention makes it possible to create a laser irradiation device that is easy to handle and low-cost because the mask is thin, while also being stable and suppressing problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight.

[0064] In this case, the mask can be set using a mask changer.

[0065] This makes it possible to provide a laser irradiation device that can easily form various patterns.

[0066] The present invention provides a method for installing a laser processing apparatus having the laser irradiation device and an irradiation processing unit equipped with a stage for holding the irradiated object, wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit and the irradiation processing unit are transported separately to the installation location of the laser processing apparatus, and then the laser processing apparatus is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing apparatus, and a mask is installed on the second optical function unit before or after the transport using the above-mentioned mask installation method.

[0067] Furthermore, a method for installing a laser exposure device having the laser irradiation device and an exposure unit equipped with a stage for holding the irradiated object can be provided, in which the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the exposure unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit, and the exposure unit are transported separately to the installation location of the laser exposure device, and then the laser exposure device is integrated at the installation location of the laser exposure device, and a mask is installed on the second optical function unit before or after the transport using the above-mentioned mask installation method.

[0068] This allows for high-precision laser irradiation while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also prevents dust from adhering to the mask surface, thereby reducing defects caused by dust.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced and the installation costs of the laser processing device / exposure device can be reduced.

[0069] The present invention also provides a rectangular mask that is installed vertically in a laser irradiation device, including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and the length of the shortest side of the four sides of the rectangle is 1000 mm or more.

[0070] The mask according to the present invention can suppress the influence of bending due to its own weight, allowing for laser irradiation with high accuracy, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0071] The present invention also provides a laser irradiation system comprising a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for setting a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and for irradiating the irradiated body with a laser through the mask set in the second optical function unit, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, is a rectangle with the shortest side of the four sides that are the outer edge of the mask having a length of 1000 mm or more, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally.

[0072] The laser irradiation system according to the present invention can suppress the influence of deflection due to the weight of the mask, enabling laser irradiation with high accuracy, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely that defects will occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the laser irradiation system can be reduced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0073] As described above, the laser irradiation device and laser irradiation system of the present invention can suppress the influence of deflection due to the mask's own weight, enable laser irradiation with high precision, and also suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely that defects will occur due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0074] Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus / exposure apparatus of the present invention can suppress problems such as mask bending due to its own weight and dust adhesion to the mask, etc. The laser processing method / exposure processing method of the present invention can perform high-precision processing / exposure processing while preventing mask deformation and dust adhesion to the mask.

[0075] Furthermore, the mask installation method of the present invention enables laser irradiation with high precision while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, resulting in a laser irradiation device that can suppress defects due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced. The laser processing device / exposure device installation method of the present invention enables laser irradiation with high precision while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, resulting in suppression of defects due to dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced and the installation costs of the device can be reduced.

[0076] Furthermore, the mask of the present invention can suppress the effects of bending due to its own weight, allowing for laser irradiation with high precision, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely for defects to occur due to dust.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0077] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a laser irradiation processing apparatus (laser processing apparatus, exposure apparatus) including a laser irradiation apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the arrangement of a mask according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a mask. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between a processed region of an irradiated object and an irradiation area; [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of overlapping irradiation in one axial direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of overlapping irradiation from the first to third rows. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of shaping the irradiation shape of a laser beam in an example of a shaping optical system. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a laser irradiation processing device (laser processing device, exposure device) including a laser irradiation device according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a vertical mask changer. [Figure 10] 1 is a schematic diagram of a cassette storage device that can be equipped with an example of a vertical mask changer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0078] As described above, there has been a demand for a laser irradiation device that can suppress problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight even when a large mask is used, and a method of installing a mask to create such a laser irradiation device.

[0079] As a result of intensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have discovered a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiated object, and that irradiates an irradiated object with a laser through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation region of the irradiated object, and is rectangular with the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask being 800 mm or more in length, and the mask is arranged so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally.The inventors have found that by using a laser irradiation device that suppresses the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, laser irradiation can be performed with high precision, and that it is possible to suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making it less likely that defects will occur due to dust.Furthermore, it is possible to align most of the long optical path along a horizontal plane, so the height of the device can be reduced, and this has led to the completion of the present invention.

[0080] The present inventors have also discovered a method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiated object, and that irradiates the irradiated object with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, the method comprising: The present inventors have found that by using a rectangular mask with the longest side of the four outer edges being 800 mm or longer as the mask and installing the mask on the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented approximately horizontally, it is possible to irradiate the laser with high precision while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and that since the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, it is possible to produce a laser irradiation device that can suppress defects caused by dust, and furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along the horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced, thereby completing the present invention.

[0081] The inventors have also discovered that a laser irradiation device comprising a first optical function unit equipped with a laser light source and a second optical function unit for setting a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and for irradiating the irradiated body with a laser through the mask set on the second optical function unit, wherein the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and is a rectangle with the shortest side of the four sides that are the outer edge of the mask having a length of 1000 mm or more, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally, can suppress the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, allowing laser irradiation with high precision, and can also suppress the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, making defects due to dust less likely to occur, and further, can reduce the height of the device because most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, thereby completing the present invention.

[0082] The inventors have also discovered a method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit equipped with a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated body, and that irradiates the irradiated body with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, wherein the mask is a rectangle with the shortest side of its four outer edges being 1000 mm or longer in length, and the mask is installed in the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented approximately horizontally.This method of installing a mask enables laser irradiation with high precision while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also suppresses the adhesion of dust to the mask surface, resulting in a laser irradiation device that can suppress defects caused by dust.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced, and thus the present invention has been completed.

[0083] The present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0084] [Laser irradiation device] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a laser processing apparatus including a laser irradiation apparatus according to the present invention. The laser irradiation apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 1 includes a first optical function unit 10 having a laser light source (laser oscillator) 11, and a second optical function unit 20 for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiated object 80. The laser irradiation apparatus is configured to irradiate the irradiated object 80 with a laser 1 from the laser light source 11 via a mask 21 installed in the second optical function unit 20.

[0085] The mask 21 includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation region of the irradiated object 80. One embodiment of the mask according to the present invention includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation region of the irradiated object 80, and is rectangular, with the longest side (the longer of L1 and L2 in FIG. 3 ) of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask being 800 mm or longer. The mask according to the present invention may have a ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the rectangular mask 21 to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction of 100 or greater. This ratio is more preferably 150 or greater, and even more preferably 200 or greater. There is no particular upper limit, but it is approximately 250 from the viewpoint of ease of handling. When the mask is square, the length of the longest side of the four sides refers to the length of one side of the square.

[0086] In another embodiment of the mask according to the present invention, the mask is rectangular, including an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation region of the irradiated object 80, and the length of the shortest side (the shorter of L1 and L2 in FIG. 3 ) of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask is 1000 mm or more. The mask according to the present invention may have a ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the shortest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the rectangular mask 21 to the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction of 100 or more. This ratio is more preferably 150 or more, and even more preferably 200 or more. There is no particular upper limit, but from the viewpoint of ease of handling, it is about 250. When the mask is square, the length of the shortest side of the four sides means the length of one side of the square. In the present invention, a quadrangle does not mean a strict quadrangle, and the four corners may be chamfered with straight or curved lines, or the sides may have cutouts or protrusions that serve as receiving parts for fixing jigs or handling jigs.

[0087] As shown in the conceptual diagram of the mask arrangement in FIG. 2, the mask according to the present invention is arranged in the second optical function unit 20 so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces a substantially horizontal direction. Note that θ in FIG. 2 indicates the angle between the vertical and horizontal directions (θ=90°). In other words, the mask 21 is arranged so that two opposing sides 21A and 21B of the four sides of the outer edge of the mask 21 face a substantially vertical direction with respect to the surface 100A on which the laser irradiation device 100 is installed. Alternatively, the mask 21 in the second optical function unit 20 can be arranged so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces a direction in-plane of the surface 100A. In this specification, the above-described arrangement may also be simply referred to as "vertical" arrangement.

[0088] As mentioned above, the size of the object to be irradiated is required to be larger, and accordingly, the mask size is also increasing. Furthermore, when a reduction projection optical system is used, the mask size becomes even larger. On the other hand, the resolution of the irradiation process for the object to be irradiated, such as a substrate, is increasing, and distortion of the mask image affects the accuracy of the irradiation process.

[0089] When the mask is installed in the same horizontal direction as the surface on which the apparatus is installed, as in Patent Document 2, if the mask is installed alone, its gravity will cause distortion, which will deteriorate the accuracy of the irradiation process.

[0090] When a support is placed under the mask to prevent bending, the support needs to be optically transparent. However, as the mask becomes larger, the support material needs to be thicker, which not only creates cost problems but also increases the absorption of laser energy in the support material, reducing the energy efficiency of the laser irradiation.

[0091] Furthermore, if the mask is placed parallel to the surface on which the device is installed, there is a high risk of dust being deposited on the mask, and if production continues with dust remaining on the mask, this will result in quality defects in a large number of products.

[0092] Furthermore, if dust gets between the mask and the support material below the mask, not only can it cause product defects or damage to the mask, but the refractive index differs in the small gap that occurs between the support material and the mask, causing optical non-uniformity, which results in an uneven laser beam being emitted.

[0093] Furthermore, since the optical path from the laser light source to the substrate is long, if the mask is placed horizontally, the height of the device becomes large. By placing the mask upright, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0094] As in the laser irradiation processing apparatus of the present invention, by arranging the mask 21 so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces substantially horizontally, deflection of the mask 21 is suppressed. Furthermore, since support to prevent deflection using an optically transparent material is not required, the efficiency of laser energy use is high, and highly accurate and highly uniform irradiation processing can be performed. Furthermore, since the adhesion of dust to the mask surface can be suppressed, a laser irradiation apparatus can be achieved that can suppress defects caused by dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the apparatus can be reduced. This also makes it possible to realize a pellicle-less system.

[0095] The surface 100A on which the laser irradiation device 100 is installed can be a horizontal surface. Furthermore, arranging the mask 21 so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces substantially horizontally means arranging the mask so that it faces horizontally by design, and includes a range of deviation from the horizontal direction within the range of manufacturing and installation errors. Of course, it is most preferable that the mask be arranged so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces horizontally, in other words, arranged perpendicular (θ=90° in FIG. 2) to the horizontal surface on which the laser irradiation device 100 is installed.

[0096] It is also possible to provide a laser irradiation system as described above.

[0097] This will be explained in more detail below.

[0098] (First optical function section) The first optical function unit 10 includes a laser light source 11. The laser light source 11 may be, for example, a laser light source (laser oscillator) that irradiates (emits) a laser beam 1 in a pulsed form.

[0099] The laser beam 1 emitted from the laser light source 11 is preferably an excimer laser. The excimer laser has a shorter wavelength than conventional solid-state lasers, such as LD-pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers, and therefore has high resolution. Therefore, by using an excimer laser in the laser irradiation processing device 200, more precise laser irradiation processing is possible. Furthermore, for example, excimer lasers have very high absorptivity for epoxy-based substrate materials, and have high laser irradiation processing capabilities.

[0100] The laser beam 1 may further include a shaping optical system 12 that is irradiated with the laser beam 1 from the laser light source 11. The shaping optical system 12 may shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 1, for example, as shown in Fig. 1(a), into, for example, a rectangular irradiation shape as shown in Fig. 1(b). For example, the shaping optical system 12 is preferably an optical system that includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses and shapes the laser beam 1 from the laser light source 11 into a laser beam having a rectangular irradiation shape and a uniform irradiation energy density, particularly a top-hat laser beam.

[0101] Fig. 7 shows a conceptual diagram of shaping the irradiation shape of a laser beam in a shaping optical system equipped with multiple cylindrical lenses. The shaping optical system 12 shown in Fig. 7 includes multiple cylindrical lenses consisting of an X1 cylindrical lens 13, a Y1 cylindrical lens 14, an X2 cylindrical lens 15, and a Y2 cylindrical lens 16, and a condenser lens 17. As shown in the lower part of Fig. 7, the X1 cylindrical lens 13 and the X2 cylindrical lens 15 are arranged at a distance twice their focal length f1. The Y1 cylindrical lens 14 and the Y2 cylindrical lens 16 are also arranged at a distance twice their focal length f1.

[0102] The laser beam 1 emitted by the laser light source 11 shown in FIG. 1 has a non-uniform irradiation shape (beam profile) as shown in FIG. 7. When the laser beam 1 having such an irradiation shape enters the shaping optical system 12, each component of the laser beam 1 is shaped according to its position in the X and Y directions. The lower part of FIG. 7 schematically shows, for example, the component indicated by "2" being shaped as it passes through cylindrical lenses 14 and 16. Each component of the laser beam 1 is shaped by the cylindrical lenses 13 to 16 and focused at a position a focal length f2 away from the focusing lens 17. By focusing each component, as shown in FIG. 7, the laser beam 2 has a top-hat beam shape, and is emitted from the shaping optical system 12 as output light.

[0103] By rearranging the cylindrical lens configuration in the X and Y directions, it is possible to shape the beam into a square, rectangular, or other shape.

[0104] By using such multiple cylindrical lenses 13 to 16 to shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 1, it is possible to shape a high-quality laser beam 2 having a rectangular shape with extremely uniform energy density, particularly a top-hat type beam profile.

[0105] Furthermore, by performing overlapping irradiation using such a rectangular beam profile, there are no dead spots, which are areas that are not irradiated, and laser irradiation processing that is averaged within the allowable range of the target laser irradiation processing can be performed, making it possible to perform laser irradiation processing of the irradiated body 80 with extremely high precision and efficiency.

[0106] (Second optical function section) As described above, a mask is installed on the second optical function unit 20. The present invention is effective when the mask is thin. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the effective area 22 of the mask 21 in the laser transmission direction is 10 mm or less. In one embodiment in which the longest side length is 800 mm or more, this thickness is more preferably 8 mm or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but it can be, for example, 2 mm. The thickness of a mask typically used is approximately 5 mm from the perspective of ease of handling. In another embodiment in which the shortest side length is 1000 mm or more, this thickness is more preferably 8 mm or less, and even more preferably 6 mm or less. The lower limit is not particularly limited, but is approximately 5 mm from the perspective of ease of handling. Depending on the size of the mask, the upper limit of the thickness may be as large as 20 mm or 15 mm. Such a thin mask makes it easy to handle and reduces costs. With the laser irradiation device of the present invention, even in the case of such a thin mask, problems such as deflection due to the mask's own weight can be suppressed stably.

[0107] In one embodiment of the present invention, the size of the mask 21 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rectangle with the longest side of the four sides of the mask's periphery being 800 mm or more. For example, the present invention can use a mask 21 in which the longer of the horizontal and vertical dimensions perpendicular to the thickness direction (dimensions L1 and L2, respectively, in FIG. 3) is 800 mm or more, more preferably 1000 mm or more, and the horizontal and vertical dimensions perpendicular to the thickness direction of the effective area 22 (dimensions L3 and L4, respectively, in FIG. 3) are 500 mm or more, more preferably 700 mm or more. The upper limits of dimensions L1 and L2 are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2500 mm or 2000 mm. The upper limits of dimensions L3 and L4 are also not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2350 mm or 1850 mm. The present invention is more effective when the mask is large, and is even more effective when dimensions L1 and L2 are 1500 mm or more, and 1700 mm or more. These dimensional conditions may be satisfied by both L1 and L2, or by only one of them.

[0108] In another embodiment of the present invention, the size of the mask 21 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rectangle with the shortest side of the four sides of the mask's periphery being 1000 mm or more. In the present invention, for example, a mask 21 can be used in which the shorter dimensions of the horizontal and vertical directions perpendicular to the thickness direction (dimensions L1 and L2, respectively, in FIG. 3) are 1000 mm or more, more preferably 1100 mm or more, and the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the effective area 22 perpendicular to the thickness direction (dimensions L3 and L4, respectively, in FIG. 3) are 700 mm or more, more preferably 900 mm or more. The upper limits of dimensions L1 and L2 are not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2500 mm or 2000 mm. The upper limits of dimensions L3 and L4 are also not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 2350 mm or 1850 mm. Note that the present invention is more effective when the mask size is large, and is even more effective when dimensions L1 and L2 are 1500 mm or more, and 1700 mm or more. These dimensional conditions may be satisfied by both L1 and L2, or by only one of them.

[0109] The ratio of the length to width perpendicular to the thickness direction of the mask (L1 / L2, L3 / L4) can be 1 / 2 or more and 2 / 1 or less, more preferably 4 / 5 or more and 5 / 4 or less.

[0110] The weight of the mask is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 5 kg or more and 70 kg or less, more preferably 5 kg or more and 20 kg or less, and even more preferably 5 kg or more and 15 kg or less. These masks have, for example, a transparent substrate that transmits laser light and has a light-shielding thin film made of chromium or the like formed on it, and an aperture formed by forming a pattern on this light-shielding thin film. The transparent substrate is preferably made of a glass material, such as a synthetic quartz glass substrate, a quartz glass substrate, an aluminosilicate glass substrate, a soda-lime glass substrate, or a low-thermal expansion glass (SiO2-TiO2 glass, etc.) substrate. Among these, synthetic quartz glass is preferred from the viewpoints of transmittance, rigidity, and availability.

[0111] In the present invention, such a large mask 21 can be used. By using the large mask 21 in combination with the reduced projection optical system 31, the energy density of the laser beam irradiated onto the substrate can be increased. As a more specific example, in one embodiment, there is a mask having an outer dimension of 800 mm x 920 mm and an effective area 22 of 500 mm x 500 mm. In another embodiment, there is a mask having an outer dimension of 1000 mm x 1150 mm and an effective area 22 of 700 mm x 700 mm.

[0112] The mask 21 may include a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam 2 that has passed through the first optical function portion 10. In this case, the mask irradiation area is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21.

[0113] It is preferable that the second optical function unit 20 further includes a mask stage that holds the mask 21 and sweeps the mask 21. By attaching a sweeping shaft to the mask stage that holds the mask 21, it becomes possible to perform an efficient mask sweeping operation.

[0114] In addition, by attaching a correction function (tilt axis, θ axis) to the mask stage, it becomes easier to adjust the installation angle (vertical) of the mask, and correction can be easily made to the surface shape of the object 80 to be irradiated, making it possible to perform accurate irradiation.

[0115] The second optical function unit 20 can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 2 that has passed through the first optical function unit 10 through a mask 21. The second optical function unit 20 can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam 2 that has been shaped into a rectangular shape, for example, according to a pattern corresponding to the irradiation area 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0116] In the laser irradiation device 100 according to the present invention, the laser beam 3 having the irradiation shape shown in Fig. 1(c) after passing through the second optical function unit 20 may be configured to have its traveling direction changed by an optional folding mirror 50 as shown in Fig. 1(d) and to be incident on an optional third optical function unit 30 (described later). In the example of the laser irradiation device 100 shown in Fig. 1, the laser beam 3 emitted from the third optical function unit 30 is configured to be irradiated onto a part of the irradiation object 80 held on the stage 40.

[0117] (Third optical function section) 1, the laser irradiation apparatus 100 according to the present invention preferably further includes a third optical function unit 30 equipped with a reduction projection optical system 31 between the second optical function unit 20 and the stage 40 that holds the object to be irradiated. The irradiation area of ​​the laser beam 3 that has passed through the mask 21 can be reduced through an optional reduction optical system 31 described below, thereby increasing the energy density of the laser beam 4 irradiated onto the substrate. Therefore, even if a large-area mask 21 is used, the desired fine irradiation process can be performed by using a reduction optical system 31 that matches the mask 21.

[0118] In recent years, laser irradiation processes such as substrate processing and exposure have become increasingly finer, requiring a minimum laser irradiation width of several microns. This also has an effect on minute particles, and minute particles adhering to the mask area in particular can cause a large number of defects. For this reason, the mask 21 is enlarged beyond the actual irradiation size, and the laser beam 3 that passes through the mask 21 is reduced and projected for exposure using a reduced projection optical system 31 at the subsequent stage, thereby minimizing the effect of minute particles. This also makes it easier to achieve a pellicle-less system.

[0119] Furthermore, by enlarging the mask 21 more than the actual laser irradiation pattern, the energy of the laser beam 2 that hits the mask 21 can be made smaller than the laser irradiation processing energy. If the reduction magnification of the reduction projection optical system 31 is N, the energy of the laser beam that hits the mask surface is 1 / (N 2 ) This makes it possible to suppress thermal drift due to the energy of the laser beam 2, thereby suppressing thermal expansion of the mask 21 and enabling high-precision laser irradiation processing even after a long period of laser irradiation operation.

[0120] Furthermore, deterioration of optical components (for example, the shaping optical system 12 and the mask 21) due to the heat of the laser beam can be suppressed, so the life of the optical components can be extended.

[0121] The laser irradiation device 100, which is configured to perform synchronous sweep irradiation while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed as described above, can use a reduced projection lens with a very small aperture compared to the method of moving the irradiation position of the laser beam, for example, the method described in Patent Document 2. Therefore, in addition to being advantageous in terms of cost, the lens distortion is small and aberration caused by the lens can be reduced, making it possible to achieve very high laser irradiation precision.

[0122] The reduction projection optical system 31 can be equipped with a pair of reduction projection lenses. When the reduction projection optical system 31 is an infinity optical system, the magnification achieved by the reduction projection optical system 31 can be adjusted, for example, by the ratio of the focal lengths of the reduction projection lenses and the distance between the reduction projection lenses. The reduction magnification N can be set to, for example, 2 or more, preferably 3 or more, and more preferably 4 or more. There is no particular upper limit, but it is about 5 in consideration of the laser resistance of the mask and the laser energy density required to process the required workpiece.

[0123] The reduction projection lens preferably has a high NA (numerical aperture). By using a reduction projection lens with a high NA, it is possible to form vias and trenches that are closer to cylindrical shapes.

[0124] The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably selected in accordance with the energy density required for the laser irradiation process of the irradiation object 80. The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably 0.12 or more.

[0125] It is preferable that the third optical function unit 30 further comprises a cooling means for cooling the reduction projection optical system 31. By providing the cooling means, it is possible to further suppress the influence of heat due to the laser beam energy in the reduction projection optical system 30. In the reduction projection optical system 30, the laser beam 3 that has passed through the mask 21 is reduced and projected at 1 / N, so the energy of the laser beam that passes through the lens portion at the tip of the objective is N times smaller than the energy of the laser beam irradiated on the mask 21. 2 Therefore, by providing a cooling function to the reduction projection optical system 30 in order to suppress this thermal energy, it is possible to suppress the thermal drift caused by the energy of the laser beam, and it becomes possible to perform highly accurate laser irradiation even after a long period of laser irradiation operation.

[0126] Furthermore, the laser irradiation device 100 described above, which is configured to perform synchronous sweep irradiation while maintaining a fixed laser beam irradiation position, allows the use of a reduction projection lens with a significantly smaller diameter than the method described in Patent Document 2. The cooling means for the reduction projection lens is not directly attached to the lens itself, but rather the jacket that holds the lens is cooled. Therefore, as the lens diameter increases, while temperature control is possible around the periphery of the lens, the cooling effect is less widespread near the critical center, making heat management difficult. As a result, even a small amount of energy absorbed within the lens during long-term laser beam irradiation can easily cause thermal distortion. By providing a cooling function for the third optical function unit 30 and using a lens with a small diameter, such defects can be reduced. Furthermore, defects caused by laser beam irradiation of the reduction projection optical system 31 can be reduced, thereby extending its lifespan.

[0127] [Laser irradiation processing equipment] 8 shows the configuration of a laser irradiation processing device 200 according to the present invention. The laser irradiation processing device 200 according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned laser irradiation device 100 and a laser irradiation processing unit 110 including a stage 40 on which an object to be irradiated, such as a substrate, is placed.

[0128] [Sweep mechanism] It is also preferable that the laser irradiation processing device 200 is configured to sweep the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 non-stop while irradiating the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 with pulsed laser beams 2 and 4, respectively, in a sweep irradiation in at least one direction.

[0129] By performing non-stop sweep irradiation, it is possible to significantly reduce the sweep time compared to step-and-repeat operation, which repeats running and stopping. In particular, since there is no need to perform positioning when stopping from a running state, it is possible to prevent deterioration of position accuracy due to acceleration and deceleration.

[0130] Furthermore, because these operations occur frequently, repeated stops and starts place a heavy load on the travel axis and motor.By performing non-stop sweep irradiation operations, the load on the axis can be reduced and heat generation in the travel axis can be suppressed, further preventing deterioration of positional accuracy due to thermal drift and enabling extremely high-precision laser irradiation processing.

[0131] [Imaging means and alignment mechanism] It is preferable that the laser irradiation processing device 200 of the present invention further includes an imaging means for reading the characteristic parts of the irradiated body 80, an imaging means for reading the characteristic parts of the mask 21, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the relative positions of the irradiated body and the mask based on positional information of the characteristic parts of the irradiated body and the mask.

[0132] 1 includes a mask alignment camera 23 as an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the mask 21, an irradiated object alignment camera 60 as an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the irradiated object 80, and an alignment mechanism (not shown). The mask alignment camera 23 is configured to send position information of the characteristic portions of the mask 21 to the alignment mechanism. The irradiated object alignment camera 60 is configured to send position information of the characteristic portions of the irradiated object 80 to the alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is configured to adjust the relative positions of the irradiated object 80 and the mask 21 based on this position information.

[0133] By aligning the position of the mask 21 with the position of the object 80 to be irradiated by the imaging means, it is possible to perform laser irradiation processing with the mask pattern projected onto the accurate position on the surface of the object 80 to be irradiated.

[0134] In particular, when processing an irradiated object, laser irradiation is often performed across multiple layers, and if the laser irradiation processing position of each layer is not accurately aligned with the target position, quality defects such as the circuits on each layer not being connected or, even if they are connected, having high conduction resistance will occur. To prevent this, accuracy in the laser irradiation processing position is necessary.

[0135] In this case, it is preferable to further include a means for correcting the laser irradiation shape of the object 80 to be irradiated with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0136] The shape of the projected image of the pattern on the mask 21 is not necessarily exactly similar to the laser irradiation shape on the irradiated object 80, and the magnification is not always the same due to the influence of thermal expansion, etc. Also, even a slight distortion or deformation of the irradiated object 80 may make it necessary to deform the laser irradiation shape on the irradiated object 80 relative to the projected image on the mask 21.

[0137] Therefore, as described above, the positions of the mask 21 and the irradiated object 80 are acquired by imaging means (mask alignment camera 23 and irradiated object alignment camera 60), and based on this information, the projected image of the mask 21 is aligned with the shape of the irradiated object to be laser irradiated, thereby enabling accurate laser irradiation of the irradiated object.

[0138] Specifically, for example, the projection position of the projection image of the mask 21 is acquired by the beam image detection camera 70, and correction is made based on the information on this projection position to optimize the projection magnification by the third optical function unit 30, and the sweep speed during sweep irradiation is also optimized based on the information. This makes it possible to arbitrarily change the vertical and horizontal magnifications of the irradiated object 80 relative to the image of the mask 21 within a certain range, and to apply an optimal laser irradiation processing shape.

[0139] The irradiated object 80 may include an irradiation area onto which a pattern is projected by any of the laser beams 2 to 4 that have passed through the mask 21 (and any third optical function unit 30). Fig. 4 shows a state in which the irradiated object 80 is placed on the stage 40, and shows an example of the relationship between an irradiation area 90 of the irradiated object 80 onto which the laser beam 3 is irradiated and an irradiated region 81 of the irradiated object 80. As shown in Fig. 4, the irradiation area 90 is smaller than the irradiated region 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0140] 4 is an area irradiated by one shot of the pulsed laser beam 4. In addition, the irradiation area 90 corresponds to a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, since a pattern is projected onto the irradiation area 90 by the laser beam that has passed through the mask 21.

[0141] As shown in the example of Fig. 1, the mask 21 is configured to be scanned along sweep axes 21X and 21Y shown in Fig. 1. Also, the stage 40 is configured to be scanned along sweep axes 80X and 80Y shown in Fig. 1.

[0142] The laser irradiation processing device 200 of the present invention is configured to sweep and irradiate the mask 21 and the stage 40 with the laser beams 2 and 4, and to perform laser irradiation processing on the irradiation area 81 of the irradiation object 80.

[0143] [Mask Changer] The laser irradiation processing device 200 according to the present invention preferably includes a mask changer, and the mask is preferably set using the mask changer. For example, the device may further include a vertical mask changer configured to change multiple masks. A processing device equipped with such a vertical mask changer can be a laser irradiation processing device that can easily form various patterns.

[0144] 9 shows a schematic diagram of an example of a vertical mask changer and an example of mask replacement using the same. In this example, an example of installing and replacing a mask 21 to be placed in a mask holder 25 shown schematically in FIG. 9(A) is shown. Also, in this example, a mask stocker 26 is used as part of the vertical mask changer. The mask stocker 26 is configured to store a plurality of masks.

[0145] 9(B), the mask 21 is removed from the mask stocker 26 using the mask clamp 27. There are no particular limitations on the manner in which the mask 21 is held (clamped) by the mask clamp 27. The mask stocker 26 and the mask clamp 27 constitute a vertical mask changer 28 configured to exchange a plurality of masks 21.

[0146] As shown in Fig. 9(C), the mask 21 is placed in the vertical orientation on the mask holder 25. After placement, the mask clamp 27 is released from its grip (unclamped) as shown in Fig. 9(D).

[0147] When replacing the mask 21, the mask 21 placed on the mask holder 25 is held by the mask clamp 27 as shown in FIG. 9(E), and then the mask 21 is detached from the mask holder 25 as shown in FIG. 9(F). The detached mask 21 is stored in the mask stocker 26 as shown in FIG. 9(G). Next, the next mask 21 to be used is removed from the mask stocker 26 in the same manner as shown in FIG. 9(B), and the mask 21 is placed on the mask holder 25 using the procedure described above. This allows multiple masks 21 to be replaced while maintaining the vertical arrangement. In this way, a laser irradiation device that can easily form various patterns can be achieved. Furthermore, by replacing the mask 21 while maintaining the vertical arrangement, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from accumulating on the effective area of ​​the mask 21 and to prevent the mask 21 from bending during replacement.

[0148] The laser irradiation processing device 200 according to the present invention may also include a mask cabinet 29 shown in Fig. 10. The mask cabinet 29 is configured to store and carry out a plurality of mask stockers 26. For example, the mask cabinet 29 includes an opening 29A, and is configured so that the mask stocker 26 storing the target mask 21 can be moved to the position of the opening 29A while the mask 21 is maintained in a vertical position within the mask cabinet 29.

[0149] [How to install the mask] Next, a mask installation method according to the present invention will be described. The mask installation method according to the present invention is a method for installing the mask 21 in a laser irradiation device 100 that includes a first optical function unit 10 having a laser light source 11 and a second optical function unit 20 for installing a mask 21 having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation region of an irradiation object 80, and that irradiates the irradiation object 80 with a laser through the mask 21 installed on the second optical function unit 20.

[0150] In one embodiment of the mask installation method according to the present invention, a rectangular mask 21 is used in which the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge is 800 mm or more in length, and the mask 21 is installed on the second optical function unit 20 so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces in a substantially horizontal direction. It is also preferable to use a mask 21 in which the ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the rectangular mask to the thickness of the effective area 22 in the laser transmission direction is 100 or more.

[0151] In another embodiment of the mask installation method according to the present invention, a rectangular mask 21 is used in which the length of the shortest side of the four sides that form the outer edge is 1000 mm or more, and the mask 21 is installed on the second optical function unit 20 so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed faces in a substantially horizontal direction. It is also preferable to use a mask 21 in which the ratio (length / thickness) of the length of the shortest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the rectangular mask to the thickness of the effective area 22 in the laser transmission direction is 100 or more.

[0152] This method of setting the mask allows for highly accurate laser irradiation while suppressing the effects of deflection due to the mask's own weight, and also prevents dust from adhering to the mask surface, resulting in a laser irradiation device that can prevent defects caused by dust. Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal plane, the height of the device can be reduced.

[0153] As described above, the mask 21 can be one having a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area 22. This allows for a laser irradiation device that is easy to handle and low cost because the mask is thin, while also being stable and suppressing problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight.

[0154] [Laser processing equipment] 8, by combining the laser irradiation device 100 according to the present invention with a laser irradiation processing unit 110A having a stage 40 for holding an irradiated object 80 as a laser irradiation processing unit 110, it is possible to provide a laser processing device 200A as a laser irradiation processing device 200 that forms fine irregularities on the irradiated object 80 by ablation processing using the irradiation energy of the laser beam 4. With the laser processing device according to the present invention, problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask can be suppressed.

[0155] In the laser processing apparatus 200A according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second optical function unit 20, the first optical function 10, and the laser irradiation processing unit 110A are separable from one another. This facilitates transportation in separate parts and reduces installation costs. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a detachable unit 300A can be provided between the second optical function unit 20 and the first optical function 10, and a detachable unit 300B can be provided between the second optical function unit 20 and the laser irradiation processing unit 110A, thereby making the apparatus separable.

[0156] It is preferable to further include a mask changer 28 that can install and remove the mask 21 to and from the second optical function unit 20. This results in a laser processing device that can easily process various patterns. For details about the mask changer 28, please refer to the above explanation.

[0157] Furthermore, specific examples of laser processing using the laser processing apparatus 200A equipped with the laser irradiation apparatus 100 of the present invention may be configured to perform superimposed irradiation (first embodiment) and / or to perform synchronous sweep irradiation with the laser beam irradiation position fixed (second embodiment), as will be described in detail below.

[0158] (First aspect) The laser processing apparatus 200A of the first aspect is configured to sweep-irradiate the mask 21 and the stage 40 while overlapping a portion of the irradiation area 90 during irradiation processing operation on the irradiated object 80, and to perform laser irradiation processing on the irradiated region 81 of the irradiated object 80. Hereinafter, irradiating the laser beam while overlapping a portion of the irradiation area 90 is referred to as overlapping irradiation.

[0159] Next, an example of overlapping irradiation will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0160] FIG. 5(a) shows a base irradiation area 90 on an irradiated object 80 by one shot of a pulsed laser beam. In this example of overlapping irradiation, the mask 21 and stage 40 are swept, and the laser beam is irradiated so that the first shot irradiation area 91 and the second shot irradiation area 92 partially overlap in the direction of the arrow along the sweep axis 80X, as shown in FIG. 5(b). Next, the laser beam is irradiated so that the third shot irradiation area 93 partially overlaps the first shot irradiation area 91 and the second shot irradiation area 92. By repeating this overlapping irradiation from the fourth shot onwards, the processed area expands along the sweep axis 80X.

[0161] FIG. 6(a) shows a process of ablating the first row of the irradiated region 81 along the sweep axis 80X using the overlapping irradiation shown in FIG. 5(b). Next, as shown in FIG. 6(b), overlapping irradiation is performed along the sweep axis 80X so as to overlap a portion of the region overlapping-irradiated in FIG. 6(a) in the direction of the sweep axis 80Y (orthogonal to the sweep axis 80X), and the second row of the irradiated region 81 is ablated along the sweep axis 80X. Next, as shown in FIG. 6(c), overlapping irradiation is performed along the sweep axis 80X so as to overlap a portion of the region overlapping-irradiated in FIGS. 6(a) and (b) in the direction of the sweep axis 80Y, and the third row of the irradiated region 81 is ablated along the sweep axis 80X. By repeating this overlapping irradiation for the fourth and subsequent rows of the irradiated region 81, the processed region expands across the irradiated region 81. As a result, overlapping irradiation can be performed at regular intervals in the two directions of the sweep axes 80X and 80Y.

[0162] The overlapping irradiation areas are irradiated with the laser beam multiple times, resulting in deep ablation in those areas according to the mask pattern shape, achieving the desired depth of processing in the irradiated region 81 according to the mask pattern shape.

[0163] In the laser processing apparatus 200A of the first aspect, a pulsed, rectangular laser beam with a uniform irradiation energy density is converted into a processing shape through the mask 21 and the laser beam 4 is irradiated onto the irradiation area 90 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, it is possible to perform multiple irradiations with a uniform processing depth in the irradiation area 90 in the irradiated object 80 corresponding to the mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, and it is possible to accurately process unevenness with approximately uniformity across the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, with this laser processing apparatus 200A, it is possible to accurately process fine unevenness across the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0164] Furthermore, such a laser processing device 200A does not require the use of high laser energy, and can be constructed inexpensively without using expensive laser light sources or optical components. In addition, it is possible to suppress deterioration of accuracy due to thermal drift of the laser beam, and high-precision processing can be performed.

[0165] Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus 200A can irradiate the object with the laser beam 4 in a pulsed manner, so that the above-mentioned superimposed irradiation can be performed at high speed.

[0166] In other words, the laser processing apparatus 200A according to the first aspect of the present invention is capable of performing high-speed, deep VIA processing and / or trench processing.

[0167] Furthermore, with the laser processing apparatus 200A according to the first aspect of the present invention, overlapping irradiation is performed, so the area of ​​the substrate irradiated with one shot can be made smaller, thereby enabling high-density irradiation.

[0168] (Second aspect) The second embodiment of the laser processing apparatus 200A is configured so that the mask 21 and the stage 40 operate synchronously in a plane direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beams 2 and 4 are irradiated, thereby maintaining a relative corresponding positional relationship.

[0169] In the example of FIG. 1, the mask 21 and the stage 40 are configured such that the movement of the mask 21 along the sweep axis 21X is synchronized with the movement of the stage 40 along the sweep axis 80X, and the movement of the mask 21 along the sweep axis 21Y is synchronized with the movement of the stage 40 along the sweep axis 80Y, so that the mask 21 and the stage 40 maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship.

[0170] Furthermore, the laser processing apparatus 200A of the second embodiment is configured to, during processing of the irradiated object 80, synchronously operate the mask 21 and the stage 40 while fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam 4, sweep-irradiate the mask 21 and the stage 40, and perform surface unevenness processing of the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Such sweep-irradiation that can be performed by the laser processing apparatus 200A of the second embodiment will be referred to hereinafter as "synchronous sweep-irradiation while fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam."

[0171] Such synchronous sweep irradiation allows laser irradiation processing to be performed with higher accuracy than when scanning a laser beam. Furthermore, with such laser processing apparatus 200A, a large-area mask can be used as mask 21, and by using the large-area mask in combination with third optical function unit 30, which will be described later, laser irradiation processing can be performed with higher energy density.

[0172] Furthermore, in the laser processing apparatus 200A of the second embodiment, similarly to the laser processing apparatus 200A of the first embodiment, a pulsed, rectangular laser beam with a uniform irradiation energy density is converted into a processing shape through the mask 21, and the laser beam 4 is irradiated onto the irradiation area 90 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, the laser processing apparatus 200A of the second embodiment can perform multiple irradiations with a uniform processing depth of the irradiation area 90 in the irradiated object 80 corresponding to the mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21, and can accurately perform processing of approximately uniform concave-convex shapes over the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80. Therefore, this laser processing apparatus 200A can also accurately perform processing of fine concave-convex shapes over the irradiated area 81 of the irradiated object 80.

[0173] Furthermore, such a laser processing device 200A does not require the use of high laser energy, and can be constructed inexpensively without using expensive laser light sources or optical components, and can suppress deterioration of accuracy due to thermal drift of the laser beam, enabling high-precision processing. Furthermore, because small optical components can be used, inexpensive and high-precision components can be used.

[0174] In addition, the laser processing apparatus 200A of the first embodiment is preferably configured to perform, in addition to the superimposed irradiation described above, synchronous sweep irradiation with the laser beam irradiation position fixed, as in the second embodiment.

[0175] [Laser processing method] Using the above-described laser processing apparatus 200A according to the present invention, ablation processing can be performed on the surface of the object 80. This makes it possible to perform high-precision processing while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0176] The processing method of the first aspect of the present invention is a method of performing the above-described superimposed irradiation using the laser processing apparatus 200A of the first aspect. Therefore, according to the processing method of the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to accurately process fine irregularities over the entire processing area of ​​the substrate. Furthermore, it is possible to perform irradiation at a high energy density, and to perform high-speed, deep VIA processing and / or trench processing.

[0177] The processing method according to the present invention is not limited to the method using the laser processing apparatus 200A of the first aspect described above.

[0178] For example, the processing method of the second aspect of the present invention is a processing method for forming fine irregularities on the surface of a substrate as an irradiated body 80 by ablation processing using the irradiation energy of a laser beam, in which a rectangularly shaped laser beam is passed through a mask to irradiate the substrate with the laser beam so that the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the processed area of ​​the substrate, and during the processing operation on the substrate, the surface irregularities of the processed area of ​​the substrate are processed while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area.

[0179] In this processing method, the laser beam is irradiated onto the substrate so that the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the processing area of ​​the substrate, and the surface unevenness processing of the processing area of ​​the substrate is performed while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, i.e., overlapping irradiation is performed, so it is possible to accurately perform almost uniform unevenness processing over the processing area of ​​the substrate. Therefore, with this type of processing device, it is possible to accurately perform fine unevenness processing over the processing area of ​​the substrate.

[0180] In the processing method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the use of an excimer laser enables more precise processing of irregularities.

[0181] Alternatively, a processing method according to a third aspect of the present invention is a method of performing synchronous sweep irradiation while fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam described above using the laser processing apparatus 200A according to the second aspect of the present invention. Therefore, according to the processing method according to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to accurately process fine irregularities across the entire processing area of ​​the substrate. Furthermore, according to the processing method according to the third aspect, processing can be performed with higher accuracy than when scanning the laser beam. Furthermore, with this processing method, a large-area mask can be used as the mask 21, and by using the large-area mask in combination with the third optical function unit 30 described above, processing can be performed with a higher energy density.

[0182] It is particularly preferable to perform both the superimposed irradiation and the synchronous sweep irradiation while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed during the processing operation on the substrate.

[0183] In the processing method of the first or third aspect according to the present invention, it is preferable to use a laser processing apparatus 200A that satisfies one or more of the optional conditions described above.

[0184] In addition, in the processing method of the first or third aspect of the present invention, in the sweep irradiation in at least one direction, it is preferable to sweep the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 non-stop while irradiating the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 with pulsed laser beams 2 or 4, respectively.

[0185] By performing such a sweep, it is possible to significantly reduce the sweep time compared to the step-and-repeat operation in which running and stopping are repeated, for the reasons explained above.

[0186] In the processing method according to the first or third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to repeat the sweep irradiation a plurality of times for each irradiation region 81 of the irradiation object 80.

[0187] As mentioned above, although high precision is required for the processing of recesses and protrusions on a substrate, there is also a demand for high aspect ratio processing, that is, for the depth to be increased.

[0188] However, the depth that can be processed in one sweep (1 pass) is limited, and particularly in the processing by the non-stop sweep, it is not possible to irradiate the processing area multiple times in one pass.

[0189] Therefore, by performing laser pulse irradiation while sweeping and performing this multiple times for each irradiated region 81 of the irradiated body 80, it is possible to process to the desired depth, and high-speed processing is possible.

[0190] In addition, between each sweep operation (first sweep, second sweep, etc.), by shifting the irradiation area 90 and performing irradiation for each sweep, as explained with reference to Figures 4 and 5, the processing depth is averaged, and processing of a uniform depth can be performed.

[0191] In the processing method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable that the method further includes reading the characteristic portions of the irradiated body 80 and the characteristic portions of the mask 21, and using an alignment mechanism to align the relative positions of the irradiated body 80 and the mask 21 based on the positional information of the characteristic portions of the irradiated body 80 and the mask 21.

[0192] The characteristic portions of the irradiation object 80 can be read by, for example, the substrate alignment camera 60. The characteristic portions of the mask 21 can be read by, for example, the mask alignment camera 23.

[0193] By aligning the position of the mask 21 with the position of the irradiated object 80 using an alignment mechanism based on the information obtained by the mask alignment camera 23 and the substrate alignment camera 60, it is possible to perform uneven processing by projecting the mask pattern at an accurate position on the surface of the irradiated object 80.

[0194] In this case, it is preferable to further include correcting the processed shape of the object 80 with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0195] This processing method enables more accurate processing of concaves and convexes on the substrate. Such correction can be performed by combining, for example, the third optical function unit 30, the beam image detection camera 70, a sweeping mechanism for the mask 21, and a sweeping mechanism for the substrate stage 80.

[0196] [Substrate manufacturing method] In the substrate manufacturing method according to the present invention, a substrate is processed by the laser processing method according to the present invention. This substrate manufacturing method allows for multiple irradiations with uniform processing depth in the substrate irradiation area within the substrate, which corresponds to the mask irradiation area, which is a portion of the effective area of ​​the mask. This makes it possible to precisely process unevenness that is approximately uniform across the processed area of ​​the substrate. Therefore, this substrate manufacturing method allows for the manufacture of a substrate on which fine unevenness is precisely formed across the processed area of ​​the substrate.

[0197] Furthermore, such a substrate manufacturing method does not require the use of high laser energy, and can be constructed inexpensively without using expensive laser light sources or optical components. In addition, it is possible to suppress deterioration of accuracy due to thermal drift of the laser beam, and it is possible to manufacture substrates that have been processed with high precision.

[0198] In particular, in the substrate manufacturing method using the processing method of the first aspect, the overlapping irradiation is performed during the substrate processing operation, so that high-speed and deep VIA processing and / or trench processing can be performed. In addition, the substrate irradiation area per shot can be made small, so high-density irradiation becomes possible.

[0199] Furthermore, in the substrate manufacturing method using the processing method of the third aspect, the synchronous sweep irradiation is performed with the laser beam irradiation position fixed during the substrate processing operation, so processing can be performed with higher precision than in the case of scanning the laser beam. Furthermore, with this processing method, a large-area mask can be used, so processing can be performed with a higher energy density.

[0200] The method for manufacturing a substrate of the present invention can be particularly advantageously applied to the manufacture of semiconductor packages.

[0201] [How to install laser processing equipment] Next, a method for installing a laser processing apparatus having a laser irradiation device according to the present invention and an irradiation processing unit equipped with a stage for holding an irradiated object will be described. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a detachable unit 300A can be provided between the second optical function unit 20 and the first optical function unit 10, and a detachable unit 300B can be provided between the second optical function unit 20 and the laser irradiation processing unit 110A, making them separable. Then, the first optical function unit 10, the second optical function unit 20, and the laser irradiation processing unit 110A are each transported separately to the installation location of the laser processing apparatus 200A. Thereafter, the integrated laser processing apparatus 200A is assembled at the installation location of the laser processing apparatus 200A. Then, a mask is installed on the second optical function unit 20 before or after transportation using the mask installation method described above. This method for installing a laser processing apparatus can reduce installation costs.

[0202] [Exposure equipment] 1 is an exposure processing unit 110B equipped with a stage for holding a substrate having a resist film on its surface as the irradiated object 80, it is possible to provide an exposure apparatus 200B that performs exposure processing on the resist with the irradiation energy of a laser beam as the laser irradiation processing device 200. This results in an exposure apparatus that suppresses problems such as bending of the mask due to its own weight and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0203] In the exposure apparatus 200B according to the present invention, similarly to the laser processing apparatus described above, it is preferable that the second optical function unit 20, the first optical function 10, and the exposure processing unit 110B are separable from one another. This makes it easy to transport them separately, and reduces installation costs. It is also preferable to further include a mask changer 28 that can install and remove a mask 21 from the second optical function unit 20. This makes it easy to form various exposure patterns.

[0204] [Exposure processing method] Using the exposure apparatus 200B according to the present invention described above, it is possible to perform exposure processing on the surface of the irradiation object 80. This makes it possible to perform high-precision exposure processing while preventing deformation of the mask and adhesion of dust to the mask.

[0205] [Installation method of exposure equipment] Next, a method for installing an exposure apparatus having a laser irradiation device according to the present invention and an exposure processing section equipped with a stage for holding an irradiated object will be described. Similar to the installation method for the laser processing apparatus described above, the installation method for the exposure apparatus according to the present invention involves providing detachable parts 300A and 300B as shown in FIG. 8 to make the second optical function part 20, the first optical function part 10, and the exposure processing section 110B separable from one another, and transporting the first optical function part 10, the second optical function part 20, and the exposure processing section 110B separately to the installation location of the exposure apparatus 200B. The integrated exposure apparatus 200B is then assembled at the installation location of the exposure apparatus 200B. A mask is then installed on the second optical function part 20 before or after transport using the mask installation method described above. This method for installing an exposure apparatus can reduce installation costs.

[0206] As described above, from the viewpoint of suppressing distortion of the large mask, it is important to arrange the large mask vertically, and other components and processes are optional.

[0207] The present specification includes the following aspects. [1]: A laser irradiation device comprising a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and for irradiating a laser onto an irradiated object through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, is rectangular in shape with the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask being 800 mm or longer, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally. [2]: The laser irradiation device according to [1] above, wherein the mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area. [3]: A laser processing device that performs ablation processing on the surface of the object to be irradiated by the irradiation energy of a laser beam, A laser processing apparatus comprising an irradiation processing unit having a stage for holding the object to be irradiated, and the laser irradiation device according to [1] or [2] above. [4]: The laser processing device according to the above [3], wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from each other. [5]: The laser processing apparatus according to [3] or [4] above, further comprising a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask relative to the second optical function unit. [6]: A laser processing method for an object to be irradiated, which uses the laser processing device according to any one of [3] to [5] above to perform ablation processing on the surface of the object to be irradiated. [7]: A mask installation method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and that irradiates the irradiated object with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, A mask installation method in which the mask is a rectangle with the longest side of the four outer edges being 800 mm or longer, and the mask is installed on the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented approximately horizontally. [8]: The method for setting a mask according to the above [7], wherein the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction is 10 mm or less. [9]: The mask setting method according to [7] or [8], wherein the mask is set using a mask changer.

[10] : A method for installing a laser processing apparatus having an irradiation processing unit equipped with the laser irradiation device and a stage for holding the irradiated object, The second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are transported separately to an installation location of the laser processing device, and then the laser processing device is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing device, A method for installing a mask on a laser processing device, comprising installing a mask on the second optical function unit before or after the transport using the mask installation method described in any one of [7] to [9] above.

[11] : A rectangular mask that is installed vertically in a laser irradiation device, an effective area having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object; A mask in which the longest side of the four sides of the rectangle is 800 mm or longer.

[12] : A laser irradiation device comprising a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and for irradiating a laser onto an irradiated object through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, A laser irradiation device in which the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, is rectangular in shape with the shortest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask having a length of 1000 mm or more, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally.

[13] : The laser irradiation device according to

[12] above, wherein the mask has a thickness of 10 mm or less in the laser transmission direction of the effective area.

[14] : A laser processing device that performs ablation processing on the surface of the object to be irradiated by the irradiation energy of a laser beam, A laser processing apparatus comprising an irradiation processing unit having a stage for holding the object to be irradiated, and the laser irradiation device according to

[12] or

[13] above.

[15] : The laser processing device according to

[14] above, wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from each other.

[16] : The laser processing apparatus according to

[14] or

[15] above, further comprising a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask with respect to the second optical function unit.

[17] : A laser processing method for an object to be irradiated, which uses the laser processing device according to any one of

[14] to

[16] above to perform ablation processing on the surface of the object to be irradiated.

[18] : A laser exposure device that performs exposure processing on the surface of the object to be irradiated by irradiation energy of a laser beam, A laser exposure device comprising an exposure unit having a stage for holding the object to be irradiated, and the laser irradiation device according to

[12] or

[13] above.

[19] : The laser exposure device according to

[18] above, wherein the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the exposure unit are separable from one another.

[20] : The laser exposure apparatus according to

[18] or

[19] above, further comprising a mask changer capable of setting and removing the mask relative to the second optical function unit.

[21] : A laser exposure method for an object to be irradiated, which performs an exposure process on the surface of the object to be irradiated using the laser exposure apparatus according to any one of

[18] to

[20] above.

[22] : A method for installing a mask in a laser irradiation device that includes a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for installing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and that irradiates the irradiated object with a laser through the mask installed in the second optical function unit, A mask installation method in which the mask is a rectangle with the shortest side of the four outer edges being 1000 mm or longer in length, and the mask is installed on the second optical function unit so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed is oriented approximately horizontally.

[23] : The method for setting a mask according to the above

[22] , wherein the thickness of the effective area in the laser transmission direction is 10 mm or less.

[24] : The mask setting method according to

[22] or

[23] above, wherein the mask is set using a mask changer.

[25] : A method for installing a laser processing apparatus having an irradiation processing unit equipped with the laser irradiation device and a stage for holding the irradiated object, The second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit, and the irradiation processing unit are transported separately to an installation location of the laser processing device, and then the laser processing device is integrated at the installation location of the laser processing device, A method for installing a mask on a laser processing device, comprising installing a mask on the second optical function unit before or after the transport using the method for installing a mask described in any one of

[22] to

[24] above.

[26] : A method for installing a laser exposure device having an exposure unit equipped with the laser irradiation device and a stage for holding the irradiated object, the second optical function unit, the first optical function unit, and the exposure unit are separable from one another, and the first optical function unit, the second optical function unit, and the exposure unit are transported separately to an installation location of the laser exposure device, and then the laser exposure device is integrated at the installation location of the laser exposure device; A method for installing a mask in a laser exposure device, comprising installing a mask on the second optical function unit before or after the transport by the method for installing a mask according to any one of

[22] to

[24] above.

[27] : A rectangular mask that is installed vertically in a laser irradiation device, an effective area having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object; A mask in which the length of the shortest side of the four sides of the rectangle is 1000 mm or more.

[28] : A laser irradiation system comprising a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, and for irradiating a laser onto an irradiated object through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, A laser irradiation system in which the mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, is rectangular in shape with the shortest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask having a length of 1000 mm or more, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally.

[0208] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, which are merely examples, and anything that has substantially the same configuration as the technical idea described in the claims of the present invention and that provides similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

[Claim 1] A laser irradiation device comprising: a first optical function unit having a laser light source; and a second optical function unit for placing a mask having a pattern corresponding to a laser irradiation area of ​​an irradiated object, the laser irradiation device irradiating the irradiated object with a laser through the mask placed on the second optical function unit, The mask includes an effective area having a pattern corresponding to the laser irradiation area of ​​the irradiated object, and is rectangular with the longest side of the four sides that form the outer edge of the mask being 800 mm or longer, and is positioned so that the normal to the surface on which the pattern is formed in the second optical function unit is oriented approximately horizontally.

Images