Exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method for manufacturing article

Abstract

To provide an exposure apparatus advantageous in an accuracy of coupling exposure.SOLUTION: An exposure apparatus for conducting scanning exposure by lighting an original plate with light from a light source while transferring a substrate in a scanning direction to expose a pattern of the original plate and for conducting coupling exposure so as to partially overlap a region exposed by a first exposure with a region exposed by a second exposure includes: a projection optics system for projecting the pattern of the original plate; a shielding plate for shielding a part of exposure light of at least one of the first exposure light and the second exposure light; and a plurality of adjusting parts for adjusting a light amount shielded by the shielding plate by applying force onto the shieling plate, where a plurality of the adjusting parts are arranged so as to be asymmetric to a straight line passing an optic axis and along the scanning direction in a state of applying no force onto the light shielding plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing an article. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of liquid crystal panels, organic EL displays, semiconductor devices, and the like, a scanning exposure apparatus is used that exposes a pattern of an original onto a substrate coated with a resist through a projection optical system while moving the substrate and original in synchronization. In recent years, in order to accommodate the increase in the area of ​​the exposure region associated with the increase in size of the substrate, it is required to form a pattern in an area larger than the area (partial area) to which the pattern of the original is transferred by one scanning exposure. As a method for this, Patent Document 1 proposes an exposure method using stitching exposure in which multiple partial areas are exposed by overlapping them in a non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction.

[0003] When performing stitching exposure, it is important to reduce the variation in the integrated exposure amount in the stitching area where adjacent partial areas overlap. Patent Document 2 discloses that a variable slit capable of adjusting the illumination shape is placed between the projection optical system and the original, and the integrated exposure amount in the stitching area can be made uniform by adjusting the amount of light passing through the variable slit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-317366 [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-053888 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, even if the variable slit described in Patent Document 2 is used, if the adjustment unit for adjusting the variable slit is not arranged so as to correspond to the middle position in the non-scanning direction of the joint area, the variation in the integrated exposure amount in the joint area cannot be completely uniformed. In addition, since the joint area is determined by the layout of the panel to be produced, the position of the adjustment unit cannot be positioned so as to be optimal for all layouts. By increasing the number of adjustment units, it becomes possible to accommodate a certain degree of variety in layouts, but there are restrictions such as the arrangement space. Therefore, even if the variable slit is used, the integrated exposure amount in the joint area may vary, and the accuracy of exposure may decrease.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus which is advantageous in terms of the accuracy of stitching exposure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an exposure apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is an exposure apparatus that performs scanning exposure by illuminating an original with light from a light source and exposing a pattern of the original onto the substrate while moving the substrate in a scanning direction, and performs stitching exposure so that an area exposed by a first exposure and an area exposed by a second exposure partially overlap, and has a projection optical system that projects the pattern of the original onto the substrate, a light shielding plate that shields a portion of the exposure light in at least one of the first exposure and the second exposure, and a plurality of adjustment units that apply a force to the light shielding plate to adjust the amount of light shielded by the light shielding plate, and the plurality of adjustment units are: When no force is applied to the light blocking plate, the light blocking plate is disposed asymmetrically with respect to a line that passes through the optical axis of the projection optical system and is aligned along the scanning direction, and The arrangement on the joint area in the first exposure is different from the arrangement on the joint area in the second exposure. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exposure apparatus which is advantageous in terms of the accuracy of stitching exposure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of an exposure apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining stitching exposure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a slit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing stitching exposure in the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure of stitch exposure in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of an exposure amount adjusting plate in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are used to refer to the same components, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0011] First Embodiment The configuration of an exposure apparatus in this embodiment will be described. The exposure apparatus in this embodiment is a lithography apparatus used in a photolithography process, which is a manufacturing process for devices such as semiconductor devices and FPDs. The exposure apparatus in this embodiment performs an exposure process in which a substrate is exposed through an original having a surface on which a pattern is formed, and the pattern of the original is transferred to the substrate.

[0012] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exposure apparatus 100 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a coordinate system is defined with a direction parallel to the optical axis of the projection optical system 4 as the Z direction, and an arbitrary plane perpendicular to this Z axis direction as the XY plane. Also, the scanning direction in which the substrate 16 is moved when performing scanning exposure with the exposure apparatus 100 is defined as the Y direction, and the non-scanning direction perpendicular to the scanning direction as the X direction.

[0013] The exposure apparatus 100 includes an illumination optical system 1, an alignment scope 2 for detecting alignment marks on an original 3 and a substrate 16, an original stage 27, a projection optical system 4, an exposure amount adjustment plate 19, a substrate stage 17, a control unit 20, and an acquisition unit 26. The illumination optical system 1 may include, for example, a light source 5, condenser lenses 6 and 8, a fly-eye lens 7, a slit 9 (light shielding plate), an imaging optical system 10, and a plane mirror 11. The light source 5 may include, for example, a mercury lamp and an elliptical mirror. The slit 9 is provided between the light source 5 and the original 3, and transmits only light that is incident on an opening of the slit among the light emitted from the light source 5, thereby defining an illumination range. The imaging optical system 10 includes a plurality of mirrors, and is arranged to image the light that has passed through the slit 9 on the original 3. The plane mirror 11 bends the optical path in the illumination optical system 1.

[0014] The projection optical system 4 projects the pattern of the original 3 held on the original stage 27 onto the substrate 16 held on the substrate stage 17 by means of the illumination optical system 1. The original 3 is disposed at the position of the object plane of the projection optical system 4, and the substrate 16 is disposed at the position of the image plane of the projection optical system 4. The projection optical system 4 in this embodiment may be an equal-magnification imaging optical system that projects the pattern of the original 3 onto the substrate 16 at equal magnification, or it may be a magnifying imaging optical system or a reducing imaging optical system.

[0015] The pattern of the original 3 illuminated by the illumination optical system 1 is imaged onto the substrate 16 via the first parallel plate 13a, the plane mirror 14, the concave mirror 12, the convex mirror 15, the concave mirror 12, the plane mirror 14, and the second parallel plate 13b of the projection optical system 4. A light amount sensor 18 (detection unit) that measures the amount of exposure light is disposed on the substrate stage 17 for driving the substrate 16.

[0016] The exposure amount adjustment plate 19 is provided between the projection optical system 4 and the substrate 16 so as to block a portion of the light emitted from the projection optical system 4. The exposure amount adjustment plate 19 may be made of, for example, metal. The exposure amount adjustment plate 19 has a mechanism that is movable in the non-scanning direction (X direction) and is configured to be able to control the exposure amount. The control unit 20 includes a CPU and a memory, and controls the entire exposure apparatus 100.

[0017] In the exposure apparatus 100 of this embodiment, it is assumed that the substrate 16 is exposed in an exposure mode called stitching exposure. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining the stitching exposure process. Fig. 2(a) is a diagram showing a process (first exposure) in which a first exposure region 22a on the substrate 16 is exposed. In Fig. 2(a), the first exposure region 22a is exposed with exposure light 23 while the original 3 and the substrate 16 are moved in the scanning direction (Y direction) in synchronization with each other.

[0018] Fig. 2(b) is a diagram showing a process (second exposure) after the first exposure area 22a is exposed. In Fig. 2(b), the original 3 and the substrate 16 are moved in the non-scanning direction (X direction) in synchronization. At this time, exposure is not performed. The amount of movement of the original 3 and the substrate 16 in the non-scanning direction is determined so that the first exposure area 22a and the second exposure area to be exposed in the next exposure are partially overlapped, so that no unexposed area is generated between them.

[0019] FIG. 2(c) is a diagram showing a process in which the second exposure region 22b on the substrate 16 is exposed. In FIG. 2(c), the original 3 and the substrate 16 are synchronously moved in the scanning direction (Y direction) while the second exposure region 22b is exposed with the exposure light 23. Here, the second exposure region 22b is exposed so as to overlap with the first exposure region 22a, so that a joint region 24 (a region exposed in an overlapping manner by joint exposure) where the first exposure region 22a and the second exposure region 22b partially overlap is formed. In addition, in this embodiment, since multiple scanning exposures are sufficient, exposure may be performed by not only two scanning exposures but also three or more scanning exposures.

[0020] FIG. 2(d) is a diagram showing the integrated exposure amount exposed by the stitching exposure. The integrated exposure amount is the integrated value of the exposure amount exposed to the substrate. FIG. 2(d) shows the integrated exposure amount in the non-scanning direction (X direction) at a certain point in the Y direction of the first exposure area 22a and the second exposure area 22b. The vertical axis of the graph indicates the integrated exposure amount, and the horizontal axis indicates the position in the X direction. In the first exposure and the second exposure, the exposure is overlapped in the stitching area 24, so that in order to make the integrated exposure amount of the exposed area uniform, it is necessary to reduce the exposure amount in the stitching area 24. For example, the exposure amount in the stitching area 24 can be reduced by inserting the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 in the optical path between the projection optical system 4 and the substrate 16 in the non-scanning direction (X direction). The control unit 20 controls the drive of the exposure amount adjustment plate 19. The exposure amount in the stitching area 24 can be adjusted by the magnitude of the drive of the exposure amount adjustment plate 19. The exposure amount adjustment plate 19 has an edge extending in a direction intersecting the scanning direction (Y direction), which enables the integrated exposure amount of the connecting area 24 exposed by the first exposure and the second exposure to be approximately the same as that of the area other than the connecting area 24.

[0021] However, when the adjustment using the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 is used, if the integrated exposure amount in the joint area 24 contains a secondary component, it is not possible to correct the integrated exposure amount to a uniform value throughout the joint area 24. For example, it is not possible to uniformly correct the distribution of the integrated exposure amount as shown in FIG. 2(d). In this embodiment, a method for uniformly adjusting the integrated exposure amount in the joint area 24 by configuring the shape of the slit 9 to be deformable in order to uniformly adjust the distribution of the integrated exposure amount will be described.

[0022] In stitching exposure, a wider area can be exposed than the area that can be exposed by one scanning exposure. Therefore, it can be an advantageous technique when producing large-screen liquid crystal panels or organic EL panels, for example. However, because stitching areas 24 are formed, it is necessary to suppress the variation in the integrated exposure amount between the stitching areas 24 and other areas, or the variation in the integrated exposure amount within the stitching areas 24.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a variable slit 21 capable of locally adjusting the exposure amount. Fig. 3(a) is a diagram showing a comparative example of this embodiment, in which multiple adjustment units 21c of the variable slit 21 are arranged symmetrically. Fig. 3(b) is a diagram showing the configuration of the variable slit 21 of this embodiment, in which multiple adjustment units 21c are arranged asymmetrically.

[0024] The variable slit 21 is applied to the slit 9 (light shielding plate). The variable slit 21 is composed of a variable blade 21a and a fixed blade 21b. The variable blade 21a has a plurality of adjustment units 21c (L1 to 5, X0, R1 to 5) arranged in the X direction, and each adjustment unit 21c adjusts the slit width (the width between the variable blade 21a and the fixed blade 21b) at each position by pushing and pulling the variable blade 21a. That is, by applying a force to the variable slit 21, the variable slit 21 is deformed, and the shape of the opening 21d is adjusted. The opening 21d is a space between the variable blade 21a and the fixed blade 21b, and the illumination area illuminated on the original 3 can be defined to the shape of the opening 21d by passing light through the opening 21d. The adjustment units 21c (L1 to 5 and R1 to 5) in this embodiment are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a straight line passing through the slit center and along the scanning direction (Y direction) when no force is applied to the variable slit 21. Here, the slit center is, for example, the optical axis of the projection optical system 4.

[0025] In FIG. 3(a), the distance between two adjacent adjustment units 21c (L1-L5 or R1-R5) is A. The difference from the center position of the joint area is the same when the adjustment unit 21c (L1-L5) is selected as when the adjustment unit 21c (R1-R5) is selected. For example, when the center position of the joint area is the position shown by the square in FIG. 3(a), the difference is A / 2 whether the adjustment unit 21c (L4) or the adjustment unit 21c (R4) is selected. Therefore, in the case of FIG. 3(a), the distance between the center position of the joint area 24 and the adjustment unit is shifted by a maximum of A / 2 in the non-scanning direction (X direction).

[0026] On the other hand, in FIG. 3(b), the difference from the center position of the joint area is different between when the adjustment unit 21c (L1-L5) is selected and when the adjustment unit 21c (R1-R5) is selected. In FIG. 3(b), the interval between two adjacent adjustment units 21c (L1-L5 or R1-R5) is A, and the position symmetrical to the adjustment unit 21c (L1-L5) with respect to the center (position of X0) of the opening 21d is indicated by a black circle. In this embodiment, one adjustment unit 21c (R1-5) is arranged so as to be at the intermediate position (the intermediate position between the black circles) of the other adjustment unit 21c (L1-5). In FIG. 3(b), for example, when the center position of the joint area is the position indicated by the square in FIG. 3(b), the difference is different depending on whether the adjustment unit 21c (L5) or the adjustment unit 21c (R5) is selected. When adjustment unit 21c(L5) is selected, the difference from the center position of the connecting region becomes 3A / 4, but when adjustment unit 21c(R5) is selected, the difference from the center position of the connecting region becomes A / 4. That is, in FIG. 3(b), by selecting a nearby adjustment unit, the difference from the center position of the connecting region can be suppressed to a maximum deviation of A / 4. Note that when adjustment unit 21c(L4) is selected, the difference from the center position of the connecting region becomes A / 4, so adjustment unit 21c(L4) may be selected. That is, it is sufficient to select the adjustment unit closest to the center position of the connecting region.

[0027] Here, the reason why the exposure accuracy in the joint area 24 is improved by minimizing the distance between the center position of the joint area 24 and the adjustment unit 21c in the non-scanning direction (X direction) will be described. When the distribution of the integrated exposure amount in the joint area 24 has a quadratic shape as shown in FIG. 2(d), the quadratic component of the integrated exposure amount can be cancelled by adjusting the adjustment unit 21c. In this case, the quadratic component of the integrated exposure amount has a peak at the center position of the joint area 24. By adjusting the adjustment unit 21c at a position corresponding to or close to the peak position of the quadratic shape, the quadratic component of the integrated exposure amount can be more effectively removed.

[0028] For example, the first distance is the distance between an adjustment unit among the multiple adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure light to be exposed to the joint area 24 in the first exposure and the position coordinates of the center position in the non-scanning direction (X direction) of the position where the joint area 24 is to be formed. Also, the second distance is the distance between an adjustment unit among the multiple adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure light to be exposed to the joint area 24 in the second exposure and the position coordinates of the center position in the non-scanning direction (X direction) of the position where the joint area 24 is to be formed. Then, the first distance and the second distance are compared. If the first distance is smaller than the second distance, the amount of exposure light to be exposed to the joint area 24 in the first exposure is adjusted, and if the second distance is smaller than the first distance, the amount of exposure light to be exposed to the joint area 24 in the second exposure is adjusted, thereby effectively removing the second-order component of the integrated exposure light.

[0029] Here, the quadratic component indicates that the shape of the exposure dose distribution in the non-scanning direction (X direction) in the connecting region 24 includes a curve, and by removing the quadratic component, the shape of the exposure dose distribution in the non-scanning direction (X direction) in the connecting region 24 changes from a curve to a straight line. In this embodiment, the multiple adjustment units are controlled so that the shape of the exposure dose distribution in the connecting region 24 changes from a curve to a straight line.

[0030] The reason why the integrated exposure amount in the joint region 24 has a quadratic component may be, for example, an error during manufacturing of the optical members. For example, a manufacturing error of the mirror used in the imaging optical system 10 may be a factor. In this embodiment, when the illumination shape illuminated on the original 3 is an arc, the mirror used in the imaging optical system 10 is polished in a direction along the arc shape. By using a mirror polished in a direction along the arc shape, there is a risk of illuminance unevenness occurring along the scanning direction (Y direction) of the illumination shape. When there is illuminance unevenness in the scanning direction (Y direction), the integrated exposure amount is the integrated value of the parts where the exposure amount is large and the parts where the exposure amount is small, so the integrated exposure amount becomes uniform and does not pose a problem in most of the arc-shaped illumination region.

[0031] However, at the end of the arc-shaped illumination area (illumination area near the edge of the exposure amount adjustment plate 19), there is a risk that the area where the exposure amount is large will be shaded, and only the area where the exposure amount is small will be integrated in the connecting area 24. Alternatively, there is a risk that the area where the exposure amount is small will be shaded, and only the area where the exposure amount is large will be integrated in the connecting area 24. In such a case, the integrated exposure amount will not be uniform in the connecting area 24, and a quadratic distribution of the integrated exposure amount will be shown, with a peak at the center of the connecting area 24.

[0032] In this embodiment, the adjustment unit 21c is selected to correspond to the vicinity of the center of the joint region 24, so that the secondary component in the distribution of the cumulative exposure amount can be effectively removed, and the variation in the cumulative exposure amount in the joint region 24 can be effectively reduced. In order to maximize the accuracy of the joint exposure, the adjustment units 21c are arranged asymmetrically and the adjustment units 21c are selected to correct the secondary component, thereby improving the accuracy of the joint exposure. In FIG. 3, all the adjustment units on the opposite side of one adjustment unit are arranged in the middle of their respective symmetrical positions, but the adjustment units 21c not used in the joint region (for example, R1 and L1 near the center of the opening 21d) may be arranged in positions symmetrical to the left and right. In addition, the shape of the exposure light defined by the variable slit 21 may be an arc shape or a rectangular shape.

[0033] Next, a method of determining which of the multiple adjustment units 21c to drive and a method of determining the drive amount of the adjustment unit when performing stitching exposure will be described. The acquisition unit 26 acquires information such as the layout of the panel to be produced, input by the user to an input device (not shown). This allows the acquisition unit 26 to acquire position information of the area where the stitching area 24 is to be formed. The position information of the area where the stitching area 24 is to be formed is, for example, the coordinates of the middle position of the stitching area 24 in the non-scanning direction (X direction). The acquisition unit 26 may acquire the coordinates of the entire stitching area 24, and the control unit 20 may calculate the coordinates of the middle position of the stitching area 24 in the non-scanning direction (X direction).

[0034] The control unit 20 determines the amount of light to be blocked in the joint area 24 exposed by the first exposure and the second exposure based on the position information of the joint area 24, and drives the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 in the non-scanning direction (X direction) so as to block a part of the light path. In addition, in order to determine the driving amount of the adjustment unit 21c, the exposure amount distribution is measured by the light amount sensor 18. Specifically, the substrate stage 17 is sequentially stepped in the non-scanning direction (X direction), and the light amount is detected by the light amount sensor 18. The measurement of the exposure amount distribution by the light amount sensor 18 may be performed every time before the joint exposure is performed, or may be performed when the layout of the panel to be produced is changed or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the previous measurement.

[0035] A method for uniforming the integrated exposure amount in the stitching region 24 in stitching exposure in this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of stitching exposure performed by two scanning exposures, a first exposure and a second exposure. In the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 in the following description, the exposure amount adjustment plate 19a and the exposure amount adjustment plate 19b are provided separately with the optical path in between.

[0036] FIG. 4(a) is a diagram showing the correspondence between the position of the exposure area 24 and the positions of the variable slit 21 and the exposure amount adjustment plate 19a in the first exposure. In the first exposure, the exposure amount adjustment plate 19a is driven in the non-scanning direction (X direction) to adjust the exposure amount in the joint area 24 to a continuous exposure amount distribution from 0% to 100%. FIG. 4(b) is a diagram showing the correspondence between the position of the exposure area 24 and the positions of the variable slit 21 and the exposure amount adjustment plate 19b in the second exposure. In the second exposure, the exposure amount adjustment plate 19b is driven in the non-scanning direction (X direction) to adjust the exposure amount in the joint area 24 to a continuous exposure amount distribution from 0% to 100%. Also, referring to FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), the intermediate position of the exposure area 24 in the non-scanning direction (X direction) corresponds to the adjustment unit at the position R3. Therefore, by driving the adjustment unit at the position R3, a correction is made to remove the secondary shape of the integrated exposure amount distribution.

[0037] FIG. 4(c) is a graph showing the region exposed by stitching exposure, the position in the non-scanning direction (X direction) at a certain Y coordinate position, and the cumulative exposure amount. The vertical axis of the graph is the cumulative exposure amount, and the horizontal axis is the position in the non-scanning direction (X direction). The dotted line in the graph is the result of measuring the exposure amount distribution in advance by the light amount sensor 18, and shows the cumulative exposure amount distribution of the secondary shape. The control unit 20 calculates the correction amount of the cumulative exposure amount of the secondary shape, and determines the drive amount of the adjustment unit at the position of R3 and the adjustment unit around the position of R3 related to the correction. As shown in FIG. 4(c), when the cumulative exposure amount of the stitching region 24 is smaller than the cumulative exposure amount of the other regions, the adjustment unit is adjusted in the direction of widening the opening 21d, so that the cumulative exposure amount can be uniformly exposed even in the stitching region 24 as shown by the solid line in the graph of FIG. 4(c).

[0038] A procedure for performing stitch exposure with exposure apparatus 100 will be described. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing method using stitch exposure in this embodiment. Controller 20 controls each part of exposure apparatus 100 to execute each step described below.

[0039] In step S501, the acquisition unit 26 acquires position information on the intended formation of the connection region 24 in accordance with the layout of the exposure region to be exposed on the substrate 16. The acquired position information is, for example, the coordinates of the intermediate position of the intended formation positions of the connection region 24 in the non-scanning direction (X direction).

[0040] In step S502, the control unit 20 drives the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 to adjust the integrated exposure amount of the joint area 24 based on the position information of the joint area 24 acquired in step S501. In addition, when driving the exposure amount adjustment plate 19, the light amount sensor 18 acquires the exposure amount distribution. The integrated exposure amount of the joint area 24 is calculated as the sum of the integrated exposure amount in the first exposure and the integrated exposure amount in the second exposure. When the current joint area is to be measured using the measurement information of the previous joint area, step S502 is omitted.

[0041] In step S503, the adjustment unit 21c to be driven is selected, and the drive amount of the selected adjustment unit 21c is determined. The adjustment unit 21c to be driven is selected based on the position information of the joint area 24 acquired in step S501 and the position where the adjustment unit 21c is arranged. Based on the position coordinates of each axis of the adjustment unit 21c stored in advance in the control unit 20, the control unit 20 determines the adjustment unit closest to the position coordinates of the intermediate position in the non-scanning direction (X direction) of the joint area 24 to be formed. The control unit 20 determines the drive amount of the selected adjustment unit and its surrounding adjustment units (for example, adjustment units arranged adjacent to the selected adjustment unit).

[0042] In the above description, an example has been described in which the adjustment unit 21c is controlled to remove the secondary component of the exposure distribution (i.e., correcting the secondary shape of the exposure distribution to become a primary shape distribution), but this alone does not mean that the integrated exposure amount in the connection region 24 has been corrected to be uniform. It is necessary for the adjustment unit 21c to perform control so as to remove not only the secondary component but also the primary component. An example of removing the primary component will be described below.

[0043] Here, the first-order component indicates the inclusion of a linear component of the exposure dose distribution in the non-scanning direction (X direction) in the connecting region 24, and by removing the second-order and first-order components, the shape of the exposure dose distribution in the non-scanning direction (X direction) in the connecting region 24 becomes a straight line without inclination. In this embodiment, the multiple adjustment units are controlled so that the shape of the exposure dose distribution in the connecting region 24 becomes a straight line without inclination, thereby uniformly exposing the connecting region 24.

[0044] In step S502, the integrated exposure amount is made uniform by driving the adjustment unit located opposite to the adjustment unit selected to remove the secondary component. That is, in FIG. 4(a), if the adjustment unit at the position R3 is selected for correcting the secondary shape in the first exposure, the primary component can be removed by controlling the adjustment unit located opposite to the position of R3 in the second exposure. Specifically, the primary component can be removed by driving the adjustment units L2 to L5 that affect the exposure amount of the exposure area 24 by a constant amount at a time.

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, the first-order component may be removed to make the integrated exposure amount uniform by driving the adjustment unit (adjustment unit at the position of R2 to R5) belonging to the same position as the adjustment unit (adjustment unit at the position of R3) selected to remove the second-order component. That is, a method of removing the second-order component in the first exposure and removing the first-order component in the second exposure may be used, or a method of correcting only one of the first exposure and the second exposure may be used. Alternatively, the first exposure and the second exposure may be divided into a predetermined ratio and the first and second components may be removed in each exposure. Also, after performing correction driving based on the correction amount determined in step S503, the integrated exposure amount may be confirmed again by the light amount sensor 18 as in step S502, and a more accurate correction amount of the adjustment unit 21c may be calculated.

[0046] In step S504, the adjustment unit 21c is driven by the drive amount determined in step S503, and stitch exposure is performed.

[0047] In this embodiment, even if the stitching region 24 has a secondary component of the exposure distribution, the integrated exposure amount can be corrected uniformly by selecting and driving an appropriate adjustment unit from among the adjustment units arranged asymmetrically with respect to a straight line passing through the center of gravity of the opening 21d and along the scanning direction (Y direction). Also, stitching exposure corresponding to various panel layouts can be performed.

[0048] <Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, an example was described in which the integrated exposure amount of the connecting region can be uniformly corrected by applying a variable slit 21 having a plurality of adjustment parts 21c arranged asymmetrically to the slit 9. In the present embodiment, an example is described in which a variable adjustment plate 25 having a plurality of adjustment parts 27 arranged asymmetrically to the exposure amount adjustment plate 19 is applied. Note that the configuration of the exposure apparatus 100 is similar to that of the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. Furthermore, matters not mentioned in this embodiment follow the first embodiment.

[0049] In this embodiment, the slit 9 is arranged not to make the integrated exposure amount of the connecting region uniform, but to define the illumination shape of the light illuminating the original 3, for example, to a circular arc shape. Therefore, if there is no need to define the illumination shape, the slit 9 does not need to be provided in the exposure apparatus 100. Furthermore, even if the slit 9 is arranged, the slit 9 does not need to be a variable slit, and may be a variable slit as in the first embodiment.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a variable adjustment plate 25 (light shielding plate) capable of locally adjusting the amount of exposure light. The variable adjustment plate 25 has two light shielding plates 25a and 25b, one on the left and one on the right. The variable adjustment plate 25 has a plurality of adjustment units 27 (L1 to 7, R1 to 7), and each adjustment unit 27 locally adjusts the amount of exposure light to be shielded by pushing and pulling the light shielding plates 27a and 27b. The adjustment units 27 (L1 to 7) are arranged so as to be asymmetric with respect to the adjustment units 27 (R1 to 7). Specifically, in a state where no force is applied to the light shielding plates 27a and 27b, the adjustment units 27 (L1 to 7) are arranged asymmetric with respect to a straight line passing through the center positions of the light shielding plates 27a and 27b along the scanning direction (Y direction). When the light shielding plate is not driven in the non-scanning direction (X direction), the center of gravity of the illumination area by the exposure light is located at the middle position between the light shielding plates 27a and 27b. 6, positions symmetrical to the positions of L1 to L7 are indicated by black circles. Adjustment units 27 (R1 to R7) are disposed at positions different from the black circles. The reason for asymmetrical arrangement of adjustment units 27 is to enable selection of an adjustment unit to be used for correction so as to remove secondary components in the stitching exposure region, as in the first embodiment.

[0051] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, even if the stitching region 24 has a secondary component of exposure distribution, the integrated exposure amount can be corrected uniformly by selecting and driving an appropriate adjustment unit from among the adjustment units arranged asymmetrically. Also, stitching exposure corresponding to various panel layouts can be performed.

[0052] <Embodiments of the method for manufacturing an article> The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing, for example, a flat panel display (FPD). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment includes a step of forming a latent image pattern on a photosensitive agent applied on a substrate using the above-mentioned exposure apparatus (a step of exposing the substrate), and a step of developing the substrate on which the latent image pattern has been formed in this step. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional methods.

[0053] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 3 Original version 4 Projection optical system 5 light source 9 Slit 16 Substrate 19 Exposure adjustment plate 21c Adjustment section 22a First exposure area 22b 2nd exposure area 100 Exposure device

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus that performs scanning exposure by illuminating an original with light from a light source and exposing a pattern of the original onto a substrate while moving the substrate in a scanning direction, and performs stitching exposure so as to form a stitching region where an area exposed by a first exposure and an area exposed by a second exposure partially overlap, a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the original onto the substrate; a light shielding plate that shields a part of the exposure light in at least one of the first exposure and the second exposure; a plurality of adjustment units that apply a force to the light blocking plate to adjust the amount of light blocked by the light blocking plate; having an exposure apparatus characterized in that the multiple adjustment units are arranged so as to be asymmetric with respect to a line passing through the optical axis of the projection optical system and along the scanning direction when the multiple adjustment units are not applying force to the light shielding plate, and the position of an adjustment unit that adjusts the exposure amount of the connecting region during the first exposure is different from the position of an adjustment unit that adjusts the exposure amount of the connecting region during the second exposure.

2. 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light blocking plate is a variable slit that is disposed between the light source and the original and that defines an illumination shape with which the original is illuminated.

3. an exposure amount adjustment plate that is inserted in an optical path between the projection optical system and the substrate; 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the exposure amount adjustment plate reduces the amount of exposure light applied to an area exposed in an overlapping manner in the stitching exposure.

4. 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light-shielding plate is an exposure amount adjustment plate inserted in the optical path between the projection optical system and the substrate, and reduces the amount of exposure light applied to an area that is exposed in an overlapping manner in the stitching exposure.

5. A control unit that controls the driving of the plurality of adjustment units, 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit adjusts an integrated exposure amount applied to an area exposed in an overlapping manner in the stitching exposure.

6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the control unit adjusts the accumulated exposure amount to be applied to the overlapping exposed area in the stitching exposure based on position information of the overlapping exposed area in the stitching exposure and the positions of the multiple adjustment units.

7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the control unit selects whether to adjust the amount of exposure to the area exposed in the overlapping exposure in the stitching exposure in the first exposure, or to adjust the amount of exposure to the area exposed in the overlapping exposure in the stitching exposure in the second exposure, based on positional information of the area exposed in the overlapping exposure in the stitching exposure and the positions of the multiple adjustment units.

8. 8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires position information of an area that is overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure before the first exposure is performed.

9. 9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the acquisition unit acquires position coordinates of a center position in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of an area exposed in an overlapping manner in the stitching exposure.

10. A detection unit that detects light exposed to a surface on which the substrate is placed, 10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit adjusts drive amounts of the plurality of adjustment units based on the result of detection by the detection unit.

11. 11. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit compares a first distance, which is a distance between an adjustment unit among the plurality of adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure to be applied to an area overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure in the first exposure, and a position coordinate of a center position in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the area overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure, with a second distance, which is a distance between an adjustment unit among the plurality of adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure to be applied to an area overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure in the second exposure, and a position coordinate of a center position in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the area overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure, and adjusts the amount of exposure of the first exposure if the first distance is smaller than the second distance, and adjusts the amount of exposure of the second exposure if the second distance is smaller than the first distance.

12. The exposure apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control unit drives the multiple adjustment units so that, when the first distance is smaller than the second distance, a secondary component of the exposure amount distribution in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction in an area exposed in the overlapping stitching exposure in the first exposure is removed, and, when the second distance is smaller than the first distance, drives the multiple adjustment units so that a secondary component of the exposure amount distribution in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction in an area exposed in the overlapping stitching exposure in the second exposure is removed.

13. An exposure apparatus that performs scanning exposure by illuminating an original with light from a light source and exposing a pattern of the original onto a substrate while moving the substrate in a scanning direction, and performs stitching exposure such that an area exposed by a first exposure and an area exposed by a second exposure partially overlap, a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the original onto the substrate; a light shielding plate that shields a part of the exposure light in at least one of the first exposure and the second exposure; a plurality of adjustment units that apply a force to the light blocking plate to adjust the amount of light blocked by the light blocking plate; A control unit that controls the driving of the plurality of adjustment units; having the plurality of adjustment units are arranged so as to be asymmetric with respect to a line that passes through an optical axis of the projection optical system and is aligned along the scanning direction when no force is being applied to the light blocking plate, The control unit compares a first distance, which is a distance between an adjustment unit among the multiple adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure light to be used on the area that is overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure in the first exposure, and a position coordinate of a center position in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the area that is overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure, with a second distance, which is a distance between an adjustment unit among the multiple adjustment units that adjusts the amount of exposure light to be used on the area that is overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure in the second exposure, and a position coordinate of a center position in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the area that is overlappingly exposed in the stitching exposure, and adjusts the amount of exposure light of the first exposure if the first distance is smaller than the second distance, and adjusts the amount of exposure light of the second exposure if the second distance is smaller than the first distance.

14. An exposure method for performing scanning exposure in which an original is illuminated with light from a light source, and a pattern of the original is exposed onto the substrate while the substrate is moved in a scanning direction, the exposure method performing exposure using an exposure apparatus that performs stitching exposure so as to form a stitching region where an area exposed by a first exposure and an area exposed by a second exposure partially overlap, comprising: The exposure apparatus includes: a projection optical system that projects a pattern of the original onto the substrate; a light shielding plate that shields a part of the exposure light in at least one of the first exposure and the second exposure; having an exposure method comprising: a step of adjusting the amount of light blocked by the light-shielding plate by applying a force to the light-shielding plate, the step being characterized in that a plurality of adjustment units are arranged so as to be asymmetric with respect to a straight line passing through the optical axis of the projection optical system and along the scanning direction when no force is being applied to the light-shielding plate; and the position of the adjustment unit that adjusts the exposure amount of the connecting region during the first exposure is different from the position of the adjustment unit that adjusts the exposure amount of the connecting region during the second exposure, the step being characterized in that the plurality of adjustment units apply a force to the light-shielding plate to adjust the amount of light blocked by the light-shielding plate.

15. an exposure step of exposing a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13; a developing step of developing the substrate exposed in the exposure step; A method for manufacturing an article, comprising the steps of: manufacturing an article from the substrate developed in the developing step;

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