Positioning device, lithography device, and method for manufacturing articles

Abstract

To provide a positioning device which is advantageous for achieving both of positioning accuracy and reduction of cost or tact time.SOLUTION: A positioning device for positioning a workpiece which moves on a stage comprises: a reference member which is movable on the stage; an actuator driving the reference member; an air cylinder which presses by a piston rod, a second side surface opposite to a first side surface of the workpiece, so as to cause the first side surface of the workpiece on the stage to abut on the reference member; a measuring part for measuring the position of the workpiece on the stage; and a control part for controlling the actuator and the air cylinder. The control part performs drive control of the actuator on the basis of a result of measurement by the measuring part, and during the drive control, the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece, then the control part controls the air cylinder so as to press again the second side surface of the workpiece with the piston rod.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a positioning device, a lithography apparatus, and a method for manufacturing an article.

Background Art

[0002] In a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an article, positioning a workpiece in a short time is important for enhancing productivity. A positioning device positions a workpiece on a stage, for example, by pressing the side surface of the workpiece on the stage using a pressing mechanism such as an air cylinder or a weight, and abutting the workpiece against a positioning pin. The position of the positioning pin on the stage can be adjusted using an actuator.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Especially when positioning accuracy of the order of μm or less is required, it is necessary not only to design the positioning pin to be driven with high precision but also to design the pressing mechanism to always generate a constant thrust. An air cylinder is preferable as a highly accurate pressing mechanism, and especially, adopting an air bearing cylinder is desirable in that the thrust change is small. However, an air bearing cylinder is more costly than a general air cylinder. Also, a technique of performing pressing with a constant thrust using a weight as in Patent Document 1 has been proposed, but it is difficult to perform positioning with an accuracy of the order of μm with such a mechanism. Also, when the thrust of the pressing mechanism is not stable, the number of positioning operations increases and the tact time becomes long.

[0005] The present invention provides, for example, a positioning device advantageous for achieving both positioning accuracy and cost or low tact time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a positioning device for positioning a workpiece moving on a stage is provided, comprising: a reference member movable on the stage; an actuator for driving the reference member; an air cylinder with a piston rod that pushes a second side of the workpiece on the stage opposite to the first side so that the first side of the workpiece on the stage abuts against the reference member; a measuring unit for measuring the position of the workpiece on the stage; and a control unit for controlling the actuator and the air cylinder, wherein the control unit controls the drive of the actuator based on the measurement results from the measuring unit, and during the drive control, it temporarily separates the piston rod from the workpiece and then controls the air cylinder again so that the piston rod pushes the second side of the workpiece. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a positioning device that is advantageous in achieving both positioning accuracy and cost or low cycle time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the configuration of the positioning device. [Figure 2] A diagram showing the configuration of the air cylinder and piping circuit. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating the change in thrust of an air cylinder. [Figure 4] Flowchart of the positioning operation. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. While the embodiments describe multiple features, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the features may be combined in any way. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, identical or similar configurations are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 shows the configuration of a positioning device for positioning a workpiece. In this specification and drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system where the horizontal plane is the XY plane. The workpiece 1, which is the object to be positioned, is placed on the stage 35 so that its surface is parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). Therefore, below, the directions that are orthogonal to each other in the plane along the surface of the workpiece 1 are referred to as the X axis and the Y axis, and the direction perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis is referred to as the Z axis. Furthermore, below, the directions parallel to the X axis, Y axis and Z axis in the XYZ coordinate system are referred to as the X direction, Y direction and Z direction, and the directions of rotation around the X axis, Y axis and Z axis are referred to as the θX direction, θY direction and θZ direction, respectively.

[0011] Workpiece 1 can move on stage 35. In one example, a workpiece chuck 36 for chucking workpiece 1 is placed on stage 35. Workpiece 1 is placed on workpiece chuck 36. The position of workpiece 1 relative to stage 35 can be fixed by chucking workpiece 1 with workpiece chuck 36. In this case, the position adjustment of workpiece 1 by the positioning device is performed when workpiece chuck 36 has detached workpiece 1. Any type of chucking method for workpiece 1 used by workpiece chuck 36 is acceptable. In one example, when chucking, workpiece chuck 36 is configured to attract the lower surface of workpiece 1 to the chuck surface of workpiece chuck 36 by suction. When detaching, workpiece chuck 36 is configured to eject gas onto the lower surface of workpiece 1 to lift workpiece 1 away from the chuck surface of workpiece chuck 36.

[0012] The positioning device comprises a plurality of air cylinders 2 positioned to press against the sides of the workpiece 1. In the example shown in Figure 1, the plurality of air cylinders 2 may include two air cylinders that push the workpiece 1 in the X direction and two air cylinders that push the workpiece 1 in the Y direction. Movement of the workpiece 1 on the stage 35 is performed by operating each of these air cylinders. The positioning device also has a plurality of stoppers 3 positioned at predetermined locations on the stage 35 to restrict the range of movement of the workpiece 1. The plurality of stoppers 3 may include one or more stoppers that restrict the movement of the workpiece 1 in the X direction and one or more stoppers that restrict the movement of the workpiece 1 in the Y direction. The number and positioning of the plurality of air cylinders 2 and the plurality of stoppers 3 are appropriately determined according to the size, shape, and required positioning accuracy of the workpiece 1. The stoppers 3 may include a positioning pin 3a as a reference member movable in the XY direction on the stage 35 and an actuator 3b that drives the positioning pin 3a in the XY direction. The actuator 3b may be, for example, a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal.

[0013] The positioning device has a control unit 5. The control unit 5 controls the actuators 3b in the multiple stoppers 3 and the multiple air cylinders 2. The control unit 5 supplies air to the multiple air cylinders 2 via a piping circuit 4. The control unit 5 may be composed of, for example, a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or a general-purpose computer with a program installed, or a combination of all or part of these.

[0014] The positioning device may include a measuring device 6 (measuring unit) for measuring the position of the workpiece 1 on the stage 35. Although not shown in the figures, the measuring device 6 may include an X measuring unit for measuring the position of the workpiece 1 in the X direction and a Y measuring unit for measuring the position of the workpiece 1 in the Y direction. The X measuring unit and the Y measuring unit may each be, for example, linear encoders. Instead of linear encoders, the position of the workpiece 1 in each direction may be measured using a combination of an interferometer placed on the main structure of the positioning device and a reflective mirror placed on the workpiece 1.

[0015] The measuring device 6 is connected to the calculation device 7, and the measurement data obtained by the measuring device 6 is transmitted to the calculation device 7. The calculation device 7 calculates the amount of drive for the actuator 3b in order to position the workpiece 1 at the target position. Note that the function of the calculation device 7 may be implemented by the control device 5.

[0016] Referring to Figure 2, the configuration of the air cylinder 2 and piping circuit 4 will be explained. Note that while Figure 1 shows multiple air cylinders 2, Figure 2 shows only one representative air cylinder 2 for simplicity of explanation. Other air cylinders 2 can be configured similarly to those in Figure 2.

[0017] The air cylinder 2 may include a cylinder tube 21, a piston 22, and a piston rod 23. The piston 22 is positioned inside the cylinder tube 21 so as to divide the inside of the cylinder tube 21 into left and right chambers A and B, and reciprocates in the left-right direction within the cylinder tube 21. One end of the piston rod 23 is supported by the piston 22, and the other end of the piston rod 23 may contact the workpiece 1 to push it. The piping circuit 4 may include a solenoid valve 41 for switching the supply / exhaust of air to the air cylinder 2. The control device 5 controls the solenoid valve 41 so that the positioning device can perform actions to move the piston rod 23 away from the workpiece 1 and to push the workpiece 1 with the piston rod 23.

[0018] When the solenoid valve 41 shown in Fig. 2(a) is de-energized, the first port p1 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected by a pipe 42 to a supply source 45 (original pressure) that supplies compressed air, and the second port p2 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected by a pipe 43 to the chamber A of the air cylinder 2. Thereby, the pipe 42 and the pipe 43 communicate with each other. Also at this time, the third port p3 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected by a pipe 44 to the chamber B of the air cylinder 2, and the pipe 44 communicates with the fourth port p4 of the solenoid valve 41 that serves as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air from the supply source 45 is supplied to the chamber A, and the piston rod 23 retreats (to the left side of the paper surface), and the gas in the chamber B is exhausted.

[0019] The control device 5 electromagnetically drives the coil C by supplying power to the coil C. While power is being supplied to the coil C by the control device 5, as shown in Fig. 2(b), the fifth port p5 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected by a pipe 42 to the supply source 45, and the sixth port p6 is connected by a pipe 44 to the chamber B of the air cylinder 2. Thereby, the pipe 42 and the pipe 44 communicate with each other. Also, the seventh port p7 of the solenoid valve 41 is connected by a pipe 43 to the chamber A of the air cylinder 2, and the pipe 43 communicates with the eighth port p8 of the solenoid valve 41 that serves as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air from the supply source 45 is supplied to the chamber B, and the piston rod 23 protrudes (to the right side of the paper surface), and the gas in the chamber A is exhausted.

[0020] The positioning device of the present embodiment positions the work 1 by pressing the side surface of the work 1 with the air cylinder 2 and abutting the work 1 against the positioning pin 3a of the stopper 3. For example, when positioning accuracy on the order of μm or less is required, it is necessary to design the actuator 3b so that the positioning pin 3a is driven with high precision. From this viewpoint, a pulse motor (for example, a stepping motor) driven by a pulse signal is suitable as the actuator 3b. Also, for example, when positioning accuracy on the order of μm or less is required, it is required that the thrust generated at any stroke position be constant in the mechanism that presses the work 1. From this viewpoint, it is preferable to employ an air cylinder in the mechanism that presses the work 1.

[0021] In this embodiment, while the pressure is continuously applied to the side surface of the workpiece 1 by the air cylinder 2, the position of the positioning pin 3a is adjusted by the actuator 3b. Specifically, for position adjustment, the workpiece 1 is de-chucked by the workpiece chuck 36. In that state, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the air cylinder 2 pushes the second side surface 1b on the side opposite to the first side surface 1a with the piston rod 23 so that the first side surface 1a of the workpiece 1 abuts against the positioning pin 3a. Thereafter, the positioning device measures the position of the workpiece 1 by the measuring device 6. At this time, in order to improve the measurement accuracy, the measurement may be performed with the workpiece 1 chucked by the workpiece chuck 36. The control device 5 performs drive control of the actuator 3b based on the measurement result by the measuring device 6. For example, in the drive control, the control device 5 adjusts the position of the positioning pin 3a by the actuator 3b so that the measured position falls within the allowable range.

[0022] In such drive control of the positioning pin 3a, reversal of the drive direction of the positioning pin 3a by the actuator 3b may occur. In the movement where the drive direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, a change occurs in the thrust of the air cylinder 2 (piston rod 23). When positioning accuracy on the order of μm or less is required, such a change in the thrust of the air cylinder 2 cannot be ignored. This point will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

[0023] In Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the cylinder tube 21 and piston rod 23 are covered by a rod cover 24. A packing 25, which is a sealing member for preventing compressed air leakage, is also provided inside the cylinder tube 21. The packing 25 seals the outer surface of the piston rod 23 and the inner surface of the cylinder tube 21. The packing 25 is fixed to the inner surface of the cylinder tube 21, but is not fixed to the piston rod 23, only making slidable contact with it. As the piston rod 23 moves, the packing 25 undergoes elastic deformation. The thrust 10 of the air cylinder 2 is the sum of the force 12 generated by the pressure on the piston rod 23 and the force of the packing 25 trying to return to its original shape (hereinafter referred to as the elastic force 11 of the packing 25).

[0024] Consider the case where the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed while the positioning pin 3a and the piston rod 23 are pushing against each other with the workpiece 1 in between. This is the case when the state changes from the state in Figure 3(a) to the state in Figure 3(b), or from the state in Figure 3(b) to the state in Figure 3(a). In this case, the direction of movement of the piston rod 23 is also reversed along with the reversal of the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a. As a result, the deformation direction of the packing 25 also changes, and the direction in which the elastic force 11 of the packing 25 acts is reversed. This reduces the thrust 10 of the air cylinder 2. When the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, the amount of elastic deformation of the stopper 3 and the workpiece 1 being pushed by the air cylinder 2 changes, resulting in a phenomenon where the amount of drive of the positioning pin 3a and the amount of movement of the workpiece 1 do not match.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(c), if the positioning pin 3a is continuously driven in the same direction (without reversing), the deformation of the packing 25 will be maximized. If the piston rod 23 is then continuously driven in the same direction, the packing 25 will maintain its maximum deformation, and therefore the elastic force 11 of the packing 25 will remain constant.

[0026] Due to the phenomena described above, when the driving direction of the positioning pin 3a is reversed, the workpiece 1 cannot be moved by the expected amount in the region where the deformation amount of the packing 25 is maximum, resulting in repeated positioning drives and measurements. This increases the number of positioning drives and increases the cycle time. As a solution, using an air bearing cylinder without a packing can eliminate thrust changes in the air cylinder. However, air bearing cylinders are more expensive than general air cylinders. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-001032 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technique for pressing with a constant thrust using a weight, but this mechanism cannot be controlled with an accuracy on the order of μm.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 5 controls the air cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 pushes the workpiece 1 only when the elastic force 11 of the packing 25 is acting in the same direction while the positioning pin 3a is being driven. To achieve this, the control device 5 repeatedly releases the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and then pushes the workpiece 1 again while the positioning pin 3a is being driven. In the first example, each time the actuator 3b is driven, the control device 5 releases the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and then controls the air cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 pushes the second side surface 1b of the workpiece 1 again. In the second example, each time the actuator 3b is driven, the control device 5 determines whether the driving direction will reverse. If it is determined that the driving direction will reverse, the control device 5 releases the piston rod 23 from the workpiece 1 and then controls the air cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 pushes the second side surface 1b of the workpiece 1 again.

[0028] The following describes in detail an example of the control procedure by the control device 5 related to the positioning operation of workpiece 1, according to the second example described above, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 4. This control procedure begins after workpiece 1 is placed on the chuck surface of workpiece chuck 36.

[0029] In S1, the control device 5 controls the workpiece chuck 36 to dechuck the workpiece 1. In one example, the workpiece chuck 36 can dechuck the workpiece 1 by blowing gas onto the lower surface of the workpiece 1, causing the workpiece 1 to float away from the chuck surface of the workpiece chuck 36.

[0030] In S2, the control device 5 drives the actuator 3b according to the target position of the positioning pin 3a, which is determined according to the target position of the workpiece 1. In S3, the control device 5 controls the air cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 pushes the workpiece 1. Specifically, the control device 5 supplies power to the coil C. While the coil C is powered, the coil C is electromagnetically driven, causing the piston rod 23 to protrude (Figure 2(b)) and push the workpiece 1.

[0031] In S4, the control device 5 controls the workpiece chuck 36 to put the workpiece 1 into a chucked state. In one example, the workpiece chuck 36 can put the workpiece 1 into a chucked state by attracting the workpiece 1 to the chuck surface of the workpiece chuck 36 by suction on the lower surface of the workpiece 1. Note that the chuck in S4 is for the purpose of performing the position measurement of the workpiece 1 in the following S5 with high accuracy. If the accuracy of the position measurement is ensured, the chuck in S4 is not essential.

[0032] In S5, the control device 5 instructs the measuring device 6 to measure the position of workpiece 1 on the stage 35. The measurement data obtained by the measuring device 6 is transmitted to the calculation device 7. The calculation device 7 calculates the error between the position of workpiece 1 indicated by the measurement data and the target position of workpiece 1. In S6, the calculation device 7 determines whether the error is within the acceptable range based on the required accuracy. If the error is within the acceptable range, the process ends. If the error is not within the acceptable range, the process proceeds to S7.

[0033] In S7, the calculation unit 7 calculates the amount of drive for actuator 3b to position workpiece 1 at the target position based on the above error. The calculated drive amount data is transmitted to the control device 5. In S8, the control device 5 determines whether the drive direction of actuator 3b reverses with respect to the drive amount calculated in S7. Specifically, the control device 5 determines whether the drive direction of the drive amount calculated in S7 is opposite to the drive direction of actuator 3b in S2. If the two drive directions are opposite, the drive direction is reversed; if they are the same, the drive direction does not reverse. If it is determined that the drive direction does not reverse, the process returns to S1. If it is determined that the drive direction reverses, the process proceeds to S9. In S9, the control device 5 controls the air cylinder 2 so that the piston rod 23 moves away from workpiece 1. Specifically, the control device 5 stops supplying power to coil C. By stopping the power supply to coil C, the electromagnetic drive of coil C is stopped, and the piston rod 23 retracts (Figure 2(a)). As a result, the piston rod 23 moves away from workpiece 1. After that, the process returns to S1.

[0034] As described above, the drive control of the positioning pin 3a and the air cylinder 2 is performed until the error between the target position and the measured position of the workpiece 1 falls within the acceptable range. With this drive control, when the drive direction of the actuator 3b reverses (YES in S8), the piston rod 23 is temporarily separated from the workpiece 1 (S9). After that, the air cylinder 2 is controlled so that the piston rod 23 contacts the workpiece 1 again (S3). In this way, the air cylinder 2 can always push the workpiece 1 from the same direction of travel, eliminating changes in the elastic force 11 of the packing 25 during positioning. As a result, the thrust 10 of the air cylinder remains constant, improving positioning accuracy. In addition, the number of positioning drives is reduced, shortening the cycle time.

[0035] <Variation> In the first embodiment described above, the positioning device positions the workpiece 1 which is in a de-chucked state on the workpiece chuck 36. Alternatively, the workpiece chuck 36 on the stage 35 may be driven to perform the positioning.

[0036] In the first embodiment, the number of drive axes of the actuator 3b was described as one, but the number of drive axes of the actuator 3b may be two or more.

[0037] In the first embodiment, a pulse motor was preferred as the actuator 3b, but it is not limited to this. For example, an actuator such as a piezo actuator capable of precise driving on the order of several micrometers may be used as the actuator 3b.

[0038] In the first embodiment, the work chuck 36 is configured to be de-chucked by blowing gas onto the lower surface of the workpiece 1 to lift the workpiece 1 away from the chuck surface of the work chuck 36, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, an electromagnetic mechanism may be used to lift the workpiece 1 away from the chuck surface.

[0039] <Second Embodiment> The positioning device described above can be applied to a lithography apparatus that transfers a pattern from a master plate onto a substrate. A lithography apparatus may include an exposure apparatus, an imprint apparatus, a charged particle beam lithography apparatus, etc. An exposure apparatus is a device that forms a latent image on a photoresist supplied onto a substrate by exposing the photoresist through a master plate. An imprint apparatus is a device that forms a pattern on a substrate by curing an imprint material supplied onto the substrate while a mold (master plate) is in contact with the imprint material. A charged particle beam lithography apparatus is a device that forms a latent image on a photoresist supplied onto a substrate by drawing a pattern on the photoresist with a charged particle beam. Below, in order to provide a specific example, an example in which a lithography apparatus is configured as an exposure apparatus will be described.

[0040] Referring to Figure 5, an exposure apparatus 131 to which the positioning device according to the first embodiment described above is applied will be explained. The exposure apparatus 131 includes an illumination optical system 115, a mask stage 116, a projection optical system 117, a substrate stage 118, and a control unit 119. The exposure apparatus 131 is housed in an exposure chamber 126. Here, the Y direction is the scanning direction of the mask M and substrate P, and the X direction is the non-scanning direction.

[0041] The illumination optical system 115 irradiates the mask M using light from a light source, such as a high-pressure mercury lamp. In this embodiment, the illumination optical system 115 irradiates the mask M with illumination light formed in a slit shape. The mask M is, for example, a glass master plate on which a pattern (e.g., a circuit pattern) to be transferred to the substrate P is formed. The mask stage 116 is a stage that holds the mask M and moves in the X and Y directions.

[0042] The projection optical system 117 maintains an optically conjugate relationship between the mask M held by the mask stage 116 and the substrate P held by the substrate mounting section 120 in the substrate stage 118, and projects an image of the pattern present in the illumination area of ​​the mask M onto the substrate P. In this embodiment, the projection optical system 117 includes a first parallel plate 121, a trapezoidal mirror 122, a concave mirror 123, a convex mirror 124, and a second parallel plate 125. In the projection optical system 117, light from the mask M reaches the substrate P by passing sequentially through the first parallel plate 121, the trapezoidal mirror 122, the concave mirror 123, the convex mirror 124, the concave mirror 123, the trapezoidal mirror 122, and the second parallel plate 125. The projection area (exposure area) of light from the projection optical system 117 on the substrate is set to a predetermined shape, for example, an arc shape.

[0043] The substrate P is, for example, a glass plate with a resist layer (photosensitive material) formed on its surface. The substrate stage 118 is a stage that vacuum-adsorbs the substrate P at the substrate mounting section 120 and moves, for example, in the X, Y, and Z directions (and further, in the θX, θY, and θZ directions).

[0044] The control unit 119 is composed of a computer including a CPU and memory, and performs control and calculation processing of each part of the exposure apparatus 131 according to a program stored in memory. In this embodiment, the control unit 119 controls the substrate stage 118, but a dedicated stage control unit for controlling the substrate stage 118 may also be provided. In this case, the stage control unit controls the substrate stage 118 based on commands from the control unit 119. Furthermore, the control unit 119 may be configured as an integral part of the exposure apparatus 131 (in a common housing) or as a separate unit (in a separate housing) from the other parts of the exposure apparatus 131.

[0045] The exposure chamber 126 is provided with an opening 127 that communicates with an interface chamber 128 housing a robot hand 129, and the substrate P is transported (transferred) between the exposure apparatus 131 and the robot hand 129 through the opening 127. In this embodiment, when the robot hand 129 holding the substrate P enters the exposure chamber 126 through the opening 127, the substrate stage 118 is moved to a predetermined position (the substrate P transport position) near the opening 127. Then, the substrate transport unit 130 is driven (raised) to the vicinity of the robot hand 129 to receive the substrate P from the robot hand 129. The substrate transport unit 130 then places the received substrate P onto the substrate mounting unit 120.

[0046] As described above, the exposure apparatus 131 uses a mask stage 116 to move the mask M and a substrate stage 118 to move the substrate P to scan the mask M and substrate P in synchronous motion and project the pattern drawn on the mask M onto the substrate P. To do this, the direction of the pattern drawn on the mask M must be aligned with the scanning direction.

[0047] The patterns drawn on the mask M are not drawn parallel or perpendicular to the outline of the mask M. Furthermore, the orientation and arrangement of the patterns drawn on each mask M differ. Therefore, the mask stage 116 needs to align the placed mask M based on the pattern. In this embodiment, the positioning device described in the first embodiment is configured on the mask stage 116. In this case, the workpiece 1, which is the object to be positioned, is the mask M. The alignment of the mask M is performed by the positioning device. The exposure apparatus 131 transfers the pattern of the positioned mask M to the substrate P. Note that the functions of the control device 5 described in the first embodiment may be implemented by the control unit 119.

[0048] As described above, by applying the positioning device described in the first embodiment to the mask stage 116, the positioning accuracy of the mask M is improved. In addition, the number of positioning drives for the mask M is reduced, the cycle time can be shortened, and the productivity of the exposure apparatus is improved.

[0049] The above example shows a case where a positioning device positions the mask M and transfers the pattern of the positioned mask M to the substrate. Similarly, the exposure apparatus 131 may be configured to position the substrate P using a positioning device and transfer the pattern of the mask M to the positioned substrate P.

[0050] <Embodiment of Article Manufacturing Method> The article manufacturing method in this embodiment is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, semiconductor devices, and elements having microstructures. The article manufacturing method of this embodiment includes the steps of transferring a pattern from a master plate onto a substrate using the above-mentioned lithography apparatus (such as an exposure apparatus, imprint apparatus, or drawing apparatus), and processing the substrate onto which the pattern has been transferred. Furthermore, this manufacturing method includes other well-known steps (such as oxidation, film formation, vapor deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, and packaging). The article manufacturing method of this embodiment is advantageous over conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0051] The disclosures herein include at least the following positioning devices, lithography devices, and methods for manufacturing articles. (Item 1) A positioning device for positioning a workpiece that moves on a stage, A reference member that can move on the aforementioned stage, An actuator that drives the reference member, An air cylinder that uses a piston rod to push a second side opposite to the first side of the workpiece on the stage so as to abut the first side of the workpiece against the reference member, A measuring unit for measuring the position of the workpiece on the stage, A control unit that controls the actuator and the air cylinder, Equipped with, The control unit controls the drive of the actuator based on the measurement results from the measuring unit, and during the drive control, it temporarily separates the piston rod from the workpiece and then controls the air cylinder again so that the piston rod presses the second side surface of the workpiece. A positioning device characterized by the following features. (Item 2) The positioning device according to item 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the air cylinder so that each time the actuator is driven, the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece, and then the piston rod is used to press the second side surface of the workpiece again. (Item 3) The control unit, Each time the actuator is driven, it is determined whether the driving direction reverses. In response to the determination that the drive direction is to be reversed, the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece, and the air cylinder is controlled so that the piston rod presses against the second side surface of the workpiece again. The positioning device described in item 1, characterized by the features described herein. (Item 4) The aforementioned air cylinder is Cylinder tube and A piston that supports one end of the piston rod and reciprocates inside the cylinder tube, A sealing member that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the piston and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder tube, A positioning device according to any one of items 1 to 3, characterized by including (Item 5) The positioning device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the actuator is a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal. (Item 6) The system further includes a solenoid valve that controls the supply of air to the air cylinder, The control unit controls the solenoid valve to perform the operation of separating the piston rod from the workpiece and the operation of pushing the workpiece with the piston rod. A positioning device according to any one of items 1 to 5, characterized by the features described above. (Item 7) The stage is positioned above the workpiece and further comprises a workpiece chuck for chucking the workpiece, The control unit controls the workpiece chuck so as to dechuck the workpiece when the measuring unit measures the position of the workpiece, and to chuck the workpiece when the air cylinder pushes the workpiece. A positioning device according to any one of items 1 to 6, characterized by the features described above. (Item 8) The positioning device according to item 7, characterized in that the workpiece chuck is configured to, when de-chucking, spray gas onto the lower surface of the workpiece to lift the workpiece away from the chuck surface of the workpiece chuck, and when chucking, suck on the lower surface of the workpiece to make the workpiece adhere to the chuck surface. (Item 9) A positioning device as described in any one of items 1 to 8, The original plate is positioned using the aforementioned positioning device. The system is configured to transfer the positioned pattern of the master plate onto the substrate. A lithography apparatus characterized by the following features. (Item 10) A positioning device as described in any one of items 1 to 8, The positioning device is used to position the substrate, The system is configured to transfer the pattern of the original plate onto the positioned substrate. A lithography apparatus characterized by the following features. (Item 11) A step of transferring a pattern onto a substrate using a lithography apparatus as described in item 9 or 10, A process of processing the substrate onto which the aforementioned pattern has been transferred, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having a processed substrate and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

[0052] The invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to disclose the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1: Workpiece, 2: Air cylinder, 3: Stopper, 3a: Positioning pin, 3b: Actuator, 4: Piping circuit, 5: Control device, 6: Measuring device, 7: Calculation device, 35: Stage, 36: Workpiece chuck

Claims

1. A positioning device for positioning a workpiece that moves on a stage, A reference member that can move on the aforementioned stage, An actuator that drives the reference member, An air cylinder is provided that uses a piston rod to push a second side opposite to the first side of the workpiece on the stage so as to abut the first side of the workpiece against the reference member, A measuring unit for measuring the position of the workpiece on the stage, A control unit that controls the actuator and the air cylinder, Equipped with, The control unit controls the drive of the actuator based on the measurement results from the measuring unit, and during this drive control, it temporarily separates the piston rod from the workpiece and then controls the air cylinder to push the second side of the workpiece with the piston rod again. A positioning device characterized by the following features.

2. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit controls the air cylinder so that each time the actuator is driven, the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece and then the piston rod presses against the second side surface of the workpiece again.

3. The control unit, Each time the actuator is driven, it is determined whether the driving direction reverses. In response to the determination that the drive direction is to be reversed, the piston rod is temporarily separated from the workpiece, and the air cylinder is controlled so that the piston rod presses against the second side surface of the workpiece again. The positioning device according to feature 1.

4. The aforementioned air cylinder is Cylinder tube and A piston that supports one end of the piston rod and reciprocates inside the cylinder tube, A sealing member that seals the space between the outer circumferential surface of the piston and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder tube, The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized by including the following:

5. The positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator is a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal.

6. The system further includes a solenoid valve that controls the supply of air to the air cylinder, The control unit controls the solenoid valve to perform the operation of separating the piston rod from the workpiece and the operation of pushing the workpiece with the piston rod. The positioning device according to feature 1.

7. The stage is positioned above the workpiece and further comprises a workpiece chuck for chucking the workpiece, The control unit controls the workpiece chuck so as to dechuck the workpiece when the measuring unit measures the position of the workpiece, and to chuck the workpiece when the air cylinder pushes the workpiece. The positioning device according to feature 1.

8. The positioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that the workpiece chuck is configured to, when de-chucking, spray gas onto the lower surface of the workpiece to lift the workpiece away from the chuck surface of the workpiece chuck, and when chucking, suck on the lower surface of the workpiece to make the workpiece adhere to the chuck surface.

9. A positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The original plate is positioned using the aforementioned positioning device. The system is configured to transfer the positioned pattern of the master plate onto the substrate. A lithography apparatus characterized by the following features.

10. A positioning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The positioning device is used to position the substrate, The system is configured to transfer the pattern of the original plate onto the positioned substrate. A lithography apparatus characterized by the following features.

11. A step of transferring a pattern onto a substrate using the lithography apparatus described in claim 9, A process of processing the substrate onto which the aforementioned pattern has been transferred, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having a processed substrate and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

12. A step of transferring a pattern onto a substrate using the lithography apparatus described in claim 10, A process of processing the substrate onto which the aforementioned pattern has been transferred, A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having a processed substrate and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

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