Printed wiring substrate exposure apparatus, light exposure method, and manufacturing method for printed wiring substrate

Abstract

The present invention is a printed wiring substrate exposure apparatus for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to irradiation energy from a laser beam, said printed wiring substrate exposure apparatus being configured, at the time of exposure of the substrate, to perform pattern exposure on an exposure region of the substrate by sweeping irradiation of a mask and a substrate stage while causing a portion of a substrate irradiation area to overlap therewith. Thus provided is an exposure apparatus capable of accurately performing fine pattern exposure spanning the exposure region of the substrate.

Description

Exposure device for printed wiring board, exposure method, and manufacturing method of printed wiring board

[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board, an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board.

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

[0003] Furthermore, the configuration of semiconductor package substrates is becoming more complex and denser, and devices using excimer lasers 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 multi-layered. This thinning and multi-layering of wiring has resulted in narrower and more complex line and space (L&S).

[0005] Furthermore, printed wiring boards are also required to have fine wiring patterns. To form fine wiring patterns on printed wiring boards, fine patterns must be formed on resist films. Pattern exposure is generally used to form such patterns.

[0006] To form a complex wiring pattern by pattern exposure, it is necessary to form a fine printed wiring exposure pattern with high precision.

[0007] For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-144992 discloses an exposure apparatus that can align a printed wiring board and a photomask with high precision.

[0008] JP 2017-132120 A

[0009] In particular, in the manufacture of semiconductor package substrates, printed wiring boards having highly precise wiring patterns are required.

[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards that can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed area of ​​the board, an exposure method that can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed area of ​​the board, and a method for manufacturing a board that can manufacture a printed wiring board on which a fine exposure pattern is formed with high precision over the entire exposed area of ​​the board.

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides, as an exposure apparatus of a first aspect, an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, the exposure apparatus including: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in pulses and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit including a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate; and a substrate stage that holds the substrate, wherein the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit, and the mask irradiation area is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, the substrate includes a substrate irradiation area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam that has passed through the mask, the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and the exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards is configured to perform pattern exposure on the exposed region of the substrate by sweep-irradiating the mask and the substrate stage while overlapping a part of the substrate irradiation area during exposure to the substrate.

[0012] Such an exposure apparatus can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision across the entire exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0013] Furthermore, such an exposure device does not require the use of high laser energy, 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, thereby enabling high-precision pattern exposure.

[0014] With such an exposure apparatus, the area of ​​the substrate that is irradiated in one shot can be made small, making high-density irradiation possible.

[0015] The present invention also provides, as a second aspect of the exposure apparatus, an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in pulses and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit that includes a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate; and a substrate stage that holds the substrate, wherein the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit, and the mask irradiation area is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, the substrate includes a substrate irradiation area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam that has passed through the mask, and the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and the mask and the substrate stage are configured to maintain a relatively corresponding positional relationship by operating synchronously in a plane direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, An exposure device for printed wiring boards is provided which is configured to, when exposing the substrate, operate the mask and the substrate stage in synchronization with each other while fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam, sweep-irradiate the mask and the substrate stage, and perform pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0016] Such an exposure apparatus can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision across the entire exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0017] Furthermore, such an exposure device does not require the use of high laser energy, 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 exposure.Furthermore, because small optical components can be used, inexpensive and high-precision components can be used.

[0018] Such an exposure apparatus can perform exposure with higher accuracy than when a laser beam is scanned. Furthermore, since such an exposure apparatus can use a large-area mask, it is possible to increase the irradiation energy density in the exposed region of the substrate relative to the irradiation energy in the mask portion, and therefore it is possible to perform exposure with a higher energy density.

[0019] The exposure apparatus of the first aspect is preferably configured to maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship by operating synchronously in a planar direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, and to perform pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate by operating the mask and the substrate stage synchronously while fixing the irradiation position of the laser beam, and sweep-irradiating the mask and the substrate stage while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area.

[0020] Such an exposure apparatus can perform pattern exposure with higher accuracy than when scanning a laser beam. Furthermore, since such an exposure apparatus can use a large-area mask, it is possible to increase the irradiation energy density in the exposed region of the substrate relative to the irradiation energy in the mask portion, and therefore exposure can be performed at a higher energy density.

[0021] The laser beam is preferably an excimer laser.

[0022] The use of an excimer laser allows for more precise pattern exposure. In addition, the excimer laser has good energy absorption efficiency in the resist material, making it possible to achieve good pattern exposure.

[0023] It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a mask stage for holding the mask and for sweeping the mask.

[0024] An exposure apparatus including such a mask stage can perform a mask sweeping operation efficiently.

[0025] It is preferable that the apparatus further includes a third optical function section provided with a reduction projection optical system between the second optical function section and the substrate stage.

[0026] By further including such a third optical function unit, the mask can be enlarged to be larger than the actual exposure pattern, and the energy of the laser beam irradiated onto the mask can be made smaller than the exposure energy irradiated onto the substrate. This makes it possible to suppress thermal drift due to the energy of the laser beam, thereby suppressing thermal expansion of the mask and enabling high-precision exposure even after long-term exposure operations. In addition, because the mask can be made larger than the actual exposure pattern, it is less susceptible to the effects of minute dust particles.

[0027] It is preferable that the third optical function section further comprises a cooling means for cooling the reduction projection optical system.

[0028] With such an exposure device, it is possible to further suppress thermal drift caused by the energy of the laser beam, and it is possible to perform high-precision exposure even after a long exposure operation.

[0029] The shaping optical system is preferably an optical system that includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses and shapes the laser beam from the laser light source into a laser beam whose irradiation shape is the rectangular shape and whose irradiation energy density is uniform.

[0030] An exposure apparatus including such an optical system is capable of shaping a high-quality laser beam having a rectangular beam profile with extremely uniform energy density.

[0031] The shaping optical system is preferably an optical system that includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses and shapes the laser beam from the laser light source into a laser beam whose irradiation shape is the rectangular shape and a top hat shape.

[0032] An exposure apparatus including such an optical system can irradiate an exposure area on a substrate with a top-hat laser beam, which has a rectangular shape and an extremely uniform energy density.

[0033] The second optical function unit may be configured to further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit through the mask.

[0034] The second optical function section can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam, which has been formed into a rectangular shape, according to, for example, a pattern corresponding to the exposed region of the substrate.

[0035] In the sweep irradiation in at least one direction, the mask and the substrate stage are preferably swept non-stop while the laser beam is pulse-irradiated onto the mask and the substrate stage.

[0036] By performing such a sweep, it is possible to significantly reduce the sweep time compared to a step-and-repeat operation in which running and stopping are repeated.

[0037] Furthermore, since the stage does not have to be frequently moved and stopped as in step-and-repeat, the heat load on the stage can be suppressed and highly accurate positioning can be maintained for a long period of time.

[0038] It is preferable that the apparatus further includes an imaging means for reading the characteristic portions of the substrate, an imaging means for reading the characteristic portions of the mask, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the relative positions of the substrate and the mask based on positional information of the characteristic portions of the substrate and the mask.

[0039] By providing these imaging means and alignment mechanisms, it becomes possible to perform pattern exposure by projecting a mask pattern onto an accurate position on the substrate surface.

[0040] In this case, it is preferable that the apparatus further comprises means for correcting the exposure shape of the substrate with respect to the pattern of the mask based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0041] Such an exposure apparatus allows for more accurate pattern exposure onto a substrate.

[0042] It is preferable that the mask is placed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a horizontal plane on which the exposure apparatus is placed.

[0043] With this type of exposure apparatus, the effects of mask bending can be suppressed compared to conventional methods in which the mask is placed on a horizontal surface, enabling highly accurate pattern exposure, and since dust is less likely to adhere to the mask surface, it is less likely to cause defects due to dust.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal surface, the height of the apparatus can be reduced.

[0044] Further, the present invention provides a first aspect of an exposure method, which is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed area of ​​the substrate, and a substrate stage for holding the substrate; in the first optical function unit, irradiating the laser beam from the laser light source to the shaping optical system in a pulsed manner to form an irradiation shape of the laser beam into a rectangular shape; in the second optical function unit, irradiating a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit; and irradiating a substrate irradiation area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask to project the pattern onto the substrate irradiation area, wherein the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed area of ​​the substrate, The present invention provides an exposure method in which, during exposure of the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure on the exposed region of the substrate.

[0045] With this exposure method, it is possible to perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed region of the substrate.

[0046] Furthermore, this type of exposure 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 high-precision pattern exposure can be performed.

[0047] Furthermore, with this exposure method, the area of ​​the substrate that is irradiated in one shot can be made small, making high-density irradiation possible.

[0048] The present invention also provides, as a second aspect of the exposure method, an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to 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 becomes smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and during exposure of the substrate, pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate is performed while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area.

[0049] With this exposure method, it is possible to perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed region of the substrate.

[0050] Further, the present invention provides a third aspect of an exposure method, which is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate, and a substrate stage for holding the substrate; in the first optical function unit, irradiating the laser beam from the laser light source to the shaping optical system in a pulsed manner to form an irradiation shape of the laser beam into a rectangular shape; in the second optical function unit, irradiating a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit; and irradiating a substrate irradiation area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask to project the pattern onto the substrate irradiation area, wherein the substrate irradiation area is made smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; and operating the mask and the substrate stage synchronously in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, thereby maintaining a relatively corresponding positional relationship; An exposure method is provided in which, during exposure to the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0051] Such an exposure method makes it possible to perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed region of the substrate.

[0052] Furthermore, this type of exposure method 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, allowing for highly accurate pattern exposure. Furthermore, because small optical components can be used, inexpensive and highly accurate components can be used.

[0053] Such an exposure method allows pattern exposure to be performed with higher accuracy than when a laser beam is scanned. Furthermore, such an exposure method allows the use of a large-area mask, which makes it possible to increase the irradiation energy density in the exposed region of the substrate relative to the irradiation energy in the mask portion, thereby enabling pattern exposure to be performed with a higher energy density.

[0054] In the exposure method of the first aspect, it is preferable that the mask and the substrate stage are moved synchronously in a plane direction approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, thereby maintaining a relative corresponding positional relationship, and that during exposure to the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are moved synchronously with the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate.

[0055] Such an exposure method allows for pattern exposure with higher accuracy than scanning with a laser beam, and also allows for the use of a large-area mask, which allows for exposure at a higher energy density.

[0056] It is preferable to use an excimer laser as the laser beam.

[0057] The use of an excimer laser enables more precise pattern exposure. In addition, the excimer laser has good energy absorption efficiency in the resist material, making good pattern exposure possible.

[0058] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable to further use a mask stage that holds the mask and sweeps the mask.

[0059] In this way, the mask can be swept efficiently.

[0060] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable to use an exposure apparatus that further includes a third optical function unit equipped with a reduction projection optical system between the second optical function unit and the substrate stage.

[0061] By using an exposure apparatus further including such a third optical function unit, the mask can be enlarged to be larger than the actual exposure pattern, and as a result, the energy of the laser beam irradiated onto the mask can be made smaller than the exposure energy irradiated onto the substrate. This suppresses thermal drift due to the energy of the laser beam, thereby suppressing thermal expansion of the mask and enabling high-precision pattern exposure even after long-term exposure operations. Furthermore, since the mask can be made larger than the actual exposure pattern, it is less susceptible to the effects of minute particles. Furthermore, this has the effect of extending the life of the mask. Furthermore, since the processing energy density irradiated onto the substrate can be improved, processing with a deep processing depth and a high aspect ratio can be performed.

[0062] In this case, it is preferable that the third optical function section further comprises a cooling means for cooling the reduction projection optical system.

[0063] By using such a third optical function section, it becomes possible to perform highly accurate pattern exposure even after a long exposure operation.

[0064] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable that an optical system including a plurality of cylindrical lenses is used as the shaping optical system, and the laser beam from the laser light source is shaped into a uniform laser beam having the rectangular irradiation shape.

[0065] In this way, it is possible to form a high-quality laser beam having a rectangular beam profile with extremely uniform energy density.

[0066] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, the second optical function unit can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit through the mask.

[0067] The second optical function section can further shape the irradiation shape of the laser beam, which has been formed into a rectangular shape, according to, for example, a pattern corresponding to the exposed region of the substrate.

[0068] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, in the sweep irradiation in at least one direction, it is preferable that the mask and the substrate stage are swept non-stop while the laser beam is pulse-irradiated onto the mask and the substrate stage.

[0069] By performing such a sweep, it is possible to significantly reduce the sweep time compared to a step-and-repeat operation in which running and stopping are repeated.

[0070] Furthermore, since the stage does not have to be frequently moved and stopped as in step-and-repeat, the heat load on the stage can be suppressed and highly accurate positioning can be maintained for a long period of time.

[0071] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, the sweep irradiation can be repeated a plurality of times for each exposed region of the substrate.

[0072] In this way, sweep irradiation is repeated multiple times for each exposed region to ensure sufficient and reliable exposure of the target location, thereby enabling high-speed exposure with high precision.

[0073] Preferably, the exposure method of the first or third aspect further includes: reading a characteristic portion of the substrate and a characteristic portion of the mask; and using an alignment mechanism to align the relative positions of the substrate and the mask based on position information of the characteristic portion of the substrate and the characteristic portion of the mask.

[0074] In this way, it becomes possible to perform pattern exposure in which the mask pattern is projected onto an accurate position on the substrate surface.

[0075] In this case, it is preferable that the method further includes correcting the exposure shape of the substrate with respect to the pattern of the mask based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0076] Such an exposure method allows for more accurate pattern exposure onto the substrate.

[0077] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable that the exposure apparatus used is one in which the mask is installed in a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane on which the exposure apparatus is installed.

[0078] Compared to conventional methods in which the mask is placed on a horizontal surface, this type of exposure apparatus can suppress the effects of mask bending, allowing for highly accurate pattern exposure, and is less likely to cause defects due to dust because dust is less likely to adhere to the mask surface.Furthermore, since most of the long optical path can be aligned along a horizontal surface, the height of the apparatus can be reduced.

[0079] The present invention also provides a method for producing a printed wiring board, which comprises subjecting a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to pattern exposure by the exposure method of the present invention.

[0080] Such a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board makes it possible to manufacture a printed wiring board on which a fine exposure pattern is formed with high precision over the entire exposed region of the board.

[0081] 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 on which pattern exposure has been performed with high precision.

[0082] For example, after the pattern exposure, a wiring pattern may be formed on the surface of the substrate.

[0083] Alternatively, after forming a wiring pattern on the surface of the substrate, the resist film may be formed on the surface of the substrate, and then the pattern exposure may be carried out.

[0084] In this way, the pattern exposure may be carried out before or after forming the wiring pattern on the surface of the substrate.

[0085] For example, the substrate may be a substrate for a semiconductor package.

[0086] The method for manufacturing a substrate of the present invention can be particularly advantageously applied to the manufacture of semiconductor packages.

[0087] As described above, the exposure apparatus of the present invention can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision across the entire exposed region of the substrate.

[0088] Furthermore, the exposure method of the present invention makes it possible to perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposed region of the substrate.

[0089] Furthermore, the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention makes it possible to manufacture a printed wiring board on which a fine exposure pattern is formed with high precision over the entire exposed area of ​​the board.

[0090] FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a substrate as a target of pattern exposure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of a substrate as a target of pattern exposure according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing an example of an exposure apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between an exposed region of a substrate and an irradiation area of ​​the substrate in the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram explaining an example of superimposed irradiation in a uniaxial direction. FIG. 6 is a diagram explaining an example of superimposed irradiation from the first row to the third row. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of shaping the irradiation shape of a laser beam in an example of a shaping optical system. FIG. 8 is a schematic flow diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view of an example of a printed wiring board that can be manufactured by the example of a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board according to the present invention. FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram showing another example of a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board according to the present invention.

[0091] As described above, there has been a demand for the development of an exposure apparatus that can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the entire exposure area of ​​a substrate.

[0092] As a result of extensive research into the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have found that in exposure to form a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with the irradiation energy of a laser beam, the substrate irradiation area irradiated with the laser beam in one shot is made smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and during the exposure operation on the substrate, the mask and substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate, and / or the mask and substrate stage are operated in synchronization with a fixed irradiation position of the laser beam, and the mask and substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate, thereby making it possible to perform fine pattern exposure with high precision over the exposed region of the substrate, and have completed the present invention.

[0093] That is, the exposure apparatus of a first aspect of the present invention is an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, and includes: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in pulses and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit that includes a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed area of ​​the substrate; and a substrate stage that holds the substrate, wherein the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit, and the mask irradiation area is a portion of the effective area of ​​the mask, and the substrate includes a substrate irradiation area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam that has passed through the mask, and the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed area of ​​the substrate, and the exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards is configured to perform pattern exposure on the exposed area of ​​the substrate by sweep-irradiating the mask and the substrate stage while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area during exposure to the substrate.

[0094] Further, an exposure apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is an exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, the exposure apparatus comprising: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in pulses and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit that includes a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate; and a substrate stage that holds the substrate, wherein the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit, the mask irradiation area being a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, the substrate includes a substrate irradiation area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam that has passed through the mask, the substrate irradiation area being smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and the mask and the substrate stage are configured to maintain a relatively corresponding positional relationship by operating synchronously in a plane direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, This is an exposure device for printed wiring boards that is configured to, when exposing the substrate, operate the mask and the substrate stage in synchronization with each other while keeping the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed, sweep-irradiate the mask and the substrate stage, and perform pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0095] Further, an exposure method according to a first aspect of the present invention is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, the method comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed area of ​​the substrate, and a substrate stage for holding the substrate; in the first optical function unit, irradiating the laser beam from the laser light source to the shaping optical system in a pulsed manner to form an irradiation shape of the laser beam into a rectangular shape; in the second optical function unit, irradiating a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit; and irradiating a substrate irradiation area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask to project the pattern onto the substrate irradiation area, wherein the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed area of ​​the substrate, This is an exposure method in which, during exposure of the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure on the exposed region of the substrate.

[0096] Furthermore, the exposure method of a second aspect of the present invention is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to the irradiation energy of a laser beam, the method comprising: passing a rectangular-shaped laser beam through a mask to irradiate the substrate with the laser beam so that the substrate irradiation area becomes smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; and performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area during exposure of the substrate.

[0097] Further, an exposure method according to a third aspect of the present invention is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate with irradiation energy of a laser beam, the method comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate, and a substrate stage for holding the substrate; in the first optical function unit, irradiating the laser beam from the laser light source to the shaping optical system in a pulsed manner to form an irradiation shape of the laser beam into a rectangular shape; in the second optical function unit, irradiating a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask, with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit; and irradiating a substrate irradiation area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask to project the pattern onto the substrate irradiation area, wherein the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; and operating the mask and the substrate stage synchronously in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, thereby maintaining a relatively corresponding positional relationship; During exposure to the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

[0098] The method for producing a printed wiring board of the present invention is a method for producing a printed wiring board, which comprises subjecting a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to pattern exposure by the exposure method of the present invention.

[0099] The present invention will be described in detail below, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

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[0101] The base substrate 80A is, for example, a semiconductor substrate. The base substrate 80A may be a substrate of an elemental semiconductor or a substrate containing a compound semiconductor. The base substrate 80A may contain a dopant.

[0102] In the present invention, the material of the resist film 80B is not particularly limited. The material of the resist film 80B may be either negative or positive. Examples include solder resist (photo- or thermosetting type), electroforming resist, and circuit formation resist (etching resist (resist for pattern etching of patterned electrode material such as copper, and tenting resist for forming electrode material such as copper around holes), and plating resist).

[0103] The method for forming the resist film 80B can be selected appropriately depending on the resist material. For example, the resist film 80B may be formed by applying a liquid resist material or by laminating a film-like resist material onto the base substrate 80A.

[0104] The method for curing the resist material depends on the resist material. For example, the resist material can be cured by thermal curing or photocuring.

[0105] The resist film 80B can also be called an organic film or a resin film.

[0106] The form of the substrate to be exposed in the exposure method according to the present invention is not limited to that shown in Fig. 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the substrate may include a base substrate 80A on which a wiring pattern 80P is formed, an interlayer insulating film 80I formed on the surface of the base substrate 80A, and a resist film 80B formed on the surface of the interlayer insulating film 80I. The wiring pattern 80P shown in Fig. 2 includes a through electrode 80C and internal wiring 80D.

[0107] In either aspect, the present invention is an invention in which pattern exposure is performed on a resist film 80B formed on the surface of an underlying substrate 80A. Note that in the following description, the exposure target will simply be the substrate 80. However, in the present invention, pattern exposure is actually performed on a resist film 80B formed on the surface of the substrate 80.

[0108] [Exposure Apparatus] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an exposure apparatus of the present invention. The exposure apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 3 is an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards that forms a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film 80B formed on the surface of a substrate 80 to irradiation energy of a laser beam.

[0109] The exposure apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 3 includes a first optical function unit 10, a second optical function unit 20, and a substrate stage 40 that holds a substrate 80.

[0110] The first optical function unit 10 includes a laser light source (laser oscillator) 11 that irradiates (emits) a pulsed laser beam 1, and a shaping optical system 12 that receives the laser beam 1 from the laser light source 11. The shaping optical system 12 shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam 1, for example, as shown in Fig. 3(a), into a rectangular irradiation shape, for example, as shown in Fig. 3(b). The laser beam 2 having a rectangular irradiation shape can exhibit a uniform irradiation energy density, and has a beam profile that exhibits, for example, a top-hat shape.

[0111] The second optical function unit 20 includes a mask 21. The mask 21 includes an effective area 22 having a pattern corresponding to the region of the substrate 80 to be exposed.

[0112] The mask 21 includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam 2 that has passed through the first optical function portion 10. This mask irradiation area is a part of an effective area 22 of the mask 21.

[0113] The laser beam 3 having the irradiation shape shown in Fig. 3(c) passes through the second optical function unit 20, and has its traveling direction changed by an optional folding mirror 50 as shown in Fig. 3(d), and is incident on an optional third optical function unit 30 (described later). The exposure apparatus 100 shown in Fig. 3 is configured so that the laser beam 4 emitted from the third optical function unit 30 is irradiated onto a portion of a substrate 80 held by a substrate stage 40.

[0114] The substrate 80 includes a substrate illumination area onto which a pattern is projected by the laser beam passing through the mask 21 (and optional third optical function 30).

[0115] 4 shows an example of the relationship between a substrate irradiation area 90 on the substrate 80 that is irradiated with the laser beam 4 and an exposed region 81 on the substrate 80. As shown in FIG. 4, the substrate irradiation area 90 is smaller than the exposed region 81 on the substrate 80.

[0116] 4 is an area irradiated by one shot of the pulsed laser beam 4. Furthermore, since the pattern is projected onto the substrate irradiation area 90 by the laser beam that has passed through the mask 21, the substrate irradiation area 90 corresponds to a mask irradiation area that is a part of the effective area 22 of the mask 21.

[0117] In the example of Fig. 3, the mask 21 is configured to be scanned along sweep axes 21X and 21Y shown in Fig. 3. Furthermore, the substrate stage 40 is configured to be scanned along sweep axes 80X and 80Y shown in Fig. 3.

[0118] The exposure apparatus 100 of the present invention is configured to sweep and irradiate the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 with the laser beam 4, and perform pattern exposure on the exposure region 81 of the substrate 80.

[0119] Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 100 of the present invention is configured to perform overlapping irradiation (first embodiment), and / or to perform synchronous sweep irradiation while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed (second embodiment), as described in detail below.

[0120] [First Aspect] Exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect is configured to perform pattern exposure of exposed region 81 of substrate 80 by sweeping irradiation of mask 20 and substrate stage 80 while overlapping a portion of substrate irradiation area 90. Hereinafter, irradiating laser beams while overlapping a portion of substrate irradiation area 90 is referred to as overlapping irradiation.

[0121] Next, an example of overlapping irradiation will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0122] 5A shows a substrate irradiation area 90 on a substrate 80 exposed to one pulsed laser beam. In this example of overlapping irradiation, the mask 20 and substrate stage 80 are swept, and the laser beam is irradiated so that the substrate irradiation area 91 of the first shot and the substrate irradiation area 92 of the second shot partially overlap in the direction of the arrow along the sweep axis 80X, as shown in FIG. 5B. Subsequently, the laser beam is irradiated so that the substrate irradiation area 93 of the third shot partially overlaps the substrate irradiation area 91 of the first shot and the substrate irradiation area 92 of the second shot. By repeating this overlapping irradiation from the fourth shot onwards, the exposure area expands along the sweep axis 80X.

[0123] 6(a) shows a process of pattern-exposing the first row of the exposed region 81 along the sweep axis 80X by 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 exposed region 81 is pattern-exposed 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 exposed region 81 is pattern-exposed along the sweep axis 80X. By repeating this overlapping irradiation for the fourth and subsequent rows of the exposed region 81, the exposed region is expanded across the exposed region 81. As a result, overlapping irradiation can be performed at regular intervals in the two directions of the sweep axes 80X and 80Y.

[0124] The overlapping portions of the substrate irradiation area are irradiated with the laser beam multiple times, and as a result, the portions are sufficiently exposed to the pattern corresponding to the mask pattern shape, thereby ensuring that the pattern exposure corresponding to the mask pattern shape required for the exposed region 81 can be achieved.

[0125] In exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect, laser beam 4, which is a pulsed, rectangular laser beam with a uniform irradiation energy density and converted into an exposure shape through mask 21, is irradiated onto substrate irradiation area 90 of substrate 80. Therefore, it is possible to perform multiple irradiations with a uniform exposure depth in substrate irradiation area 90 within substrate 80, which corresponds to mask irradiation area 22, which is a portion of effective area 22 of mask 21. As a result, with this exposure apparatus 100, it is possible to perform fine pattern exposure over exposed region 81 of substrate 80 with high precision.

[0126] Furthermore, such an exposure device 100 does not require the use of high laser energy, 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, thereby enabling high-precision pattern exposure.

[0127] Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 100 can irradiate the substrate with the laser beam 4 in a pulsed manner, and therefore can perform the above-mentioned superimposed irradiation at high speed.

[0128] In other words, the exposure apparatus 100 according to the first aspect of the present invention can perform pattern exposure at high speed and with high precision.

[0129] Furthermore, with exposure apparatus 100 according to the first aspect of the present invention, overlapping irradiation is performed, so the area of ​​the substrate irradiated in one shot can be made smaller, thereby enabling high-density irradiation.

[0130] [Second Aspect] The exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect is configured so that the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship by operating synchronously in a plane direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beams 2 and 4 are irradiated.

[0131] In the example of FIG. 3, the mask 21 is configured such that the movement of the mask 21 along the sweep axis 21X is synchronized with the movement of the substrate stage 80 along the sweep axis 80X, and the movement of the mask 21 along the sweep axis 21Y is synchronized with the movement of the substrate stage 80 along the sweep axis 80Y, so that the mask 21 and the substrate stage 40 maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship.

[0132] Furthermore, exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect is configured so that, during the exposure operation on substrate 80, mask 21 and substrate stage 40 are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of laser beam 4 is fixed, so that mask 21 and substrate stage 40 are sweep-irradiated, thereby performing pattern exposure on exposed region 81 of substrate 80. This type of sweep-irradiation that can be performed with exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect will be referred to hereinafter as "synchronous sweep-irradiation with the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed."

[0133] Such synchronous sweep irradiation allows pattern exposure to be performed with higher accuracy than when scanning a laser beam. Furthermore, with such exposure apparatus 100, 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, pattern exposure can be performed with a higher energy density.

[0134] Furthermore, in exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect, similar to exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect, laser beam 4, which is a pulsed, rectangular laser beam with uniform irradiation energy density that is converted into an exposure shape through mask 21, is irradiated onto substrate irradiation area 90 of substrate 80. Therefore, similar to the first aspect, exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect can also perform multiple irradiations with a uniform exposure depth in substrate irradiation area 90 within substrate 80 that corresponds to mask irradiation area 22, which is a portion of effective area 22 of mask 21. As a result, exposure apparatus 100 can also perform fine pattern exposure with high precision across exposed region 81 of substrate 80.

[0135] Furthermore, such an exposure apparatus 100 does not require the use of high laser energy, 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, thereby enabling highly accurate pattern exposure. Furthermore, because small optical components can be used, inexpensive and highly accurate components can be used.

[0136] In addition, the exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect 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 aspect.

[0137] Optional features of each component of exposure apparatus 100 of the present invention will be described below.

[0138] [First Optical Function Unit 10] The laser beam 1 emitted from the laser light source 11 is preferably an excimer laser.

[0139] Excimer lasers have a shorter wavelength than conventional solid-state lasers, such as laser diode pumped solid-state (DPSS) lasers, and therefore offer higher resolution. Therefore, using an excimer laser allows for more precise pattern exposure. Furthermore, excimer lasers have very high absorption and high processing capabilities for, for example, epoxy-based substrate materials. Furthermore, excimer lasers have low coherency and are less likely to produce interference fringes, allowing for the formation of very uniform flat-top beam patterns. This allows for uniform processing depth through ablation.

[0140] 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 shaped laser beam.

[0141] FIG. 7 shows a conceptual diagram of shaping the irradiation shape of a laser beam in a shaping optical system equipped with a plurality of cylindrical lenses.

[0142] The shaping optical system 12 shown in Fig. 7 includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses, including 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. The X1 cylindrical lens 13 and the X2 cylindrical lens 15 are spaced apart at a distance twice their focal length f1, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 7. The Y1 cylindrical lens 14 and the Y2 cylindrical lens 16 are also spaced apart at a distance twice their focal length f1.

[0143] The laser beam 1 emitted by the laser light source 11 shown in FIG. 3 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, how the component indicated by "2" is 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, a laser beam 2 having a top-hat beam shape as shown in FIG. 7 is formed, and is emitted from the shaping optical system 12 as output light.

[0144] By rearranging the configuration of the cylindrical lenses in the X and Y directions, it is possible to form the beam into a square, rectangular or other shape.

[0145] 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.

[0146] In particular, in the first embodiment of the exposure apparatus 100, by performing overlapping irradiation using such a rectangular beam profile, there are no dead spots, which are areas that are not irradiated, and pattern exposure that is averaged within the tolerance range of the desired pattern exposure can be performed, making it possible to perform extremely efficient pattern exposure of the substrate 80.

[0147] [Second Optical Function Unit 20] The second optical function unit 20 preferably further includes a mask stage that holds the mask 21 and sweeps the mask 21. By attaching a sweep axis to the mask stage that holds the mask 21, it is possible to efficiently sweep the mask.

[0148] Furthermore, by providing the mask stage with a correction function (tilt axis, θ axis), the surface shape of the substrate 80 to be pattern-exposed can be easily corrected, making it possible to perform accurate pattern exposure.

[0149] 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 formed into a rectangular shape, for example, according to a pattern that corresponds to the exposed region 81 of the substrate 80.

[0150] It is preferable that the mask 21 be installed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane on which the exposure apparatus 100 is installed.

[0151] As mentioned above, the substrate processing size 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.

[0152] On the other hand, the required resolution of the exposure pattern on the substrate is increasing, and distortion in the mask image affects the processing accuracy.

[0153] If the mask is installed horizontally on the same horizontal surface as the equipment, gravity will cause distortion and reduce exposure accuracy if the mask is installed alone. In addition, if the mask is made thicker to reduce bending, the mask will become very heavy, making it difficult to replace.

[0154] 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.

[0155] Furthermore, if the mask is placed on a horizontal surface, there is a greater risk of dust getting on the mask, and if production continues with dust on it, it will cause quality defects in a large number of products.

[0156] 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.

[0157] 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.

[0158] As in this preferred example, if the mask 21 is installed in a direction approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane on which the exposure device 100 is installed, the mask 21 will not bend, and there is no need for support to prevent bending using an optically transparent material, so that the efficiency of laser energy usage is high and pattern exposure can be performed with high precision and very high uniformity.

[0159] In the exposure apparatus 100 of the present invention, the irradiation area of ​​the laser beam 3 that has passed through the mask 21 can be reduced using an optional reduction optical system 31, which will be described below, to increase the energy density of the laser beam 4 that is irradiated onto the substrate. Therefore, even if the mask 21 is large and has a large area, by using a reduction optical system 31 that matches it, it is possible to perform exposure of the desired fine pattern.

[0160] There is no particular limitation on the size of the mask 21. In the present invention, for example, a mask 21 can be used in which the dimensions in the vertical and horizontal directions perpendicular to the thickness direction are 700 mm or more (e.g., 700 mm × 800 mm) and the dimensions in the vertical and horizontal directions perpendicular to the thickness direction of the effective area 22 are 500 mm or more (e.g., 600 mm × 600 mm).

[0161] [Third Optical Function Unit 30] As in the exposure apparatus 100 shown in Figure 3, it is preferable to further include a third optical function unit equipped with a reduction projection optical system 31 between the second optical function unit 20 and the substrate stage 40.

[0162] In recent years, the exposure patterns on substrates have become increasingly finer, requiring a minimum width of several microns. This also has an effect on minute dust particles, and minute dust particles adhering to the mask portion in particular can cause a large number of exposure defects. Therefore, the effect of minute dust particles can be minimized by enlarging the mask 21 larger than the actual exposure and then reducing and projecting the laser beam 3 that passes through the mask 21 using a reduction projection optical system 31 in the subsequent stage.

[0163] Furthermore, by enlarging the mask 21 more than the actual exposure pattern, the energy of the laser beam 2 that strikes the mask 21 can be made smaller than the exposure energy. If the reduction magnification of the reduction projection optical system 31 is N, the energy of the laser beam that strikes 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 highly accurate pattern exposure even after a long exposure operation.

[0164] 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.

[0165] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus 100 configured to perform synchronous sweep irradiation while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, as explained above, it is possible to use a reduction projection lens with an extremely small aperture compared to a method in which the irradiation position of the laser beam is moved. This is advantageous not only in terms of cost, but also because there is little lens distortion and lens aberration can be reduced, making it possible to achieve extremely high exposure precision for the substrate.

[0166] The reduction projection optical system 31 can include 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 adjusting the ratio of the focal lengths of the reduction projection lenses and the distance between the reduction projection lenses.

[0167] The reduction projection lens preferably has a high NA (numerical aperture). By using a reduction projection lens with a high NA, an exposure pattern closer to a cylindrical shape can be formed. The exposure apparatus of the present invention is capable of performing projection exposure, and as a result, a reduction projection lens with a high NA can be used.

[0168] The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably selected in accordance with the energy density required for pattern exposure of the substrate 80. The NA of the reduction projection lens is preferably 0.12 or greater.

[0169] It is preferable that the third optical function unit 30 further includes a cooling unit for cooling the reduction projection optical system 31 .

[0170] By providing a 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 less 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 pattern exposure even after a long exposure operation.

[0171] Furthermore, the exposure apparatus 100 described above, which is configured to perform synchronous sweep irradiation with the laser beam irradiation position fixed, allows the use of a reduction projection lens with a very small aperture. The cooling means for the reduction projection lens is not directly attached to the lens itself, but rather cools the jacket portion that holds the lens. Therefore, when the lens aperture is large, while temperature control is possible around the periphery of the lens, the cooling effect is less likely to spread to the crucial central portion, making heat management difficult. As a result, even a small amount of energy absorbed into the lens due to long-term laser beam irradiation can easily cause thermal distortion. If the third optical function unit 30 has a cooling function, the lens aperture can be made smaller, thereby preventing such problems.

[0172] Furthermore, it is possible to prevent defects caused by irradiation of the reduction projection optical system 31 with a laser beam, thereby extending its lifespan.

[0173] [Sweeping mechanism] The exposure apparatus 100 is preferably 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 sweeping irradiation in at least one direction.

[0174] 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.

[0175] 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 pattern exposure of substrates.

[0176] [Imaging means and alignment mechanism] It is preferable that the exposure apparatus 100 of the present invention further includes an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the substrate 80, an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the mask 21, and an alignment mechanism for aligning the relative positions of the substrate and the mask based on positional information of the characteristic portions of the substrate and the mask.

[0177] 3 includes a mask alignment camera 23 as an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the mask 21, a substrate alignment camera 60 as an imaging means for reading characteristic portions of the substrate 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 substrate alignment camera 60 is configured to send position information of the characteristic portions of the substrate 80 to the alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism is configured to adjust the relative positions of the substrate 80 and the mask 21 based on this position information.

[0178] By aligning the position of the mask 21 with the position of the substrate 80 using the imaging means, it is possible to perform pattern exposure in which the mask pattern is projected onto the precise position on the surface of the substrate 80 .

[0179] In particular, substrates are often processed across multiple layers, and if the exposure position of each layer for processing is not precisely aligned with the target position, quality defects such as the circuits on each layer not connecting or, even if they are connected, high conduction resistance will occur. To prevent this, accuracy in the exposure position is necessary.

[0180] In this case, it is preferable to further include means for correcting the exposure shape of the substrate 80 with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0181] The shape of the projected image of the pattern on the mask 21 is not necessarily exactly similar to the exposure shape on the substrate 80, and the magnification is not always the same due to the influence of thermal expansion, etc. Furthermore, there are cases where it becomes necessary to deform the exposure shape on the substrate 80 relative to the projection image on the mask 21 due to minute distortion or deformation of the substrate 80.

[0182] Therefore, as described above, the positions of the mask 21 and the substrate 80 are acquired by imaging means (mask alignment camera 23 and substrate alignment camera 60), and based on this information, the projected image of the mask 21 is aligned with the shape of the substrate to be exposed, thereby enabling accurate pattern exposure onto the substrate.

[0183] 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 substrate 80 relative to the image of the mask 21 within a certain range, and to apply an optimal exposure shape to the resist film on the substrate.

[0184] [Exposure Method] The exposure method of the first aspect of the present invention is a method of performing the overlapping irradiation described above using the exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect. Therefore, according to the exposure method of the first aspect of the present invention, fine pattern exposure can be performed with high precision across the exposed region of the substrate. Furthermore, irradiation can be performed at a high energy density, allowing for sufficient pattern exposure at high speed.

[0185] The exposure method of the present invention is not limited to a method using the exposure apparatus 100 of the first aspect described above.

[0186] For example, the exposure method of the second aspect of the present invention is an exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate to 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 becomes smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and during exposure of the substrate, pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate is performed while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area.

[0187] With this type of exposure method, a laser beam is irradiated onto the substrate so that the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate, and pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate is performed while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, i.e., overlapping irradiation is performed, so that fine pattern exposure can be performed accurately across the exposed region of the substrate.

[0188] In the exposure method according to the second aspect of the present invention, the use of an excimer laser enables pattern exposure with higher resolution.

[0189] Alternatively, the exposure method of the 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 exposure apparatus 100 of the second aspect. Therefore, the exposure method of the third aspect of the present invention can perform fine pattern exposure with high precision across the exposed region of the substrate. Furthermore, the exposure method of the third aspect can perform pattern exposure with higher precision than when scanning the laser beam. Furthermore, with such an exposure 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, pattern exposure can be performed at a higher energy density.

[0190] 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 exposure operation on the substrate.

[0191] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use an exposure apparatus 100 that satisfies one or more of the optional conditions described above.

[0192] Furthermore, in the exposure 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.

[0193] 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.

[0194] In the exposure method according to the first or third aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to repeat sweep irradiation a plurality of times for each exposure region 81 of the substrate 80 .

[0195] The depth that can be exposed in one sweep (1 pass) is limited, and particularly in the case of exposure by the non-stop sweep, it is not possible to irradiate a single exposed portion multiple times.

[0196] Therefore, by irradiating the laser pulses while sweeping and performing this multiple times for each exposed region 81 of the substrate 80, it is possible to achieve sufficient exposure to the desired depth, and to perform sufficient pattern exposure at high speed.

[0197] In addition, between each sweep operation (first sweep, second sweep, etc.), as explained with reference to Figures 5 and 6, the substrate irradiation area 90 is shifted for each sweep, and irradiation is performed while shifting the area 90, thereby averaging the exposure depth and making it possible to perform exposure of a uniform depth.

[0198] In the exposure method of the first or third aspect, it is preferable that the method further includes reading the characteristic portions of the substrate 80 and the characteristic portions of the mask 21, and using an alignment mechanism to align the relative positions of the substrate 80 and the mask 21 based on position information of the characteristic portions of the substrate 80 and the characteristic portions of the mask 21.

[0199] The characteristic portions of the substrate 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.

[0200] By aligning the position of the mask 21 with the position of the substrate 80 using an alignment mechanism based on the information obtained by the alignment cameras 23 and 60, it is possible to perform pattern exposure by projecting the mask pattern onto an accurate position on the surface of the substrate 80.

[0201] In this case, it is preferable to further include correcting the exposure shape of the substrate 80 with respect to the pattern of the mask 21 based on information from the alignment mechanism.

[0202] Such an exposure method enables more accurate pattern exposure onto 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, a sweeping mechanism for the substrate stage 80, and the like.

[0203] [Method for Producing a Printed Wiring Board] In the method for producing a printed wiring board of the present invention, a resist film formed on the surface of a substrate is subjected to pattern exposure by the exposure method of the present invention.

[0204] Such a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board makes it possible to manufacture a printed wiring board on which a fine exposure pattern is formed with high precision over the entire exposed area of ​​the board.

[0205] Furthermore, this method of manufacturing a printed wiring board does not require the use of high laser energy, and can be constructed inexpensively without using expensive laser light sources or optical components. It is also possible to suppress deterioration of accuracy due to thermal drift of the laser beam, and it is possible to manufacture a board on which pattern exposure has been performed with high precision.

[0206] In particular, in the case of a method for manufacturing a printed wiring board using the exposure method of the first aspect, the area of ​​the board irradiated in one shot can be made small, making high-density irradiation possible.

[0207] Furthermore, in the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board using the exposure method of the third aspect, the synchronous sweep irradiation is performed with the laser beam irradiation position fixed during the exposure operation on the board, so pattern exposure can be performed with higher accuracy than in the case of scanning a laser beam. Furthermore, with this exposure method, a large-area mask can be used, so pattern exposure can be performed with a higher energy density.

[0208] The method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention is particularly advantageously applicable to the manufacture of semiconductor packages.

[0209] Hereinafter, several examples of the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention is not limited to the examples described below.

[0210] [First Example: Example of forming a wiring pattern on the surface of a substrate after pattern exposure] FIG. 8 shows a schematic flow diagram of a first example of a method for producing a printed wiring board of the present invention.

[0211] First, as shown in FIG. 8A, a substrate 80 is prepared, which has a base substrate 80A and a resist film 80B formed on the surface of the base substrate 80A.

[0212] Next, the resist film 80B is subjected to pattern exposure by the exposure method of the present invention, thereby forming an exposure pattern 80p consisting of exposed portions 80b in the resist film 80B.

[0213] Next, the resist film 80B is developed to remove the exposed pattern 80p, thereby forming an opening 80H corresponding to the exposed pattern 80p, as shown in FIG. 8C.

[0214] Next, the resist film 80B having the openings 80H is used as a mask to process the base substrate 80A. The processing may be wet or dry etching or laser processing. As a result, recesses (grooves or trenches) 80d and / or through-holes 80C can be formed in the base substrate 80A, for example, as shown in FIG. 8(D).

[0215] 8E, for example, a through electrode 80C can be formed in the through hole 80c, and an internal wiring 80D can be formed in the recess 80d, thereby forming a wiring pattern 80P made up of the through electrode 80C and the internal wiring 80D.

[0216] That is, in this example, a wiring pattern 80P is formed on the surface of the substrate 80 after pattern exposure.

[0217] After forming the wiring pattern 80P, an interlayer insulating film 80I may be formed on the surface of the substrate 80, as shown in FIG. 8(F), for example. Alternatively, only the portion of the interlayer insulating film 80I corresponding to the through electrode 80C may be removed by patterning, and an electrode 80E may be formed at the end of the through electrode 80C, as shown in FIG. 8(F). This prevents short circuits due to conduction between the internal wiring 80D and the outside, while enabling electrical connection between the through electrode 80C and the outside. This allows the manufacture of a printed wiring board 80F having the wiring pattern 80P.

[0218] FIG. 9 shows an example of a printed wiring board 80F that can be manufactured by the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention.

[0219] The printed wiring board 80F includes a wiring pattern 80P consisting of a through electrode 80C and internal wiring 80D. The internal wiring 80D is covered with an interlayer insulating film 80I and is not exposed. On the other hand, the electrode E formed on the through electrode 80C is exposed. The black outlined areas are insertion ports for external conductive terminals.

[0220] According to the method for manufacturing a printed wiring board of the present invention, as described above, a fine exposure pattern can be precisely formed, and therefore, a fine wiring pattern 80P can be precisely formed based on such a fine exposure pattern. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of internal wirings 80D can be formed between adjacent through electrodes 80C.

[0221] [Second Example: An example in which a wiring pattern is formed on the surface of a substrate, a resist film is formed on the surface of the substrate, and then pattern exposure is performed] Figure 10 shows a schematic flow diagram of a second example of a method for producing a printed wiring board of the present invention.

[0222] In this example, first, as shown in Fig. 10A, a through hole 80c and a recess 80d are formed in a base substrate 80A. The through hole 80c and the recess 80d can be formed, for example, by laser processing. For example, a processing method in which the concept of superimposed irradiation according to the present invention is applied to laser processing can process trenches and vias of any depth.

[0223] 10B, for example, a through electrode 80C is formed in the through hole 80c, and an internal wiring 80D is formed in the recess 80d, thereby forming a wiring pattern 80P made up of the through electrode 80C and the internal wiring 80D.

[0224] Next, as shown in FIG. 10C, for example, an interlayer insulating film 80I and a resist film 80B are formed in this order on the surface of the base substrate 80A on which the wiring pattern 80P has been formed.

[0225] Next, pattern exposure is performed by the exposure method of the present invention so that only the portions of the resist film 80B that correspond to the through electrodes 80C are exposed to light. As a result, an exposure pattern 80b consisting of exposed portions 80p is formed in the resist film 80B, as shown in FIG.

[0226] The resist film 80B is developed, and the exposed pattern 80b is removed to form openings corresponding to the exposed pattern 80b. That is, in this example, after the wiring pattern 80P is formed on the surface of the substrate 80, the resist film 80B is formed on the surface of the substrate 80, and then the pattern exposure is performed.

[0227] Through the opening in the resist film 80B formed as described above, processing is performed to remove only the portion of the interlayer insulating film 80I directly above the through electrode 80C, thereby forming an opening 80h.

[0228] As a result, a printed wiring board 80F can be obtained in which the ends of the through electrodes 80C are exposed, while the internal electrodes 80D are covered with the resist film 80B.

[0229] In this way, the pattern exposure may be performed before the wiring pattern 80P is formed on the surface of the substrate 80, or may be performed after the wiring pattern 80P is formed on the surface of the substrate 80.

[0230] Although the above example shows the use of a positive resist, as explained above, the present invention can also use a negative resist.

[0231] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments 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 exhibits similar effects is included within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in a pulsed manner and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit including a mask having an effective area with a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate; a substrate stage for holding the substrate; Including, the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function portion, the mask irradiation area being a part of the effective area of ​​the mask; the substrate includes a substrate illumination area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam through the mask; the substrate illumination area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; An exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards that is configured to, when exposing the substrate, sweep-irradiate the mask and the substrate stage while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, and perform pattern exposure on the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

2. An exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: a first optical function unit including a laser light source that irradiates the laser beam in a pulsed manner and a shaping optical system that shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam from the laser light source into a rectangular shape; a second optical function unit including a mask having an effective area with a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate; a substrate stage for holding the substrate; Including, the mask includes a mask irradiation area that is irradiated with the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function portion, the mask irradiation area being a part of the effective area of ​​the mask; the substrate includes a substrate illumination area onto which the pattern is projected by the laser beam through the mask; the substrate illumination area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; the mask and the substrate stage are configured to maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship by moving synchronously in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, an exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards configured to, when exposing the substrate, operate the mask and the substrate stage in synchronization with each other while keeping the irradiation position of the laser beam fixed, thereby sweeping and irradiating the mask and the substrate stage and performing pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

3. the mask and the substrate stage are configured to maintain a relative corresponding positional relationship by moving synchronously in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein, during exposure to the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate.

4. 2. An exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board according to claim 1, wherein said laser beam is an excimer laser.

5. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, further comprising a mask stage for holding said mask and sweeping said mask.

6. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, further comprising a third optical function section provided with a reduction projection optical system between the second optical function section and the substrate stage.

7. 7. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 6, wherein the third optical function section further comprises a cooling means for cooling the reduction projection optical system.

8. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein the shaping optical system is an optical system that includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses and shapes the laser beam from the laser light source into a laser beam whose irradiation shape is the rectangular shape and whose irradiation energy density is uniform.

9. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein the shaping optical system is an optical system that includes a plurality of cylindrical lenses and shapes the laser beam from the laser light source into a laser beam whose irradiation shape is the rectangular shape and a top hat shape.

10. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein the second optical function section further shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function section through the mask.

11. 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is irradiated onto the mask and the substrate stage in pulses while the mask and the substrate stage are swept non-stop in the sweep irradiation in at least one direction.

12. an imaging means for reading a characteristic portion of the substrate; an imaging means for reading a characteristic portion of the mask; an alignment mechanism that aligns the relative positions of the substrate and the mask based on position information of the characteristic portion of the substrate and the characteristic portion of the mask; 2. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, further comprising:

13. 13. The exposure apparatus for a printed wiring board according to claim 12, further comprising means for correcting an exposure shape of the board with respect to the pattern of the mask based on information from the alignment mechanism.

14. 14. The exposure apparatus for printed wiring boards according to claim 1, wherein the mask is installed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a horizontal surface on which the exposure apparatus is installed.

15. 1. An exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate, and a substrate stage that holds the substrate; In the first optical function unit, the laser beam is irradiated in a pulsed manner from the laser light source to the shaping optical system, and the irradiation shape of the laser beam is shaped into a rectangular shape; In the second optical function unit, the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit is irradiated onto a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask; irradiating a substrate illumination area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask, thereby projecting the pattern onto the substrate illumination area; Including, The substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; an exposure method in which, during exposure of the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure on the exposed region of the substrate;

16. 1. An exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: irradiating the substrate with the laser beam, which has been shaped into a rectangular shape, through a mask so that the substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; An exposure method in which, when exposing the substrate, pattern exposure is performed on an exposed region of the substrate while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area.

17. 1. An exposure method for forming a printed wiring exposure pattern by exposing a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to irradiation energy of a laser beam, comprising: preparing an exposure apparatus including a first optical function unit having a laser light source and a shaping optical system, a second optical function unit having a mask including an effective area having a pattern corresponding to an exposed region of the substrate, and a substrate stage that holds the substrate; In the first optical function unit, the laser beam is irradiated in a pulsed manner from the laser light source to the shaping optical system, and the irradiation shape of the laser beam is shaped into a rectangular shape; In the second optical function unit, the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit is irradiated onto a mask irradiation area, which is a part of the effective area of ​​the mask; irradiating a substrate illumination area of ​​the substrate with the laser beam that has passed through the mask, thereby projecting the pattern onto the substrate illumination area; Including, The substrate irradiation area is smaller than the exposed region of the substrate; the mask and the substrate stage are synchronously moved in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, thereby maintaining a relative corresponding positional relationship; An exposure method in which, during exposure to the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed area of ​​the substrate.

18. the mask and the substrate stage are synchronously moved in a plane direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the laser beam is irradiated, thereby maintaining a relative corresponding positional relationship; 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein, during exposure of the substrate, the mask and the substrate stage are operated in synchronization with each other while the irradiation position of the laser beam is fixed, and the mask and the substrate stage are irradiated in a sweeping manner while overlapping a portion of the substrate irradiation area, thereby performing pattern exposure of the exposed region of the substrate.

19. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein an excimer laser is used as the laser beam.

20. 17. The exposure method according to claim 16, wherein an excimer laser is used as the laser beam.

21. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, further comprising a mask stage that holds the mask and sweeps the mask.

22. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the exposure apparatus further includes a third optical function section provided with a reduction projection optical system between the second optical function section and the substrate stage.

23. 23. The exposure method according to claim 22, wherein the third optical function unit further comprises a cooling device that cools the reduction projection optical system.

24. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein an optical system including a plurality of cylindrical lenses is used as the shaping optical system, and the laser beam from the laser light source is shaped into a uniform laser beam having the rectangular irradiation shape.

25. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the second optical function unit further shapes the irradiation shape of the laser beam that has passed through the first optical function unit through the mask.

26. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein in the sweep irradiation in at least one direction, the mask and the substrate stage are swept non-stop while the laser beam is irradiated onto the mask and the substrate stage in pulses.

27. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the sweep irradiation is repeated a plurality of times for each exposed region of the substrate.

28. reading features of the substrate and features of the mask; using an alignment mechanism to align the relative positions of the substrate and the mask based on position information of the feature portion of the substrate and the feature portion of the mask; The exposure method according to claim 15, further comprising:

29. 29. The exposure method according to claim 28, further comprising correcting an exposure shape of the substrate with respect to the pattern of the mask based on information from the alignment mechanism.

30. 16. The exposure method according to claim 15, wherein the exposure apparatus is one in which the mask is installed in a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane on which the exposure apparatus is installed.

31. A method for producing a printed wiring board, comprising: subjecting a resist film formed on a surface of a substrate to pattern exposure by the exposure method according to any one of claims 15 to 30.

32. 32. The method for manufacturing a printed wiring board according to claim 31, wherein a wiring pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate after the pattern exposure.

33. 32. The method for producing a printed wiring board according to claim 31, wherein after a wiring pattern is formed on the surface of the substrate, the resist film is formed on the surface of the substrate, and then the pattern exposure is carried out.

34. The method for manufacturing a printed wiring board according to claim 31, wherein the substrate is a substrate for a semiconductor package.