Positioning apparatus, lithography apparatus and article manufacturing method

Abstract

A positioning device is provided that is advantageous for the compatibility of positioning precision and cost or positioning time. A positioning device for determining the position of a work moving on a stage comprises a reference member movable on the stage, an actuator for driving the reference member, an air cylinder that pushes a second side opposite to the first side with a piston rod so that a first side of the work on the stage touches the reference member, a measuring unit for measuring the position of the work on the stage, and a control unit for controlling the actuator and the air cylinder. The control unit controls the driving of the actuator based on the result of the measurement by the measuring unit, and during the driving control, controls the air cylinder to first separate the piston rod from the work, and then push the second side of the work with the piston rod.

Description

Technology Field

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

[0002] In a manufacturing device for producing articles, positioning a workpiece in a short time is important for increasing productivity. A positioning device performs positioning by using a pressing mechanism, such as an air cylinder or a weight, to push the side of the workpiece on a stage and bring the workpiece into contact with a positioning pin. The position of the positioning pin on the stage can be adjusted using an actuator. Prior art literature

[0003] Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-001032 The problem to be solved

[0004] In particular, when positioning precision of the order of μm or less is required, it is necessary not only to design the positioning pin to drive with high precision but also to design the compression mechanism to always generate a constant thrust. An air cylinder is preferred as a high-precision compression mechanism, and in particular, adopting an air bearing cylinder is desirable in that thrust variation is small. However, air bearing cylinders are more expensive than general air cylinders. In addition, a technique that uses a weight to perform compression with constant thrust, as described in Patent Document 1, has been proposed, but it is difficult to perform positioning with precision of the order of μm using such a mechanism. Furthermore, if the thrust of the compression mechanism is not stable, the number of positioning operations increases, and the takt time becomes long.

[0005] The present invention provides a positioning device that is advantageous for, for example, the compatibility of positioning precision and cost or positioning time. means of solving the problem

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a positioning device for determining the position of a work moving on a stage is provided, comprising: a reference member movable on the stage; an actuator for driving the reference member; an air cylinder that pushes a second side opposite to the first side with a piston rod so that a first side of the work on the stage touches the reference member; a measuring unit for measuring the position of the work on the stage; and a control unit for controlling the actuator and the air cylinder. The control unit controls the driving of the actuator based on the result of the measurement by the measuring unit, and during the driving control, the piston rod is separated from the work for a while, and the air cylinder is then controlled to push the second side of the work with the piston rod. Effects of the invention

[0007] According to the present invention, for example, a positioning device advantageous for the compatibility of positioning precision and cost or mandating time can be provided. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0008] FIG. 1 is a drawing showing the configuration of a positioning device. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an air cylinder and a piping circuit. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the change in thrust of an air cylinder. Figure 4 is a flowchart of the positioning operation. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of an exposure device. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0009] Embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the invention covered by the patent claims. Although multiple features are described in the embodiments, not all of these multiple features are essential to the invention, and multiple features may be combined at will. Additionally, in the attached drawings, the same reference number is assigned to identical or similar components, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] <First Embodiment>

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a positioning device for determining the position of a work. In this specification and drawings, directions are indicated in an XYZ coordinate system in which the horizontal plane is the XY plane. A work (1), which is the object to be positioned, is placed on a stage (35) such that its surface becomes parallel to the horizontal plane (XY plane). Accordingly, in the following, directions that are orthogonal to each other within the plane according to the surface of the work (1) are designated as the X-axis and Y-axis, and directions perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis are designated as the Z-axis. Furthermore, in the following, directions parallel to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis in the XYZ coordinate system are designated as the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, respectively, and the directions of rotation around the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis are designated as the θX-axis, θY-axis, and θZ-axis, respectively.

[0012] The work (1) can move on the stage (35). In one example, a work chuck (36) for chucking the work (1) is placed on the stage (35). The work (1) is loaded onto the work chuck (36). By chucking the work (1) with the work chuck (36), the position of the work (1) relative to the stage (35) can be fixed. In this case, the position adjustment of the work (1) by the positioning device is performed when the work chuck (36) is released from chucking the work (1). Additionally, any chucking method of the work (1) employed by the work chuck (36) may be used. In one example, the work chuck (36) is configured to adsorb the lower surface of the work (1) to the chuck surface of the work chuck (36) by sucking the lower surface of the work (1) during chucking. Additionally, the work chuck (36) is configured to release gas onto the lower surface of the work (1) when chucking is released, thereby causing the work (1) to float away from the chuck surface of the work chuck (36).

[0013] The positioning device comprises a plurality of air cylinders (2) arranged to push the side of the work (1). In the example of FIG. 1, the plurality of air cylinders (2) may include two air cylinders that push the work (1) in the X direction and two air cylinders that push the work (1) in the Y direction. Movement of the work (1) on the stage (35) is achieved by operating each of these air cylinders. Additionally, the positioning device has a plurality of stoppers (3) arranged at a predetermined position on the stage (35) to restrict the movement range of the work (1). The plurality of stoppers (3) may include one or more stoppers that restrict movement of the work (1) in the X direction and one or more stoppers that restrict movement of the work (1) in the Y direction. The number and placement positions of the plurality of air cylinders (2) and the plurality of stoppers (3) are appropriately determined according to the size, shape, and required positioning precision of the work (1). The stopper (3) may include a positioning pin (3a) as a reference member movable in the XY direction on the stage (35), and an actuator (3b) driven in the XY direction of the positioning pin (3a). The actuator (3b) may be, for example, a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal.

[0014] The positioning device has a control device (5) (control unit). The control device (5) controls actuators (3b) in a plurality of stoppers (3) and a plurality of air cylinders (2). The control device (5) supplies air to the plurality of air cylinders (2) through a piping circuit (4). The control device (5) may be configured by a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a general-purpose computer with a built-in program, or a combination of all or part of these.

[0015] The positioning device may be equipped with a measuring device (6) (measuring unit) for measuring the position of a work (1) on a stage (35). Although not illustrated, the measuring device (6) may include an X measuring unit for measuring the position of the work (1) in the X direction and a Y measuring unit for measuring the position of the work (1) in the Y direction. The X measuring unit and the Y measuring unit may each be, for example, a linear encoder. Instead of a linear encoder, the position of the work (1) in each direction may be measured using a combination of an interferometer placed in the main body structure of the positioning device and a reflective mirror placed on the work (1).

[0016] The measuring device (6) is connected to the computing device (7), and the measuring data obtained by the measuring device (6) is transmitted to the computing device (7). The computing device (7) calculates the driving amount of the actuator (3b) for determining the position of the work (1) at a target position. Additionally, the function of the computing device (7) may be realized by the control device (5).

[0017] With reference to FIG. 2, the configuration of the air cylinder (2) and the piping circuit (4) will be described. Additionally, while multiple air cylinders (2) are shown in FIG. 1, only one air cylinder (2) is shown in FIG. 2 for simplicity of explanation. Other air cylinders (2) can also be configured in the same way as FIG. 2.

[0018] The air cylinder (2) may include a cylinder tube (21), a piston (22), and a piston rod (23). The piston (22) is positioned inside the cylinder tube (21) to partition the inside of the cylinder tube (21) into left and right chambers A and B, and reciprocates in the left and right directions of the ground inside the cylinder tube (21). One end of the piston rod (23) is supported by the piston (22), and the other end of the piston rod (23) may come into contact with the work (1) to push the work (1). The piping circuit (4) may include an electronic valve (41) that switches the supply / exhaust of air to the air cylinder (2). By controlling the electronic valve (41) with the control device (5), the positioning device can perform the operation of separating the piston rod (23) from the work (1) and the operation of pushing the work (1) with the piston rod (23).

[0019] In the case of non-energized solenoid valve (41) shown in FIG. 2(a), the first port p1 of the solenoid valve (41) is connected to a supply source (45) (source pressure) that supplies compressed air via pipe (42), and the second port p2 of the solenoid valve (41) is connected to chamber A of the air cylinder (2) via pipe (43). In this way, pipe (42) and pipe (43) are connected. Also, at this time, the third port p3 of the solenoid valve (41) is connected to chamber B of the air cylinder (2) via pipe (44), and pipe (44) is connected to the fourth port p4 of the solenoid valve (41) as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air from the supply source (45) is supplied to chamber A, and the piston rod (23) retracts (to the left of the ground), and the gas inside chamber B is exhausted.

[0020] The control device (5) electronically drives the coil C by supplying power to the coil C. While power is being supplied to the coil C by the control device (5), as shown in FIG. 2(b), the fifth port p5 of the electronic valve (41) is connected to the supply source (45) by the pipe (42), and the sixth port p6 is connected to the chamber B of the air cylinder (2) by the pipe (44). In this way, the pipe (42) and the pipe (44) are connected. Additionally, the seventh port p7 of the electronic valve (41) is connected to the chamber A of the air cylinder (2) by the pipe (43), and the pipe (43) is connected to the eighth port p8 of the electronic valve (41) as an exhaust port. In this case, compressed air from the supply source (45) is supplied to the chamber B, and the piston rod (23) protrudes (to the right of the ground), and the gas inside the chamber A is exhausted.

[0021] The positioning device of the present embodiment performs positioning by pushing the side of the work (1) by means of an air cylinder (2) so that the work (1) comes into contact with the positioning pin (3a) of the stopper (3). For example, if positioning precision of the order of μm or less is required, it is required to design an actuator (3b) so that the positioning pin (3a) is driven with high precision. In this regard, a pulse motor (e.g., a stepping motor) driven by a pulse signal is suitable as the actuator (3b). Furthermore, for example, if positioning precision of the order of μm or less is required, the thrust generated in the mechanism pushing the work (1) is required to be constant at any stroke position. In this regard, it is desirable to employ an air cylinder in the mechanism pushing the work (1).

[0022] In this embodiment, the positioning device continues to apply pressure to the side of the work (1) by the air cylinder (2), and the position of the positioning pin (3a) is adjusted by the actuator (3b). Specifically, for position adjustment, the work (1) is released from the chuck by the work chuck (36). In that state, as shown in FIG. 3 (a) and (b), the air cylinder (2) pushes the second side (1b), which is opposite to the first side (1a), with the piston rod (23) so that the first side (1a) of the work (1) comes into contact with the positioning pin (3a). After that, the positioning device measures the position of the work (1) by the measuring device (6). At this time, to increase the measurement precision, the measurement may be performed with the work (1) in a state where it is chucked by the work chuck (36). The control device (5) performs driving control of the actuator (3b) based on the result of measurement by the measuring device (6). For example, in driving control, the control device (5) adjusts the position of the position determining pin (3a) by the actuator (3b) so that the measured position converges within an allowable range.

[0023] In the driving control of such a positioning pin (3a), the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a) may be reversed by the actuator (3b). In the movement in which the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a) is reversed, a change occurs in the thrust of the air cylinder (2) (piston rod (23)). When positioning precision of the μm order or less is required, such a change in the thrust of the air cylinder (2) cannot be ignored. This point will be explained with reference to FIG. 3 (a) and (b).

[0024] In FIG. 3 (a) and (b), the cylinder tube (21) and the piston rod (23) are covered by a rod cover (24). Additionally, a packing (25), which is a sealing member to prevent leakage of compressed air, is disposed inside the cylinder tube (21). The packing (25) seals the outer surface of the piston rod (23) and the inner surface of the cylinder tube (21). While the packing (25) is fixed to the inner surface of the cylinder tube (21), it is not fixed to the piston rod (23) but is in contact with it in a way that allows for sliding movement. As the piston rod (23) moves, the packing (25) undergoes elastic deformation. The thrust (10) of the air cylinder (2) is the sum of the force (12) generated by the pressure applied to the piston rod (23) and the force that attempts to return the deformation of the packing (25) (hereinafter referred to as the elastic force (11) of the packing (25).

[0025] Consider the case where the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a) is reversed while the positioning pin (3a) and the piston rod (23) are pushing each other with the work (1) in between. This is the case where the state changes from the state of FIG. 3 (a) to the state of FIG. 3 (b), or from the state of FIG. 3 (b) to the state of FIG. 3 (a). In this case, the movement direction of the piston rod (23) is also reversed in accordance with the reversal of the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a). When this happens, the deformation direction of the packing (25) also changes, and the direction in which the elastic force (11) of the packing (25) acts is reversed. As a result, the thrust (10) of the air cylinder (2) is reduced. When the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a) is reversed, the amount of elastic deformation of the stopper (3) and the work (1) pressed by the air cylinder (2) changes, so a phenomenon occurs in which the driving amount of the positioning pin (3a) and the amount of movement of the work (1) do not match.

[0026] Meanwhile, as shown in Fig. 3 (c), if the positioning pin (3a) is driven continuously in the same direction without reversing, the deformation amount of the packing (25) becomes maximum. If the piston rod (23) is driven continuously in the same direction, the packing (25) maintains the maximum deformation amount, so the elastic force (11) of the packing (25) is maintained at a constant level.

[0027] Due to the above phenomenon, when the driving direction of the positioning pin (3a) is reversed, the workpiece (1) cannot be moved by the assumed amount of movement in the region where the deformation amount of the packing (25) is maximum, and the positioning drive and measurement are repeated. As a result, the number of positioning drives increases, and the takt time increases. Furthermore, as a solution to this, if an air bearing cylinder without packing is used, the thrust variation of the air cylinder can be eliminated. However, the cost of an air bearing cylinder is higher than that of a general air cylinder. In addition, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-001032 (Patent Document 1) proposes a technique for applying pressure with constant thrust using a weight, but this mechanism cannot control with precision of the μm order.

[0028] Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device (5) controls the air cylinder (2) so that the piston rod (23) pushes the work (1) only when the elastic force (11) of the packing (25) acts in the same direction during the driving control of the positioning pin (3a). To achieve this, the control device (5) repeatedly separates the piston rod (23) from the work (1) and then pushes the work (1) again with the piston rod (23) during the driving control of the positioning pin (3a). In the first example, whenever the actuator (3b) is driven, the control device (5) separates the piston rod (23) from the work (1) and then controls the air cylinder (2) so that the second side (1b) of the work (1) is pushed with the piston rod (23). In the second example, whenever the actuator (3b) is driven, the control device (5) determines whether the driving direction is reversed. As it is determined that the driving direction is reversed, the control device (5) controls the air cylinder (2) to first separate the piston rod (23) from the work (1), and then push the second side (1b) of the work (1) with the piston rod (23).

[0029] Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, an example of a control procedure by a control device (5) regarding the positioning operation of a work (1) according to the second example above will be described in detail. This control procedure is initiated after the work (1) is loaded onto the chuck surface of the work chuck (36).

[0030] In S1, the control device (5) controls the work chuck (36) so that the work (1) is in a chuck-unchipped state. In one example, the work chuck (36) can be in a chuck-unchipped state by blowing gas onto the lower surface of the work (1) to lift the work (1) off the chuck surface of the work chuck (36).

[0031] In S2, the control device (5) drives the actuator (3b) according to the target position of the positioning pin (3a), which is determined according to the target position of the work (1). In S3, the control device (5) controls the air cylinder (2) so that the piston rod (23) pushes the work (1). Specifically, the control device (5) supplies power to the coil C. While power is being supplied to the coil C, the coil C is electronically driven so that the piston rod (23) protrudes (Fig. 2 (b)) and pushes the work (1).

[0032] In S4, the control device (5) controls the work chuck (36) to make the work (1) into a chucked state. In one example, the work chuck (36) can make the work (1) into a chucked state by sucking the lower surface of the work (1) and adsorbing the work (1) to the chuck surface of the work chuck (36). In addition, the chucking in S4 is intended to perform the position measurement of the work (1) in the next S5 with high precision. If the precision of the position measurement is secured, the chucking in S4 is not essential.

[0033] At S5, the control device (5) instructs the measuring device (6) to measure the position of the work (1) on the stage (35). The measurement data obtained by the measuring device (6) is transmitted to the computing device (7). The computing device (7) calculates the error between the position of the work (1) indicated by the measurement data and the target position of the work (1). At S6, the computing device (7) determines whether the error has converged within an allowable range based on the required precision. If the error has converged within the allowable range, the processing is terminated. If the error has not converged within the allowable range, the processing proceeds to S7.

[0034] In S7, the calculation device (7) calculates the driving amount of the actuator (3b) to determine the position of the work (1) at the target position based on the error. The data of the calculated driving amount is transmitted to the control device (5). In S8, the control device (5) determines whether the driving direction of the actuator (3b) is reversed with respect to the driving amount calculated in S7. Specifically, the control device (5) determines whether the driving direction of the actuator (3b) in S2 is opposite to the driving direction of the driving amount calculated in S7. If the two driving directions are opposite, it is determined that the driving direction is reversed; if they are the same, it is determined that the driving direction is not reversed. If it is determined that the driving direction is not reversed, the process returns to S1. If it is determined that the driving direction is reversed, the process proceeds to S9. In S9, the control device (5) controls the air cylinder (2) so that the piston rod (23) is separated from the work (1). Specifically, the control device (5) stops the power supply to coil C. As the power supply to coil C is stopped, the electronic drive of coil C is stopped, and the piston rod (23) retracts (Fig. 2 (a)). As a result, the piston rod (23) is separated from the work (1). After that, the process returns to S1.

[0035] In this manner, drive control of the positioning pin (3a) and the air cylinder (2) is performed until the error between the target position and the measured position of the work (1) converges within an allowable range. According to this drive control, when the driving direction of the actuator (3b) is reversed ("Yes" in S8), the piston rod (23) is temporarily separated from the work (1) (S9). After that, the air cylinder (2) is controlled so that the piston rod (23) contacts the work (1) again (S3). By doing this, the air cylinder (2) can always push the work (1) in the same direction of travel, and there is no change in the elastic force (11) of the packing (25) during positioning. As a result, the thrust (10) of the air cylinder is always constant, so the positioning accuracy is improved. Additionally, the number of positioning drives is reduced, and the takt time can be shortened.

[0036] <Variation Example>

[0037] In the first embodiment described above, the positioning device determines the position of the work (1) which is in an un-chucked state on the work chuck (36). Alternatively, the positioning may be determined by driving the work chuck (36) on the stage (35).

[0038] In the first embodiment, the number of driving axes of the actuator (3b) was described as one axis, but the number of driving axes of the actuator (3b) may be two or more.

[0039] In the first embodiment, a pulse motor is suitable as the actuator (3b), but it is not limited to this. For the actuator (3b), an actuator such as a piezo capable of precision driving on the order of several micrometers may be employed.

[0040] In the first embodiment, it was explained that the work chuck (36) is configured to release the chucking state by ejecting gas onto the lower surface of the work (1) to lift the work (1) from the chuck surface of the work chuck (36), but it is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism that lifts the work (1) from the chuck surface by means of an electronic method may be employed.

[0041] <Second Embodiment>

[0042] The positioning device described above can be applied to a lithography device that transfers a pattern of a plate onto a substrate. The lithography device may include an exposure device, an imprint device, a charged particle beam lithography device, etc. An exposure device is a device that forms a latent image corresponding to the pattern of the plate on a photoresist by exposing a photoresist supplied on a substrate through a plate. An imprint device is a device that forms a pattern on a substrate by curing an imprint material while the mold (plate) is in contact with an imprint material supplied on the substrate. A charged particle beam lithography device is a device that forms a latent image on a photoresist by lithographing a pattern on the photoresist supplied on the substrate using a charged particle beam. Hereinafter, in order to provide a specific example, an example in which the lithography device is configured as an exposure device is described.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 5, an exposure device (131) having a positioning device according to the first embodiment described above will be described. The exposure device (131) has an illumination optical system (115), a mask stage (116), a projection optical system (117), a substrate stage (118), and a control unit (119). The exposure device (131) is housed in an exposure chamber (126). Here, the Y direction is the scanning direction of the mask M and substrate P, and the X direction is the non-scanning direction.

[0044] The illumination optical system (115) irradiates the mask M using light from a light source, for example, an ultra-high pressure mercury lamp. As an example of the present embodiment, the illumination optical system (115) irradiates the mask M with illumination light formed into a slit shape. The mask M is a glass disc having a pattern (e.g., a circuit pattern) formed thereon, for example, to be transferred to a substrate P. The mask stage (116) is a stage that holds and supports the mask M and moves in the X and Y directions.

[0045] The projection optical system (117) maintains a mask M, which is supported by the mask stage (116), and a substrate P, which is supported by the substrate mounting portion (120) within the substrate stage (118), in an optically conjugated relationship, and projects an image of a pattern existing in the illumination area of ​​the mask M onto the substrate P. In this embodiment, the projection optical system (117) includes a first parallel plate (121), a trapezoidal mirror (122), a concave mirror (123), a convex mirror (124), and a second parallel plate (125). In the projection optical system (117), light from the mask M passes sequentially through the first parallel plate (121), the trapezoidal mirror (122), the concave mirror (123), the convex mirror (124), the concave mirror (123), the trapezoidal mirror (122), and the second parallel plate (125) to reach the substrate P. The projection area (exposure area) of light from the projection optical system (117) on the substrate is set to a predetermined shape, for example, an arc shape.

[0046] Substrate P is, for example, a glass plate having a resist layer (photosensitive material) formed on its surface. The substrate stage (118) is a stage that vacuum-adsorbs the substrate P from the substrate mounting portion (120) and moves it, for example, in the X, Y, and Z directions (furthermore, in the θX, θY, and θZ directions).

[0047] The control unit (119) is composed of a computer including a CPU or memory, and performs control and computation processing of each part of the exposure device (131) according to a program stored in memory. In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit (119) controls the substrate stage (118), but a dedicated stage control unit for controlling the substrate stage (118) may be provided. In this case, the stage control unit controls the substrate stage (118) based on commands from the control unit (119). In addition, the control unit (119) may be configured integrally with other parts of the exposure device (131) (in a common housing) or separately from other parts of the exposure device (131) (in a different housing).

[0048] In the exposure chamber (126), an opening (127) is provided that communicates with an interface chamber (128) in which a robot hand (129) is accommodated, and through the opening (127), the substrate P is transported (transferred) between the exposure device (131) and the robot hand (129). In this embodiment, when the robot hand (129) holding and supporting the substrate P enters the exposure chamber (126) through the opening (127), the substrate stage (118) is moved to a predetermined position (transport position of the substrate P) near the opening (127). Then, the substrate transport unit (130) is driven (raised) to the vicinity of the robot hand (129) to receive the substrate P from the robot hand (129). The substrate transport unit (130) loads the received substrate P onto the substrate mounting unit (120).

[0049] As described above, in the exposure device (131), a mask stage (116) for moving the mask M and a substrate stage (118) for moving the substrate P are used to scan the mask M and the substrate P in synchronization, thereby projecting a pattern drawn on the mask M onto the substrate P. To do this, it is necessary to align the direction of the pattern drawn on the mask M with the scanning direction.

[0050] The pattern drawn on the mask M is not drawn parallel or perpendicular to the outer shape of the mask M. Furthermore, the direction and arrangement of the pattern drawn on each mask M are different. Therefore, the mask stage (116) needs to align the loaded mask M based on the pattern. In this embodiment, the positioning device described in the first embodiment is configured in the mask stage (116). In this case, the work (1) that is the object to be positioned is the mask M. Alignment of the mask M is performed by the positioning device. The exposure device (131) transfers the pattern of the positioned mask M to the substrate P. Additionally, the function of the control device (5) described in the first embodiment may be realized by the control unit (119).

[0051] As described above, by applying the positioning device described in the first embodiment to the mask stage (116), the positioning precision of the mask M is improved. In addition, the number of positioning drives for the mask M is reduced, thereby shortening the takt time and improving the productivity of the exposure device.

[0052] The above example illustrates an example in which the position of a mask M is determined by a positioning device and the pattern of the positioned mask M is transferred to a substrate. Likewise, the exposure device (131) may be configured to determine the position of a substrate P by a positioning device and transfer the pattern of the mask M to the positioned substrate P.

[0053] <Effective form of method for manufacturing an article>

[0054] The method for manufacturing an article according to an embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as microdevices, such as semiconductor devices, or devices having a microstructure. The method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment includes a process of transferring a pattern of a plate onto a substrate using the lithography apparatus (such as an exposure apparatus, an imprint apparatus, or a drawing apparatus) and a process of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been transferred in the process. In addition, the manufacturing method includes other well-known processes (oxidation, film formation, deposition, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method for manufacturing an article according to the present embodiment is advantageous compared to conventional methods in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article.

[0055] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, claims are attached to clarify the scope of the invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0056] 1: Work 2: Air cylinder 3: Stopper 3a: Positioning pin 3b: Actuator 4: Piping circuit 5: Control unit 6: Measuring device 7: Arithmetic Unit 35: Stage 36: Walk Chuck

Claims

Claim 1 A positioning device for determining the position of an object moving on a stage, comprising a reference member movable on the stage, an actuator for driving the reference member, an air cylinder that pushes a second side opposite to the first side with a piston rod so that a first side of the object on the stage touches the reference member, a measuring unit for measuring the position of the object on the stage, and a control unit for controlling the actuator and the air cylinder, wherein the air cylinder comprises a cylinder tube that accommodates the piston rod, and a sealing member that seals the space between the outer surface of the piston rod and the inner surface of the cylinder tube and elastically deforms according to the movement of the piston rod, wherein the control unit controls the driving of the actuator based on the result of measurement by the measuring unit, and during the driving control, controls the air cylinder to first separate the piston rod from the object and then push the second side of the object with the piston rod, thereby so that the elastic force of the sealing member acts in the same direction as the direction in which the second side of the object is pushed with the piston rod, and A positioning device characterized by pressurizing the second side of the object by means of an air cylinder. Claim 2 A positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the air cylinder to first separate the piston rod from the object and then push the second side of the object with the piston rod whenever the actuator is driven. Claim 3 A positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the driving direction is reversed each time the actuator is driven, and, upon determining that the driving direction is reversed, first separates the piston rod from the object, and then controls the air cylinder to push the second side of the object with the piston rod. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A positioning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator is a pulse motor driven by a pulse signal. Claim 6 A positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising an electronic valve for controlling the supply of air to the air cylinder, wherein the control unit controls the electronic valve to perform the operation of separating the piston rod from the object and the operation of pushing the object with the piston rod. Claim 7 A positioning device according to claim 1, further comprising an object chuck disposed on the stage and chucking the object, wherein the control unit controls the object chuck such that it unsocks the object when the position of the object is measured by the measuring unit and chucks the object when the object is pushed by the air cylinder. Claim 8 A positioning device according to claim 7, characterized in that the object chuck is configured such that, when chucking is released, gas is ejected onto the lower surface of the object to lift the object from the chuck surface of the object chuck, and when chucking, the object is adsorbed to the chuck surface by sucking in the lower surface of the object. Claim 9 A lithography apparatus characterized by having a positioning device described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and claims 5 to 8, determining the position of a disk by the positioning device, and being configured to transfer the pattern of the positioned disk to a substrate. Claim 10 A lithography apparatus characterized by having a positioning device described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and claims 5 to 8, determining the position of a substrate by the positioning device, and being configured to transfer a pattern of a disk onto the positioned substrate. Claim 11 A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having a process of transferring a pattern onto a substrate using a lithography device described in claim 9, and a process of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been transferred, and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate. Claim 12 A method for manufacturing an article, characterized by having a process of transferring a pattern onto a substrate using a lithography device described in claim 10, and a process of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been transferred, and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.

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