Direct imaging system and direct imaging method

Abstract

Exposure continues even in the event of a malfunction in the optical modulation element. The direct drawing apparatus includes: an optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in relation to the sub-scanning direction and used to modulate the light from the light source; and an exposure head for exposing a substrate to light modulated by the optical modulation element, wherein a control unit moves the exposure head relative to the main scanning direction to expose a sub-exposure area to light modulated by a selection element, and after the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head is moved relative to the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this application relates to the exposure of a substrate. Substrates that are processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as organic electroluminescence (EL) display devices, substrates for optical discs, substrates for magnetic sheets, substrates for magneto-optical discs, glass substrates for photomasks, ceramic substrates, substrates for field emission displays (FEDs), or substrates for solar cells. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In direct drawing apparatus (maskless exposure apparatus) that exposes directly without using a photomask, the following method is widely used: an optical modulation element such as a digital micromirror device (DMD) or a grating light valve (GLV: registered trademark) is used instead of a photomask. The optical modulation element is activated according to the exposure data, and the stage is scanned at the same time to perform exposure.

[0003] Here, the optical modulation element is a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) with a fine and complex structure, and there is a concern about failure or poor performance.

[0004] In contrast, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-122118 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for supplementing the exposure area of ​​a faulty exposure head using other exposure heads. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-122118 [Summary of the Invention]

[0006] [Problem to be solved by the invention] The technology shown in Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to situations where the optical modulation element malfunctions in an exposure device with a single exposure head.

[0007] The technology disclosed in this application is based on the problems described above and is a technology for continuing exposure even when there is a malfunction in the optical modulation element. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0008] The first aspect of the direct drawing apparatus disclosed in this application is a direct drawing apparatus for a substrate, comprising: a light source; an optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged corresponding to a sub-scanning direction and for modulating the light from the light source; an exposure head for exposing the substrate to the light modulated by the optical modulation element; a first driving unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction; a second driving unit for moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction; and a control unit for controlling the modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element. The operation of the first driving unit and the operation of the second driving unit are controlled. At least one of the plurality of optical modulation elements is selected as a selection element. An area exposed by the exposure head using light modulated by the selection element is designated as a sub-exposure area. The width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is designated as a sub-exposure width. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. As a second aspect of the direct drawing apparatus disclosed in this application, associated with a first aspect of the direct drawing apparatus, the selection element comprises a plurality of elements arranged adjacent to each other. As a third aspect of the direct drawing apparatus disclosed in this application, associated with either the first or second aspect of the direct drawing apparatus, the third aspect further includes a selection unit that selects the selection element from the plurality of elements. The selection unit determines the modulation state of the light of each element and selects the selection element based on the determination result. The direct drawing apparatus of the fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in this application is associated with the direct drawing apparatus of any of the first to third aspects. The area exposed corresponding to all of the optical modulation elements is designated as the full exposure area, and the area outside the sub-exposure area in the full exposure area is designated as the residual area. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit moves the exposure head relative to the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, and moves the exposure head relative to the main scanning direction to expose the residual area using the light modulated by the selection element.The direct drawing apparatus of the fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in this application is associated with the direct drawing apparatus of any of the first to fourth aspects. It selects a plurality of selection elements, including a first selection element and a second selection element. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the first selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, and then moves relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the same sub-exposure area using light modulated by the second selection element. The direct drawing apparatus of the sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in this application is associated with the direct drawing apparatus of any of the first to fifth aspects. The selection element differs before and after moving the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. The seventh aspect of the direct drawing method disclosed in this application is a direct drawing method for a substrate using a direct drawing apparatus, the direct drawing apparatus comprising: an optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged corresponding to a sub-scanning direction and for modulating light from a light source; and an exposure head for exposing the substrate to light modulated by the optical modulation element. In the direct drawing method, at least one of the plurality of elements of the optical modulation element is selected as a selection element; an area exposed by the exposure head using light modulated by the selection element is designated as a sub-exposure area; and the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is designated as a sub-exposure width. The direct drawing method includes: a step of moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area to light modulated by the selection element; and a step of, after the sub-exposure area is exposed, moving the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. [Effects of the Invention].

[0009] According to at least the first and seventh embodiments of the technology disclosed in this application specification, even if there is a defect in the optical modulation element, the light can be modulated and then exposed using a selection element that does not have a defect.

[0010] Furthermore, the objects, features, aspects and advantages associated with the technology disclosed in this application will become more apparent from the following detailed description and drawings.

Implementation Method

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, detailed features are shown for the purpose of technical explanation, but they are illustrative and not all of them are necessary features for the embodiments to be implemented.

[0013] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are schematic representations, and for ease of explanation, structures may be omitted or simplified in the drawings. Additionally, the relative sizes and positions of structures shown in different drawings may not be accurately depicted and may be appropriately modified. Furthermore, in drawings that are not cross-sectional views, such as plan views, shading may sometimes be added to facilitate understanding of the embodiments.

[0014] Furthermore, in the following description, the same symbols are used to label the same components and they are illustrated, and their names and functions are also set to be the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them are sometimes omitted to avoid repetition.

[0015] In addition, in the description of this application, when a certain component is described as "including", "comprising", or "having", unless otherwise specified, it is not an exclusive statement that excludes the existence of other components.

[0016] Furthermore, in the description described in this application, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are sometimes used, these terms are used to facilitate understanding of the content of the embodiments, and the content of the embodiments is not limited to the order that may be generated by these ordinal numbers.

[0017] In addition, in the description described in this application, the terms "positive direction of the axis" or "negative direction of the axis" mean that the direction of the arrow along the axis shown in the figure is set as the positive direction, and the direction opposite to the arrow of the axis shown in the figure is set as the negative direction.

[0018] In addition, in the description described in this application, even if terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "side", "bottom", "top" or "inside" are sometimes used to indicate a specific position or direction, these terms are used to facilitate understanding of the content of the implementation method and are not related to the position or direction when the implementation method is actually implemented.

[0019] <Embodiment> FIG1 is a side view showing the structure of the exposure apparatus (direct drawing apparatus) according to this embodiment. FIG2 is a plan view showing the structure of the exposure apparatus (direct drawing apparatus) according to this embodiment.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the exposure apparatus 1 includes: a stage 10 for holding a substrate 9; a stage drive unit 20 connected to the stage 10; a head 30 having a plurality of exposure heads (exposure head 32a, exposure head 32b, exposure head 32c, exposure head 32d, and exposure head 32e) arranged along the X-axis; and a control unit 50 for controlling the operation of each drive unit in the apparatus. The control unit 50 controls the controlled object by executing a program stored in an internal or external recording medium (such as a hard disk drive (HDD), random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or flash memory, which are volatile or non-volatile memory), such as a central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, or microcomputer. In addition, the exposure apparatus 1 may include an illumination light capturing unit 40 for capturing light (illumination light) emitted from each exposure head.

[0021] The stage 10 has a flat plate shape and is a holding part for placing and holding the substrate 9 in a horizontal position on its upper surface. A plurality of suction holes (not shown here) are formed on the upper surface of the stage 10. Therefore, when the substrate 9 is placed on the stage 10, the substrate 9 is fixed to the upper surface of the stage 10 by the suction pressure of the suction holes. Furthermore, a layer of photosensitive material such as a color resist is formed on the surface of the substrate 9 held on the stage 10.

[0022] The stage drive unit 20 is a mechanism for moving the stage 10 in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction), the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction), and the rotation direction (rotation direction about the Z-axis). The stage drive unit 20 includes: a rotation mechanism 21 for rotating the stage 10; a support plate 22 for supporting the stage 10 to be rotatable; a sub-scanning mechanism 23 for moving the support plate 22 in the sub-scanning direction; a base plate 24 for supporting the support plate 22 via the sub-scanning mechanism 23; and a main scanning mechanism 25 for moving the base plate 24 in the main scanning direction.

[0023] The rotating mechanism 21 includes a linear motor 21a, which comprises a movable member mounted on the negative Y-axis end of the stage 10 and a stator laid on the upper surface of the support plate 22. Furthermore, a rotating shaft 21b is provided between the lower surface of the central portion of the stage 10 and the support plate 22. Therefore, when the linear motor 21a is actuated, the movable member moves along the stator in the X-axis direction, and the stage 10 rotates within a predetermined angle range about the rotating shaft 21b on the support plate 22.

[0024] The sub-scanning mechanism 23 includes a linear motor 23a, which comprises a moving member mounted on the lower surface of the support plate 22 and a stator laid on the upper surface of the base plate 24. Additionally, a pair of guide portions 23b extending in the sub-scanning direction are provided between the support plate 22 and the base plate 24. Therefore, when the linear motor 23a is actuated, the support plate 22 moves along the guide portions 23b on the base plate 24 in the sub-scanning direction. By moving the support plate 22 in the sub-scanning direction, the substrate 9 also moves in the sub-scanning direction, thereby causing the exposure head to move relative to the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction.

[0025] The main scanning mechanism 25 includes a linear motor 25a, which includes a moving member mounted on the lower surface of the base plate 24 and a stator laid on the base 60 of the exposure apparatus 1. Additionally, a pair of guide portions 25b extending in the main scanning direction are provided between the base plate 24 and the base 60. Therefore, when the linear motor 25a is actuated, the base plate 24 moves along the guide portions 25b on the base 60 in the main scanning direction. As the base plate 24 moves in the main scanning direction, the substrate 9 also moves in the main scanning direction, thereby causing the exposure head to move relative to the substrate 9 in the main scanning direction.

[0026] The head 30 is a mechanism for irradiating the upper surface of the substrate 9 held on the stage 10 with pulsed light in a predetermined pattern. The head 30 has: a frame 31, which is mounted on the base 60 across the stage 10 and the stage drive unit 20; and five exposure heads (exposure head 32a, exposure head 32b, exposure head 32c, exposure head 32d and exposure head 32e), which are mounted at equal intervals along the sub-scanning direction on the frame 31. Each exposure head is connected to a laser oscillator 34 via an illumination optics system 33. In addition, a laser drive unit 35 is connected to the laser oscillator 34.

[0027] Therefore, when the laser drive unit 35 is operated, pulse light is oscillated from the laser oscillator 34, and the oscillated pulse light is introduced into each exposure head through the illumination optical system 33.

[0028] The illumination optical system 33 includes at least one optical modulation element such as a GLV (registered trademark) or DMD for modulating the pulsed light oscillating from the laser oscillator 34. The structure of the illumination optical system 33 will be described later.

[0029] Inside each exposure head, there is an emission section 36 for emitting pulsed light introduced from the illumination optical system 33 downwards, an aperture unit 37 for partially blocking the pulsed light, and a projection optical system 38 for imaging the pulsed light onto the upper surface of the substrate 9. An aperture AP, which is a glass plate with a predetermined light-blocking pattern, is arranged in the aperture unit 37. The pulsed light emitted from the emission section 36 is partially blocked when passing through the aperture AP arranged in the aperture unit 37, thereby entering the projection optical system 38 as a beam of light with a predetermined pattern. Then, the pulsed light passing through the projection optical system 38 illuminates the upper surface of the substrate 9, thereby drawing (exposing) the predetermined pattern on the photosensitive material on the substrate 9.

[0030] Furthermore, as shown conceptually in FIG1, each exposure head is provided with an aperture drive unit 39 for adjusting the position of the aperture AP arranged in the aperture unit 37. The aperture drive unit 39 can select the pattern to be projected onto the substrate 9, or adjust the projection position of the pattern, by adjusting the horizontal position (including tilt within the horizontal plane) of the aperture AP. In addition, the aperture drive unit 39 can also prevent the irradiation of pulsed light by using the light-shielding part of the aperture AP to block the entire irradiation area of ​​the pulsed light. The aperture drive unit 39 can be configured, for example, by combining multiple linear motors.

[0031] When an exposure in the main scanning direction ends, the exposure apparatus 1 typically moves the stage 10 in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the full exposure width W, and moves the stage 10 again in the main scanning direction while irradiating pulsed light from each exposure head. In this way, the exposure apparatus 1 typically shifts the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction in units of the full exposure width W of the exposure head, while repeatedly performing a predetermined number of times (e.g., four times) of drawing (exposure) in the main scanning direction, thereby forming a pattern for a color filter on the substrate 9.

[0032] FIG3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the optical modulation element 33A of the illumination optical system 33. As illustrated in FIG3, the optical modulation element 33A is provided with a substrate 14A and a plurality of ribbons 14B (microbridges) arranged parallel to each other on the substrate 14A as movable grids. A plurality of slits 14C are formed between the plurality of ribbons 14B.

[0033] The portion other than the end of the strip 14B is located away from the substrate 14A. The lower surface facing the substrate 14A is made of a flexible member including SiNx, etc., and the upper surface opposite to the lower surface is made of a reflective electrode film including a single-layer metal film such as aluminum.

[0034] Multiple bands 14B are arranged corresponding to the sub-scanning direction. In Figure 3, the multiple bands 14B are arranged along the X-axis. Furthermore, the multiple bands 14B only need to be arranged corresponding to each exposure area (sub-exposure area) in the sub-scanning direction in Figure 4 (described later), and in practice, they may not be arranged in the same direction as the sub-scanning direction. When the optical modulation element 33A is a DMD, it is sufficient that a portion of the multiple micromirrors arranged in a two-dimensional shape are arranged corresponding to each exposure area (sub-exposure area) in the sub-scanning direction in Figure 4 (described later).

[0035] The optical modulation element 33A is driven and controlled by switching on / off a voltage applied between the strip 14B and the substrate 14A. When the voltage applied between the strip 14B and the substrate 14A is switched on, an electrostatic attraction is generated between the strip 14B and the substrate 14A due to electrostatically induced charges, causing the strip 14B to bend toward the substrate 14A. On the other hand, when the voltage applied between the strip 14B and the substrate 14A is switched off, the bending is eliminated, and the strip 14B moves away from the substrate 14A.

[0036] Typically, a primitive contains multiple, for example, six bands 14B. By alternately configuring the bands 14B to which voltage is applied, a diffraction grating can be generated and light modulation can be performed by applying voltage.

[0037] The control unit 50 controls the band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A based on the exposure data pre-stored in the memory or the like, and the light modulated according to each pixel is input to the emission unit 36.

[0038] Each exposure head can also expose multiple exposure areas. For example, exposure head 32a can expose exposure areas Aa and Ab, exposure head 32b can expose exposure areas Aa, Ab, and Ac, exposure head 32c can expose exposure areas Ab, Ac, and Ad, exposure head 32d can expose exposure areas Ac, Ad, and Ae, and exposure head 32e can expose exposure areas Ad and Ae. Furthermore, the exposure areas that can be exposed are not limited to the exposure areas corresponding to the positions of each exposure head and the adjacent exposure areas, as described above.

[0039] FIG4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure areas on the substrate and multiple exposure heads. In the example shown in FIG4, the exposure areas corresponding to the positions of each exposure head (i.e., exposure area Aa relative to exposure head 32a, exposure area Ab relative to exposure head 32b, exposure area Ac relative to exposure head 32c, exposure area Ad relative to exposure head 32d, and exposure area Ae relative to exposure head 32e) are exposed.

[0040] Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the structure of multiple exposure heads. As shown in the example in Figure 5, exposure heads 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, and 32e include multiple components such as an aperture AP, an aperture drive unit 39, and a projection optical system 38. Furthermore, by ensuring the proper functioning of all these components, a structure is formed that illuminates the substrate 9 with normal pulsed light.

[0041] Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, the illumination imaging unit 40 is a mechanism for capturing pulsed light irradiated from each exposure head. The illumination imaging unit 40 includes a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera 41, a guide rail 42, and a camera drive mechanism 43 including a linear motor, etc. The CCD camera 41 is configured with the imaging direction facing upward. In addition, when the camera drive mechanism 43 is activated, the CCD camera 41 moves in the sub-scanning direction along the guide rail 42 mounted on the side of the Y-axis positive direction of the base plate 24.

[0042] When using the CCD camera 41, the main scanning mechanism 25 is first activated to position the base plate 24 so that the CCD camera 41 is located below the head 30 (as shown in Figures 1 and 2). Then, the camera drive mechanism 43 is activated to move the CCD camera 41 in the sub-scanning direction, and the CCD camera 41 simultaneously captures images of the pulsed light irradiated from each exposure head. The image data acquired by capturing images is transmitted from the CCD camera 41 to the control unit 50. The transmitted image data is used, for example, to determine whether there are any defects in the corresponding exposure head.

[0043] The control unit 50 is a processing unit used to control the operation of each drive unit within the exposure apparatus 1. Figure 6 is a diagram conceptually showing the connection structure between each drive unit of the exposure apparatus 1 and the control unit 50.

[0044] <Regarding the Operation of the Exposure Heads> Next, the operation of one of the multiple exposure heads, exposure head 32a, will be explained. Furthermore, the same operation can be performed on the other exposure heads 32b, 32c, 32d, and 32e.

[0045] The pulsed light oscillating from the laser oscillator 34 is incident on the exposure head 32a via the illumination optical system 33. However, if any of the bands 14B of the optical modulation element 33A in the illumination optical system 33 is faulty (e.g., the band 14B cannot move normally or the movable area of ​​the band 14B is narrow), the light of the pixel corresponding to the band 14B cannot be accurately modulated, and the exposure area corresponding to the light cannot be accurately exposed.

[0046] When the area exposed by the exposure head 32a moving in the main scanning direction (Y-axis direction) in FIG4 (a striped area with a width of W in the X-axis direction) is set as the full exposure area, and the area exposed by light modulated by each band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is set as a sub-exposure area, in the case of band 14B with defects as described above, the sub-exposure area corresponding to the band 14B with defects in the full exposure area cannot be accurately exposed.

[0047] Therefore, in this embodiment, the band 14B among the plurality of bands 14B in the optical modulation element 33A that is determined to be without defects is selected as the selection band, and multiple exposures are performed using the selection band, thereby causing the exposure head 32a to operate to expose the full exposure area. In addition, the full exposure area also actually includes the area that is not illuminated (the area where the exposure pattern is assigned without illumination).

[0048] At least one of the multiple bands 14B in the optical modulation element 33A conforms to the selected band. Ideally, as many normal bands 14B without defects as possible should be selected, and multiple bands 14B can be selected as selected bands. Alternatively, from the viewpoint of ease of selection and operation control, multiple adjacent bands 14B can be treated as a single selected object (as a region's selected object), and it can be determined whether the selected object containing multiple bands 14B has defects and then used as the selected band. In this case, the number of multiple bands 14B as a single entity can also vary depending on the selected object. In other words, the number of bands 14B constituting each selected band set in the optical modulation element 33A can also be different.

[0049] For example, a sub-exposure area within the full exposure area is exposed for the first time using a selection band, and then the remaining exposure area (remaining area) within the full exposure area is exposed for the second time using the selection band. In this case, the amount of movement of the exposure head 32a in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction) is set as the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction). When exposing using a selection band that integrates multiple bands 14B as a whole, it is set as the width of the sub-scanning direction (X-axis direction) obtained by summing the multiple bands 14B. When multiple patterns can be set for the width of the sub-exposure area due to the different number of bands 14B contained in the selection band, any one of the widths of the sub-exposure area with multiple patterns can be used.

[0050] Figure 7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection band of the optical modulation element 33A. Furthermore, the sizes of the exposure area, the head-corresponding area, and the selection band in Figure 7 are not ratios reflecting actual sizes, but rather conceptual representations of their relationship. Additionally, Figure 7 shows a case where multiple bands 14B are treated as a single unit and designated as selection objects 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, 140f, 140g, and 140h, with each selection object containing the same number of bands 14B. In Figure 7, selection object 140c is set as the selection object determined to have a defect. Selection object 140a is selected as selection belt 150a, selection object 140b is selected as selection belt 150b, selection object 140d is selected as selection belt 150d, selection object 140e is selected as selection belt 150e, selection object 140f is selected as selection belt 150f, selection object 140g is selected as selection belt 150g, and selection object 140h is selected as selection belt 150h. On the other hand, selection object 140c is not selected as a selection belt due to a malfunction of belt 14B, etc.

[0051] The exposure head 32a is set to illuminate the corresponding area of ​​light modulated by each selection band. Specifically, the light modulated by selection band 150a illuminates the corresponding area 160a, the light modulated by selection band 150b illuminates the corresponding area 160b, the light modulated by selection band 150d illuminates the corresponding area 160d, the light modulated by selection band 150e illuminates the corresponding area 160e, the light modulated by selection band 150f illuminates the corresponding area 160f, the light modulated by selection band 150g illuminates the corresponding area 160g, and the light modulated by selection band 150h illuminates the corresponding area 160h.

[0052] First, in the first exposure, the exposure head 32a, which is positioned at a specified exposure position, is moved in the main scanning direction by the control unit 50, and the corresponding sub-exposure areas are exposed using selection bands 150a, 150b, 150d, 150e, 150f, 150g, and 150h. In detail, light modulated by selection band 150a is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240a from the corresponding region 160a; light modulated by selection band 150b is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240b from the corresponding region 160b; light modulated by selection band 150d is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240d from the corresponding region 160d; light modulated by selection band 150e is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240e from the corresponding region 160e; light modulated by selection band 150f is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240f from the corresponding region 160f; light modulated by selection band 150g is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240g from the corresponding region 160g; and light modulated by selection band 150h is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240h from the corresponding region 160h.

[0053] Furthermore, the exposure data with selection band 150a based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240a is movable under the control of control unit 50; the exposure data with selection band 150b based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240b is movable under the control of control unit 50; the exposure data with selection band 150d based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240d is movable under the control of control unit 50; the exposure data with selection band 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240e is movable under the control of control unit 50; the exposure data with selection band 150f based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240f is movable under the control of control unit 50; the exposure data with selection band 150g based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240g is movable under the control of control unit 50; and the exposure data with selection band 150h based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240h is movable under the control of control unit 50. In other words, each selection band is given exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area corresponding to each selection band, rather than exposure data corresponding to the full exposure area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and each selection band is controlled based on the given exposure data.

[0054] On the other hand, since the selected object 140c is not selected as the selection band, the sub-exposure area 240c corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160c is not exposed.

[0055] Next, after moving the exposure head 32a to the endpoint in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW is a width corresponding to the width of the sub-exposure area, and is narrower than the width W of the full exposure area. In the example of FIG7, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 8 of the width W of the full exposure area.

[0056] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 8 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has been moved by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 7. The exposure head 32a shown by the dashed line in Figure 8 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 7 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before the movement). Furthermore, the size of the exposure area and the head-corresponding area in Figure 8 do not reflect a ratio of actual sizes, but rather conceptually represent their relationship.

[0057] In Figure 8, by means of the movement, the head-corresponding region 160a is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240b, the head-corresponding region 160b is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240c, the head-corresponding region 160d is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240e, the head-corresponding region 160e is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240f, the head-corresponding region 160f is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240g, the head-corresponding region 160g is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240h, and the head-corresponding region 160h is positioned to expose the region further outward of the sub-exposure region 240h (the region outside the full exposure region).

[0058] Then, as a second exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction by the control unit 50, and the light modulated by the selection band 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b to the sub-exposure area 240c.

[0059] Furthermore, the selection band 150b is movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240c. In other words, the exposure data used for control in the first exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240b) is different from the exposure data used for control in the second exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240c).

[0060] On the other hand, in the second exposure, the sub-exposure areas corresponding to other selection bands and selection objects 140c are not exposed.

[0061] By performing the above actions, multiple exposures are performed using light modulated by the selection band, thereby exposing the entire exposure area. Specifically, the exposure head 32a is moved to perform a second exposure by exposing the sub-exposure area 240c, which was not exposed in the first exposure, to light modulated by the selection band 150b. This allows the entire exposure area to be exposed using only the light modulated by the selection band, including the total of the sub-exposure areas 240c.

[0062] Therefore, even if a portion of band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, a band other than band 14B can be selected as the selection band, and the full exposure area can be properly exposed through multiple exposures. That is, even if a portion of band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, it is not necessary to replace or repair the optical modulation element 33A, and proper exposure of the full exposure area can continue.

[0063] Furthermore, in the examples of FIG7 and FIG8, the selection band 150b adjacent to the selected object 140c is controlled in the second exposure to expose the sub-exposure area 240c. The selection band controlled in the second exposure to expose the sub-exposure area 240c is not limited to the selection band adjacent to the selected object 140c.

[0064] In addition, in Figures 7 and 8, for convenience, the exposure head 32a is shown to move in the same direction (e.g., the positive direction) of the main scanning direction. However, in the first exposure and the second exposure, the exposure head 32a may also move in the opposite direction of the main scanning direction (e.g., the positive and negative directions).

[0065] Here, a method for determining the defective condition of selecting a selection band from the plurality of bands 14B in the optical modulation element 33A will be explained.

[0066] As a determination method, for example, consider controlling multiple bands 14B to irradiate the maximum amount of light from the exposure head 32a, comparing and selecting the light amount at this time. Specifically, the pulse light irradiating the exposure head 32a with the maximum amount of light is captured by the irradiation light imaging unit 40. Then, the control unit 50 analyzes the image data acquired by the capture, and for each sub-exposure area, compares the light amount calculated based on the image data with the light amount used as a reference (threshold light amount). As a result, the band 14B corresponding to the sub-exposure area with a small difference from the threshold light amount is determined to be a band without defects (a band that can become a selectable band), and the band 14B corresponding to the sub-exposure area with a large difference from the threshold light amount is determined to be a band with defects (a band that cannot become a selectable band). In addition, the light amount used for comparison may not be the maximum light amount, and it may also be compared with the threshold light amount corresponding to multiple light amount patterns to improve the determination accuracy.

[0067] Furthermore, in the example described above, the analysis of image data and the determination of the modulation state with 14B performed by the control unit 50 may be performed by a functional unit in the exposure apparatus 1, which is separate from the control unit 50.

[0068] <Other Operations of the Exposure Head> Next, other operations of the exposure head 32a (triple exposure) will be explained. Figure 9 is another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection band of the optical modulation element 33A. Furthermore, the size of the exposure area, the size of the head-corresponding area, and the size of the selection band in Figure 9 do not reflect actual sizes, but rather represent their relationship conceptually.

[0069] In the example of Figure 7, only object 140c was not selected as the selection band. However, in the example of Figure 9, object 140c, object 140d, and object 140f were judged to have defects due to the failure of band 14B or low light intensity, and were therefore not selected as the selection band.

[0070] First, in the first exposure, the exposure head 32a, positioned at a predetermined exposure location, is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50, and the corresponding sub-exposure areas are exposed using selection bands 150a, 150b, 150e, 150g, and 150h. Specifically, light modulated by selection band 150a is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240a from the head-corresponding area 160a, light modulated by selection band 150b is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240b from the head-corresponding area 160b, light modulated by selection band 150e is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240e from the head-corresponding area 160e, light modulated by selection band 150g is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240g from the head-corresponding area 160g, and light modulated by selection band 150h is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240h from the head-corresponding area 160h.

[0071] Furthermore, the exposure data with selection band 150a based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240a is movable under the control of control unit 50, the exposure data with selection band 150b based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240b is movable under the control of control unit 50, the exposure data with selection band 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240e is movable under the control of control unit 50, the exposure data with selection band 150g based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240g is movable under the control of control unit 50, and the exposure data with selection band 150h based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240h is movable under the control of control unit 50.

[0072] On the other hand, since selected objects 140c, 140d, and 140f are not selected as selection bands, the sub-exposure area 240c corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160c, the sub-exposure area 240d corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160d, and the sub-exposure area 240f corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160f are not exposed.

[0073] Next, after moving the exposure head 32a to the endpoint in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW is a width corresponding to the width of the sub-exposure area, and is narrower than the width of the full exposure area. In the example of FIG9, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 8 of the width W of the full exposure area.

[0074] FIG10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. In FIG10, the state after the exposure head 32a has been moved by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW from the state in FIG9 is shown. The exposure head 32a shown by the dashed line in FIG10 is the exposure head 32a in FIG9 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before the movement). Furthermore, the size of the exposure area and the head-corresponding area in FIG10 do not reflect a ratio of actual sizes, but rather conceptually represent their relationship.

[0075] In Figure 10, by means of the movement, the head-corresponding region 160a is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240b, the head-corresponding region 160b is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240c, the head-corresponding region 160e is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240f, the head-corresponding region 160g is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240h, and the head-corresponding region 160h is positioned to expose the region further outward of the sub-exposure region 240h (the region outside the full exposure region).

[0076] Then, as a second exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction by the control unit 50, and the light modulated by the selection band 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b to the sub-exposure area 240c, and the light modulated by the selection band 150e is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160e to the sub-exposure area 240f.

[0077] Furthermore, the selection band 150b is movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240c. In other words, the exposure data used for control in the first exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240b) is different from the exposure data used for control in the second exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240c).

[0078] Similarly, the exposure data with 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240f is movable under the control of the control unit 50.

[0079] On the other hand, in the second exposure, the sub-exposure areas corresponding to other selection bands and selection objects 140c, 140d, and 140f are not exposed.

[0080] Furthermore, after the exposure head 32a is moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50.

[0081] FIG11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. In FIG11, the state after the exposure head 32a has been moved by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW from the state in FIG10 is shown. The exposure head 32a shown by the dashed line in FIG11 is the exposure head 32a in FIG10 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before the movement). Furthermore, the size of the exposure area and the head-corresponding area in FIG11 do not reflect a ratio of actual sizes, but rather conceptually represent their relationship.

[0082] In Figure 11, by means of the movement, the head-corresponding region 160a is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240c, the head-corresponding region 160b is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240d, the head-corresponding region 160e is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240g, and the head-corresponding region 160g and the head-corresponding region 160h are positioned to expose the region further outward of the sub-exposure region 240h (the region outside the full exposure region).

[0083] Then, as the third exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction by the control unit 50, and the light modulated by the selection band 150b is irradiated from the head corresponding area 160b to the sub-exposure area 240d.

[0084] Furthermore, the selection band 150b is movable under the control of the control unit 50 based on the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240d. In other words, the exposure data used for control in the first exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240b) is different from the exposure data used for control in the second exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240c) and the exposure data used for control in the third exposure (the exposure data representing the modulation of light illuminating the sub-exposure area 240d).

[0085] On the other hand, in the third exposure, the sub-exposure areas corresponding to other selection bands and selection objects 140c, 140d, and 140f are not exposed.

[0086] By performing the above actions, multiple exposures are performed using light modulated by the selection band, thereby exposing the entire exposure area. Specifically, the exposure head 32a is moved to expose the sub-exposure areas 240c, 240d, and 240f that were not exposed in the first exposure by exposing the light modulated by the selection bands 150b and 150e to perform the second and third exposures. Thus, the entire exposure area can be exposed using only the light modulated by the selection band, including the total of the sub-exposure areas 240c, 240d, and 240f.

[0087] Therefore, even if there are problems with the selection of objects in multiple locations, the entire exposure area can be properly exposed by multiple exposures.

[0088] Furthermore, other operations of the exposure head 32a (uniform exposure) will be explained. Figure 12 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a, and the selection band of the optical modulation element 33A. In addition, the size of the exposure area, the size of the head-corresponding area, and the size of the selection band in Figure 12 do not reflect actual sizes, but rather represent their relationship conceptually.

[0089] In the example of Figure 12, the selection band changes with each exposure. In the example of Figure 12, all selected objects can be selected as the selection band, but at the time of the first exposure, selected objects 140c, 140d, 140e, 140f, 140g, and 140h are selected as the selection band. In other words, a portion of the selected objects determined to be without defects are selected as the selection band.

[0090] On the other hand, the width W2 of the full exposure area becomes a width narrower than the full exposure width W of the exposure head 32a. Specifically, the full exposure area becomes the area after merging the sub-exposure areas 240c, 240d, 240e, 240f, 240g, and 240h.

[0091] First, in the first exposure, the exposure head 32a, which is positioned at a specified exposure position, is moved along the main scanning direction by the control unit 50, and the corresponding sub-exposure areas are exposed using the selection bands 150c, 150d, 150e, 150f, 150g, and 150h. Specifically, light modulated by selection band 150c is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240c from the corresponding region 160c; light modulated by selection band 150d is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240d from the corresponding region 160d; light modulated by selection band 150e is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240e from the corresponding region 160e; light modulated by selection band 150f is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240f from the corresponding region 160f; light modulated by selection band 150g is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240g from the corresponding region 160g; and light modulated by selection band 150h is used to illuminate sub-exposure region 240h from the corresponding region 160h. The illumination of each light source is achieved through multiple (here, three) exposures to reach the desired exposure level.

[0092] Furthermore, exposure data with selection band 150c based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240c is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150d based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240d is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240e is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150f based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240f is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150g based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240g is movable under the control of control unit 50; and exposure data with selection band 150h based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240h is movable under the control of control unit 50.

[0093] On the other hand, in the first exposure, since the selected object 140a and the selected object 140b are not selected as selection bands, the sub-exposure area 240a corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160a and the sub-exposure area 240b corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160b are not exposed.

[0094] Next, after moving the exposure head 32a to the endpoint in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50. The sub-exposure width SW is a width corresponding to the width of the sub-exposure area, and is narrower than the width W2 of the full exposure area. In the example of FIG12, the sub-exposure width SW is 1 / 6 of the width W2 of the full exposure area.

[0095] Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 13 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 12. The exposure head 32a shown by the dashed line in Figure 13 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 12 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before the movement). Furthermore, the size of the exposure area and the head-corresponding area in Figure 13 do not reflect a ratio of actual sizes, but rather conceptually represent their relationship.

[0096] In Figure 13, by means of the movement, the head-corresponding region 160a is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240b, the head-corresponding region 160b is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240c, the head-corresponding region 160c is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240d, the head-corresponding region 160d is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240e, the head-corresponding region 160e is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240f, the head-corresponding region 160f is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240g, the head-corresponding region 160g is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240h, and the head-corresponding region 160h is positioned to expose the outermost region (the region outside the full exposure region) of the sub-exposure region 240h.

[0097] Here, for the second exposure, objects 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, 140f, and 140g are selected as selection bands.

[0098] Then, as a second exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50. Light modulated by the selection band 150b is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240c from the head-corresponding region 160b, light modulated by the selection band 150c from the head-corresponding region 160c from the sub-exposure area 240d, light modulated by the selection band 150d from the head-corresponding region 160d from the sub-exposure area 240e, light modulated by the selection band 150e from the head-corresponding region 160e from the sub-exposure area 240f, light modulated by the selection band 150f from the head-corresponding region 160f from the sub-exposure area 240g, and light modulated by the selection band 150g from the head-corresponding region 160g from the sub-exposure area 240h. The illumination of each light is performed with the amount of light required to achieve the desired exposure state through multiple (here, three) exposures.

[0099] Furthermore, exposure data with selection band 150b based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240c is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150c based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240d is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150d based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240e is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240f is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150f based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240g is movable under the control of control unit 50; and exposure data with selection band 150g based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240h is movable under the control of control unit 50.

[0100] On the other hand, in the second exposure, since the selected object 140a and the selected object 140h are not selected as the selection zone, the sub-exposure area 240b corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160a and the area (the area outside the full exposure area) corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160h are not exposed.

[0101] Furthermore, after the exposure head 32a is moved to the end point in the main scanning direction, the exposure head 32a is moved in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW under the control of the control unit 50.

[0102] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head 32a. Figure 14 shows the state after the exposure head 32a has moved an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW from the state in Figure 13. The exposure head 32a shown by the dashed line in Figure 14 is the exposure head 32a in Figure 13 (in other words, the exposure head 32a before the movement). Furthermore, the size of the exposure area and the head-corresponding area in Figure 14 do not reflect a ratio of actual sizes, but rather conceptually represent their relationship.

[0103] In Figure 14, by means of the movement, the head-corresponding region 160a is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240c, the head-corresponding region 160b is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240d, the head-corresponding region 160c is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240e, the head-corresponding region 160d is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240f, the head-corresponding region 160e is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240g, the head-corresponding region 160f is positioned to expose the sub-exposure region 240h, and the head-corresponding regions 160g and 160h are positioned to expose the region further outward of the sub-exposure region 240h (the region outside the full exposure region).

[0104] Here, for the third exposure, objects 140a, 140b, 140c, 140d, 140e, and 140f are selected as the selection band.

[0105] Then, as the third exposure, the exposure head 32a is moved in the main scanning direction under the control of the control unit 50. Light modulated by the selection band 150a is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240c from the head-corresponding region 160a, light modulated by the selection band 150b is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240d from the head-corresponding region 160b, light modulated by the selection band 150c is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240e from the head-corresponding region 160c, light modulated by the selection band 150d is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240f from the head-corresponding region 160d, light modulated by the selection band 150e is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240g from the head-corresponding region 160e, and light modulated by the selection band 150f is used to illuminate the sub-exposure area 240h from the head-corresponding region 160f. The illumination of each light is performed with the amount of light required to achieve the desired exposure state through multiple (here, three) exposures.

[0106] Furthermore, exposure data with selection band 150a based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240c is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150b based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240d is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150c based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240e is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150d based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240f is movable under the control of control unit 50; exposure data with selection band 150e based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240g is movable under the control of control unit 50; and exposure data with selection band 150f based on the modulation of light illuminating sub-exposure area 240h is movable under the control of control unit 50.

[0107] On the other hand, in the third exposure, since the selected object 140g and the selected object 140h were not selected as the selection zone, the area corresponding to the head-corresponding area 160g and the head-corresponding area 160h (the area outside the full exposure area) was not exposed.

[0108] By performing the above actions, multiple exposures are performed using light modulated by a selective band, thereby exposing the entire exposure area. In addition, by irradiating the same sub-exposure area multiple times with light modulated by different selective bands, the difference in exposure amount between each sub-exposure area becomes smaller, and uniform exposure can be achieved in the entire exposure area.

[0109] Figure 15 is a diagram showing an example of the exposure deviation for each sub-exposure region. In Figure 15, the vertical axis represents the exposure [relative value], and the horizontal axis represents the symbol of the corresponding sub-exposure region.

[0110] The dashed lines in Figure 15 represent the exposure amount when light modulated by each selection band illuminates the corresponding sub-exposure area in a single exposure. On the other hand, the solid lines in Figure 15 represent the exposure amount of each sub-exposure area when three exposures are performed using selection bands with the same modulation characteristics as in the case of the dashed lines, as shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14.

[0111] As shown in Figure 15, when three exposures are performed, the same sub-exposure area is illuminated multiple times with light modulated by different selection bands. Therefore, the difference in exposure amount between each sub-exposure area cancels out and becomes smaller. As a result, the deviation in exposure amount between sub-exposure areas becomes smaller. In other words, uniform exposure can be achieved in the entire exposure area.

[0112] <Effects Produced by the Embodiments Described Above> Next, examples of effects produced by the embodiments described above will be shown. Furthermore, in the following description, the effects are described based on the specific structures of the examples shown in the embodiments described above, but other specific structures shown in this specification may be substituted to produce the same effects. That is, for convenience, sometimes only one of the corresponding specific structures will be described representatively, but the representatively described specific structure may be replaced with other corresponding specific structures.

[0113] According to the embodiments described above, the direct drawing apparatus includes a light source, an optical modulation element 33A, an exposure head 32a, a first drive unit, a second drive unit, and a control unit 50. Here, the light source corresponds, for example, to a laser oscillator 34. The first drive unit corresponds, for example, to a main scanning mechanism 25. The second drive unit corresponds, for example, to a sub-scanning mechanism 23. The optical modulation element 33A has a plurality of elements (with 14B) arranged corresponding to the sub-scanning direction. Furthermore, the optical modulation element 33A modulates the light from the laser oscillator 34. The exposure head 32a exposes the substrate 9 using the light modulated by the optical modulation element 33A. The main scanning mechanism 25 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the substrate 9 in the main scanning direction, which intersects the sub-scanning direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 23 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the substrate 9 in the sub-scanning direction. The control unit 50 controls the modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element 33A, the operation of the main scanning mechanism 25, and the operation of the sub-scanning mechanism 23. Here, at least one of the multiple bands 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is used as a selection element (selection band). The area exposed by the exposure head 32a using light modulated by the selection band is designated as a sub-exposure area. The width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is designated as the sub-exposure width SW. The control unit 50 then moves the exposure head 32a relative to the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the selection band. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit 50 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW.

[0114] According to this structure, even if any of the bands 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, the selected band without defects can be used to modulate the light and then perform exposure.

[0115] Here, in the prior art, a technique is shown that in an exposure apparatus including multiple exposure heads, another exposure head is used to replace the exposure head that has caused a defect in order to continue exposure. In this technique, it is necessary to move the exposure head that has caused a defect from the exposure position, and it is necessary to ensure a corresponding margin for the movement of the exposure head.

[0116] On the other hand, according to the technique for exposure using the selection band shown in this embodiment, the amount of movement required to move the exposure head due to a malfunction in the optical modulation element 33A is smaller than in the prior art. Specifically, in the prior art, the entire exposure head needs to be moved from the exposure position, but according to the technique for exposure using the selection band shown in this embodiment, only the exposure head needs to be offset by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the increase in occupied space (blank space for movement) can be suppressed.

[0117] Furthermore, the same effect can be achieved even if other structures shown as examples in this application specification are appropriately added to the structure, that is, if other structures in this application specification not mentioned as the structure are appropriately added.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the selection band includes a plurality of bands 14B arranged adjacent to each other. With this structure, by using an entire assembly of multiple bands 14B as the selection object and the selection object as the selection band, selection becomes easier compared to selecting individual bands 14B provided in the optical modulation element 33A as selection bands, and the burden of modulation control of light using the selection band can also be reduced.

[0119] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the direct drawing apparatus includes a selection unit that selects a selection band from a plurality of bands 14B. Here, the selection unit corresponds, for example, to a control unit 50. The control unit 50 determines the modulation state of the light of each band 14B and selects a selection band based on the result of the determination. According to this structure, by selecting a band 14B that has not caused any defects as the selection band and using the selection band to modulate the light, light modulation can be performed and exposure can be performed even if any band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A has a defect.

[0120] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the area exposed corresponding to all bands 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defined as the full exposure area. The area outside the sub-exposure area exposed to light modulated by the selected band within the full exposure area is defined as the residual area. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit 50 moves the exposure head 32a relative to the sub-exposure width SW in the sub-scanning direction and moves the exposure head 32a relative to the main scan direction to expose the residual area using light modulated by the selected band. With this structure, for the residual area outside the sub-exposure area within the full exposure area, after moving the exposure head 32a by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, exposure is performed using light modulated by the selected band. Thus, even if any band 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, the selected band can be used to expose the area including the residual area.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, multiple selection bands are selected, including a first selection band (e.g., selection band 150c) and a second selection band (e.g., selection band 150b). Then, the control unit 50 moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by selection band 150c. Additionally, after the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit 50 moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW, and moves the exposure head 32a relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the same sub-exposure area using light modulated by selection band 150b. With this structure, by irradiating the same sub-exposure area multiple times with light modulated by different selection bands, the difference in exposure amount between each sub-exposure area becomes smaller, and uniform exposure can be performed across the entire exposure area.

[0122] Furthermore, since the optical performance at the minimum point is determined by various factors such as light distribution, lens performance, and focusing performance, achieving uniform optical performance across the entire exposure area requires consideration of technical difficulties and high costs, such as adjusting the optical lens. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, uniform exposure can be easily achieved across the entire exposure area.

[0123] Furthermore, according to the embodiment described above, the selection band is different before and after the exposure head 32a moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW. With this structure, by making the selection band different before and after the relative movement of the exposure head 32a, the variation in exposure to the sub-exposure area and the residual area can be increased.

[0124] According to the embodiments described above, in the direct drawing method, the exposure head 32a is moved relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the selection band. Then, after the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head 32a is moved relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width SW.

[0125] According to this structure, even if any of the bands 14B of the optical modulation element 33A is defective, the selection band without defects can be used to modulate the light and then perform exposure.

[0126] In addition, the order of each process can be changed unless there are special restrictions.

[0127] Furthermore, the same effect can be achieved even if other structures shown as examples in this application specification are appropriately added to the structure, that is, if other structures in this application specification not mentioned as the structure are appropriately added.

[0128] <Variations on the above-described embodiments> In the above-described embodiments, the material, size, shape, relative arrangement relationship or implementation conditions of each component are sometimes described, but these are all examples and are not limited.

[0129] Therefore, numerous variations and equivalents of the examples not shown are contemplated within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application. For example, this includes cases where at least one constituent component is modified, added to, or omitted.

[0130] In addition, in at least one embodiment described above, if the material name is described without special specification, the material contains other additives, such as alloys, as long as there is no contradiction. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0011] FIG1 is a side view showing the structure of the exposure apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG2 is a plan view showing the structure of the exposure apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the optical modulation element of the illumination optical system. FIG4 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and multiple exposure heads. FIG5 is a diagram conceptually showing the structure of multiple exposure heads. FIG6 is a diagram conceptually showing the connection structure between each drive unit and control unit of the exposure apparatus. FIG7 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head, and the selection ribbon of the optical modulation element. FIG8 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head. FIG9 is a diagram showing another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head, and the selection ribbon of the optical modulation element. FIG10 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head. FIG11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head. Figure 12 is another example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate, the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head, and the selection band of the optical modulation element. Figure 13 is an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head. Figure 14 is an example of the relationship between the exposure area on the substrate and the head-corresponding area of ​​the exposure head. Figure 15 is an example of the exposure amount deviation for each sub-exposure area.

Claims

1. A direct drawing apparatus, comprising: light source; An optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in accordance with the sub-scanning direction and used to modulate the light from the light source; An exposure head is used to expose the substrate using light modulated by the optical modulation element; a first driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction that intersects the sub-scanning direction; a second driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction. The control unit controls the modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element, the operation of the first drive unit, and the operation of the second drive unit. It selects at least one element from among the plurality of elements of the optical modulation element as a selection element, defines the area exposed by the exposure head using the light modulated by the selection element as a sub-exposure area, and defines the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-exposure width. The control unit moves the exposure head relative to the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using the light modulated by the selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head moves relative to the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. The area exposed corresponding to all the elements of the optical modulation element is defined as a full exposure area, and the area outside the sub-exposure area within the full exposure area is defined as a residual area. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit moves the exposure head relative to the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, and moves the exposure head relative to the main scan direction to expose the residual area using the light modulated by the selection element.

2. A direct drawing apparatus, for direct drawing of a substrate, comprising: light source; An optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in accordance with the sub-scanning direction and used to modulate the light from the light source; An exposure head is used to expose the substrate using light modulated by the optical modulation element; a first driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction that intersects the sub-scanning direction; a second driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction. The system includes a control unit for controlling the modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element, the operation of the first drive unit, and the operation of the second drive unit. It selects at least one element from a plurality of elements of the optical modulation element as a selection element, defines an area exposed by the exposure head using light modulated by the selection element as a sub-exposure area, and defines the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-exposure width. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head moves relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. The system selects a plurality of selection elements, including a first selection element and a second selection element. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the first selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the exposure head is moved relative to the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, and the exposure head is moved relative to the main scan direction to expose the same sub-exposure area using the light modulated by the second selection element.

3. A direct drawing apparatus, for direct drawing of a substrate, comprising: light source; An optical modulation element having a plurality of elements arranged in accordance with the sub-scanning direction and used to modulate the light from the light source; An exposure head is used to expose the substrate using light modulated by the optical modulation element; a first driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in a main scanning direction that intersects the sub-scanning direction; a second driving unit is used to move the exposure head relative to the substrate in the sub-scanning direction. The system includes a control unit for controlling the modulation state of the light in the optical modulation element, the operation of the first drive unit, and the operation of the second drive unit. It selects at least one element from among a plurality of elements of the optical modulation element as a selection element, defines an area exposed by the exposure head using the light modulated by the selection element as a sub-exposure area, and defines the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction as a sub-exposure width. The control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the main scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using the light modulated by the selection element. After the sub-exposure area is exposed, the control unit moves the exposure head relatively in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. The selection element differs before and after the exposure head is moved relatively in the sub-scanning direction by the amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width.

4. The direct drawing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The selection element comprises a plurality of the elements arranged adjacent to each other.

5. The direct drawing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a selection unit that selects the selection element from a plurality of said elements, the selection unit determining the modulation state of the light of each of said elements and selecting the selection element based on the result of the determination.

6. A direct drawing method, which is a direct drawing method for a substrate using a direct drawing apparatus, the direct drawing apparatus comprising: An optical modulation element having multiple elements arranged in accordance with the sub-scanning direction and used to modulate the light from a light source; The method includes an exposure head for exposing the substrate using light modulated by the optical modulation element. In the direct drawing method, at least one element from a plurality of the optical modulation elements is selected as a chosen element; the area exposed by the exposure head using light modulated by the chosen element is designated as a sub-exposure area; and the width of the sub-exposure area in the sub-scanning direction is designated as a sub-exposure width. The direct drawing method includes: moving the exposure head relative to each other in a main scanning direction intersecting the sub-scanning direction to expose the sub-exposure area using light modulated by the chosen element; and after the sub-exposure area is exposed, moving the exposure head relative to each other in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width. The area exposed corresponding to all the elements of the optical modulation element is designated as a full exposure area, and the area outside the sub-exposure area within the full exposure area is designated as a residual area. The direct drawing method includes, after the sub-exposure area is exposed, moving the exposure head relative to the sub-exposure width in the sub-scanning direction by an amount corresponding to the sub-exposure width, and moving the exposure head relative to the main scanning direction to expose the residual area using the light modulated by the selection element.

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