Drawing device, drawing method, program, and substrate processing device

Abstract

Provided is a technique with which the position of a laden upper stage can be measured without directly measuring the position of the upper stage. A drawing device (100) comprises a Y-axis stage (33), an X-axis stage (31), a support stage (2), a stage-moving mechanism (3), a Y-axis linear scale (36), a first displacement meter (61), and an exposure head (51). A first stage is movable in the Y direction. The X-axis stage (31) is positioned above the Y-axis stage (33). The support stage (2) is positioned above the X-axis stage (31). The stage-moving mechanism (3) moves the Y-axis stage (33) in the Y direction. The Y-axis linear scale (36) measures the position of the stage-moving mechanism (3). The first displacement meter (61) can detect the amount of displacement of the support stage (2) in the Y direction with respect to the Y-axis stage (33).

Description

Drawing apparatus, drawing method, program, and substrate processing apparatus

[0001] The subject matter disclosed in this specification relates to a drawing apparatus, a drawing method, a program, and a substrate processing apparatus.

[0002] For example, as a method for forming a pattern on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate, a lithography apparatus that directly draws a pattern by irradiating light is known. In this type of lithography apparatus, a substrate on which a photosensitive layer such as a resist is formed is supported by a stage, and the stage is moved in the main scanning direction. Then, pattern light is emitted from an exposure head according to the position of the stage in the main scanning direction, thereby drawing a predetermined pattern on the photosensitive layer.

[0003] When the stage is moved in such a lithography system, it may meander or otherwise displace in an unexpected direction. When this type of displacement occurs, the pattern may not be formed as specified, resulting in distortion of the pattern. Therefore, techniques for correcting unexpected stage displacement have been proposed.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mask stage that controls the coordinates of a mask. The mask stage includes an X-table that moves in the X direction on a base plate, a Y-table that is provided on the X-table and moves in the Y direction, and a plurality of support pads that support the mask on the Y-table. Bar mirrors are fixed to the Y-table, and the position of the Y-table is detected by measuring the position of the bar mirrors with a laser interferometer that is also fixed to the base plate. Furthermore, sensors are attached to the bar mirrors to measure the distance or displacement to the mask. When the mask table on which the mask is placed is moved, the position information measured by the laser interferometer is corrected using the distance information or displacement information detected by the sensor means.

[0005] JP 2016-100541 A

[0006] However, in the case of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to directly detect the position of the Y table, which is the upper stage, using a laser interferometer. Therefore, if it is difficult to directly measure the upper stage, the technology of Patent Document 1 cannot be adopted.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of measuring the position of an upper stage in a multi-stage stack without directly measuring the position of the upper stage.

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect is a drawing device that draws a pattern on a substrate, comprising: a first stage that is movable in a predetermined movement direction; a second stage that is located above the first stage and is movable integrally with the first stage; a third stage that is located above the second stage and is movable integrally with the second stage and supports a substrate; a stage movement mechanism that moves the first stage in the movement direction; a first stage position measurement unit that measures the position of the first stage; a first displacement meter that is movable integrally with the first stage and is capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage; and an exposure head that can expose the substrate supported by the third stage that is moved in the movement direction by the stage movement mechanism.

[0009] A second aspect is the drawing device of the first aspect, wherein the second stage is movable relative to the first stage in a second direction that intersects with the first direction, and the stage movement mechanism is capable of moving the second stage in the second direction relative to the first stage.

[0010] A third aspect is a drawing device of the first or second aspect, further comprising a control unit that controls the exposure head based on the position of the first stage in the movement direction measured by the first stage position measurement unit and the displacement amount detected by the first displacement meter.

[0011] A fourth aspect is the drawing apparatus of the third aspect, wherein a first direction in which the first displacement meter detects the amount of displacement is parallel to the direction in which the first stage moves.

[0012] A fifth aspect is the drawing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, wherein the first stage position measurement unit measures the position of the first stage in the movement direction.

[0013] A sixth aspect is a drawing device of the first or second aspect, further comprising a second displacement meter capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the first stage in the first direction, wherein the second displacement meter detects the amount of displacement of a portion of the third stage that is away from the portion where the amount of displacement is detected by the first displacement meter in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

[0014] A seventh aspect is a drawing device according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a third displacement meter that detects the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the first stage in a second direction that intersects with the first direction.

[0015] An eighth aspect is a drawing device of the first or second aspect, wherein the first displacement meter includes a lower displacement meter capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the second stage relative to the first stage in the first direction, and an upper displacement meter capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the second stage in the first direction.

[0016] A ninth aspect is a drawing method including: (a) a moving step of integrally moving a first stage, a second stage positioned above the first stage, and a third stage positioned above the second stage and supporting a substrate in a predetermined moving direction; (b) a measuring step of measuring the position of the first stage moved by the moving step; (c) a detecting step of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage moved by the moving step; and (d) an exposure step of exposing the substrate supported by the third stage moved in the first direction by the moving step.

[0017] A tenth aspect is a computer-executable program that causes the computer to execute the drawing method of the ninth aspect.

[0018] An eleventh aspect is a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a first stage movable in a predetermined movement direction; a second stage positioned above the first stage and movable integrally with the first stage; a third stage positioned above the second stage, movable integrally with the second stage, and having a support surface for supporting a substrate; a stage movement mechanism for moving the first stage in the movement direction; a first stage position measurement unit for measuring the position of the first stage; a first displacement meter movable integrally with the first stage and capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage; and a processing unit for performing a predetermined process on the substrate supported by the third stage moved in the movement direction by the stage movement mechanism.

[0019] According to the drawing devices of the first to eighth aspects and the drawing method of the ninth aspect, the position of the third stage can be measured without directly measuring the position of the third stage by measuring the position of the first stage and detecting the displacement of the third stage relative to the first stage.

[0020] According to the imaging apparatus of the second aspect, by moving the second stage in the second direction, the third stage and the substrate can be moved in the second direction.

[0021] According to the third aspect of the drawing device, even if the third stage is displaced relative to the first stage, the exposure position is corrected according to the detected amount of displacement, thereby preventing a decrease in drawing accuracy.

[0022] According to the imaging device of the fourth aspect, it is possible to detect the amount of displacement in the movement direction of the third stage relative to the first stage.

[0023] According to the imaging device of the sixth aspect, it is possible to distinguish between a displacement due to translation of the third stage and a displacement due to rotation from the detection results of the first displacement meter and the second displacement meter.

[0024] According to the imaging device of the seventh aspect, it is possible to detect the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the first stage in the second direction.

[0025] According to the drawing device of the eighth aspect, the deformation of the members supporting the lower displacement gauge and the upper displacement gauge can be reduced, and therefore the displacement of the lower displacement gauge and the upper displacement gauge can be reduced, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the displacement amount.

[0026] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a drawing apparatus according to a first embodiment; Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the change over time in the Y position of a Y-axis stage measured by a Y-axis linear scale and the change over time in the displacement amount of a support stage in the Y direction detected by a first displacement meter; Fig. 4 is a top view showing a rotated support stage; Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first displacement meter according to a second embodiment;

[0027] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the components described in the embodiment are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. In the drawings, the dimensions and numbers of each part may be exaggerated or simplified as necessary to facilitate understanding.

[0028] In each drawing, to facilitate understanding of the positional relationships of each element in the imaging device 100, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is appropriately provided, with the X-axis direction and Y-axis direction being horizontal and the Z-axis direction being vertical. The tip of the arrow is the positive side (+ side), and the opposite side is the negative side (- side). The +Z direction is upward, and the -Z direction is downward. Regarding the position of each element, the position in the X direction may be simply referred to as the "X position," and the position in the Y direction may be simply referred to as the "Y position."

[0029] 1. First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a patterning apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment. The patterning apparatus 100 is an apparatus that irradiates light onto the upper surface of a substrate W on which a layer of photosensitive material (photosensitive layer) such as resist has been formed, to pattern a pattern. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate, a printed circuit board, a substrate for a color filter, a glass substrate for a flat panel display used in a liquid crystal display device or a plasma display device, or a substrate for an optical disc. The patterning apparatus 100 includes a base 1, a support stage 2, a stage moving mechanism 3, a gantry 4, an exposure unit 5, a measurement unit 6, and a control unit 9.

[0030] The base 1 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and supports a support stage 2, a stage movement mechanism 3, a gantry 4, an exposure unit 5, and a measurement unit 6 from below.

[0031] The support stage 2 has an upper surface 2S that supports the substrate W. The upper surface 2S is a horizontal surface parallel to the X and Y directions. The substrate W is placed on the upper surface 2S in a horizontal position. A plurality of suction holes are formed in the upper surface 2S. The support stage 2 can fix the substrate W to the upper surface 2S by applying a negative pressure (suction pressure) to the suction holes. Note that a chuck that grips the periphery of the substrate W may be provided on the upper surface 2S, and the substrate W may be fixed to the upper surface 2S by the chuck. The upper surface 2S functions as a support surface.

[0032] The stage movement mechanism 3 is a mechanism that moves the support stage 2 in the Y direction, which is the main scanning direction, the X direction, which is the sub-scanning direction, and a rotation direction (θ-axis direction) around a rotation axis A1 along the Z axis. The stage movement mechanism 3 has an X-axis stage 31, a sub-scanning mechanism 32, a Y-axis stage 33, a main scanning mechanism 34, a rotation mechanism 35, a Y-axis linear scale 36, and an X-axis linear scale 37.

[0033] The X-axis stage 31 is positioned below the support stage 2 and rotatably supports the support stage 2. The Y-axis stage 33 is positioned below the X-axis stage 31 and supports the X-axis stage 31 and the sub-scanning mechanism 32. The sub-scanning mechanism 32 moves the X-axis stage 31 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 in the sub-scanning direction, or X-direction. The main scanning mechanism 34 moves the Y-axis stage 33 relative to the base 1 in the main scanning direction, or Y-direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 32 and the main scanning mechanism 34 are configured, for example, by a linear motor mechanism including a linear motor and a guide, or a ball screw mechanism including a rotary motor, a ball screw, and a guide. The rotation mechanism 35 is provided on the X-axis stage 31 and rotates the support stage 2 about a rotation axis A1 extending in the Z direction. The sub-scanning mechanism 32, the main scanning mechanism 34, and the rotation mechanism 35 operate based on control commands from the control unit 9.

[0034] The Y-axis linear scale 36 is a linear encoder system for measuring the Y position of the Y-axis stage 33 relative to the base 1. The Y-axis linear scale 36 has a Y-axis scale 361 and a Y-axis reader head (not shown). The Y-axis scale 361 is fixed to the base 1. The Y-axis scale 361 is a scale that extends along the Y direction and has a regular pattern or marking. The Y-axis reader head is fixed to the Y-axis stage 33. The Y-axis reader head obtains position information by reading the pattern or marking of the Y-axis scale 361. The Y-axis reader head is electrically connected to the control unit 9 and transmits the obtained position information to the control unit 9 as appropriate.

[0035] The X-axis linear scale 37 is a linear encoder system for measuring the X position of the X-axis stage 31 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. The X-axis linear scale 37 includes an X-axis scale 371 and an X-axis reader head (not shown). The X-axis scale 371 is fixed to the X-axis stage 31. The X-axis scale 371 is a scale extending along the X direction and has a regular pattern or marking. The X-axis reader head is also fixed to the X-axis stage 31. The X-axis reader head acquires position information by reading the pattern or marking on the X-axis scale 371. The X-axis reader head of the X-axis linear scale 37 is electrically connected to the control unit 9 and transmits the acquired position information to the control unit 9 as appropriate. The Y-axis linear scale 36 and the X-axis linear scale 37 may each be electromagnetic or optical.

[0036] The gantry 4 is fixed to the base 1. The gantry 4 has two support columns 41 and a beam 43. The lower part of the support column 41 is fixed to the base 1 and extends in the Z direction. The two support columns 41 are arranged with a gap in the X direction. The beam 43 connects the upper parts of the two support columns 41 and extends in the X direction. In this example, the support stage 2 and the Y-axis stage 33 of the stage movement mechanism 3 are arranged between the two support columns 41 in the X direction, and the beam 43 is arranged above the support stage 2.

[0037] The gantry 4 is a member that supports the exposure unit 5. Each exposure head 51 of the exposure unit 5, which will be described later, is fixed to the −Y side surface of a beam portion 43 of the gantry 4.

[0038] The exposure unit 5 has a plurality of (five in this embodiment) exposure heads 51. The plurality of exposure heads 51 are arranged at regular intervals along the X direction. Each exposure head 51 has a spatial light modulator 510 that spatially modulates light.

[0039] The exposure unit 5 has a light irradiation section 53. The light irradiation section 53 irradiates the exposure heads 51 with laser light. The light irradiation section 53 is housed, for example, inside the gantry 4. The light irradiation section 53 has a laser driving section 531 and an illumination optical system 533. When the laser driving section 531 is operated, the illumination optical system 533 shapes laser light emitted from a laser light source such as a laser diode into a linear line beam, and irradiates the spatial light modulator 510 of each exposure head 51 with the line beam.

[0040] The spatial light modulator 510 spatially modulates the line beam emitted from the light irradiation unit 53 based on pattern data indicating the drawing pattern to be formed on the substrate W. More specifically, the spatial light modulator 510 spatially modulates the line beam on a channel-by-channel basis, thereby reflecting necessary light that contributes to drawing the pattern and unnecessary light that does not contribute to drawing the pattern in different directions. Note that spatially modulating light means changing the spatial distribution (amplitude, phase, polarization, etc.) of the light. The exposure head 51 illuminates the modulated line beam onto the substrate W moving directly below the exposure head 51. In this way, the drawing pattern is exposed on the unprocessed substrate W.

[0041] The spatial light modulator 510 may be, for example, a diffraction grating type optical element such as a GLV (Grating Light Valve, a registered trademark of Silicon Light Machines, Inc., USA) or a DMD (Digital Mirror Device).

[0042] The measurement unit 6 has a first displacement meter 61 and a second displacement meter 62. The first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 are each fixed to the upper part of a bracket 65 extending in the Z direction, and are fixed to a side surface (in this example, the -Y side surface) of the Y-axis stage 33 via the bracket 65. The first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 are movable in the Y direction together with the Y-axis stage 33. The first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 detect the amount of displacement in the Y direction of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. The first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 are optical displacement meters, and each has a projection unit that projects a detection laser light onto the side surface (in this example, the -Y side surface) of the support stage 2, and a detector that detects the reflected laser light.

[0043] The second displacement meter 62 is positioned away from the first displacement meter 61 in the X direction (+X direction in this example). The second displacement meter 62 detects the amount of displacement of a portion of the support stage 2 that is away in the X direction (+X direction in this example) from the portion (the portion where the detection laser light is incident and reflected) where the amount of displacement is detected by the first displacement meter 61. The first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 are electrically connected to the control unit 9, and transmit the detected amount of displacement to the control unit 9 as appropriate.

[0044] The measuring unit 6 further includes a third displacement meter 63 and a fourth displacement meter 64. The third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64 are each fixed to the upper part of a bracket 66 extending in the Z direction, and are fixed to a side surface (the +X side surface in this example) of the Y-axis stage 33 via the bracket 66. The third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64 detect the amount of displacement in the X direction of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. The third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64 are optical displacement meters.

[0045] The fourth displacement meter 64 is positioned away from the third displacement meter 63 in the Y direction (+Y direction in this example). The fourth displacement meter 64 detects the amount of displacement of a portion of the support stage 2 that is away in the Y direction (+Y direction in this example) from the portion (the portion where the detection laser light is incident and reflected) whose displacement amount is detected by the third displacement meter 63. The third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64 are electrically connected to the control unit 9, and transmit the detected amount of displacement to the control unit 9 as appropriate.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 9 shown in FIG. 1 . The control unit 9 has a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit 99. The storage unit 99 is electrically connected to the processor and specifically includes a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive. The storage unit 99 stores a computer program P. The processor executes the computer program P stored in the storage unit 99 to function as an irradiation control unit 91, a stage control unit 93, and a drawing control unit 95. Note that some of the functions of the control unit 9 may be realized in hardware using dedicated circuits.

[0047] The irradiation control unit 91 controls the light irradiation unit 53 of the exposure unit 5 to cause the light irradiation unit 53 to emit a line beam toward the exposure head 51. The stage control unit 93 controls the stage movement mechanism 3 to move the support stage 2 in the Y direction and the X direction relative to the exposure head 51.

[0048] The drawing control unit 95 controls the spatial light modulator 510 of the exposure head 51. More specifically, the drawing control unit 95 controls the drive voltage applied to each channel of the spatial light modulator 510, thereby causing the spatial light modulator 510 to modulate the line beam so as to correspond to the drawing pattern.

[0049] The writing control unit 95 controls the spatial light modulator 510 based on a writing recipe stored in the storage unit 99 and the positional information of the support stage 2. The writing recipe describes, for example, pattern data indicating a writing pattern to be formed on the substrate W and various conditions for writing (such as the amount of light emitted from the exposure unit 5 and the movement speed of the Y-axis stage 33) in a predetermined data format. The pattern data is, for example, data obtained by rasterizing CAD (computer-aided design) data generated using CAD, and records positional information on the substrate W to be irradiated with light in pixel units. The positional information of the support stage 2 also includes the position of the Y-axis stage 33 measured by the Y-axis linear scale 36 and the X-axis linear scale 37, and the amount of displacement of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 acquired by the first to fourth displacement gauges 61 to 64 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "displacement amount of the support stage 2").

[0050] The writing control unit 95 has a displacement amount acquisition unit 951. The displacement amount acquisition unit 951 acquires the displacement amount of the support stage 2. More specifically, the displacement amount acquisition unit 951 acquires the displacement amount of the support stage 2 in the Y direction from the detection results of the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62. In addition, the displacement amount acquisition unit 951 acquires the displacement amount of the support stage 2 in the X direction from the detection results of the third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64.

[0051] When a pattern is drawn on a substrate W in the drawing apparatus 100, first, the substrate W coated with a photosensitive material is supported on the support stage 2, and alignment (position adjustment) of the substrate W is performed. Thereafter, the stage control unit 93 controls the stage movement mechanism 3 to move the support stage 2 in the Y direction (main scanning direction) relative to each exposure head 51. Then, the drawing control unit 95 controls the spatial light modulator 510 in accordance with the Y position of the support stage 2, so that the line beam is spatially modulated into a line beam corresponding to the drawing pattern of the pattern data, and the line beam is irradiated onto the substrate W. As a result, a strip-shaped region extending in the Y direction on the upper surface of the substrate W is exposed. After the movement in the Y direction is completed, the support stage 2 is moved in the X direction (sub-scanning direction) by an amount corresponding to the width of the strip-shaped region. By repeatedly performing such stage movement in the Y direction and stage movement in the X direction, a pattern is drawn over the entire upper surface of the substrate W.

[0052] Figure 3 shows the time change G1 in the Y position of the Y-axis stage 33 measured by the Y-axis linear scale 36 and the time change G2 in the displacement amount in the Y direction of the support stage 2 detected by the first displacement meter 61.

[0053] In the imaging device 100, from the bottom up, the Y-axis stage 33, the X-axis stage 31, and the support stage 2 are stacked in multiple stages. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 3 , when the Y-axis stage 33 is moved in the Y direction at a constant speed, the support stage 2 oscillates, which may displace the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33.

[0054] To accommodate such displacement, the imaging control unit 95 acquires the position (y) of the Y-axis stage 33 corresponding to the exposure position. The imaging control unit 95 then performs a correction (e.g., Y+ΔY) to shift the exposure position in accordance with the displacement amount (Δy) of the support stage 2 acquired by the displacement amount acquisition unit 951. The imaging control unit 95 then controls the spatial light modulator 510 to perform exposure at the corrected exposure position. For example, if the Y position of the Y-axis stage 33 corresponding to the exposure position is "y" and the displacement amount of the support stage 2 in the Y direction is "Δy," the exposure position is "Y+Δy." Note that, when a displacement of the support stage 2 in the Y direction is detected, the timing of exposure is changed. Also, when a displacement of the support stage 2 in the X direction is detected, the position of the pattern light is shifted in the X direction by controlling the spatial light modulator 510. Such a correction of the exposure position may be performed by deforming, scaling, or translating the pattern data in the Y or X direction.

[0055] The displacement amount acquiring unit 951 may use the displacement amount detected by the first displacement meter 61 or the second displacement meter 62 as the displacement amount in the Y direction of the support stage 2. The displacement amount acquiring unit 951 may also use the displacement amount detected by the third displacement meter 63 or the fourth displacement meter 64 as the displacement amount in the X direction of the support stage 2 as the displacement amount in the Y direction.

[0056] Furthermore, the displacement amount acquiring unit 951 may calculate the displacement amount of the support stage 2 in the Y direction for a plurality of positions in the X direction by performing an interpolation process such as linear interpolation using the displacement amounts detected by the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62. Furthermore, the displacement amount acquiring unit 951 may calculate the displacement amount of the support stage 2 in the X direction for a plurality of positions in the Y direction by performing an interpolation process using the displacement amounts detected by the third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64.

[0057] Furthermore, the detection results of the displacement amounts of the first to fourth displacement meters 61 to 64 and the corresponding actual measurement values ​​of the displacement amounts of the substrate W may be experimentally obtained in advance. Then, a mathematical formula for calculating the displacement amount of the substrate W, or an inference device for predicting the displacement amount of the substrate W by machine learning, may be obtained from the displacement amounts detected by the first to fourth displacement meters 61 to 64. In this case, the displacement amount acquisition unit 951 may calculate the displacement amount of the substrate W using the detection results of the first to fourth displacement meters 61 to 64 and the mathematical formula or the inference device, and the calculated displacement amount of the substrate W may be set as the displacement amount of the support stage 2.

[0058] As described above, the drawing apparatus 100 includes the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage), the X-axis stage 31 (second stage), the support stage 2 (third stage), the stage moving mechanism 3, the Y-axis linear scale 36 (first stage position measurement unit), the first displacement meter 61, and the exposure head 51. The Y-axis stage 33 is movable in the Y direction (predetermined movement direction). The X-axis stage 31 is positioned above the Y-axis stage 33 and is movable integrally with the Y-axis stage 33. The support stage 2 is positioned above the X-axis stage 31 and is movable integrally with the X-axis stage 31 to support the substrate W. The stage moving mechanism 3 moves the Y-axis stage 33 in the Y direction. The Y-axis linear scale 36 measures the position of the stage moving mechanism 3. The first displacement meter 61 is movable integrally with the Y-axis stage 33 and is capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the support stage 2 in the Y direction (first direction) relative to the Y-axis stage 33. The exposure unit 5 is capable of exposing a substrate W supported by a support stage 2 that is moved in the Y direction by a stage moving mechanism 3 .

[0059] Furthermore, the imaging method using the imaging apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a moving step, a measuring step, a detecting step, and an exposing step. The moving step is a step of integrally moving the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage), the X-axis stage 31 (second stage) located above the Y-axis stage 33, and the support stage 2 (third stage) located above the X-axis stage 31 and supporting the substrate W in the Y direction (a predetermined moving direction) together. The measuring step is a step of measuring the position of the Y-axis stage 33 moved by the moving step. The detecting step is a step of detecting the amount of displacement in the Y direction (first direction) of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 moved by the moving step. The exposing step is a step of exposing the substrate W supported by the support stage 2 moved in the Y direction by the moving step.

[0060] With these configurations, even if the X-axis stage 31 and the support stage 2 stacked on the Y-axis stage 33 are displaced due to movement of the Y-axis stage 33, the position of the support stage 2 can be appropriately measured by detecting the position of the Y-axis stage 33 and the amount of displacement of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. Therefore, the position of the support stage 2 can be measured without directly measuring the position of the support stage 2.

[0061] Furthermore, the X-axis stage 31 (second stage) is movable in an X-direction (second direction) that intersects with the Y-direction (first direction) relative to the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage). The stage movement mechanism 3 is capable of moving the X-axis stage 31 in the X-direction relative to the Y-axis stage 33. With this configuration, the support stage 2 and the substrate W can be moved in the X-direction by moving the X-axis stage 31 in the X-direction.

[0062] The imaging device 100 further includes a control unit 9. The control unit 9 controls the exposure head 51 based on the position of the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage) in the Y direction (movement direction) measured by the Y-axis linear scale 36 (first stage position measurement unit) and the displacement amount detected by the first displacement meter 61. With this configuration, even if the support stage 2 is displaced relative to the Y-axis stage 33, a decrease in imaging accuracy can be avoided by correcting the exposure position in accordance with the detected displacement amount.

[0063] The Y direction (first direction) in which the first displacement gauge 61 detects the amount of displacement is parallel to the Y direction (movement direction) in which the Y-axis stage 33 moves. With this configuration, the amount of displacement in the movement direction of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 can be detected.

[0064] The position of the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage) in the Y direction (movement direction) is measured by the Y-axis linear scale 36. With this configuration, the position of the Y-axis stage 33 can be measured at relatively low cost, thereby reducing the cost of the device.

[0065] For example, when the position of the support stage 2 is directly measured using a laser interferometer, the longer working distance of the laser light may result in a decrease in measurement accuracy due to the effects of air fluctuations. Furthermore, using a laser interferometer with a long working distance increases the cost of the device. In contrast, the first displacement meter 61 of this embodiment only measures the displacement of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33, so the working distance of the laser light of the first displacement meter 61 can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a decrease in measurement accuracy due to air fluctuations and reduce the cost of the device.

[0066] The imaging apparatus 100 further includes a second displacement meter 62. The second displacement meter 62 can detect the amount of displacement in the Y direction (first direction) of the support stage 2 (third stage) relative to the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage). The second displacement meter 62 detects the amount of displacement of a portion of the support stage 2 that is separated in the X direction (second direction) from the portion of the support stage 2 whose amount of displacement is detected by the first displacement meter 61. With this configuration, it is possible to distinguish between displacement due to translation and displacement due to rotation of the support stage 2 from the detection results of the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62.

[0067] More specifically, the displacement of the support stage 2 may be, for example, translation caused by the entire support stage 2 tilting in the Y direction or the X direction, or rotation caused by twisting around an axis along the Z axis. In the imaging apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 detect displacements in the Y direction at two locations on the support stage 2 that are separated in the X direction. For example, if the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 detect displacements of the same magnitude in the same direction, it can be determined that the support stage 2 has translated in the Y direction. Furthermore, if a difference occurs between the displacement amount detected by the first displacement meter 61 and the displacement amount detected by the second displacement meter 62, it can be determined that the support stage 2 has rotated.

[0068] Fig. 4 is a top view showing the rotated support stage 2. As shown in Fig. 4, it is assumed that the support stage 2 rotates by an angle α, resulting in a difference d between the amount of displacement detected by the first displacement gauge 61 and the amount of displacement detected by the second displacement gauge 62. Furthermore, the distance between the first displacement gauge 61 and the second displacement gauge 62 in the X direction is L. Then, the rotation angle α can be calculated using the following equation.

[0069] (Formula) tanα = d / L

[0070] As described above, by providing the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62, it is possible to distinguish between displacement due to translation of the support stage 2 and displacement due to rotation of the support stage 2. Note that the third displacement meter 63 and the fourth displacement meter 64 can also distinguish between displacement due to translation of the support stage 2 in the X direction and displacement due to rotation of the support stage 2 from the detection results.

[0071] The imaging apparatus 100 further includes a third displacement meter 63. The third displacement meter 63 can detect the amount of displacement in the X direction (second direction) of the support stage 2 (third stage) relative to the Y-axis stage 33 (first stage). With this configuration, the amount of displacement in the X direction of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 can be detected.

[0072] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the following description, elements having the same functions as elements already described will be given the same reference numerals or reference numerals with an additional alphabetical character, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0073] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first displacement meter 61a according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 5, the first displacement meter 61a of this embodiment has a lower displacement meter 611 and an upper displacement meter 612.

[0074] The lower displacement gauge 611 is fixed to the upper part of a bracket 65a extending in the Z direction, and is fixed to the Y-axis stage 33 via the bracket 65a. The lower displacement gauge 611 can detect the amount of displacement in the Y direction of the X-axis stage 31 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. The upper displacement gauge 612 is fixed to the upper part of a bracket 66b extending in the Z direction, and is fixed to the X-axis stage 31 via the bracket 66b. The upper displacement gauge 612 can detect the amount of displacement in the Y direction of the support stage 2 relative to the X-axis stage 31.

[0075] The displacement amount acquisition unit 951 of the control unit 9 according to this embodiment adds the displacement amount detected by the upper displacement meter 612 to the displacement amount detected by the lower displacement meter 611. In this way, the displacement amount of the X-axis stage 31 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 is acquired.

[0076] According to the imaging apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the length of the brackets 65a, 65b supporting the lower displacement gage 611 and the upper displacement gage 612 can be made shorter than the length of the bracket 66 supporting the first displacement gage 61 of the first embodiment. This makes it possible to reduce deformation of the brackets 65a, 65b when the Y-axis stage 33 is moved in the Y direction. Therefore, the displacement of the lower displacement gage 611 and the upper displacement gage 612 themselves can be reduced, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the displacement amount.

[0077] Note that in the present embodiment, the upper displacement meter 612 may be omitted. In this case, the displacement amount acquisition unit 951 may convert the amount of displacement detected by the lower displacement meter 611 into the amount of displacement of the support stage 2 according to the respective heights (positions in the Z direction) of the X-axis stage 31 and the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33. For example, if the height of the X-axis stage 31 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 is "H1" and the height of the support stage 2 relative to the Y-axis stage 33 is "H2," and the amount of displacement detected by the lower displacement meter 611 is Δy1, the value obtained by multiplying the amount of displacement Δy1 by the ratio of the height H2 to the height H1 (= Δy1 × H2 / H1) may be acquired as the amount of displacement of the support stage 2.

[0078] 3. Modifications Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above and various modifications are possible.

[0079] For example, in the above embodiment, the first displacement meter 61 is fixed to the Y-axis stage 33 and detects the position of the support stage 2. However, the first displacement meter 61 may be configured to be fixed to the support stage 2 and to detect the displacement of the Y-axis stage 33. The same applies to the second to fourth displacement meter 62 to 64.

[0080] A mirror that reflects the laser light projected from the first displacement gauge 61 to the fourth displacement gauge 64 may be provided on the side surface of the support stage 2 .

[0081] The first displacement gauge 61 to the fourth displacement gauge 64 may be contact type displacement gauges instead of optical type displacement gauges.

[0082] The second displacement gauge 62 to the fourth displacement gauge 64 may not be provided.

[0083] In the above embodiment, the first displacement meter 61 and the second displacement meter 62 detect the amount of displacement at two different locations in the X direction on the support stage 2. However, the amount of displacement at three or more different locations in the X direction may be measured. Similarly, the amount of displacement at three or more different locations in the Y direction on the support stage 2 may be detected.

[0084] The present invention can also be applied to a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates. This substrate processing apparatus includes a Y-axis stage 33 (first stage), an X-axis stage 31 (second stage), a support stage 2 (third stage), a stage movement mechanism 3, a Y-axis linear scale 36, a first displacement meter 61, and a processing section. The processing section performs a predetermined process on a substrate W supported by the support stage 2, which is moved in the Y direction (movement direction) by the stage movement mechanism 3.

[0085] Although the present invention has been described in detail, the above description is merely illustrative in all respects and does not limit the present invention. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the present invention. The configurations described in the above embodiments and variations can be combined or omitted as appropriate as long as they are not mutually inconsistent.

[0086] 2: Support stage (third stage) 3: Stage moving mechanism 9: Control unit 31: X-axis stage (second stage) 33: Y-axis stage (first stage) 36: Y-axis linear scale 51: Exposure head 61: First displacement meter 61a: First displacement meter 62: Second displacement meter 63: Third displacement meter 100: Drawing device 611: Lower displacement meter 612: Upper displacement meter P: Computer program W: Substrate

Claims

1. A drawing device for drawing a pattern on a substrate, comprising: a first stage movable in a predetermined movement direction; a second stage located above the first stage and movable integrally with the first stage; a third stage located above the second stage, movable integrally with the second stage, and supporting a substrate; a stage movement mechanism for moving the first stage in the movement direction; a first stage position measurement unit for measuring the position of the first stage; a first displacement meter movable integrally with the first stage and capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage; and an exposure head capable of exposing the substrate supported by the third stage moved in the movement direction by the stage movement mechanism.

2. A drawing apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the second stage is movable relative to the first stage in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and the stage movement mechanism is capable of moving the second stage in the second direction relative to the first stage.

3. A drawing device as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control unit that controls the exposure head based on the position of the first stage in the movement direction measured by the first stage position measurement unit and the amount of displacement detected by the first displacement meter.

4. A drawing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first direction in which the first displacement meter detects the amount of displacement is parallel to the direction of movement of the first stage.

5. A drawing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first stage position measuring unit includes a linear scale that measures the position of the first stage in the moving direction. The control unit, drawing apparatus.

6. A drawing device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a second displacement meter capable of detecting an amount of displacement in the first direction of the third stage relative to the first stage, wherein the second displacement meter detects an amount of displacement of a portion of the third stage that is away in a second direction intersecting with the first direction from a portion of the third stage at which the amount of displacement is detected by the first displacement meter.

7. A drawing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a third displacement meter that detects the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the first stage in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

8. A drawing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the first displacement meter includes: a lower displacement meter capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the second stage relative to the first stage in the first direction; and an upper displacement meter capable of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage relative to the second stage in the first direction.

9. A drawing method comprising: (a) a moving step of moving a first stage, a second stage located above the first stage, and a third stage located above the second stage and supporting a substrate integrally in a predetermined moving direction; (b) a measuring step of measuring the position of the first stage moved by the moving step; (c) a detecting step of detecting the amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage moved by the moving step; and (d) an exposure step of exposing the substrate supported by the third stage moved in the first direction by the moving step.

10. A computer-executable program, the program causing the computer to execute the drawing method according to claim 9.

11. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a first stage movable in a predetermined movement direction; a second stage located above the first stage and movable integrally with the first stage; a third stage located above the second stage, movable integrally with the second stage, and having a support surface for supporting a substrate; a stage moving mechanism for moving the first stage in the movement direction; a first stage position measuring unit for measuring a position of the first stage; a first displacement meter movable integrally with the first stage and capable of detecting an amount of displacement of the third stage in a first direction relative to the first stage; and a processing unit for performing a predetermined process on the substrate supported by the third stage moved in the movement direction by the stage moving mechanism.

Images