Exposure apparatus
The exposure apparatus uses a moving spatial light modulator and imaging optical system to smooth edges in stereolithography, addressing jagged edges from pixel shapes with a simpler setup, enabling finer patterns.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- FUJIKURA LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-21
AI Technical Summary
Existing stereolithography techniques using spatial light modulators result in jagged edges of fabricated patterns due to the rectangular shape of pixels, necessitating complex alignment of multiple DMDs and optical axes, which complicates the smoothing process.
An exposure apparatus with a spatial light modulator that moves in the in-plane direction, combined with an imaging optical system, to smooth edges without requiring multiple DMDs or complex optical axis alignment.
The apparatus achieves smoother edges in fabricated patterns with a simpler configuration, enabling finer stereolithography without the need for multiple DMDs or complex optical alignment.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025025877_21052026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Exposure apparatus
[0001] The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus.
[0002] There is known a stereolithography technique in which a patterned exposure beam is imaged onto a photocurable resin to expose the liquid photocurable resin and obtain a stereolithographic object made of the cured photocurable resin. Here, the pattern of the exposure beam and the pattern of the cured stereolithographic object correspond to each other and can be regarded as having the same shape. Hereinafter, each of the pattern of the exposure beam and the pattern of the stereolithographic object is also referred to as an exposure pattern and a shaping pattern, respectively. Therefore, in such a stereolithography technique, when the edge of the exposure pattern is not smooth, that is, when a corner is formed at the edge or the edge is jagged, the edge of the shaped shaping pattern also becomes not smooth.
[0003] There is known a stereolithography technique using a spatial light modulator to obtain an exposure beam having a desired exposure pattern. The shape of each pixel of the spatial light modulator is often rectangular. Therefore, the edge of the exposure pattern obtained by controlling the "on" and "off" of each pixel is often not smooth due to the shape of the pixel.
[0004] J. Zhang, N. Luo, and D. Chen, "Edge smoothness enhancement of digital lithography based on the DMDs collaborative modulation", Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 34 (2024) 075011.
[0005] Techniques are known for smoothing the edges of fabricated patterns obtained using exposure beams patterned with a spatial light modulator. For example, Non-Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique in which multiple exposure beams, each having the same exposure pattern, are patterned using multiple DMDs (Digital Micromirror Devices), and each exposure pattern is shifted to form an image on the exposure surface. This technique makes it possible to smooth the edges of the resulting fabricated pattern.
[0006] However, in the technology disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, it is necessary to image the exposure patterns formed by each DMD on the exposure surface, and to appropriately align the imaged exposure patterns of each DMD on the exposure surface, which made it difficult to adjust the optical axis of the imaging optical system.
[0007] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to smooth the edges of a fabricated pattern with a simpler configuration in an exposure apparatus using a spatial light modulator.
[0008] To solve the above problems, an exposure apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a spatial light modulator that generates a patterned exposure beam by reflecting or transmitting light incident on an incident surface; an imaging optical system that images the exposure beam onto an exposure surface, wherein the incident surface is the object surface and the exposure surface is the image surface; and a moving unit that moves the spatial light modulator in the in-plane direction of the incident surface.
[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, in an exposure apparatus using a spatial light modulator, the edges of the fabricated pattern can be smoothed with a simpler configuration.
[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It is a plan view illustrating the exposure pattern D1 of the exposure beam imaged onto the exposure surface by the exposure apparatus shown in Figure 1, and the fabrication patterns D2 and D3 of the photopolymer obtained by the exposure apparatus shown in Figure 1. This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an exposure apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.
[0011] [Embodiment 1] (Configuration of Exposure Apparatus 1) An exposure apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the exposure apparatus 1. As shown in Figure 1, the exposure apparatus 1 comprises a light source 11, a mirror 12, a spatial light modulator 13, a moving unit 14, a control unit 15, a mirror 16, a projection lens 17, and a stage 18. Here, an object S is placed in the region on the stage 18 that includes the exposure surface. In Figure 1, the exposure surface of the exposure apparatus 1 is not shown, but the exposure surface can be set on the surface of the object S or inside the object S. The object S assumed in the exposure apparatus 1 is a photocurable resin. Examples of photocurable resins include photocurable resins (also called resists) used in photolithography or electron beam lithography, and photocurable resins (also called resins) used in 3D printing technology using stereolithography. The mirror 16 and the projection lens 17 function as an imaging optical system. If the photocurable resin is a resist, it is applied to the surface of the substrate and placed together with the substrate on the stage 18. If the photocurable resin is a resin, it is stored in a liquid tank and placed together with the liquid tank on the stage 18. In Figure 1, the object S consisting of the substrate and the resist, or the object S consisting of the liquid tank and the resin, is shown abstractly and does not depend on which it is.
[0012] As shown in Figure 1, in the exposure apparatus 1, the light output by the light source 11 is reflected by the mirror 12 and then incident on the incident surface 131 of the spatial light modulator 13. The spatial light modulator 13 generates an exposure beam patterned in a predetermined pattern by reflecting the light incident on the incident surface 131.
[0013] In this embodiment, a reflective spatial light modulator is used as the spatial light modulator 13, but a transmissive spatial light modulator can also be used. When a transmissive spatial light modulator is used as the spatial light modulator 13, the spatial light modulator 13 generates a patterned exposure beam by transmitting light incident on the incident surface 131. The mirror 16 and projection lens 17 receive the patterned exposure beam and function as an imaging optical system that images the image generated on the incident surface 131 by the patterned exposure beam onto the exposure surface. That is, the exposure beam patterned by the incident surface 131 is imaged by the mirror 16 and projection lens 17 and irradiated onto the exposure surface set on or inside the surface of the object S. In this way, the imaging optical system of the exposure apparatus 1 images the incident surface 131 of the spatial light modulator 13 onto the exposure surface. In other words, in this imaging optical system, the object surface is the incident surface 131, and the image surface is the exposure surface.
[0014] In the exposure apparatus 1, the exposure beam patterned by the incident surface 131 of the spatial light modulator 13 is imaged onto the photocurable resin, thereby exposing the liquid photocurable resin to light and obtaining a stereolithographic object made of the cured photocurable resin. Here, the pattern of the exposure beam and the pattern of the cured stereolithographic object correspond to each other and can be considered to have the same shape. Hereafter, the pattern of the exposure beam and the pattern of the stereolithographic object will also be referred to as the exposure pattern and the molding pattern, respectively.
[0015] Here, it is preferable that the imaging optical system reduces the size of the exposure beam, which has been patterned on the incident surface 131 (the object surface), when it forms an image on the exposure surface (the image plane). With this configuration, finer stereolithography can be fabricated. However, in one embodiment of the exposure apparatus 1, the imaging optical system may either enlarge the size of the exposure beam, which has been patterned on the incident surface 131, when it forms an image on the exposure surface, or it may remain at the same size.
[0016] The light source 11 is an example of a curing light source that outputs accelerating light having a wavelength that promotes the curing of the photocurable resin as light incident on the incident surface 131. The light source 11 only needs to be able to output accelerating light, and its form is not limited. For example, the light source 11 may be a laser, an LED, or a lamp such as a mercury lamp. The wavelength of the light output by the light source 11 only needs to correspond to the wavelength that promotes the curing of the photocurable resin, and can be appropriately selected depending on the photocurable resin. This wavelength may be ultraviolet light or visible light.
[0017] The mirror 12 reflects the light output from the light source 11 towards the spatial light modulator 13.
[0018] The spatial light modulator 13 generates a patterned exposure beam by reflecting the light output from the light source 11. For example, the spatial light modulator 13 may intensity modulate the light output from the light source 11 in two-dimensional space, or it may phase modulate the light in two-dimensional space. Specific examples of the spatial light modulator 13 include a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) or an LCOS (Liquid Crystal On Silicon). In this embodiment, a DMD, which is an example of a reflective spatial light modulator, is used as the spatial light modulator 13.
[0019] Mirror 16 modulates the exposure beam emitted after modulation by the spatial light modulator 13 so that it enters the projection lens 17. That is, mirror 16 may be the same as, for example, mirror 12. Alternatively, mirror 16 may be replaced by a prism having a similar function. The projection lens 17 images the exposure beam entering from mirror 16 onto its translucent surface.
[0020] The moving unit 14 moves the spatial light modulator 13 in the in-plane direction of the incident surface 131. In Figure 1, the direction in which the spatial light modulator 13 is moved is shown by an arrow in the vertical direction within the in-plane direction of the incident surface 131. However, the direction in which the moving unit 14 moves the spatial light modulator 13 may be any direction within the in-plane direction. Note that "moving the spatial light modulator 13 in the in-plane direction of the incident surface 131" means moving the spatial light modulator 13 in the direction within the object plane of the imaging optical system.
[0021] Furthermore, the moving unit 14 may be configured to move the spatial light modulator 13 continuously (infinitely) or discretely (in steps). Examples of the moving unit 14 include a piezoelectric element and a stepping motor. When the spatial light modulator 13 is moved continuously, the spatial light modulator 13 can be moved while the exposure beam is irradiated onto the exposure surface. When the spatial light modulator 13 is moved discretely, the exposure beam can not be irradiated onto the exposure surface when the spatial light modulator 13 is moved, and the exposure beam can be irradiated onto the exposure surface after the spatial light modulator 13 has been moved.
[0022] Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the exposure pattern D1 of the exposure beam imaged onto the exposure surface by the exposure apparatus 1, and the fabrication patterns D2 and D3 of the stereolithographic object obtained by the exposure apparatus 1. In the exposure pattern D1 illustrated in Figure 2, the exposed areas are shown in gray, and the unexposed areas are shown in white to distinguish between them. Similarly, in the fabrication patterns D2 and D3 illustrated in Figure 2, the areas that have been hardened by exposure are shown in gray, and the areas that have not been hardened due to unexposed areas are shown in white to distinguish between them.
[0023] The exposure pattern D1 in Figure 2 is an exposure beam pattern obtained by, in the exposure apparatus 1, without using the moving part 14, turning on only the pixels corresponding to the diagonals of the incident surface 131 of the spatial light modulator 13, and turning off the other pixels. In exposure pattern D1, as shown in Figure 2, a square exposure area is formed along the diagonal corresponding to each of the multiple pixels that are turned on. In stereolithography technology, the exposure pattern and the fabrication pattern correspond to each other and can be considered to have the same shape. Therefore, the fabrication pattern of the stereolithographic object obtained when an exposure beam having exposure pattern D1 is imaged onto the exposure surface has the same shape as exposure pattern D1. Consequently, the edges of the fabrication pattern obtained using exposure pattern D1 include a jagged shape due to the shape of the pixels of the spatial light modulator 13.
[0024] Each of the fabricated patterns D2 and D3 in Figure 2 is obtained by using an exposure beam having an exposure pattern D1 and discretely moving the spatial light modulator 13 using the moving unit 14 during exposure. By moving the spatial light modulator 13 discretely in units, the photocurable resin is cured with a portion of the exposure pattern D1 before movement and the exposure pattern D1 after movement overlapping each other, thus obtaining each of the fabricated patterns D2 and D3 while using an exposure beam having an exposure pattern D1.
[0025] Furthermore, when creating the fabrication patterns D2 and D3 using stereolithography, the exposure beam having the exposure pattern D1 is used, so the "on" and "off" patterns at each pixel of the spatial light modulator 13 are the same as in the case of exposure pattern D1. That is, only the pixels corresponding to the diagonals of the incident surface 131 of the spatial light modulator 13 are set to "on," and the other pixels are set to "off." Here, the moving unit 14 moves the spatial light modulator 13 without changing the "on" and "off" patterns at each pixel of the spatial light modulator 13. Also, the direction in which the spatial light modulator 13 is moved using the moving unit 14 is the direction of the diagonals of the incident surface 131.
[0026] Furthermore, the minimum amount of movement (also referred to as the unit of movement when the movement of the spatial light modulator 13 is discrete) that the moving unit 14 moves in one step differs depending on whether the molding pattern D2 or molding pattern D3 is stereolithographed. Based on the pixel sizes of the multiple pixels that make up the spatial light modulator 13, 0.5 pixels and 0.25 pixels are used as the unit of movement for molding pattern D2 and molding pattern D3, respectively. Although the spatial light modulator 13 is moved discretely in molding pattern D2 and molding pattern D3, it may also be moved continuously as described above. In this case, the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator 13 is close to 0 but not 0.
[0027] Thus, the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator 13 by the moving unit 14 is preferably greater than 0 and less than the pixel size of the multiple pixels constituting the spatial light modulator 13. In the example of molding pattern D2, the unit of movement of the spatial light modulator 13 is 0.5 pixels. In the example of molding pattern D3, the unit of movement of the spatial light modulator 13 is 0.25 pixels. The amount of exposure in each exposed area is determined according to the power of the exposure beam and the exposure time. Therefore, when the spatial light modulator 13 is moved discretely, the photocurable resin constituting the object S can be sufficiently cured by appropriately setting the power of the exposure beam and the exposure time. On the other hand, when the spatial light modulator 13 is moved continuously, the photocurable resin can be sufficiently cured by appropriately setting the power of the exposure beam and the movement speed of the spatial light modulator 13 by the moving unit 14.
[0028] As is evident from the exposure pattern D1 and the fabrication patterns D2 and D3, by making the movement unit of the spatial light modulator 13 smaller, the edges in the fabrication pattern can be made smoother even when using an exposure beam with the same exposure pattern D1.
[0029] Furthermore, as described above, only one spatial light modulator is moved in the exposure apparatus 1 for the smoothing process. Therefore, with the above configuration, there is no need to have two spatial light modulators compared to the exposure apparatus described in Non-Patent Literature 1, and there is no need for a configuration to combine the optical axes of each exposure beam patterned by each spatial light modulator into a single optical axis. In this way, the exposure apparatus 1 can smooth the edges of the fabricated pattern with a simpler configuration.
[0030] The moving part 14 may, for example, continuously move the spatial light modulator 13. With the above configuration, the edges of the fabricated pattern can be made smoother.
[0031] The control unit 15 determines the minimum amount of movement by the moving unit 14 when moving the spatial light modulator 13, according to the exposure pattern, and controls the spatial light modulator 13 and the moving unit 14 according to the minimum amount of movement. For example, the control unit 15 may determine the minimum amount of movement so that the degree of smoothing at the edges of the molded pattern falls within an acceptable range, according to the exposure pattern.
[0032] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 15 may further determine the target areas to be smoothed and the non-target areas not to be smoothed in the exposure beam pattern (i.e., exposure pattern), and control the spatial light modulator 13 and the moving unit 14 to expose the target areas by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving unit according to the minimum amount of movement. With the above configuration, the spatial light modulator 13 is not moved to expose areas that do not need to be smoothed (for example, areas that do not include edges), so that edge smoothing can be achieved while suppressing the time required for curing the photocurable resin. In addition, since only a part of the exposure beam pattern can be smoothed, edge smoothing of more complex shapes can be achieved.
[0033] [Modified Version Using Two-Wavelength Molding Method] In one modified version of the exposure apparatus 1, in addition to the accelerating light having a wavelength that promotes the curing of the photocurable resin, an inhibitory light having a wavelength that inhibits the curing of the photocurable resin may be used in combination. This modified version further includes, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus 1 shown in Figure 1, an inhibitory light source that outputs inhibitory light that inhibits the curing of the photocurable resin, and an irradiation optical system that irradiates the exposure surface with the inhibitory light.
[0034] In this modified example, a suppression beam may be obtained by patterning the suppression light using a spatial light modulator, similar to the exposure beam, and the irradiation optical system may be configured to image the patterned suppression beam onto the exposure surface. Because this modified example uses both facilitating and suppressing light, a two-wavelength fabrication method can be implemented in stereolithography.
[0035] In this modified example, the spatial light modulator 13 described above is used as the first spatial light modulator, and the incident surface 131 is used as the first incident surface, and the modified example further includes a second spatial light modulator. The second spatial light modulator uses its incident surface as the second incident surface and generates a patterned obstruction beam by reflecting or transmitting obstruction light incident on the second incident surface. Furthermore, in this modified example, the irradiation optical system is configured such that the second incident surface is the object surface and the exposure surface is the image surface, and the obstruction beam patterned by the second incident surface is imaged onto the exposure surface.
[0036] Furthermore, in this modified example, it is preferable to combine the optical axis of the exposure beam and the optical axis of the inhibition beam into a single common optical axis, and then irradiate the exposure surface with the exposure beam and the inhibition beam, respectively. The configuration for combining the optical axis of the exposure beam and the optical axis of the inhibition beam into a single optical axis is not limited, but it is conceivable to use a dichroic mirror instead of the mirror 16. The dichroic mirror only needs to be configured to reflect one of the exposure beam and the inhibition beam and transmit the other. In addition, as a configuration for combining the optical axis of the exposure beam and the optical axis of the inhibition beam into a single optical axis, the imaging optical system configuration provided in an exposure apparatus used in existing two-wavelength fusion methods can be applied. In this modified example, the imaging optical system and the irradiation optical system may be designed as separate optical systems, as optical systems that share parts with each other, or as optical systems that share all parts with each other.
[0037] Furthermore, the pattern of the inhibiting beam is not limited, but for example, a pattern surrounding the outer edge of the exposure beam pattern can be considered. In this modified example, the inhibiting light can also be irradiated onto the exposure surface without patterning. In this case, the second spatial light modulator may be omitted.
[0038] [Embodiment 2] (Configuration of Exposure Apparatus 2) Exposure apparatus 2 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of exposure apparatus 2. As shown in Figure 3, exposure apparatus 2 includes a determination unit 19 in addition to the configurations of exposure apparatus 1 according to Embodiment 1. Therefore, in this embodiment, the description of each configuration of exposure apparatus 1 will be omitted. It should be noted that exposure apparatus 2 can be said to be a modified example of exposure apparatus 1.
[0039] The determination unit 19 determines the target region and non-target region in the exposure beam pattern (i.e., the exposure pattern) to be smoothed. At this time, the control unit 15A controls the spatial light modulator 13 and the moving unit 14 so that the imaging optical system images the target region and non-target region separately, according to the determination result in the determination unit 19. The determination unit 19 can be said to be a configuration that determines the target region and non-target region that will not be smoothed, independent of the configuration of the control unit 15 provided in the exposure apparatus 1. Therefore, the control unit 15A provided in the exposure apparatus 2 exposes the target region by controlling the spatial light modulator 13 and the moving unit 14 according to the minimum amount of movement, and exposes the non-target region while controlling the moving unit 14 so as not to move the spatial light modulator 13.
[0040] As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, a functional block for further determining the target area to be smoothed and the non-target area not to be smoothed in the exposure pattern, and a functional block for exposing the target area by controlling the spatial light modulator 13 and the moving part 14 according to the minimum amount of movement, may be implemented as separate functional blocks. Furthermore, when these functional blocks are implemented as separate functional blocks, each functional block may be processed in a distributed manner by separate computers, or they may be processed collectively by a single computer.
[0041] [Example of implementation by software] The functions of exposure apparatus 1 and exposure apparatus 2 (hereinafter referred to as "apparatus") can be realized by a program that causes a computer to function as the apparatus, and by a program that causes a computer to function as each control block of the apparatus (particularly each part included in the control units 15, 15A and the determination unit 19).
[0042] In this case, the device includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., memory) as hardware for executing the program. By executing the program using this control device and storage device, the functions described in each of the embodiments are realized.
[0043] The above program may be recorded on one or more computer-readable recording media, rather than temporarily. This recording medium may or may not be included in the above device. In the latter case, the above program may be supplied to the above device via any wired or wireless transmission medium.
[0044] Also, part or all of the functions of each of the above control blocks can also be realized by a logic circuit. For example, an integrated circuit in which a logic circuit functioning as each of the above control blocks is formed is also included in the scope of the present invention. In addition to this, for example, it is also possible to realize the functions of each of the above control blocks by a quantum computer.
[0045] Also, among the respective processes described in Embodiments 1 and 2, the process of determining a target region to be smoothed and a non-target region not to be smoothed in the pattern of the exposure beam (the process performed by the control unit 15 and the determination unit 19) may be executed by AI (Artificial Intelligence). In this case, the AI may operate in the above control device, or may operate in another device (for example, an edge computer or a cloud server, etc.).
[0046] 〔Summary〕 An object of one aspect of the present invention is to smooth an edge in a shaping pattern with a simpler configuration in an exposure apparatus using a spatial light modulator.
[0047] To achieve this object, an exposure apparatus according to Aspect 1 of the present invention includes a spatial light modulator that generates an exposure beam patterned by reflecting or transmitting light incident on an incident surface, an imaging optical system that forms an image of the exposure beam on an exposure surface, the imaging optical system having the incident surface as an object surface and the exposure surface as an image surface, and a moving unit that moves the spatial light modulator in the in-plane direction of the incident surface.
[0048] According to the above configuration, in an exposure apparatus using a spatial light modulator, an edge in a shaping pattern can be smoothed with a simpler configuration.
[0049] In addition, in an exposure apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to the first aspect described above, the imaging optical system is configured to image the exposure beam, which has been patterned on the incident surface, while reducing its size relative to the exposure surface.
[0050] As an alternative configuration for smoothing edges more simply than the configuration described in Non-Patent Literature 1, instead of moving the spatial light modulator in the in-plane direction of the incident surface of the spatial light modulator, a configuration in which the stage on which the object to be exposed is placed is moved in the in-plane direction of its mounting surface can be considered. However, since the stage is located after the imaging optical system, the smoothing of the edges of the fabricated pattern will be performed using the pattern of the exposure beam reduced by the imaging optical system. Here, when comparing the minimum amount of movement of the moving part that moves the spatial light modulator with the minimum amount of movement of the moving part that moves the stage, it is unlikely that the minimum amount of movement of the moving part that moves the stage will be smaller. Therefore, when the imaging optical system images the exposure beam patterned on the incident surface while reducing it relative to the exposure surface, this exposure apparatus, which moves the spatial light modulator located before the imaging optical system, can smooth the edges of finer fabricated patterns than an exposure apparatus that moves the stage.
[0051] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to the first aspect described above, a configuration is adopted in which the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator in the moving part is less than the pixel size of the spatial light modulator.
[0052] With the above configuration, the edges of the printed pattern can be reliably smoothed.
[0053] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to the first or second aspect described above, the spatial light modulator is a DMD or LCOS.
[0054] Thus, either a DMD or an LCOS is preferred as the spatial light modulator. When the spatial light modulator is an LCOS, it may be either a reflective or transmissive type.
[0055] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects described above, the moving part is a piezoelectric element or a stepping motor.
[0056] Thus, a piezoelectric element or a stepping motor is suitable as the moving part.
[0057] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects described above, a control unit is further provided that determines the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator in the moving unit according to the pattern of the exposure beam (exposure pattern), and controls the spatial light modulator and the moving unit according to the minimum amount of movement.
[0058] With the above configuration, the minimum amount of movement required to move the spatial light modulator can be automatically determined without human intervention.
[0059] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to the fifth aspect described above, the control unit further determines the target area to be smoothed and the non-target area not to be smoothed in the pattern (exposure pattern), and exposes the target area by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving part according to the minimum amount of movement.
[0060] According to the above configuration, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary movement of the spatial light modulator in regions where smoothing is not required.
[0061] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to the fifth aspect described above, the apparatus further includes a determination unit that determines the target area to be smoothed and the non-target area not to be smoothed in the pattern (exposure pattern), and the control unit exposes the target area by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving unit according to the minimum amount of movement.
[0062] In one embodiment of the present invention, a functional block for further determining the target area to be smoothed and the non-target area not to be smoothed in the pattern (exposure pattern), and a functional block for exposing the target area by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving part according to the minimum amount of movement, may be implemented as separate functional blocks. Furthermore, when these functional blocks are implemented as separate functional blocks, each functional block may be processed in a distributed manner by separate computers, or they may be processed collectively by a single computer.
[0063] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects described above, it further comprises: a stage for placing a photocurable resin on a region including the exposure surface; a curing light source that outputs accelerating light to promote the curing of the photocurable resin as light incident on the incident surface; an inhibiting light source that outputs inhibiting light to inhibit the curing of the photocurable resin; and an irradiation optical system for irradiating the exposure surface with the inhibiting light.
[0064] According to the above configuration, a two-wavelength fabrication method using both accelerating and inhibiting light can be implemented.
[0065] Furthermore, in the exposure apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the exposure apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects described above, the moving part is configured to continuously move the spatial light modulator.
[0066] According to the above configuration, the edges in the printed pattern can be made smoother.
[0067] Each aspect of the present invention may be implemented by a computer, in which case the exposure program for the exposure apparatus, which enables the computer to implement the exposure apparatus by operating the computer as each part (software element) of the exposure apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded also fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0068] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
[0069] 1, 2 Exposure apparatus 11 Light source 12, 16 Mirror 13 Spatial light modulator 14 Moving unit 15, 15A Control unit 17 Projection lens 18 Stage 19 Decision unit
Claims
1. An exposure apparatus comprising: a spatial light modulator that generates a patterned exposure beam by reflecting or transmitting light incident on an incident surface; an imaging optical system for imaging the exposure beam onto an exposure surface, wherein the incident surface is the object plane and the exposure surface is the image plane; and a moving unit for moving the spatial light modulator in the in-plane direction of the incident surface.
2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator in the moving part is less than the pixel size in the spatial light modulator.
3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the spatial light modulator is a DMD or an LCOS.
4. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the moving part is a piezoelectric element or a stepping motor.
5. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a control unit that determines the minimum amount of movement of the spatial light modulator in the moving unit according to the pattern of the exposure beam, and controls the spatial light modulator and the moving unit according to the minimum amount of movement.
6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit further determines, in the pattern, a region to be smoothed and a region not to be smoothed, and exposes the region to the target by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving part according to the minimum amount of movement.
7. The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a determination unit that determines a target area to be smoothed and a non-target area not to be smoothed in the pattern, wherein the control unit exposes the target area by controlling the spatial light modulator and the moving unit according to the minimum amount of movement.
8. An exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: a stage for placing a photocurable resin on a region including the exposure surface; a curing light source that outputs accelerating light to promote the curing of the photocurable resin as light incident on the incident surface; an inhibiting light source that outputs inhibiting light to inhibit the curing of the photocurable resin; and an irradiation optical system for irradiating the exposure surface with the inhibiting light.
9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving part continuously moves the spatial light modulator.