JP4338628B2 - Exposure equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that directly exposes a functional pattern on an object to be exposed, and more specifically, detects and detects a reference position set in a reference function pattern formed in advance on the object to be exposed by an imaging unit. The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus that attempts to improve the overlay accuracy of functional patterns by generating a functional pattern image by controlling the driving of the micromirror device with reference to the reference position.

  A conventional exposure apparatus uses a mask in which a mask pattern corresponding to a functional pattern is formed in advance on a glass substrate, and transfers and exposes the mask pattern on an object to be exposed. For example, a stepper or a micromirror projection (Micromirror projection) There are Projection and Proximity devices. However, in these conventional exposure apparatuses, when a plurality of layers of functional patterns are formed in layers, the overlay accuracy of the functional patterns between the layers becomes a problem. In particular, in the case of a large mask used for forming a TFT or a color filter for a large liquid crystal display, high absolute dimensional accuracy is required for the arrangement of the mask pattern, which increases the cost of the mask. Further, in order to obtain the above overlay accuracy, alignment between the functional pattern of the underlayer and the mask pattern is necessary, and this alignment is particularly difficult in a large mask.

On the other hand, there is an exposure apparatus that directly draws a pattern of CAD data stored in a storage unit in advance using an electron beam or a laser beam without using a mask. This type of exposure apparatus includes a laser light source, an exposure optical system that reciprocally scans a laser beam emitted from the laser light source, and a transport unit that transports the object to be exposed, based on CAD data. The laser beam is reciprocated while controlling the emission state of the laser light source, and the object to be exposed is conveyed in a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of the laser beam, and a CAD data pattern corresponding to the functional pattern is formed on the object to be exposed. It is formed two-dimensionally (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2001-144415 A

  However, in such a direct exposure type conventional exposure apparatus, a high absolute dimensional accuracy is required for the pattern arrangement of CAD data, similar to the exposure apparatus using a mask. Further, in a manufacturing process in which a functional pattern is formed using a plurality of exposure apparatuses, there is a problem that the accuracy of superimposing functional patterns is deteriorated if there is a variation in accuracy between the exposure apparatuses. In order to cope with such a problem, a high-precision exposure apparatus is required, which increases the cost of the exposure apparatus.

  Furthermore, the point that alignment of the functional pattern of the underlayer and the CAD data pattern must be performed in advance is the same as other exposure apparatuses using a mask, and the alignment accuracy cannot be improved as described above. There was a problem.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an exposure apparatus that addresses such problems and attempts to improve the overlay accuracy of functional patterns.

In order to achieve the above object, an exposure apparatus according to the present invention irradiates exposure light emitted from a light source onto an object to be exposed that is conveyed at a predetermined speed by a conveying unit, and on the object to be exposed, An exposure apparatus that directly exposes an image of a functional pattern, which is a pattern of a constituent part necessary for exhibiting the function of an exposed product, wherein a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the exposed object The micromirror device is arranged in a predetermined state, and each micromirror tilts based on the input drive control signal, reflects the exposure light from the light source, and emits the exposure light with intensity modulation. an exposure optical system for exposing the image generated by the on the object to be exposed in a predetermined function pattern on the basis of the intensity-modulated exposure light, a plurality of light receiving elements, the object to be exposed of the plurality of micromirrors With respect to the direction of arrangement state perpendicular to the transport direction of the of the plurality of light receiving elements as arranged state in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed corresponding match, in a linear one row Imaging that is arranged and images a functional pattern that is a reference of the exposure position formed in advance on the object to be exposed, with the front side of the exposure position by the exposure optical system in the moving direction of the object to be exposed as an imaging position And a reference position preset in the reference function pattern imaged by the imaging means, and controls the driving of the micromirror device based on the reference position, and is also covered by the conveying means. And a control means for controlling the exposure body to be conveyed at a predetermined speed.

With such a configuration, the object to be exposed is conveyed by the conveying means at a predetermined speed, and the plurality of light receiving elements are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed of the plurality of micromirrors. wherein the plurality of light receiving elements as arranged state in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed corresponding match, the imaging means which are arranged in a linear one row, previously formed on the object to be exposed A functional pattern which is a pattern of a constituent part necessary for exhibiting the function of the exposed product that serves as a reference for the exposed position is placed in front of the exposure position by the exposure optical system in the moving direction of the exposed object. An image is picked up as an imaging position, and the control means controls the conveyance means to convey the object to be exposed at a predetermined speed, detects a reference position set in the imaged reference function pattern, and Micro mirror The individual micromirrors of the micromirror device arranged in a predetermined state are tilted based on the drive control signal, and the exposure light from the light source is modulated and emitted by the micromirror device of the exposure optical system, and the intensity is emitted. An image of a predetermined functional pattern is generated based on the modulated exposure light, and the functional pattern image is exposed on the object to be exposed with reference to a reference position set in the reference functional pattern. Thereby, the overlay accuracy of the function pattern with respect to the reference function pattern formed in advance on the object to be exposed is improved.

  In addition, the control unit detects the reference position by binarizing the image of the reference function pattern acquired by the imaging unit and comparing it with image data corresponding to the preset reference position. This is performed by detecting a portion where both data coincide. As a result, the image of the reference function pattern acquired by the imaging unit is binarized by the control unit, compared with image data corresponding to a preset reference position, and a portion where both data match is used as a reference position. To detect.

  Further, the exposure optical system includes an imaging lens that forms an image of a functional pattern generated by the micromirror device on the object to be exposed. Thereby, an image of a functional pattern generated by the micromirror device is formed on the object to be exposed by the imaging lens.

  Further, the micromirror device is a device in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a line. Thereby, an image of a predetermined functional pattern is generated by the micromirror device in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a line.

  Furthermore, the micromirror device has a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a matrix. Thereby, an image of a predetermined functional pattern is generated by a micromirror device in which a plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a matrix.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the object to be exposed is conveyed at a predetermined speed by the conveying means, and the plurality of light receiving elements are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed of the plurality of micromirrors. in contrast, the of the plurality of light receiving elements as arranged state in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed corresponding match, the imaging means which are arranged in a linear one row, the object to be exposed An exposure position by the exposure optical system in the moving direction of the object to be exposed is a functional pattern which is a pattern of a constituent part necessary to exhibit the function of the product to be exposed, which is a reference of the exposure position previously formed on the exposure object. The front side of the image is picked up as an image pickup position, and the control means controls the transfer means to transfer the object to be exposed at a predetermined speed and detects the reference position set in the imaged reference function pattern. And multiple microphones The individual micromirrors of the micromirror device in which the mirrors are arranged in a predetermined state are tilted based on the drive control signal, and the exposure light from the light source is modulated by the micromirror device of the exposure optical system and emitted, An image of a predetermined functional pattern is generated based on the intensity-modulated exposure light, and the functional pattern image is exposed on an object to be exposed with reference to a reference position set in the reference functional pattern. it can. Thereby, exposure of a predetermined function pattern can be performed with high accuracy at a predetermined position with respect to the reference function pattern. Therefore, even when a plurality of layers of functional patterns are stacked, the accuracy of overlaying the functional patterns of each layer is increased. In addition, even when a multilayer pattern is formed using a plurality of exposure apparatuses, it is possible to eliminate the problem of deterioration in the accuracy of superimposing functional patterns due to the difference in accuracy between the exposure apparatuses, thereby increasing the cost of the exposure apparatus. Can be suppressed. Furthermore, by acquiring one-dimensional image data of the functional pattern serving as a reference by the imaging means in which a plurality of light receiving elements are arranged in a straight line, the cost of the imaging means is suppressed, and the data The processing speed can be improved. Furthermore, a plurality of light receiving elements, a direction to the direction of arrangement state orthogonal to the transport direction of the exposure of a plurality of micro-mirrors, perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed of the plurality of light-receiving elements as arrangement of the corresponding match, it can be by the imaging means which are arranged in a linear one row, imaging the reference position.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the image of the functional pattern serving as a reference acquired by the imaging unit is binarized and compared with image data corresponding to a preset reference position. By detecting the matched portion as the reference position, the detection of the reference position can be processed at high speed in real time.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the image of the functional pattern generated by the micromirror device is formed on the object to be exposed by the imaging lens, thereby changing the magnification of the imaging lens. Enlarged or reduced exposure can be performed.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the micromirror device includes a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a line, an image of a functional pattern for one line can be generated.

  Furthermore, according to the invention according to claim 5, since the micromirror device has a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a matrix, functional patterns having various shapes can be formed by changing CAD data. it can.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view showing an embodiment of an exposure apparatus according to the present invention. The exposure apparatus 1 irradiates an exposure object with exposure light and directly exposes an image of a functional pattern on the exposure object. The light source 2, the exposure optical system 3, and the imaging unit 4. And a transport means 5 and a control means 6. The functional pattern is a pattern of components necessary for the original intended operation of the product. For example, in a color filter, a black matrix pixel pattern or each color of red, blue, and green This is a filter pattern, and in a semiconductor component, it is a wiring pattern or various electrode patterns. In the following description, a case where a color filter substrate is used as an object to be exposed will be described.

  The light source 2 emits ultraviolet light as exposure light, and is, for example, a xenon lamp or an ultraviolet laser light source. And the micromirror device 8 with which the below-mentioned exposure optical system 3 is equipped is irradiated.

  An exposure optical system 3 is provided in front of the light source 2 in the irradiation direction of the exposure light. The exposure optical system 3 irradiates a color filter substrate 7 coated with a photosensitive colorant with exposure light to expose a predetermined color filter pattern, and includes a micromirror device 8, an imaging lens 9, and the like. It has.

  The micromirror device 8 emits an incident exposure light by applying on / off intensity modulation, and generates an image of a predetermined color filter pattern based on the intensity-modulated exposure light. As shown, a plurality of micromirrors 10 pivotally supported so as to be tiltable are arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns. The micromirror 10 is individually tilted based on the input drive control signal to reflect the exposure light from the light source 2, and as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of hinges 10b are provided on the semiconductor substrate 10a. A yoke 10c that is pivotally supported so as to be tiltable is formed, and a reflecting plate 10d that reflects exposure light is formed on the upper surface of the yoke 10c. A pair of electrodes 10e is provided opposite to the lower surface of the yoke 10c and the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate 10a, and an electrostatic attraction force or a repulsive force is generated between the electrodes 10e by applying a voltage to the pair of electrodes 10e. The yoke 10c is tilted around the hinge 10b in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 4B, and the reflecting plate 10d is tilted. In this case, in the exposure-on state, the reflecting plate 10d of the micromirror 10 is tilted so that the reflected light passes through the imaging lens 9 as shown in FIG. 4A, and in the exposure-off state, FIG. The reflected light is tilted so as not to pass through the imaging lens 9 as shown in FIG. In the following description, the driving state of the micromirror 10 as shown in FIG. 4A is referred to as ON driving, and the driving state of the micromirror 10 as shown in FIG. The plurality of micromirrors 10 are individually tilted by being controlled by the control means 6 described later.

  The imaging lens 9 forms an image of the surface of the micromirror 10 of the micromirror device 8 on the surface of the color filter substrate 7. The exposure light is intensity-modulated on and off by the micromirror device 8. An image of the color filter pattern to be generated is formed. Further, the imaging lens 9 and the micromirror device 8 are arranged so that their optical axes coincide with each other.

An imaging unit 4 is provided with an imaging position in front of the exposure position by the exposure optical system 3 in the moving direction of the color filter substrate 7 (arrow A direction). The image pickup means 4 picks up an image of black matrix pixels as a reference pattern formed in advance on the color filter substrate 7, and a plurality of light receiving elements are orthogonal to the transport direction of a plurality of micromirrors to be exposed. with respect to the direction of the alignment state of the of the plurality of light receiving elements as arranged state in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed corresponding match, for example lines arranged in a linear one row CCD. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the imaging position of the imaging means 4 and the exposure position of the exposure optical system 3 (for example, the mirror in the first row of the micromirror device 8 imaged on the surface of the color filter substrate 7). Position) is separated by a predetermined distance D, and the reference position reaches the exposure position after a predetermined time has elapsed since the image pickup means 4 picked up the reference position of the pixel 12 of the black matrix 11. Yes. In addition, the said distance D is so preferable that it is small. Thereby, the movement error of the color filter substrate 7 can be reduced, and the reference position and the exposure position can be positioned more accurately. An illumination unit (not shown) is provided in the vicinity of the imaging unit 4 so that the imaging area of the imaging unit 4 can be illuminated.

  A conveying means 5 is provided below the exposure optical system 3. The conveying means 5 is configured such that the color filter substrate 7 is placed on the stage 5a so as to be movable in the direction of arrow A, and a conveying motor (not shown) is controlled by the control means 6 to move the stage 5a. It is like that. Further, the transport means 5 is provided with a position detection sensor and a speed sensor (not shown) such as an encoder and a linear sensor, and the output is fed back to the control means 6 to enable position control and speed control. Yes.

The light source 2, image pickup means 4, the control unit 6 connected to the conveyance means 5 and a micro mirror device 8 is provided. The control unit 6 controls the entire apparatus to be appropriately driven, and includes an image processing unit 13 that detects a reference position preset in the pixel 12 imaged by the imaging unit 4 and the light source 2. A light source driving unit 14 that is turned on / off, a storage unit 15 that stores data such as CAD data of a color filter pattern corresponding to one column and a look-up table corresponding to the reference position, and the imaging position and the exposure position A calculation unit 16 that calculates a time t during which the reference position moves from the imaging position to the exposure position using the distance D between them and the moving speed V of the color filter substrate 7, and the micromirror device 8 based on the reference position. Is used to control the light intensity modulation by the micro mirror device 8 and store each row number of the micromirror device 8 and the element address of the light receiving element of the imaging means 4 in association with each other. And over the drive controller 17, and a transfer means controller 18 which moves at a predetermined speed stage 5a of the transfer means 5 in the direction of arrow A, and a control unit 19 for controlling integrated the entire apparatus.

  6 and 7 are block diagrams illustrating an example configuration of the image processing unit 13. As shown in FIG. 6, the image processing unit 13 includes, for example, three ring buffer memories 20A, 20B, and 20C connected in parallel, and three lines connected in parallel for each of the ring buffer memories 20A, 20B, and 20C. A buffer circuit 21A, 21B, 21C; a comparison circuit 22 for binarizing and outputting gray level data compared to a predetermined threshold connected to the line buffer memories 21A, 21B, 21C; and the nine line buffer memories A look-up table of image data corresponding to a first reference position that defines the left end of the output data of 21A, 21B, and 21C and the color filter pattern exposure area obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. Output the left edge determination result when both data match. An image corresponding to a second reference position that determines the right end of the color filter pattern exposure area obtained from the edge determination circuit 23A, the output data of the nine line buffer memories 21A, 21B, and 21C and the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. A right end determination circuit 23B is provided that compares a data look-up table (hereinafter referred to as “LUT for right end”) and outputs a right end determination result when both data match.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the image processing unit 13 inputs the left end determination result and counts the number of coincidence of image data corresponding to the first reference position, and the output of the counting circuit 24A. 1 is compared with the left end pixel number obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1, and when both numerical values match, a comparison circuit 25A that outputs a left end designation signal to the storage unit 15 and the right end determination result are input. The counting circuit 24B that counts the number of times of matching of the image data corresponding to the second reference position, the output of the counting circuit 24B and the rightmost pixel number obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. A comparison circuit 25B that outputs a right end designating signal to the storage unit 15, a left end pixel counting circuit 26 that counts the left end pixel number n based on the output of the counting circuit 24A, and the left end pixel. A comparison circuit that compares the output of the counting circuit 26 with the exposure end pixel column number K obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 and outputs an exposure end pixel column designation signal to the storage unit 15 when both values match. 27. The counting circuits 24A and 24B are reset by the reading start signal when the reading operation by the imaging means 4 is started. Further, the left end pixel counting circuit 26 is reset by an exposure end signal when the exposure for a predesignated region is completed.

Next, the operation of the exposure apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, when the exposure apparatus 1 is turned on, the control means 6 shown in FIG. 1 is activated to turn on the light source 2 and drive the illumination means by the light source driving unit 14. At the same time, the image pickup means 4 is activated and becomes ready for image pickup. Next, when the color filter substrate 7 is placed on the stage 5 a of the transport unit 5 and a switch (not shown) is operated, the transport unit 5 is controlled by the transport unit controller 18 of the control unit 6 to be controlled by the color filter. The substrate 7 is transported in the direction of arrow A at a constant speed. When the color filter substrate 7 reaches the image pickup position of the image pickup means 4, an exposure operation is executed according to the following procedure.

  First, in step S1, an image of the pixel 12 of the black matrix 11 formed in advance on the color filter substrate 7 by the imaging unit 4 is acquired. The acquired image data is captured and processed in the three ring buffer memories 20A, 20B, and 20C of the image processing unit 13 shown in FIG. Then, the latest three data are output from each ring buffer memory 20A, 20B, 20C. In this case, for example, the previous data is output from the ring buffer memory 20A, the previous data is output from the ring buffer memory 20B, and the latest data is output from the ring buffer memory 20C. Further, for each of these data, for example, 3 × 3 CCD pixel images are arranged on the same clock (time axis) by three line buffer memories 21A, 21B, and 21C. The result is obtained as an image as shown in FIG. When this image is digitized, for example, it corresponds to a numerical value of 3 × 3 as shown in FIG. Since these digitized images are arranged on the same clock, they are compared with the threshold value by the comparison circuit 22 and binarized. For example, if the threshold value is “45”, the image in FIG. 10A is binarized as shown in FIG.

  In step S2, reference positions at the left and right ends of the color filter pattern exposure region are detected. Specifically, the reference position is detected in the left end determination circuit 23A by comparing the binarized data with the data of the left end LUT obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG.

  For example, when the first reference position for designating the left end of the color filter pattern exposure area is set at the upper left corner of the pixel 12 of the black matrix 11 as shown in FIG. The LUT for use is as shown in FIG. 4B, and the data of the leftmost LUT at this time is “000011011”. Therefore, the binarized data is compared with the data “000011011” of the left end LUT, and when the two data match, it is determined that the image data acquired by the imaging unit 4 is the first reference position. The left end determination result is output from the left end determination circuit 23A. When five pixels 12 are arranged as shown in FIG. 12C, the upper left corner of each pixel 12 corresponds to the first reference position.

Based on the determination result, the number of matches is counted in the counting circuit 24A shown in FIG. The count number is compared with the left end pixel number obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 in the comparison circuit 25A, and a left end designation signal is output to the storage unit 15 when both numerical values match. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), for example, when determining the first pixel 12 ₁ as the leftmost pixel number, upper left end corner portion of the pixel 12 ₁ is set to the first reference position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the element address in the line CCD of the imaging means 4 corresponding to the first reference position, for example, EL _i is stored in the storage unit 15.

  On the other hand, the binarized data is compared with the data of the right end LUT obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 in the right end determination circuit 23B. For example, when the second reference position for specifying the right end of the color filter pattern exposure region is set at the upper right end corner of the pixel 12 of the black matrix 11 as shown in FIG. The LUT for use is as shown in FIG. 5B, and the data in the right end LUT at this time is “000110110”. Therefore, the binarized data is compared with the data “000110110” of the right end LUT, and when the two data match, the image data acquired by the imaging means 4 is the reference position at the right end of the color filter pattern exposure region. It is determined that there is, and the right end determination result is output from the right end determination circuit 23B. Similar to the above, when five pixels 12 are arranged as shown in FIG. 12, for example, the upper right corner of each pixel 12 corresponds to the second reference position.

Based on the determination result, the number of matches is counted in the counting circuit 24B shown in FIG. Then, the count number is compared with the right end pixel number obtained from the storage unit 15 shown in FIG. 1 in the comparison circuit 25B, and a right end designation signal is output to the storage unit 15 when both numerical values match. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), for example, when determining the 5 th pixel 12 ₅ as the rightmost pixel number, right upper corner of the pixel 12 ₅ is set as the second reference position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the element address, for example, EL _n , in the line CCD of the image pickup unit 4 corresponding to the second reference position is stored in the storage unit 15. Then, when the left and right reference positions of the color filter pattern exposure region are detected as described above, and at the same time the detection time t ₁ is stored in the storage unit 15, the process proceeds to step S3.

In step S <b> 3, the ON region of the micromirror device 8 is secured in the storage region of the mirror drive controller 17. In this case, first, the element addresses of the image pickup means 4 corresponding to the first and second reference positions indicating the left and right ends of the color filter pattern exposure region from the storage unit 15, for example, EL _i and EL _n shown in FIG. it is read, the column number n _i and n _n of the micro-mirror device 8 associated with the element address EL _i and EL _n as shown in the diagram (a) is set. Next, on the basis of the first mirror column, for example, the micromirror 10 to be turned on among the micromirrors 10 in the column numbers N _{i to} N _n is set based on the CAD data read from the storage unit 15. The In this embodiment, since the exposure pattern is a rectangular color filter pattern, as the on-region of the micromirror device, for example, as shown in FIG. 12A, M _{1 to} M ₃ rows and N _i to The region is surrounded by N _n columns. In FIG. 12A, the micromirror 10 that is turned on is shown in white, and the micromirror 10 that is turned off is shown in black.

In step S4, it is determined whether or not the color filter pattern exposure region is set at the exposure position of the exposure optical system 3. This determination is performed by the imaging unit 4 based on the reference position detection time t ₁ stored in the storage unit 15 as shown in FIG. 5, the transport speed V, and the distance D between the imaging position and the exposure position. The time t during which the color filter substrate 7 is transported by the distance D after the reference position is imaged is calculated by the calculation unit 16, and the time t is managed. If it is determined that the time t has elapsed from the reference position detection time t ₁ , that is, it is determined that the color filter pattern exposure area is set to the exposure position (“YES determination”), the process proceeds to step S5.

  In step S5, the micromirror 10 corresponding to the ON region of the micromirror device 8 secured in step S3 is turned on for a predetermined time by the mirror drive controller 17 (see FIG. 4A), and the other micromirrors are turned on. 10 is turned off (see FIG. 4B), and exposure is performed on the color filter pattern exposure region on the pixel 12 indicated by hatching in FIG. 12C. In this case, since the color filter substrate 7 is moving at a constant speed, the edge in the conveyance direction of the exposure pattern may be blurred. Therefore, the conveyance speed V, the exposure time, and the power of the light source 2 are set in advance so that the blur amount becomes an allowable value.

  In step S6, the leftmost pixel number k is counted by the leftmost pixel counting circuit 26 shown in FIG. Then, the process proceeds to step S7, where the number k of the left end pixel is set in advance and compared with the exposure end pixel column number K stored in the storage unit 15 by the comparator 27, and it is determined whether or not both numerical values match. The

  If “NO determination” is determined in step S7, the process returns to step S1 and proceeds to the operation for detecting the next reference position. In this case, the counting circuits 24A and 24B shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if “YES determination” is made in step S7, it means that all exposure to a predetermined area of the color filter substrate 7 has been completed, an exposure end signal is output, and the left end pixel counting circuit 26 shown in FIG. 7 is reset. Is done. Then, the transport unit 5 returns the stage 5a to the start position at a high speed.

When the exposure possible area by the exposure optical system 3 is narrower than the width of the color filter substrate 7, when the step S7 is completed, the stage 5a is stepped by a predetermined distance in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction, and the step S1 is performed. ˜S7 may be executed again to expose an area adjacent to the already exposed area. Also, to allow exposure at once for the entire width of the color filter substrate 7 by arranging a plurality pieces of light receiving elements in a line straight in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the exposure optical system 3 and the image pickup means 4 May be. Further, when the imaging area by the imaging means 4 is narrower than the color filter pattern exposure area, a plurality of imaging means 4 may be arranged in a line.

  As described above, according to the exposure apparatus 1 of the present invention, the pixel 12 of the black matrix 11 formed in advance on the color filter substrate 7 by the imaging unit 4 is photographed, and the reference position set in advance in the image of the photographed pixel 12 is obtained. , And the micromirror 10 of the micromirror device 8 is turned on / off based on the reference position to form an exposure pattern of a color filter having a predetermined shape on the pixel 12. The overlay accuracy of the exposure pattern is improved. Therefore, even when a plurality of exposure apparatuses are used to form color filter patterns for each color, high overlay accuracy is eliminated by eliminating the problem of deterioration in the overlay accuracy of color filter patterns due to the difference in accuracy between exposure apparatuses. Can be secured. Thereby, the cost increase of the exposure apparatus 1 can be suppressed.

  Further, since the micromirrors 10 of the micromirror device 8 are arranged in a matrix of M rows and N columns, and each micromirror 10 is individually driven based on CAD data, by changing the CAD data Various exposure patterns can be easily formed.

The micromirror device 8 is not limited to the micromirrors 10 arranged in a matrix, but may be arranged in a single row. As a result, an image of the functional pattern for one row can be generated.

  Moreover, the exposure apparatus 1 of this invention is not restricted to what is applied to exposure with respect to large sized substrates, such as a color filter of a liquid crystal display, It can apply also to exposure apparatuses, such as a semiconductor.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows embodiment of the exposure apparatus by this invention. It is a top view which shows the micromirror device which comprises the exposure optical system of the said exposure apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the micromirror which comprises the said micromirror device, (a) is the XX sectional view taken on the line of FIG. 2, (b) is the YY sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a side view explaining the tilting operation | movement of the micromirror of the said micromirror device, (a) shows an ON drive state, (b) is an OFF drive state. It is a plane explanatory view showing the relationship between the imaging position of the imaging means relative to the color filter substrate and the exposure position of the exposure optical system. It is a block diagram which shows the first half part of a processing system in the internal structure of an image processing part. It is a block diagram which shows the latter half part of a processing system in the internal structure of an image processing part. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the exposure apparatus according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of binarizing the output of a ring buffer memory. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image of the 1st reference position preset to the pixel of the black matrix on a color filter board | substrate, and its lookup table. It is explanatory drawing which shows the image of the 2nd reference position preset to the pixel of the black matrix on a color filter board | substrate, and its lookup table. It is explanatory drawing which shows the exposure method of the color filter pattern with respect to the pixel of the black matrix on a color filter board | substrate.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Exposure apparatus 2 ... Light source 3 ... Exposure optical system 4 ... Imaging means 5 ... Conveyance means 6 ... Control means 7 ... Color filter substrate (exposed body)
8 ... micromirror device 9 ... imaging lens 10 ... micromirror 10a ... semiconductor substrate 10b ... hinge 10c ... yoke 10d ... reflector 11 ... black matrix 12 ... pixels (feature patterns)

Claims (5)

Components necessary for irradiating the object to be exposed conveyed at a predetermined speed by the conveying means with the exposure light emitted from the light source to exert the function of the product to be exposed on the object to be exposed An exposure apparatus that directly exposes an image of a functional pattern that is a pattern of
A plurality of micromirrors are arranged in a predetermined state in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the object to be exposed, and each micromirror tilts based on an input drive control signal to reflect exposure light from the light source, An exposure optical system having a micromirror device that emits the exposure light with intensity modulation, and that generates an image of a predetermined functional pattern based on the intensity-modulated exposure light and exposes it on the object to be exposed; ,
A plurality of light receiving elements, relative arrangement of the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed of the plurality of micro-mirrors, in the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the object to be exposed of the plurality of light-receiving elements The alignment state is arranged in a straight line so as to correspond to each other, and the front side of the exposure position by the exposure optical system in the moving direction of the exposure object is an imaging position, and the exposure object Imaging means for imaging a function pattern that is a reference of an exposure position formed in advance,
The reference position preset in the reference function pattern imaged by the imaging means is detected, the driving of the micromirror device is controlled based on the reference position, and the object to be exposed is controlled by the conveying means. Control means for controlling to convey at a predetermined speed;
An exposure apparatus comprising:   The control means detects the reference position by binarizing the image of the reference function pattern acquired by the imaging means and comparing it with image data corresponding to the preset reference position. 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure is performed by detecting a portion where the data matches.   3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exposure optical system includes an imaging lens that forms an image of a functional pattern generated by the micromirror device on the object to be exposed.   The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the micromirror device includes a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a line.   The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the micromirror device includes a plurality of micromirrors arranged in a matrix.

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