JP4882368B2 - Stage equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus for transferring a mask pattern onto a workpiece, a stage apparatus used for a bonding apparatus such as a liquid crystal panel that emits light through a mask on which a pattern is formed, and more specifically, a stage apparatus. The present invention relates to a stage apparatus including a Z-direction moving mechanism that moves a stage to be placed in a direction perpendicular to the stage surface (Z-axis direction).

In FIG. 11, exposure light is irradiated onto a workpiece coated with a photosensitive agent through a mask on which a pattern is formed, and the mask pattern is shielded in a bonding process of an exposure apparatus or a liquid crystal panel that transfers the mask pattern to the workpiece. 1 shows a bonding apparatus that irradiates only an area where an adhesive is applied through a mask formed with a portion with ultraviolet rays, cures the adhesive, and bonds two panels. Hereinafter, such treatment as exposure and curing of the adhesive by light is referred to as light treatment.
The light irradiation unit 30 includes a light source (lamp) 32 and a mirror 31 that reflects light from the lamp 32, and emits light having a wavelength necessary for light processing.
The mask M on which the pattern is formed is held on the mask stage 40, and the work W to be optically processed is held on the work stage 20.
The workpiece stage 20 has a workpiece suction plate 21 that holds the workpiece W, and the workpiece suction plate 21 in the XYθ direction (two directions orthogonal to each other in the plane of the workpiece suction plate and rotation around an axis perpendicular to the plane. XYθ moving mechanism 22 that moves in the back direction and rotation around the optical axis), gap setting mechanism 23 that sets the distance between mask M and workpiece W to a desired value, and workpiece suction plate 21 in the Z-axis direction (of the workpiece suction plate) And a Z moving mechanism 24 that moves in a direction perpendicular to the plane (up and down in the figure).
The work suction plate 21 has a vacuum suction groove (not shown) for sucking the work W on the surface.

In the case of proximity exposure, in which exposure is performed with the mask and workpiece close to each other, or when a liquid crystal panel is bonded, the gap between the mask and workpiece (gap G) is usually set in the range of 0 to 10 μm, and the Z movement of the workpiece suction plate The positional accuracy required for the mechanism is ± 1 to 10 μm.
The positional accuracy required for the XYθ (plane) direction for positioning the mask and the workpiece is about ± 1 μm.
On the other hand, considering the conveyance of the workpiece to the workpiece suction plate, the unloading of the workpiece after the light processing, the maintenance of the apparatus, etc., the gap G needs to be opened by about 50 mm.
Therefore, the Z moving mechanism of the work stage needs a moving distance of about 50 mm, a moving accuracy of ± 1 to 10 μm with respect to the Z direction, and a positioning accuracy of about ± 1 μm with respect to the XYθ direction.
As the Z moving mechanism of the work stage, for example, one described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 is known. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, a workpiece suction plate is moved in the vertical direction by moving a wedge-shaped stage having a slope to the left and right.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-37794 JP-A-9-86888

Although the Z moving mechanism described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can move the work stage with high accuracy in the vertical direction, the number of parts is large, the structure is complicated, the assembly takes time, and the manufacturing cost is high. Become. Further, when the moving distance in the vertical direction is relatively small and the moving distance in the Z-axis direction of the work stage is large, it is difficult to apply.
On the other hand, a Z moving mechanism for moving the stage in the Z direction using a ball screw is also known. FIG. 12 shows a configuration example of a Z moving mechanism using a ball screw.
A ball screw 24a is provided on the stage base 50 along the height (Z-axis direction) direction, and a plate 24c is attached to a moving body (nut) 24b of the ball screw 24a. Then, the ball screw 24a is driven by a motor or the like (not shown) to move the plate 24c in the vertical (Z) direction.
On the plate 24c, as shown in FIG. 11, a work suction plate or the like is provided via an XYθ moving mechanism and a gap setting mechanism to constitute a work stage.
The structure shown in FIG. 12 has a small number of parts and a simple structure, and a sufficient movement stroke in the Z-axis direction can be ensured.

However, in an apparatus used for bonding exposure of a liquid crystal panel or a printed circuit board that is increasing in size, the work stage is also increased in size. As the work stage becomes larger, the weight of members constituting the work stage placed on the plate 24c also increases. In the structure shown in FIG. 12, since the plate 24c is supported in a cantilever manner, when the weight on the plate 24c is increased, the balance is deteriorated and the positioning accuracy in the Z direction is lowered.
Further, moment force is applied to the ball screw 24a by the dead weight of the work stage including the plate 24c as shown in FIG. If a moment force is applied to the ball screw 24a, a smooth operation cannot be performed, causing a failure.

Therefore, in order to improve the balance of the plate 24c and increase the positioning accuracy in the Z direction, the plate 24c is supported at three locations by using, for example, three ball screws instead of being cantilevered, and the three ball screws are synchronized. It is also conceivable to drive the plate 24c up and down.
In this case, the three ball screws must be arranged so as to be parallel to each other. If the ball screws are not parallel, when the plate 24c moves, the ball screw moves radially (with respect to the ball screw feed direction). A load is applied in the orthogonal direction, causing a failure. If the parallelism is significantly deviated, the plate 24c cannot be moved.
However, it is very difficult to assemble the three ball screws so that they are parallel to each other, and it becomes more difficult as the device becomes larger.

As described above, the movement mechanism in the Z direction using a ball screw has a small number of parts and a relatively simple structure. However, when applied to a stage device on which a large workpiece is placed, the positioning accuracy decreases. In addition, various problems occur, such as an excessive load on the moving mechanism and the possibility of failure.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, has a relatively simple structure, has a moving distance of several tens of mm, can achieve a positional accuracy of several μm, and a workpiece to be loaded is enlarged, Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a stage apparatus including a Z-direction moving mechanism that operates smoothly without applying an excessive load to the moving mechanism even if the work stage is enlarged.

In the present invention, the above problem is solved as follows.
The work stage to hold the (1) workpiece is moved in the Z-axis direction (height direction) is a direction orthogonal to the stage surface, the stage apparatus having a stage moving mechanism you positioning, to the stage moving mechanism , And three ball screws provided along the Z-axis direction and arranged on the stage base in a state where at least two of them can swing around one point as an axis, and a movement screwed to each of the three ball screws. A plate that is tiltably attached to the body and moves the work stage in the Z-axis direction, and the ball screw is used to fix the position so that the plate does not move after the plate is positioned in the Z-axis direction. provided a ball screw position regulating means for fixing against the stage base.
The work stage to hold the (2) work, is moved in the Z-axis direction (height direction) is a direction orthogonal to the stage surface, the stage apparatus having a stage moving mechanism you positioning, to the stage moving mechanism , And three ball screws provided along the Z-axis direction and arranged on the stage base in a state where at least two of them can swing around one point as an axis, and a movement screwed to each of the three ball screws. A plate that is tiltably attached to the body and moves the work stage in the Z-axis direction, a parallel leaf spring disposed on the back surface of the plate in parallel to the stage surface, and the parallel leaf spring and stages attached to the plate Te, after which the plate is positioned in the Z-axis direction, to fix the position so that the stage is not moved, the stage, stays Base pairs to provide a stage position regulating means for fixing.

In the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Since at least two of the three ball screws can be swung, when the plate moves in the Z direction, the ball screw is inclined, and a radial load is applied to the ball screw. In addition, since the plate is attached so as to be tiltable with respect to the ball screw, even if the ball screw is tilted, a force that bends the ball screw, the plate, or a member connecting them does not work.
For this reason, the ball screw can be smoothly driven without applying an excessive load to the ball screw, the plate, or a member between them. Moreover, since an excessive load is not applied, the occurrence of a failure or the like can be suppressed.
Also, by providing a ball screw position restricting means that restricts the movement of the ball screw, even if the ball screw is mounted so as to be able to swing, the mask and the workpiece are aligned or light-processed in a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis. The movement of the plate can be restricted.
On the back side of the 2 plates, parallel to the mounting of the parallel plate spring with respect to the plate surface, is attached to the stage through the parallel plate springs, by providing a stage position restricting means for restricting the movement of the stage, It is possible to restrict the movement of the plate in the direction perpendicular to the Z axis during the alignment of the mask and the workpiece and the optical processing via the stage .
Also, since the stage and the plate are attached via parallel plate springs, even if the movement of the stage is restricted, driving the ball screw moves the plate slightly in the Z direction and moves in the XYθ direction. It is possible to perform minute alignment without performing the above.
(3) Since it is not necessary to assemble the three ball screws so as to be strictly parallel, the assembly and adjustment of the apparatus is easy.
Further, in order to keep the ball screw parallel, it is not necessary to configure the stage base, the member that supports the ball screw, or the like with a highly rigid member. For this reason, the size, weight, etc. of the apparatus can be reduced, and accordingly, the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed.

1 and 2 are views showing a configuration of a stage moving mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG.
1 and 2, the workpiece suction plate, the XYθ moving mechanism, the gap setting mechanism, and the like shown in FIG. 11 are omitted, and the workpiece suction plate is placed on the plate 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. And each mechanism is provided. Hereinafter, the plate 1, the workpiece suction plate provided on the plate 1, the XYθ moving mechanism, and the like are collectively referred to as a workpiece stage here.
1 and 2, a work stage is provided so that three ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c having a stroke of about 50 mm are along the Z-axis direction (height direction). It is provided on a stage base 10 which is a base of the light processing apparatus. In FIG. 2, only the ball screws 2b and 2c are shown.
The three ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are rotatably supported at both ends by support frames 3a, 3b, 3c, and the lower ends of the three ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are rotated by motors 6a, 6b, 6c. It is connected to the shaft. The motors 6a, 6b, 6c are attached to the support frames 3a, 3b, 3c. Hereinafter, the mechanism composed of the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c, the support frames 3a, 3b, 3c, and the motors 6a, 6b, 6c will be referred to as ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c.

Moving bodies (nuts) 4a, 4b, 4c are screwed onto the three ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c, and a plate 1 that moves in the Z-axis direction is attached to the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c. .
By driving the motors 6a, 6b, 6c, the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c rotate, and the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c move along the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c. By driving the motors 6a, 6b, 6c synchronously, the three moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c move by the same distance, and the plate 1 can be positioned in the Z direction.
The plate 1 is attached to the movable bodies 4a, 4b, and 4c so as to be tiltable. The structure of the attachment portion will be described later.

Here, the three ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c must be arranged so as to be parallel to each other. When the three ball screws are not parallel, when the plate 1 moves, a load is applied to the ball screw in the radial direction (a direction orthogonal to the ball screw feed direction), causing a failure. If the parallelism is significantly deviated, the plate 1 cannot move. However, it is very difficult to assemble the three ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c so that they are parallel to each other.
Accordingly, in this embodiment, two of the three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are swung with the ball screw mechanism as shown in, for example, the enlarged view B of FIG. It attaches to the stage base 10 through the pedestals 5b and 5c which are supported.
The bases 5b and 5c have a structure in which a ball (ball) 501 is sandwiched between two plates 502 as shown in the enlarged views B and 2, and a ball screw placed on the bases 5b and 5c. The mechanisms 9b and 9c are supported to the stage base 10 so as to be tiltable with the ball 501 portion of the pedestals 5b and 5c as a vertex.
The ball screw mechanism 9a is fixed on the stage base 10 and does not swing like the ball screw mechanisms 9b and 9c.

Motors 6 a, 6 b, and 6 c to which three ball screws are attached are servo motors and are connected to the control unit 11. The motors 6a, 6b, and 6c that drive the three ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c are distributed with synchronized pulses from a pulse generator provided in the control unit 11, and the motors 6a, 6b, and 6c are synchronized. Move while keeping sex.
The control unit 11 rotates the motors 6a, 6b, and 6c by an amount corresponding to the set movement distance in the Z direction. An encoder (not shown) is attached to the motors 6a, 6b, and 6c, and the rotational speeds of the motors 6a, 6b, and 6c are input from the encoder to the control unit 11 and subjected to feedback control.

In this embodiment, of the three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c, one ball screw mechanism is fixed, and the other ball screw mechanisms are supported so as to be swingable. For this reason, if the force of the direction which inclines the ball screws 2b and 2c acts, the plate 1 will rotate centering on the fixed ball screw 2a. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotation direction restricting portion 7 is provided on the support frame 3c that supports the ball screw 2c to restrict the amount of inclination of the ball screw mechanism 9c, thereby restricting the rotation.
The rotation direction restricting portion 7 includes a rotation restricting member 7c having a screw 7a attached to the support frame 3c and a hole 7b (see a top view in FIG. 2) in which the screw 7a is movably engaged. 7c stands on the stage base 10 as shown in FIG.
When a force in a direction in which the ball screws 2b and 2c are tilted acts and the ball screw mechanism 9c tries to tilt, the screw 7a hits the edge of the hole 7b, and the tilt of the ball screw mechanism 9c is restricted.

Although the inclination of the ball screw mechanism 9c can be restricted to some extent by the rotation direction restricting portion 7, the screw 7a can be moved to some extent within the hole 7b, and with this alone, the plate 1 cannot be fixed so as not to move. .
On the other hand, as described above, an XYθ moving mechanism, a workpiece suction plate, and the like are provided on the plate 1. After the plate 1 is positioned in the Z-axis direction, the workpiece suction plate is positioned in the XYθ direction by the XYθ moving mechanism. I do. Therefore, after positioning the plate 1 in the Z-axis direction, it is necessary to fix the position so that the plate 1 does not move. For this reason, a ball screw position restricting portion 8 is provided.
In the ball screw position restricting portion 8, a fixed disk 8a (for example, formed of a leaf spring) is attached to a support frame 3b that supports the ball screw 2b, and pads 8b that sandwich the fixing disk 8a on both sides of the fixing disk 8a. Is provided.
When air is supplied to the air lock mechanism 8c, the pad 8b sandwiches the fixing disk 8a. Thereby, the ball screw mechanism 9 b is fixed to the stage base 10. Since the ball screw mechanism 9 a is fixed, two ball screw mechanisms are fixed, and the plate 1 is fixed so as not to move with respect to the stage base 10.

As described above, the plate 1 is tiltably attached to the moving bodies 4a, 4b, and 4c that are screwed into the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c.
FIG. 3 shows a structure for attaching the plate 1 to the moving bodies 4a, 4b and 4c.
As shown in FIG. 3, the plate 1 is attached to the moving bodies 4a, 4b, and 4c via a spherical bearing 401. For this reason, even if moment movement occurs in the plate 1, moment force is not transmitted to the ball screws 2 a, 2 b, 2 c due to the rotational movement of the spherical bearing 401.
If only the spherical bearing is used, when the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are rotated, the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c are also rotated together with the ball screw, so that the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c are in the Z direction. Will not move to.
For this reason, a rotation stop pin 402 that restricts the rotation of the spherical bearing 401 is provided in the rotation direction of the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c, although the direction in which the moment is generated is arbitrary.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
The plate 1 is below the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c (position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 2). This position is, for example, 50 mm away from the mask (not shown).
A work to be subjected to light processing is carried in and placed on a work suction plate (not shown) provided on the plate 1 via an XYθ moving mechanism or the like. The work is held and fixed on the work suction plate by vacuum suction.
The control unit 11 drives the motors 6a, 6b and 6c, the three ball screws 2a, 2b and 2c rotate, the plate 1 rises, and the workpiece suction plate rises together with the workpiece against the mask. Approach.
At this time, since the two ball screws 2b and 2c are swingably supported by the pedestals 5b and 5c, the ball screws 2b and 2c are inclined when a radial load is applied to the ball screws 2b and 2c. No radial load is generated between the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c and the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c. When the ball screws 2b and 2c are tilted, the plate 1 moves in the XY directions, but there is no problem at this stage.
Further, the moment force applied to the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c is removed by the spherical bearing 401 described above.

When the plate 1 rises and the distance between the workpiece and the mask on the workpiece suction plate approaches the gap interval for optical processing (for example, if the desired mask and workpiece distance is 50 μm, the motors 6a and 6b). , 6c is stopped, the rotation of the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c is stopped, and the rising of the plate 1 is stopped.
Further, the ball screw position restricting portion 8 is operated at this position. That is, the air lock mechanism 8c is driven and the fixed disk 8a is sandwiched between the pads 8b. Accordingly, the positions of the ball screws 2b and 2c with respect to the stage base 10 are restricted, and the position of the plate 1 in the XYθ direction is fixed.
Next, the workpiece suction plate is moved by an XYθ moving mechanism provided on the plate 1, and the mask and the workpiece are aligned based on the alignment mark on which the mask and the workpiece are marked. When the alignment is performed, light having a wavelength necessary for light processing is irradiated onto the work through a mask from a light irradiation unit (not shown).
At this time, since the position of each ball screw with respect to the stage base 10 is fixed by the ball screw position restricting portion, the workpiece on the plate 1 is moved in the XYθ direction during the alignment of the mask and the workpiece and optical processing. Never move on.
When the light processing is completed, the air lock mechanism 8c is released, the fixation of the fixed disk 8a is released, the plate 1 is lowered, and the light-treated workpiece on the workpiece suction plate is carried out.

As described above, in this embodiment, the two ball screws 2b and 2c among the three ball screws 2a, 2b and 2c are attached to the stage base 10 so as to be swingable. When the ball screw 2 is moved in the Z direction, the ball screw 2b, 2c is inclined, so that no load is applied to the ball screw in the radial direction.
Further, since the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c of the plate 1 and the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are attached via spherical bearings, even if the ball screws 2b, 2c are inclined and a moment force is generated, the ball screw No excessive force is applied to the plate, the plate, or the member that connects them.
For this reason, the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c can be driven smoothly, and the occurrence of failure and the like can be reduced.
Further, since the inclination of the ball screw 2c is limited by the rotation direction restricting portion 7, it is possible to prevent the plate 1 from rotating around the fixed ball screw 2a.
Furthermore, since the ball screw position restricting portion 8 is provided, it is possible to restrict the plate 1 from moving in the XYθ direction after the plate 1 is positioned in the Z-axis direction.

In the above-described embodiment, one of the three ball screw mechanisms is fixed and the other two are swingably attached to the stage base. However, all three ball screw mechanisms are attached to the stage base. It may be attached so that it can swing.
FIG. 4 shows a first modification of the present embodiment in which all three ball screw mechanisms are swingable with respect to the stage base.
In FIG. 4, three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, and 9c are attached to the stage base 10 via pedestals 5a, 5b, and 5c that support the ball screw mechanism in a swingable manner. The pedestals 5a, 5b, and 5c have a structure as shown in the enlarged view B of FIG. 1, and can tilt with the ball 501 portion of the pedestals 5a, 5b, and 5c as vertices.
Accordingly, all three ball screw mechanisms 9 a, 9 b, 9 c can swing with respect to the stage base 10.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since one ball screw is fixed, it is sufficient to install a set of the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 respectively, but as shown in FIG. When the three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are swingable, it is necessary to install two sets of rotation direction restricting portions 7 and ball screw position restricting portions 8 respectively.
In FIG. 4, a first rotation direction restricting portion 7-1 and a ball screw position restricting portion 8-1 are provided on the support frame 3b of the ball screw 2b, and a second rotation direction restriction is provided on the support frame 3c of the ball screw 2c. A portion 7-2 and a ball screw position restricting portion 8-2 are provided.
As described above, the first and second rotation direction restricting portions 7-1 and 7-2 have the screws 7a attached to the support frames 3b and 3c and the holes 7b in which the screws 7a are movably engaged. The rotation restricting member 7c is used to restrict the amount of inclination of the ball screws 2b and 2c.
The first and second ball screw position restricting portions 8-1 and 8-2 include a fixed disk 8a attached to the support frames 3b and 3b, a pad 8b for air-locking the fixing disk 8a, and an air lock. The ball screw 2b, 2c is fixed by sandwiching the fixing disk 8a with the pad 8b, and the plate 1 is fixed so as not to move with respect to the stage base 10.

Other configurations and operations are the same as those described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As in the above embodiment, the ball screws 2 a, 2 b, 2 b, 2 c, even if a radial force is applied to the ball screws 2 a, 2 b, 2 c This force can be absorbed by tilting 2b and 2c.
Similarly to the above-described embodiment, the plate 1 and the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c of the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are attached via spherical bearings, and the ball screws 2b, 2c are inclined to generate moment force. Even if this occurs, no excessive force is applied to the ball screw, the plate, or the member connecting them.
For this reason, the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c can be driven smoothly, and the occurrence of failure and the like can be reduced.
In addition, since the inclination of the ball screws 2b and 2c is restricted by the rotation direction restricting portions 7-1 and 7-2, the movement of the plate 1 can be controlled even when three ball screws are swingably attached. Can be limited.
Further, since the movement of the ball screw is restricted at two locations by the ball screw position restricting portions 8-1 and 8-2 and the plate 1 is fixed, the three ball screws are swingably attached. However, the plate 1 can be regulated so as not to move in the XYθ direction with respect to the stage base 10 at a desired position in the Z-axis direction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a second modification of the first embodiment. In this modification, the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 in the example of FIG. The structure when it is made to serve also is shown. Hereinafter, a set of members that serve as the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 is referred to as a rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12.
In FIG. 5, as with FIG. 4, all three ball screw mechanisms 9 a, 9 b, 9 c can swing with respect to the stage base 10.
For this reason, as in FIG. 4, it is necessary to install two sets of the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 respectively. In this embodiment, the tilt of the ball screw mechanism is restricted and the ball screw position is set. In order to fix, the support frame 3b of the ball screw 2b is provided with the first rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12-1, and the support frame 3c of the ball screw 2c is provided with the second rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12-. 2 is provided.
The rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portions 12-1 and 12-2 include a fixed disk 12a composed of a leaf spring attached to the support frames 3b and 3b, a pad 12b for air-locking the fixed disk 12a, an air The lock mechanism 12c is configured. Here, the fixed disk 12a is disposed parallel to the Z-axis direction, and the pad 12b has a U-shape configured to sandwich the fixed disk 12a from both sides.

When the rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portions 12-1 and 12-2 function as the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the inclination of the ball screw is restricted, the air lock mechanism 12c is not operated.
In this state, the fixed disk 12a can move with respect to the pad 12b. However, even if the force in the direction of inclining the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c works and the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c are inclined, the fixed disk 12a of the rotational direction / ball screw position restricting portions 12-1, 12-2 is The bumps collide with the pad surfaces or the bottom of both sides of the U-shaped pad 12b, and the movement is restricted. For this reason, the inclination of the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c is restricted.
When the rotational direction / ball screw position restricting portions 12-1 and 12-2 are to function as the ball screw position restricting portion 8, the air lock mechanism 12c is operated in the same manner as described above, and the fixing disk 12a is moved by the pad 12b. Sandwich. Thereby, the movement of the ball screws 2 b and 2 c is restricted, and the plate 1 is fixed so as not to move with respect to the stage base 10.
Other configurations and operations are the same as those described in FIG. 4, and the same effects as those in FIG. 4 can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, all or two of the pedestals 5a, 5b, and 5c are tiltable pedestals with the ball sandwiched between two plates, and the ball screw can be swung, but a gimbal mechanism is used. The ball screw may be supported so as to be swingable.
FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the gimbal mechanism 13 attached to the ball screw mechanism. This figure is a cross-sectional view of the mounting portion of the gimbal mechanism cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the ball screw.
The gimbal mechanism 13 has a U-shaped member 13a to which the support frame 2 is attached, a rectangular member 13c that rotatably supports the U-shaped member 13a about a support shaft 13b, and supports the rectangular member 13c. The support member 13e is rotatably supported about the shaft 13d. The support member 13e is attached on the stage base 10.

The gimbal mechanism 13 is configured as described above, and the support frame 3 of the ball screw 2 is rotatably supported by support shafts 13b and 13d that are orthogonal to each other with respect to the support member 13e. 13 can be swung with the portion attached to 13 as an axis.
In the above description, the case where the pedestal that supports the ball screw mechanism in a swingable manner is provided on the stage base 10 and the ball screw mechanism is provided thereon has been described. For example, the lower limit position of the plate 1 (the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2) may be used.
For example, when using the gimbal mechanism 13 to support the ball screw mechanism at the above position, an attachment member is erected on the stage base 10 and the support member 13e of the gimbal mechanism 13 is attached to the attachment member. Set to the above position. In this case, the motors 6a, 6b, and 6c are attached to the lower side of the gimbal mechanism 1, and the bases 5a5b and 5c are unnecessary.

In order to smoothly drive the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c, it is necessary to attach at least two of the ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c to the stage base 10 so as to be swingable. As described above, it is necessary to provide several sets of the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 or the rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12.
FIG. 7 shows the relationship between the number of ball screw mechanisms that can be swung and the number of rotation direction restricting portions 7 and ball screw position restricting portions 8 that are installed. In FIG. 7, “free” means that the ball screw mechanism is attached so as to be swingable, and “fixed” means that the ball screw mechanism is attached so that it cannot swing.

FIG. 7A shows a case where one ball screw mechanism is fixed and the other two are free, and corresponds to the configuration shown in FIGS.
In this case, as described above, in order to limit the rotation of the plate, one or more sets of rotation direction restricting portions 7 are necessary, and in order to fix the position of the plate, one or more sets of ball screw position restricting portions 8 are also necessary. It is.
FIG. 7B shows a case where the three ball screw mechanisms are free, and corresponds to the configuration of FIG. In this case, two or more sets of rotation direction restricting portions 7 are required, and two or more sets of ball screw position restricting portions 8 are also required.
FIG. 7C shows the case where one of the ball screw mechanisms is fixed and the other two are free, and the rotational direction and the ball screw position are regulated using the rotational direction / ball screw position regulating unit 12. This corresponds to the configuration shown in FIG. In this case, it is possible to prevent the plate 1 from moving if the ball screw is fixed at at least one place. However, in order to restrict the rotation of the plate 1, the rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12 is the same. As shown in the figure, it is necessary to provide two places.
FIG. 7D shows a case where the rotation direction and the ball screw position are regulated using the rotation direction / ball screw position regulating unit 12 when the three ball screw mechanisms are free.
In this case, as shown in the figure, it is necessary to install two or more sets of rotational direction / ball screw position restricting portions 12.
7A to 7D, the case where the fixed disks 8a and 12a are attached to the plate 1 side and the pads 8b and 12b are attached to the stage base side has been described. However, the pads 8b and 12b are attached to the plate 1. The fixed disks 8a and 12a can be attached to the stage base side.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
8 and 9 show the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along two ball screw mechanisms, similar to that shown in FIG. 2, and only the ball screw mechanisms 9b and 9c appear on the drawing. FIG. 9 is a conceptual view of the apparatus of FIG. 8 as viewed from above. The plate 1 and the stage 14 and the parallel leaf spring 15 provided between them, the ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b and 9c, the rotation direction / stage. Position restricting portions 16-1, 16-2, and 16-3 are conceptually shown.
8 and 9 show a case where all three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are attached to the stage base 10 so as to be swingable.

In FIG. 8, three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, and 9c constituted by ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c, support frames 3a, 3b, and 3c, and motors 6a, 6b, and 6c are formed as workpieces as in the above-described embodiment. In this embodiment, three ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are swingably mounted on the stage base 10 and are provided on a stage base 10 which is a base of an optical processing apparatus provided with a stage. In FIG. 8, the ball screw mechanism 9a, the ball screw 2a, the moving body 4a, the motor 6a, etc. are not shown.
Further, as described above, the plate 1 is attached to the movable bodies 4a, 4b, and 4c that are screwed into the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c via the spherical bearings so as to be inclined.
By driving the motors 6a, 6b, 6c, the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c rotate as described above, and the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c move along the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c, and the plate 1 can be positioned in the Z direction.
The details of the mechanism for moving the plate 1 and its operation are the same as in the first embodiment, and a description thereof is omitted here.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the stage 14 is provided on the back side of the plate 1, the stage 14 to the plate 1 is attached via parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, a 15c. That is, one end of the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, 15c is attached to the back surface of the plate 1, and the stage 14 is attached to the other end of the leaf springs 15a, 15b, 15c. As shown in FIG. 9, the stage 14 is not screwed with the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c.
The parallel leaf springs 15 a, 15 b and 15 c are provided such that the plane of the leaf spring is parallel to the plane of the plate 1. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, it is desirable to arrange them on a line extending radially from the center of the plate 1 (or the stage 14).
By arranging the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, and 15c as described above, the plate 1 and the stage 14 move only in the direction in which they are relatively approached and separated by the amount of deflection of the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, and 15c. It becomes possible. Further, the leaf springs 15a, 15b, and 15c have strong rigidity with respect to the XYθ direction parallel to the plane of the plate 1 and the direction of twisting with respect to the plane.
Therefore, the movement of the plate 1 in a direction other than the Z direction is restricted with respect to the stage 14.

In the above embodiment, the ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are provided with the rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 or the rotation direction / ball screw position restricting portion 12 to restrict the inclination of the ball screw. The movement in the XYθ direction of the plate 1 after positioning in the Z direction is restricted, but in this embodiment, the rotation direction / stage position restriction parts 16-1, 16-2, 16-3 are provided on the stage 14. The movement of the stage 14 is restricted or the movement after the Z-direction positioning is restricted.
That is, since the movement of the plate 1 in directions other than the Z direction is restricted with respect to the stage 14 as described above, the movement of the plate 1 in the XYθ direction is restricted by restricting or restricting the movement of the stage 14. can do. Even if the movement of the stage 14 is restricted in this way, the plate 1 can move in the Z direction within the range in which the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, and 15c are deformed.
The rotation direction restricting portion 7 and the ball screw position restricting portion 8 can be used as means for restricting or restricting the movement of the stage 14, but here, the rotation direction / stage position restricting portion 16 is used. The case will be described.
Three ball screw mechanism 9a in this embodiment, since 9b9c is swingable, as shown in FIG. 9, using three sets of rotating direction / stage position regulating portion 16-1 There is a need.

The rotation direction / stage position restricting portions 16-1, 16-2, 16-3 include the fixed disk 16a composed of a leaf spring or the like as described above, the pad 16b for air-locking the fixed disk 16a, and the air lock mechanism 16c. Here, the fixed disk 16a is disposed in parallel with the Z-axis direction, and the pad 16b has a U-shape configured to sandwich the fixed disk 16a from both sides.
In this embodiment, since the stage 14 is moved in the Z axis direction with the movement of the plate 1, as shown in FIG. 8, an air lock mechanism 16c and the pad 16b is disposed on the stage 14, also on the stage base 10 The fixed disk 16a corresponding to the pad 16b is attached along the Z direction. As described above, when the air lock mechanism 16c is not operated, the movement of the stage 14 is restricted, and when the air lock mechanism 16c is operated, the movement of the stage 14 is restricted. The base 10 is fixed so as not to move in the XYθ direction.
Incidentally, the air lock mechanism 16c and the pad 16b to the stage base 10 side, it is also possible to provide a fixed disk 16a to the stage 14 side, since the stage 14 is moved in the Z axis direction, a fixed disk 16a to be attached to the stage 14 Needs a length in the Z-axis direction according to the movement distance.

Next, the operation of the Z stage will be described based on FIG. 8 and FIG. Note that the same parts as those in the first embodiment are omitted.
The plate 1 is below the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c (position indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 8). This position is, for example, 50 mm away from the mask (not shown).
A work to be subjected to light processing is carried in and placed on a work suction plate (not shown) provided on the plate 1 via an XYθ moving mechanism or the like. The work is held and fixed on the work suction plate by vacuum suction.
The motors 6a, 6b and 6c are driven, and the three ball screws 2a, 2b and 2c are rotated, the plate 1 is raised, and the workpiece suction plate is raised together with this, and the workpiece approaches the mask.
At this time, the three ball screws 2b and 2c are supported by the bases 5b and 5c so as to be swingable. Therefore, if a radial load is applied to the ball screws 2a, 2b and 2c, the ball screws 2a and 2b are used. , 2c are inclined, and no radial load is generated between the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c and the moving bodies 4a, 4b, 4c.
Further, the moment force applied to the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c is removed by the spherical bearing 401 described above.

Here, the stage 14 attached to the back side of the plate 1 via the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, 15c is also suspended by the leaf spring and raised together with the plate 1.
At this time, since the air lock mechanism 16c is not operating and the pad 16b does not sandwich the fixed disk 16a, the movement of the stage 14 is basically not restricted. However, since the fixed disk 16a is provided along the Z-axis direction, the pad 16b of the air lock mechanism 16c acts as a guide, and the movement of the stage 14 is restricted, and the stage 14 and the plate 1 are fixed to the fixed disk 16a. Move along the direction of the.
When the plate 1 rises and the distance between the workpiece and the mask on the workpiece suction plate approaches the gap interval for optical processing (for example, if the desired mask and workpiece distance is 50 μm, the motors 6a and 6b). , 6c is stopped, the rotation of the ball screws 2a, 2b, 2c is stopped, and the rising of the plate 1 is stopped.
Further, the air lock mechanism 16c is driven at this position, and the fixed disk 12a is sandwiched between the pads 16b. Thereby, the position of the stage 14 is fixed with respect to the stage base 10.

The ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c are rotated again, the plate 1 is moved, and the work suction plate is finely moved to a preset distance (alignment gap) for aligning the mask and the work. At this time, the stage 14 is fixed with respect to the stage base 10, but as described above, the plate 1 can move in the Z direction with respect to the stage 14 by the amount of deflection of the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, 15c. .
However, the plate 1 is restricted from moving in a direction other than the Z-axis direction with respect to the stage 14 by the parallel leaf spring, and does not move in the XYθ direction with respect to the stage 14.
Unlike the first embodiment, the ball screw mechanisms 9a, 9b, 9c are not fixed and can swing. Accordingly, when the plate 1 moves in the Z direction, the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c are inclined when a radial load is applied to the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c. There is no radial load between 4a, 4b and 4c.

Next, the ball screws 2a, 2b, and 2c are rotated to move the plate 1 so that the distance between the mask and the workpiece (gap G) becomes the distance (exposure gap) for performing optical processing.
The light irradiation unit irradiates the work with light having a wavelength necessary for light processing through the mask.
Here, during the setting of the alignment gap → the alignment of the mask and the workpiece → the movement to the exposure gap → the optical processing, when the plate 1 moves in the XYθ direction, the positional relationship between the mask and the workpiece changes and the accuracy of the optical processing is increased. (Exposure accuracy) decreases.
Therefore, as described above, the air lock mechanism 16 c is driven to fix the stage 14 to the stage base 10. Further, since the plate 1 is restricted from moving in a direction other than the Z direction with respect to the stage 14 by the parallel leaf springs 15a, 15b, and 15c, the workpiece on the plate 1 does not move in the XYθ direction and a twist occurs. Therefore, by moving the plate 1 in the Z-axis direction from the setting of the alignment gap to the end of the optical processing, the distance between the mask and the workpiece can be set with high accuracy, and the workpiece is moved in the XYθ direction. And high positioning accuracy can be maintained.
When the light processing is completed, the operation of the air lock mechanism 16c is released, the fixation of the fixed disk 16a by the pad 16b is released, the plate 1 is lowered, and the light processed workpiece on the workpiece suction plate is carried out.

In the above embodiment, three sets of rotational direction / stage position restricting portions are used, two sets of rotational direction / stage position restricting portions are attached to the same side of the stage 14, and the other set is attached to the side opposite to this side. However, the rotational direction / stage position restricting portion can be installed as shown in FIG. 10 according to the number of ball screw mechanisms that can be swung.
As described above, in FIG. 10, “free” means that the ball screw mechanism is swingably attached, and “fixed” means that the ball screw mechanism is not swingable. means.
FIG. 10A shows a case where all of the three ball screw mechanisms are free as in FIGS.
In this case, instead of the arrangement of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 9, two sets of rotational direction / stage position restricting portions 16-1 and 16-2 are attached to the same side of the stage 14, and another set 16 -3 can be attached to a side perpendicular to this side.

The fixed disk 16a is composed of a leaf spring or the like, and bends relatively easily when a force is applied from a direction perpendicular to the surface thereof, but bends when a force is applied from a direction parallel to the surface. Hateful.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9, two of the three fixed disks 16a are arranged as shown in FIG. 10A, rather than arranging the three fixed disks 16a so that the surfaces thereof are parallel to each other. The stage 14 can be firmly fixed by arranging the fixed disk 16a so that the surfaces thereof are orthogonal to each other.
In the case three of the ball screw mechanism is free to fix the stage 14, so may be fixed to the stage 14 at least two positions, in FIG. 10 (a), the provided two pairs of identical side The stage 14 can be fixed even if one of the rotation direction / stage position restricting portions 16-1 and 16-2 is removed.

FIG. 10B shows a case where one of the ball screw mechanisms is fixed and two are free.
In this case, as shown in the figure, the rotational direction / stage position restricting portion 16-2 is attached to one side of the stage 14, and the rotational direction / stage position restricting portion 16-1 is attached to the other side.
Here, by arranging the fixed disk 16a of the rotation direction / stage position restricting portion 16-1 so as to face in a direction orthogonal to a straight line connecting the fixed ball screw mechanism 9a and the free ball screw mechanism 9c, the stage 14 can be firmly fixed.
In one fixed of the ball screw mechanism, if the two are free, so may be fixed to the stage 14 in at least one location, in FIG. 10 (b), the direction of rotation / stage position regulating section Although it is possible to remove 16-2, in order to restrict the rotation of the stage 14, it is necessary to provide rotation direction / stage position restricting portions at two locations.
10A and 10B, the case where the pad 16b is attached to the plate 1 side and the fixed disk 16a is attached to the stage base side has been described. However, the fixed disk 16a is attached to the plate 1 side and the pad 16b may be attached to the stage base side.

It is a figure (perspective view) which shows the structure of the 1st Example of this invention. 1 is a diagram (sectional view) showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the attachment structure of the plate to the moving body using a spherical bearing. It is a figure which shows the 1st modification of a 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the 2nd modification of a 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the structural example of a gimbal mechanism. In a 1st Example, it is a figure which shows the relationship between the number of the ball screw mechanisms which enabled rocking, and the number of installation of a rotation direction control part and a ball screw position fixing | fixed part. It is a figure (sectional drawing) which shows the structure of the 2nd Example of this invention. It is a figure (top view) which shows the structure of the 2nd Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining attachment of the rotation direction / stage position control part in the 2nd example. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the exposure apparatus or the bonding apparatus of a panel. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the conventional Z moving mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

1 plate 2a, 2b, 2c ball screw 3a, 3b, 3c support frame 4a, 4b, 4c moving body 5a, 5b, 5c pedestal 6a, 6b, 6c motor 7 rotation direction restricting portion 7a screw 7b hole 7c rotation restricting member 8 ball Screw position restricting part 8a Fixed disk 8b Pad 8c Air lock mechanism 9a, 9b, 9c Ball screw mechanism 10 Stage base 11 Control part 12 Rotating direction / ball screw position restricting part 12a Fixed disk 12b Pad 12c Air lock mechanism 13 Gimbal mechanism 14 Stage 15a, 15b, 15c Parallel leaf spring 16 Rotation direction / Stage position restricting portion 16a Fixed disk 16b Pad 16c Air lock mechanism

Claims (2)

The work stage holding the workpiece is moved in the Z-axis direction (height direction), a stage apparatus provided with a stage moving mechanism you positioning,
The stage moving mechanism is provided along the Z-axis direction, and at least two ball screws arranged on the stage base in a state that can swing around the point,
A plate that is tiltably attached to a moving body that is screwed into the three ball screws, and that moves the work stage in the Z-axis direction;
In after plate is positioned in the Z-axis direction, to fix the position so that the plate does not move, and having a ball screw position regulating means for fixing the ball screw, against the stage base Stage device. The work stage holding the workpiece is moved in the Z-axis direction (height direction), a stage apparatus provided with a stage moving mechanism you positioning,
The stage moving mechanism is provided along the Z-axis direction, and at least two ball screws arranged on the stage base in a swingable manner with one point as an axis,
A plate that is tiltably attached to a moving body that is screwed into the three ball screws, and that moves the work stage in the Z-axis direction;
A parallel leaf spring disposed on the back surface of the plate so that the plane of the leaf spring is parallel to a surface perpendicular to the Z-axis direction ;
And stages attached to the plate via the parallel leaf springs,
In after plate is positioned in the Z-axis direction, to fix the position so that the stage is not moved, the stage apparatus characterized by having a stage position regulating means for fixing the stage, against the stage base .

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