JPS6339897B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a transfer device, and more particularly to an improvement in a mask positioning mechanism for an X-ray transfer device.

In the future, it is expected that X-ray transfer devices will be used for patterning semiconductor devices with higher density. In this case, exposure X-rays irradiate the resist on the substrate through a mask, leaving the resist on the substrate according to the pattern shape. There are two types of resists: positive resists in which exposed areas are removed and negative resists in which exposed areas remain.Positive resists generally have higher resolution and lower sensitivity than negative resists. Therefore, either a positive resist or a negative resist is selected depending on the pattern shape, exposure time, etc. For example, when forming a pattern on a substrate with a positive resist using a positive pattern mask in which a pattern 2 of gold or the like is formed on a support frame 1 as shown in FIG. A mold pattern mask must be made. In this case, in order to accurately transfer a high-density pattern, a negative pattern mask is transferred and formed by bringing the mask surfaces into close contact with each other, so the mask after transfer is an inverted pattern mask with the left and right sides reversed as shown in Figure B. Become. Using such an inverted pattern mask, a pattern 4 can be formed on the substrate 3 with a positive resist as shown in Figure C.

The positioning mechanism for attaching the mask to the X-ray transfer device consists of two vertical positioning stoppers and one horizontal positioning stopper, and the mask is brought into contact with these three stoppers to determine the approximate position. After alignment, fine adjustments are made using alignment marks patterned on the mask. In this case, if the above-mentioned inverted pattern mask is used, the positioning marks will also be reversed horizontally, making it impossible to finely adjust the positioning due to problems such as variations in the external dimensions of the mask.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an alignment mechanism that can be applied to both a positive pattern mask in which a pattern is positively formed and a reverse pattern mask in which the pattern is reversely transferred. shall be. Therefore, the positioning mechanism according to the present invention includes a stopper for vertical positioning of the mask and a stopper for horizontal positioning of the mask, and the stopper is configured to be at a predetermined relative position to the positioning pattern provided on the mask. In the positioning mechanism, there are
A lateral positioning stop is selectively usable for a mask having two mutually reversed symmetrical shape patterns, and the lateral positioning stop is movable to an inoperative position in which it does not engage with the mask when it is applied. and has a locking mechanism for fixing it in a predetermined operating position.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of the positioning mechanism according to the present invention. Two vertical (Y direction) positioning stoppers 7, 8 and one horizontal (X direction) positioning stopper 6, 9 are provided at symmetrical positions with respect to the center line C when the mask 5 is mounted. The lateral positioning stoppers 6, 9 are movable vertically relative to the mask surface of the mask 5, as shown in FIG. 3, and can be retracted to a non-operating position in which they do not engage the mask 5. In FIG. 3, the mask 5 is fixed by suitable means (not shown) to an outer frame 12 that supports an X-ray transparent window 11 made of beryllium or the like. The stoppers 6, 9 have grooves 18 in which the resilient locking member 13 or 14 engages, causing the stoppers 6, 9 to be in the actuated position (the position shown in FIG. 3) or not to engage with the mask 5. Hold fixed in non-operating position.

When wearing a normal mask 5, as shown in FIG. 2A, one lateral positioning stopper 9 is
is moved to the non-operating position, the mask 5 is brought into contact with each of the stoppers 6, 7, and 8 to align the mask 5 to a predetermined position, and then the positioning is performed at a predetermined precise position using the lateral alignment stoppers 6. The mask 5 is fixed at an accurate position by making fine adjustments using the marks 10. At this time, since the stopper 9 is in the non-operating position, it does not interfere with the loading operation or positioning movement of the mask 5. When the reverse pattern mask 5' is used, the stopper 6 is retracted to the non-operating position as shown in FIG. 2B, and the stopper 9 is
is set at the operating position, and the inverted pattern mask 5' is roughly aligned using the stoppers 7, 8, and 9.
Since the stopper 9 is symmetrical to the stopper 6 with respect to the center line C, the positioning mark 10' is reversely transferred.
is placed at a predetermined position from the stopper 9. Therefore, fine positioning adjustment can be performed using this alignment mark 10'.

The stopper for lateral positioning is a guide 17 with a roller and a slide member 16 as shown in FIG.
It may also be configured by Figure 4 shows the lock member 15.
shows the operating position in which the slide member 16 is engaged.

By using the mask positioning mechanism described above, it can be applied not only to normal positive pattern masks but also to reverse pattern masks obtained by reversely transferring the same, increasing the versatility of the X-ray transfer device and making it possible to use a single device. Mask alignment can be easily performed by arbitrarily selecting a negative resist or a positive resist.

Note that the present invention is not only effective for X-ray transfer devices, but is also applicable to ordinary optical transfer devices and other transfer devices.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1A is a cross-sectional view of the positive pattern mask.
Figure B is a sectional view of an inverted pattern mask of the mask shown in A, Figure 1 C is a sectional view of a patterned substrate, and Figure 2 A is a diagram of the positioning mechanism according to the present invention when a positive pattern mask is used. FIG. 2B is a configuration diagram of the positioning mechanism according to the present invention when an inverted pattern mask is used, and FIGS. FIG. 3 is an example cross-sectional view. 5, 5'... Mask, 6, 9... Stopper for horizontal alignment, 7, 8... Stopper for vertical alignment, 13, 14, 15... Lock member, 1
8...Groove.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a mask positioning mechanism configured to include a stopper for vertical positioning and a stopper for horizontal positioning of the mask, and the stopper is configured to be at a predetermined relative position with respect to the positioning pattern provided on the mask, The lateral positioning stops are selectively usable for a mask having one mutually inverted symmetric shape pattern each at symmetrical positions with respect to the longitudinal centerline, and the lateral positioning stops are used when the mask is put on. 1. A mask positioning mechanism for a transfer device, comprising a locking mechanism that is movable to a non-operating position where it does not engage with the mask and is fixed at a predetermined operating position.