TW202417994A - Substrate stage, substrate transport method, exposure apparatus, and method for manufacturing article - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a substrate stage, a substrate carrying-out method, an exposure apparatus, and a method of manufacturing an article. The substrate stage is provided with a carrying-out mechanism for carrying out a substrate, and the carrying-out mechanism is provided with: a holding part for holding the substrate; a driving unit that drives the holding unit by driving in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction; a first guide that, when the drive unit is driven in the first direction, guides the holding unit so as to drive the holding unit in the first direction and in a direction different from the first direction; and a second guide that, when the drive unit is driven in the second direction, guides the holding unit so as to drive the holding unit in the second direction and in a direction different from the second direction.

Description

Substrate stage, substrate carrying method, exposure device, and article manufacturing method

The present invention relates to a substrate stage, a substrate carrying method, an exposure device and a method for manufacturing an article.

In the lithography process in the manufacture of liquid crystal panels, organic EL displays, semiconductor devices, etc., an exposure device is used to transfer the pattern of the original plate to a substrate coated with a photosensitive agent. In the lithography process, an exposure device that can efficiently transport the substrate without reducing productivity is required.

Patent document 1 discloses that by carrying out the unloading of a substrate that has been exposed and carrying in the substrate to be exposed next simultaneously, substrate exchange can be performed quickly. [Patent document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-146045

[The problem that the invention wants to solve]

However, in the operation of carrying out the substrate, a mechanism is required to move the substrate stage holding the substrate in the horizontal direction and a mechanism to move the substrate stage in the vertical direction, and a moving realization unit such as cables and tubes corresponding to each mechanism is required. It is difficult to arrange multiple cables in a limited space, and the risk of dust and dust generated by contact between cables is also increased, and there is also a risk of adversely affecting exposure performance.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a substrate stage that is advantageous in that it can be made into a simple structure. [Technical means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, a substrate stage as one aspect of the present invention is a substrate stage having a carrying-out mechanism for carrying out a substrate, wherein the carrying-out mechanism comprises: a holding portion that holds the substrate; a driving portion that drives in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby driving the holding portion; a first guide member that guides the holding portion in a manner that drives the holding portion in the first direction and a direction different from the first direction when the driving portion is driven in the first direction; and a second guide member that guides the holding portion in a manner that drives the holding portion in the second direction and a direction different from the second direction when the driving portion is driven in the second direction. Further features of the present invention will become clear from the following embodiments (with reference to the drawings). [Technical Effects]

According to the present invention, a substrate stage which is advantageous in that it can be made into a simple structure can be provided.

In the following, the preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail based on the drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same components are marked with the same reference symbols, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

<First embodiment> The structure of the exposure device in this embodiment is described. The exposure device in this embodiment is a device used in the lithography process when manufacturing semiconductor devices, flat panel displays (FPDs) and other devices. The exposure device forms a latent image pattern in the pattern area of the substrate by transferring the pattern of the original plate (mask) to the substrate coated with an anti-etching agent. The exposure device in this embodiment is a scanning exposure device of the so-called step-and-scan method, which transfers the pattern of the original plate to multiple pattern areas of the substrate through a projection optical system.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an exposure device 100 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a coordinate system is defined by taking the surface on which the substrate P is placed as an XY plane and taking the direction perpendicular to the XY plane as a Z direction. The exposure device 100 may include an illumination optical system 1, an alignment measuring unit 2a, off-axis measuring units 2b and 2c, a plate stage 3, a control unit 4, a projection optical system 5, and a substrate stage 6.

Light emitted from a light source (not shown) is irradiated onto the original plate M through an optical system in the illumination optical system 1. The illumination optical system 1 includes a member defining an area for irradiating the original plate M, such as a strip or arc-shaped light.

The master plate M and substrate P (eg, glass substrate, wafer) are held by the master plate stage 3 and substrate stage 6, respectively, and are arranged at positions that are substantially optically concentric via the projection optical system 5 (the object plane and image plane of the projection optical system 5).

The projection optical system 5 is, for example, a mirror projection system composed of a plurality of mirrors, and has a predetermined projection magnification (for example, equal magnification, 1/2 times, 2 times, etc.), and projects the pattern formed on the original plate M onto the substrate P.

The original plate stage 3 and the substrate stage 6 scan in a direction (in the present embodiment, the Y direction) orthogonal to the optical axis direction (Z direction) of the projection optical system 5 while being synchronized with each other at a speed ratio corresponding to the projection magnification of the projection optical system 5.

The exposure device 100 sequentially repeats the exposure process for each of the plurality of pattern areas on the substrate P while moving the substrate stage 6 in steps, thereby completing the exposure process for one substrate P. In this way, when the pattern of the master M is transferred to each pattern area on the substrate P, the position alignment between the pattern area and the master M is sometimes performed.

The exposure device 100 has an alignment measuring section 2a between the illumination optical system 1 and the master plate M. The alignment measuring section 2a includes at least one alignment scope. The alignment measuring section 2a in this embodiment has two alignment scopes that are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the X direction. In addition, each alignment scope is configured in the exposure device 100 so as to be drivable in the XY plane. Therefore, the alignment measuring section 2a can observe each of the alignment marks formed in the pattern area on the substrate P and each of the alignment marks formed on the master plate M via the projection optical system 5.

In addition, off-axis measuring units 2b and 2c are provided between the projection optical system 5 and the substrate P, and the off-axis measuring units 2b and 2c include at least one off-axis scope. Each of the off-axis measuring units 2b and 2c of the present embodiment has two off-axis scopes that are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the X direction. In addition, each off-axis scope is configured in the exposure device 100 so as to be drivable on the XY plane. Therefore, the off-axis measuring units 2b and 2c can observe each of the alignment marks formed in the pattern area on the substrate P. The control unit 4 controls each part of the exposure device 100.

FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate stage 6 in the present embodiment. The substrate stage 6 has a mounting table 20, an X drive unit 30, air bearings 30a, 50a, a Y drive unit 50, a Y guide 60, a drive control unit 80, an X strip mirror 90, and pillars 201, 202. In addition, the substrate stage 6 has a Y guide 401, a Y drive unit 402 (drive unit), a Z guide 403, a base 404, a first guide 410a, a second guide 410b, cam followers 420a, 420b, and holding units 430a, 430b. In this embodiment, the Y guide 401, the Y drive unit 402 (drive unit), the Z guide 403, the base 404, the first guide 410a, the second guide 410b, the cam followers 420a, 420b, and the holding units 430a, 430b are also collectively referred to as a substrate carrying mechanism (carrying mechanism). The substrate carrying mechanism is a mechanism provided for carrying out the substrate P after exposure. In addition, the first guide 410a, the second guide 410b, the cam followers 420a, 420b are also collectively referred to as a guide mechanism.

The loading platform 20 carries a substrate P (e.g., a rectangular glass substrate). The X drive unit 30 is driven in the X direction on the Y drive unit 50 by a linear motor not shown in the figure via an air bearing 30a. The loading platform 20 is fixed to the X drive unit 30 via pillars 201 and 202. The Y drive unit 50 is driven in the Y direction on the Y guide 60 by a linear motor not shown in the figure via an air bearing 50a. The substrate unloading mechanism can be formed on the X drive unit 30. The substrate stage 6 is driven and controlled by the drive control unit 80. The X strip mirror 90 can reflect light from an interferometer not shown in the figure and is used to position the X coordinate of the substrate P. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1 , a Y-strip reflector can be configured to position the Y coordinate of the substrate P.

The Y guide 401 is a guide in the Y direction of the substrate carrying mechanism, and is configured to be arranged on the upper surface of the X drive unit 30. The Y drive unit 402 drives in the Y direction along the Y guide 401. The Y drive unit 402 can be a linear guide, etc. The Z guide 403 is a guide in the Z direction of the substrate carrying mechanism, and is connected to the Y drive unit 402. The Z drive unit 405 is connected to the base 404, and drives the base 404 in the Z direction by driving in the Z direction along the Z guide 403. The cam followers 420a and 420b are cylindrical bearings with shafts provided on the base 404, and are arranged separately from each other in the Y direction. The first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are rails having sliding surfaces and are arranged to be separated from each other in the Z direction. The cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b provided in the substrate carrying mechanism.

The first guide 410a is a guide rail for the outward path, and 410b is a guide rail for the return path. The sliding surface of the second guide 410b is arranged below the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. The base 404 and the Z drive unit 405 always apply force in the direction of driving in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403 due to their own weight. In addition, the cam followers 420a and 420b support the weight of the base 404 and the Z drive unit 405 by contacting the sliding surface of the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b.

The holding parts 430a and 430b hold the substrate P and are formed on the upper surface of the base 404. The substrate carrying mechanism is driven at a high acceleration in the horizontal direction, so in order to prevent the substrate P from slipping, the holding parts 430a and 430b are preferably high in friction.

FIG3 is a diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cam followers 420a and 420b provided on the base 404. As shown in FIG3(a), the base 404 may further be provided with a Z guide 421 for avoiding, a Z driving part 422 for avoiding, a spring 423 for avoiding, and a mechanical stopper 424. These components may be configured to drive the cam follower 420b in the Z direction. Although the following description is directed to a structure in which only the cam follower 420b can be driven in the Z direction and the cam follower 420a is fixed, it is not limited to this. For example, depending on the shapes of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b, only the cam follower 420a may be driven in the Z direction, or both the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b may be driven in the Z direction. In addition, a configuration in which the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b can be driven in a direction offset from the Z direction may be adopted. In other words, a configuration in which at least one of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b can be driven up and down may be adopted.

The Z-guide for avoiding 421 is fixed on the base 404, and the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding is driven in the Z direction along the Z-guide for avoiding 421. In the present embodiment, the cam follower 420b is connected to the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding, and the cam follower 420a is connected to the base 404. The spring for avoiding 423 is connected to the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding and the base 404. The mechanical brake 424 is configured to be connected to the base 404, and a part of the upper surface of the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding is in contact with a part of the lower surface of the mechanical brake 424. The mechanical brake 424 is arranged so that the Z-actuator 422 for avoiding is always in contact with the mechanical brake 424 to generate tension of the spring 423 for avoiding. The spring 423 for avoiding can use a spring having a spring constant such as a tension greater than the weight of the cam follower 420b and the Z-actuator 422 for avoiding.

When an external force greater than a predetermined value is applied to the cam follower 420b in the -Z direction, as shown in FIG3(b), the evasion spring 423 is extended, and the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are driven in the -Z direction along the evasion Z guide 421. When the external force is less than a predetermined value, the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are driven in the +Z direction through the evasion spring 423. Furthermore, as shown in FIG3(a), the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are stationary at a position where the mechanical brake 424 contacts the evasion Z driving unit 422. In this way, the Z-direction positions of the cam follower 420b and the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance always return to the same position even when subjected to external force. In addition, the contact surface of the mechanical brake 424 that contacts the plane of the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance is preferably a spherical surface in order to improve reproducibility. Alternatively, the contact surface of the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance may be a spherical surface, and the contact surface of the mechanical brake 424 may be a plane. In addition, in order to reduce the load on the Z-guide 421 for avoidance, it is preferred that the center of the cam follower 420b and the Y-coordinate position of the Z-guide 421 for avoidance are consistent.

Next, referring to Fig. 4, the substrate carrying out action of the substrate carrying out mechanism is described. In Fig. 4, the substrate carrying out action refers to the action of carrying out the substrate P after the exposure process from the substrate stage 6 to the buffer stage 70 arranged outside the exposure device 100. As shown in Fig. 4, the buffer stage 70 is composed of a substrate and pins, and is configured to receive the substrate P through the pins.

The substrate carrying out action is divided into an outward action and a return action. First, the outward action is described with reference to FIG. 4(a) to FIG. 4(f). Here, the outward action refers to the action from when the substrate carrying out mechanism transfers the substrate P from the origin position to the buffer stage 70.

Fig. 4 (a) is a diagram showing the state where the substrate carrying mechanism is located at the origin position. At this time, the standby position of the substrate carrying mechanism is arranged at a position lower than the upper surface of the mounting table 20, and the mounting table 20 holds the substrate P and the holding parts 430a and 430b do not hold the substrate P.

When the substrate carrying-out operation starts, the Y driving unit 402 drives in the -Y direction along the Y guide 401. Along with the above-mentioned driving, the Z guide 403, the Z driving unit 405, the base 404 and the cam followers 420a and 420b connected to the Y driving unit 402 are also driven in the -Y direction. In addition, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a.

As shown in FIG. 4( b ), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is also driven in the +Z direction along the first guide 410a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 connected to the cam follower 420b are driven along the Z guide 403. The driving amount in the Z direction in the aforementioned driving depends on the shape of the first guide 410a, and the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b become higher than the upper surface of the mounting table 20. In addition, the shape of the first guide 410a can be designed so that when the substrate carrying mechanism carries out the substrate P, the substrate P is bent in the Z direction, so that the height at which the substrate P does not contact the mounting table 20 is reached. Along with the aforementioned driving, the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate P, so that the substrate P is held by the holding parts 430a and 430b, and the substrate P is lifted in the +Z direction according to the driving amount of the first guide 410a in the Z direction.

That is, although the Y driving part 402 is driven in a predetermined straight direction, the first guide 410a can guide the holding parts 430a and 430b in a direction (inclination) different from the aforementioned straight direction. In addition, the aforementioned straight direction refers to a direction parallel to the contact surface of the aforementioned substrate that contacts the substrate P and the holding parts 430a and 430b. The first guide 410a is configured to raise the holding parts 430a and 430b as the Y driving part 402 is driven. Specifically, the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b is a shape including a guide extending in the aforementioned straight direction (first direction) and a guide extending in a direction (oblique direction) different from the aforementioned straight direction.

As shown in FIG4(c), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. Moreover, the base 404, the retaining parts 430a and 430b, and the substrate P are driven in the -Y direction while maintaining the height (Z coordinate position) of FIG4(b). At this time, at least one of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b is in contact with the first guide 410a. In order to prevent the substrate P from shifting in the horizontal direction during the aforementioned driving, the acceleration of the Y driving part 402 can be set so that the friction force of the contact surface between the substrate P and the retaining parts 430a and 430b is greater than the inertial force accompanying the driving.

As shown in Fig. 4(d), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420b is separated from the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. That is, only the cam follower 420a is in contact with the sliding surface of the first guide 410a.

As shown in FIG4(e), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, if the driving amount in the -Z direction is set so that the upper surface of the holding parts 430a and 430b is at a position lower than the upper surface of the pin of the buffer 70, the substrate P leaves the substrate carrying mechanism and is delivered to the buffer 70. During the period when the holding parts 430a and 430b hold the substrate P in the aforementioned driving, since the substrate P, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven with acceleration in the -Z direction, the vertical resistance of the substrate P is reduced and the friction force is also reduced. At this time, the acceleration of the Y driving unit 402 can be set so that the substrate P does not move in the horizontal direction on the holding parts 430a and 430b.

That is, the first guide 410a is configured to lower the holding parts 430a and 430b as the Y driving part 402 is driven.

As shown in FIG4(f), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a also separates from the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, similarly to the cam follower 420b. Moreover, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403 due to their own weight. Thereafter, at least one of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b contacts the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, so that the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 move to a position lower than the height in the Z direction of FIG4(e).

The above is the description of the outward movement. Next, the return movement is described with reference to FIG. 4( g) to FIG. 4( j). The return movement refers to the movement of the substrate carrying mechanism that delivers the substrate to the buffer 70 and returns to the original position.

As shown in FIG. 4( g ), when the Y driving portion 402 is driven in the +Y direction, the cam followers 420 a and 420 b are driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410 b , and the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 are driven in the +Y direction while maintaining the height of FIG. 4( f ).

As shown in FIG4(h), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420b is subjected to an external force in the -Z direction, so as shown in FIG3(b), the cam follower 420b and the evasive Z driving part 422 are driven in the -Z direction along the evasive Z guide 421. By the aforementioned driving of the cam follower 420b and the evasive Z driving portion 422, even if the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a, the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 can be driven in the +Z direction.

As shown in FIG4(i), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420b leaves the lower surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420a and the evading Z driving part 422 are driven in the +Z direction along the evading Z guide 421 through the evading spring 423. Then, the cam follower 420b contacts the mechanical brake 424, so that the cam follower 420b returns to its original position as shown in FIG3(a).

As shown in FIG4(j), when the Y driving part 402 is driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b. At this time, the driving amount in the -Y direction can be designed so that the shapes of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are driven to contact the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. From the above driving, further driving in the -Y direction can make the substrate carrying mechanism return to the original position shown in FIG4(a).

In addition, FIG. 4(b) is also referred to as a holding procedure for holding the substrate P by the holding parts 430a and 430b. In addition, FIG. 4(c) to FIG. 4(e) are also referred to as a driving procedure for driving the holding parts 430a and 430b by driving the Y driving part 402 in a straight direction (-Y direction). In addition, in the present embodiment, after driving the Y driving part in a predetermined direction (-Y direction), the Y driving part is driven in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (+Y direction), so that the substrate is returned to the origin after being carried out with the base 404. The method including such procedures is also referred to as a substrate moving method.

In the present embodiment, two cam followers are arranged so that when the substrate carrying-out mechanism performs the substrate carrying-out action, the driving of the cam followers 420a and 420b is not hindered, and the substrate carrying-out mechanism returns to the origin. The cam follower 420a, as shown in FIG. 4(g) to (i), has the function of driving the substrate 404 along the +Z direction; the cam follower 420b, as shown in FIG. 4(j), has the function of maintaining the position of the substrate 404 in the Z direction. In addition, the number of cam followers is not limited to two, and three or more cam followers may be arranged as long as the above-mentioned action can be performed. The arrangement and shape of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are not limited to FIG. 2, and other arrangements and shapes may be adopted as long as the above-mentioned action can be realized.

In this embodiment, the Y driving unit 402 is controlled by the driving control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal driving but also the vertical driving can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a Z-direction driving unit, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced.

<Second embodiment> In the first embodiment, a configuration is described in which, during the substrate removal operation, the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a so that the substrate removal mechanism can return to the origin position. In this embodiment, an example different from the first embodiment is described. Matters not mentioned in this embodiment are followed in accordance with the first embodiment.

Next, referring to FIG. 5 , the substrate carrying-out action of the present embodiment is described. FIG. 5 (a) to FIG. 5 (h) are diagrams showing the appearance of the substrate carrying-out action. In the first embodiment, the base 404 is always subjected to force in the -Z direction due to its own weight, while in the present embodiment, the base 404 is always subjected to force in the direction opposite to gravity (+Z direction) due to the compression coil spring 460. That is, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the lower surface instead of along the upper surface of the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b as the Y-driving portion 402 is driven in the Y direction.

The compression coil spring 460 is connected to the upper surface of the Y driving part 402 and the lower surface of the base 404. According to this structure, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are always forced in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403 by the compression coil spring 460. The first guide 450a and the second guide 450b are guide rails having sliding surfaces of the cam followers 420a and 420b, and the compression coil spring 460 is applied to the contact surfaces of the cam followers 420a and 420b and the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b. The compression coil spring 460 is one of the guide mechanisms.

In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5 (d) to (f), the base 404 is driven in the -Z direction, and two cam followers are required to maintain the height in the Z direction. In this embodiment, the cam follower 420b has the function of driving the base 404 in the -Z direction as shown in Fig. 5 (d) and (e), and the cam follower 420a has the function of maintaining the position of the base 404 in the Z direction as shown in Fig. 5 (f). In addition, although the cam follower 420a contacts the upper surface of the second guide 450b, it can avoid the second guide 450b through the structure described below.

Here, the details of the structure of the cam followers 420a and 420b of this embodiment are described with reference to FIG. 6. The difference from the first embodiment is that the cam follower 420a is connected to the Z drive unit 422 for evasion, the cam follower 420b is connected to the base 404, and the evasion spring 425 is connected to the Z drive unit 422 for evasion and the base 404. In addition, the difference from the first embodiment is that the Z drive unit 422 is always applied with a force in the -Z direction, and the direction of the configuration of the mechanical brake 424 is changed, and the upper surface of the mechanical brake 424 is set to contact the lower surface of the Z drive unit 422 for evasion.

In order to make the evasion Z driving part 422 always contact with the mechanical brake 424, the mechanical brake 424 is set in a manner of compressing the evasion spring 425. Through the above-mentioned structure, when an external force in the +Z direction is applied to the cam follower 420a, as shown in Figure 6 (b), the evasion spring 425 is compressed, and the cam follower 420a and the evasion Z driving part 422 are driven in the +Z direction. If the external force disappears, the cam follower 420a and the evasion Z driving part 422 are driven in the -Z direction due to the compressed evasion spring 425 and gravity, and stay still at the position where the evasion Z driving part 422 and the mechanical brake 424 are in contact. In this way, according to the structure of FIG. 6, when no external force is applied or when the external force disappears, the Z-direction positions of the cam follower 420a and the evasive Z-driving unit 422 always remain stationary at the same position.

Returning to the description of Fig. 5 (a) to (h), as shown in Fig. 5 (a), the standby position of the substrate carrying mechanism is arranged at a position lower than the upper surface of the mounting table 20. This position is also referred to as the origin position.

As shown in FIG. 5( b ), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is subjected to the force of the compression coil spring 460 in the +Z direction and is driven in the +Z direction along the lower surface of the guide rail 450a. Furthermore, the base 404 connected to the cam follower 420a and the Z driving part 405 connected to the base 404 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. The driving amount in the Z direction in the aforementioned driving depends on the shape of the first guide 450a. As in the first embodiment, the shape can be designed so that the upper surface of the holding parts 430a and 430b is higher than the upper surface of the mounting table 20.

As shown in FIG. 5( c ), when the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam followers 420 a and 420 b slide on the lower surface of the first guide 450 a.

As shown in FIG. 5( d ), if the Y driving unit 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is driven along the sliding surface of the guide rail 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving unit 405 are driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b are located at a position lower than the upper surface of the pins of the buffer 70, so that the substrate P leaves the substrate carrying mechanism and is delivered to the buffer 70. As in the first embodiment, since the vertical resistance of the substrate P is reduced and the friction is reduced, the acceleration of the Y driving unit 402 can be set so that the substrate P does not move in the horizontal direction.

In the aforementioned driving, the cam follower 420a is in contact with the upper surface of the second guide 450b, and the cam follower 420a is subjected to an external force in the +Z direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the cam follower 420a and the evasive Z driving portion 422 are driven in the +Z direction along the evasive Z guide 421. Through the aforementioned driving of the cam follower 420a and the evasive Z driving portion 422, even if the cam follower 420a is in contact with the upper surface of the second guide 450b, the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 can be driven in the -Z direction.

As shown in FIG5(e), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are further driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420a leaves the upper surface of the second guide 450b, and the cam follower 420a and the Z driving part 422 for avoiding are driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 421 for avoiding due to the avoidance spring 425 and its own weight. Then, as shown in FIG6(a), the cam follower 420a returns to its original position by contacting the mechanical brake 424.

As shown in FIG5(f), if the Y driving part 402 is driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Y direction. At this time, even if the cam follower 420b is in contact with the sliding surface of the first guide 450a and the cam follower 420b is separated from the sliding surface of the second guide 450b, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 can be driven in the +Y direction while maintaining the height in the Z direction of FIG5(e). In order to realize the aforementioned driving, the interval between the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b in the Y direction can be designed to be larger than the diameter of the cam followers 420a and 420b and smaller than the interval between the cam followers 420a and 420b in the Y direction. By making the Z direction position of the sliding surface of the second guide 450b the same position as the lowermost surface of the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, or a position lower than the aforementioned position, the base 404 can be driven without the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b contacting the lower surface of the substrate P.

As shown in FIG. 5( g ), when the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam followers 420 a and 420 b slide on the lower surface of the second guide 450 b.

As shown in FIG5(h), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam followers 420a and 420b are separated from the sliding surface of the second guide 450b. Furthermore, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403 through the compressed compression spring 460 until the cam follower 420a or 420b contacts the sliding surface of the first guide 450a. Through the aforementioned driving, the base 404 can return to the original position.

The Y drive unit 402 may be, for example, a linear motor, a ball screw, a metal wire drive, etc. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a metal wire drive. The metal wire 82 is connected to the Y drive unit 402, and the metal wire 82 is configured to drive the Y drive unit 402 through the rotation of the drum 83. The Y drive unit 402 is configured to have a motor 81 for rotating the drum 83, and the motor 81 is controlled through the drive control unit 80.

In this embodiment, the Y driving unit 402 is controlled by the driving control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal driving but also the vertical driving can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a Z-direction driving unit, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced.

<Third Implementation> This implementation describes a substrate unloading mechanism having a different structure from the first and second implementations. Matters not mentioned in this implementation follow those of the second implementation.

Referring to FIG8 , the substrate carrying-out operation of this embodiment is described. FIG8 (a) to (k) are diagrams showing the appearance of the substrate carrying-out operation. The difference from the second embodiment is that four cam followers 420a to 420d are provided on the base 404. In addition, in this embodiment, the structure is configured with six guides, and the individual guides are referred to as the first guide 450a, the first guide 450b, the third guide 481, the fourth guide 483, the fifth guide 482, and the sixth guide 484.

The bearing part 470 of FIG8(a) is formed on the Z driving part 405 and the base 404. In terms of the mounting direction, the X axis is mounted as the rotation axis. According to the aforementioned structure, the base 404 can rotate in the pitch direction (with the X axis as the rotation axis) relative to the Z driving part 405. The part of the base 404 that is separated from the bearing part 470 and the compression spring 460 in the -Y direction (specifically, the part where the cam followers 420c and 420d are provided in FIG8) bears the gravity caused by its own weight in the -Z direction with the bearing part 470 as the rotation center. The weight is supported at the contact surface between the cam follower 420c and the third guide 481 and the fourth guide 483, or at the contact surface between the cam follower 420d and the third guide 481, the fifth guide 482 and the sixth guide 484. The third guide 481 and the fourth guide 483 are provided on the X driving part 30, and the fifth guide 482 and the sixth guide 484 are provided on the buffer stage 70.

In the first and second embodiments, the base 404 is supported in a cantilever manner, and the vibration of the base 404 in the Z direction during the substrate removal may become a problem. On the other hand, in this embodiment, according to the above-mentioned structure, the base 404 can be supported at both ends by the cam followers 420a to 420d, so the above-mentioned vibration can be reduced.

FIG9 shows the relationship between the cam followers 420c, 420d and the third to sixth guides 481 to 484 in the X direction. FIG9 is a diagram of the substrate carrying-out portion 40 of FIG8 viewed from the +Z direction. As shown in FIG9, the cam followers 420c and 420d are arranged at positions offset in the X direction. In this embodiment, the cam follower 420c is arranged in the -X direction, and the cam follower 420d is arranged in the +X direction. The third guide 481 has a sliding surface that is wide in the X direction so that the cam followers 420c and 420d are in contact. The fifth guide 482 and the sixth guide 484 have sliding surfaces that are in contact only with the cam follower 420d; and the fourth guide 483 has a sliding surface that is in contact only with the cam follower 420c.

The cam follower 420c has the function of supporting the weight of the substrate 404 when it is located on the side of the stage, and the cam follower 420d has the function of supporting the weight of the substrate 404 when it is located on the side of the stage and the buffer stage 70. In addition, it is configured so that the origin return can be performed during the substrate carrying-out operation as shown in FIG8(i) to (k). The cam follower 420d of FIG10 can dodge the third guide 481 as shown in FIG8(i) and FIG8(j). The configurations in FIG10(a) and FIG10(b) are the same as those in the second embodiment, although the configuration positions are different.

Returning to the description of Fig. 8, in the following description, descriptions of the same contents as those of the second embodiment are omitted, and only the points unique to this embodiment are described.

As shown in FIG. 8( a ), when the Y driving portion 402 is driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d is driven in the −Y direction along the sliding surface of the third guide 481 .

As shown in FIG. 8( b ), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d is driven in the +Z direction along the sliding surface of the third guide 481 .

As shown in FIG8(c), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420d is driven along the sliding surface of the third guide 481. Since the sliding surfaces of the third guide 481 and the fifth guide 482 are not continuous, there is a moment when the cam follower 420d leaves the sliding surface of the guide along with the driving of the Y driving part 402 in the -Y direction. However, since the cam follower 420c is in contact with the third guide 481, the contact surface can be used to support the weight of the base 404 and the substrate P. The Y-direction interval between the third guide 481 and the fifth guide 482 and the interval between the cam followers 420c and 420d are adjusted so that the cam follower 420c contacts the third guide 481 and the cam follower 420d contacts the fifth guide 482 provided on the buffer stage 70. Thus, the base 404, the holding portions 430a and 430b, and the substrate P are driven in the -Y direction while maintaining the Z-direction height of FIG. 8(b).

As shown in FIG. 8( d ), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d is driven along the sliding surface of the fifth guide member 482 .

As shown in FIG8(e), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420d is driven in the -Z direction along the sliding surface of the fifth guide 482. As long as the contact surface between the cam follower 420d and the fifth guide 482 is used to support the weight of the base 404, the posture of the substrate P can be kept horizontal until the substrate P is handed over to the buffer stage 70, which can prevent the loading position of the substrate P from being greatly shifted and the substrate P from being damaged. However, in order not to hinder the +Y direction driving of the cam follower 420d in FIG8(f) and FIG8(g), the clearance between the bottom surface of the fifth guide 482 and the top surface of the sixth guide 484 is designed to be larger than the outermost diameter of the cam follower 420d.

As shown in FIG. 8( f ), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d leaves the sliding surface of the fifth guide member 482 , falls due to its own weight, and contacts the sixth guide member 484 .

As shown in FIG8(g), when the Y driving part 402 is driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420d is driven along the sliding surface of the sixth guide 484. Accompanying the driving of the Y driving part 402 in the +Y direction, there is a moment when the cam follower 420d leaves the sliding surface of the sixth guide 484. At this time, the Y direction interval between the fourth guide 483 and the sixth guide 484 and the Y direction interval between the cam followers 420c and 420d are adjusted so that the cam follower 420c contacts the sliding surface of the fourth guide 483.

As shown in FIG. 8( h ), when the Y driving portion 402 is driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420 c is driven along the sliding surface of the fourth guide member 483 .

As shown in FIG8(i), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b leaves the sliding surface of the second guide, and the Z driving part 405 is driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403 through the compression spring 460, as in the second embodiment. On the other hand, the base 404 is also driven in the +Z direction by the cam follower 420c driving along the sliding surface of the fourth guide 483. At this time, although the cam follower 420d contacts the lower surface of the third guide 481 and receives the force in the -Z direction, as shown in FIG10(b), the evasive Z driving part 422 and the cam follower 420d are driven in the -Z direction along the evasive Z guide 421.

As shown in FIG8(j), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b contacts the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, thereby supporting the force of the compression spring 460 in the +Z direction, and the cam follower 420c is driven along the fourth guide 483. At this time, the cam follower 420d leaves the lower surface of the third guide 481 and no longer bears the force in the -Z direction. As shown in FIG10(a), the cam follower 420d is driven in the +Z direction through the tension spring 423 until the avoidance Z driving part 422 contacts the mechanical brake 424. Through the aforementioned driving, by making the Z-direction position of the avoidance Z-driving unit 422 contact the mechanical brake 424, the base 404 can return to the same position as that of FIG. 8(a).

As shown in FIG8(k), when the Y driving part 402 is driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the cam follower 420c is driven along the sliding surface of the fourth guide 483. When the driving is further in the -Y direction than the above driving, the cam follower 420c is separated from the sliding surface of the fourth guide 483. Therefore, the Y-direction interval between the cam followers 420c and 420d or the Y-direction interval between the third guide 481 and the fourth guide 483 can be adjusted so that the cam follower 420d contacts the sliding surface of the third guide 481. Through the above driving, the base 404 can return to the original position of FIG8(a).

In this embodiment, the Y driving unit 402 is controlled by the driving control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal driving but also the vertical driving can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a Z-direction driving unit, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced.

In addition, in the present embodiment, since the base 404 can be driven stably, the posture of the substrate P can be maintained horizontally, and the placement position of the substrate P can be prevented from being significantly shifted and the substrate P can be prevented from being damaged.

Here, FIG. 11 shows the substrate unloading mechanism and the entire platform when the substrate P is placed on the buffer platform 70 as viewed from above. In the first to third embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11, the platform 20 is divided in the X direction, and the substrate unloading mechanism is configured to be driven in the +Z direction from the gap between the divided platforms 20. When the substrate P is unloaded by the substrate unloading mechanism, the amount of deformation of the substrate P in the Z direction is determined by the number of bases 404 arranged and the positions arranged in the X and Y directions, and by the number of holding portions 430a and 430b arranged, the contact area with the substrate P, and the positions arranged in the X and Y directions. In addition, the driving amount of the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 in the +Z direction may be greater than the deformation amount of the substrate P.

In the first to third embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 , the X-direction position of the X-driving unit 30 may be in standby at the position where the driving in the +X direction is the largest, and an X-mechanical brake may be provided so that the X-driving unit 30 does not drive in the +X direction. By performing the substrate carrying-out operation of the substrate 404 at the aforementioned standby position, even if the stage is out of control due to an error, etc., the substrate P and the X-strip mirror 90 do not interfere with each other, so that the Y-direction intersection position of the substrate P may be located at a position overlapping with the Y-direction position of the X-strip mirror 90. By being located at the aforementioned intersection position, the Y-direction driving stroke of the substrate 404 may be reduced, and the Y-direction outer shape of the X-driving unit 30 may be prevented from being enlarged.

In the first to third embodiments, since the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are only fixed to the Z guide 403, the rigidity in the ω _Z direction (rotation direction centered on the Z axis) is small. Therefore, when being driven under high-speed transportation, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 perform ω _Z rotation due to their acceleration or disturbance, and the base 404 collides with the substrate holding part 20, which is accompanied by the risk of component damage and dust generation. In order to prevent the aforementioned collision, as shown in FIG. 12, any number of ω _Z brakes 100 may be provided on the stage side and the buffer stage 70. The clearance between the ω _Z brake 100 and the end surface of the base 404 is made smaller than the clearance between the end surface of the base 404 and the end surface of the substrate holding part 20. Thus, even if the base 404 and the Z drive unit 405 rotate in θ due to an external force, they will not collide with the substrate holding unit 20, but will collide with the ω _Z brake 100. The ω _Z brake 100 is a rotating body such as a roller, and the contact surface is preferably made of a low-dust material such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In the above-mentioned structure, when the base 404 collides with the ω _Z brake 100, the impact force is large because the impact occurs at the corner of the base 404, which may cause damage to the substrate carrying unit 40 and the ω _Z brake, and become an external force on the stage. In order to alleviate the above-mentioned impact force, it is preferred to set the top shape of the base 404 in the -Y direction to a cone as shown in Figure 13.

In the first to third embodiments, when the cam followers 420a, 420b and the guides are arranged only on one side relative to the Y center axis of the base 404, the base 404 tilts in the ω _Y direction. As a result, the edges of the cam followers 420a, 420b contact the sliding surface of the guide, and a force in the ω _Y direction is applied to the Z guide 403. Therefore, by symmetrically arranging the cam followers 420a, 420b and the guides, the tilt of the base 404 can be suppressed. The cam followers 420c, 420d and the guides in the third embodiment can also be arranged on one side relative to the Y axis center of the base 404, or symmetrically arranged on both sides. In addition, the material of the base 404 becomes a factor of damage when the weight is heavy, so it is preferably made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), aluminum, etc. with high specific rigidity.

FIG14 is a flowchart for illustrating the substrate unloading operation and the preceding and following procedures in the first to third embodiments. Each procedure is executed by controlling each part of the substrate stage 6 through the drive control unit 80. FIG14 is a flowchart for illustrating the process from the completion of the exposure process of a substrate to the start of the exposure process of the next substrate.

In step S1, the substrate stage 6 moves to the substrate unloading position. In step S2, the substrate is unloaded to the outside of the exposure device (for example, the buffer stage) through the substrate unloading mechanism (unloading process). It can also be directly unloaded to the manufacturing device of the next process (for example, the developing device) instead of the buffer stage. In step S3, the substrate conveying mechanism is stored inside the substrate stage 6. In step S4, the next substrate is loaded on the loading platform 20. In step S5, the substrate stage 6 moves to the exposure start position.

Therefore, the unloading mechanism of the present embodiment has a holding portion that holds a substrate, and has a driving portion that drives the holding portion by driving in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. In addition, the first guide member guides the holding portion to be driven in the first direction and a direction different from the first direction when the driving portion is driven in the first direction. In addition, the second guide member guides the holding portion to be driven in the second direction and a direction different from the second direction when the driving portion is driven in the second direction.

<Fourth embodiment> FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate stage 6 in the present embodiment. The substrate stage 6 has a mounting table 20, an X drive unit 30, air bearings 30a, 50a, a Y drive unit 50, a Y guide 60, a drive control unit 80, an X strip mirror 90, and pillars 201, 202. In addition, the substrate stage 6 has a Y guide 401, a Y drive unit 402 (drive unit), a Z guide 403, a base 404, a first guide 410a, a second guide 410b, cam followers 420a, 420b, 420c, and holding units 430a, 430b. In the present embodiment, the Y guide 401, the Y driving portion 402 (driving portion), the Z guide 403, the base 404, the first guide 410a, the second guide 410b, the cam followers 420a, 420b, and the holding portions 430a, 430b are also collectively referred to as a substrate transport mechanism (transport mechanism). The substrate transport mechanism transports the substrate to the buffer stage 70 (transport destination). The buffer stage 70 is composed of a substrate and pins, and is configured to receive the substrate P through the pins. The buffer stage 70 has a third guide 410c. The substrate transport mechanism is a mechanism provided for transporting the substrate P after exposure. In addition, the first guide 410a, the second guide 410b, the third guide 410c, and the cam followers 420a, 420b, and 420c are collectively referred to as a guide mechanism. In addition, the cam follower 420a or 420b is also referred to as a first cam follower, and the cam follower 420c is also referred to as a second cam follower.

The mounting table 20 carries a substrate P (e.g., a rectangular glass substrate). The X drive unit 30 is driven in the X direction on the Y drive unit 50 by a linear motor not shown in the figure via an air bearing 30a. The mounting table 20 is fixed to the X drive unit 30 via pillars 201 and 202. The Y drive unit 50 is driven in the Y direction on the Y guide 60 by a linear motor not shown in the figure via an air bearing 50a. The substrate transport mechanism can be formed on the X drive unit 30. The substrate stage 6 is driven and controlled by the drive control unit 80. The X strip reflector 90 can reflect light from an interferometer not shown in the figure and is used to position the X coordinate of the substrate P. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1 , a Y-strip reflector can be configured to position the Y coordinate of the substrate P.

The Y guide 401 is a guide for the substrate transport mechanism in the Y direction, and is configured to be arranged on the upper surface of the X drive unit 30. The Y drive unit 402 drives in the Y direction along the Y guide 401. The Y drive unit 402 can be a linear guide, etc. The Z guide 403 is a guide for the substrate transport mechanism in the Z direction, and is connected to the Y drive unit 402. The Z drive unit 405 is connected to the base 404, and drives the base 404 in the Z direction by driving in the Z direction along the Z guide 403. The cam followers 420a and 420b are cylindrical bearings with shafts provided on the base 404, and are arranged separately from each other in the Y direction. The first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are rails having sliding surfaces and are arranged to be separated from each other in the Z direction. The cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b provided in the substrate transport mechanism.

The first guide 410a is a guide rail for the outward path, and the second guide 410b is a guide rail for the return path. The sliding surface of the second guide 410b is arranged at a lower position than the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. The base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are always applied with force in the direction of driving in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403 due to their own weight. In addition, the cam followers 420a and 420b support the weight of the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 by contacting with the sliding surface of the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b.

The holding parts 430a and 430b hold the substrate P and are formed on the upper surface of the base 404. The substrate transport mechanism is driven at a high acceleration in the horizontal direction, so in order to prevent the substrate P from slipping, the holding parts 430a and 430b are preferably high in friction.

Here, the base 404 needs to be lowered by its own weight from the state where the cam followers 420a, 420b are in contact with the first guide 410a to the state where the cam followers 420a, 420b are in contact with the second guide 410b. At this time, the impact of the lowering may cause the degradation and failure of the components constituting the substrate stage 6, and the influence on the surrounding dust.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the cam follower 420c is formed on the substrate stage 6, and the cam follower 420c slides on the sliding surface of the third guide 410c provided on the buffer stage 70. As a result, when the cam followers 420a and 420b are transferred from the first guide 410a to the second guide 410b, the cam followers 420c are guided by the third guide 410c, so that the above-mentioned impact can be mitigated. That is, in the present embodiment, the holding parts 430a and 430b are driven in such a manner that any one of the cam followers among the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with the guide, so that the above-mentioned impact can be mitigated.

FIG. 16 is a diagram for explaining the detailed structure of the cam followers 420a, 420b, and 420c provided on the base 404. As shown in FIG. 16(a), the base 404 may further be provided with a Z guide 421 for avoiding, a Z driving part 422 for avoiding, a spring 423 for avoiding, and a mechanical stopper 424. These components may be configured to drive the cam follower 420b in the Z direction. In the following, although the structure in which only the cam follower 420b can be driven in the Z direction and the cam follower 420a is fixed is described, it is not limited to this. For example, depending on the shapes of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b, only the cam follower 420a may be driven in the Z direction, or both the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b may be driven in the Z direction. In addition, a configuration in which the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b can be driven in a direction offset from the Z direction may be adopted. In other words, a configuration in which at least one of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b can be driven up and down may be adopted.

The Z-guide for avoiding 421 is fixed on the base 404, and the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding is driven in the Z direction along the Z-guide for avoiding 421. In the present embodiment, the cam follower 420b is connected to the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding, and the cam follower 420a is connected to the base 404. The spring for avoiding 423 is connected to the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding and the base 404. The mechanical brake 424 is configured to be connected to the base 404, and a part of the upper surface of the Z-driving part 422 for avoiding is in contact with a part of the lower surface of the mechanical brake 424. The mechanical brake 424 is arranged so that the Z-driving unit 422 for avoiding is always in contact with the mechanical brake 424 to generate tension of the spring 423 for avoiding. The spring 423 for avoiding can use a spring having a spring constant such as a tension greater than the weight of the cam follower 420b and the Z-driving unit 422 for avoiding.

When an external force greater than a predetermined value is applied to the cam follower 420b in the -Z direction, as shown in FIG16(b), the evasion spring 423 is extended, and the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are driven in the -Z direction along the evasion Z guide 421. When the external force is less than a predetermined value, the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are driven in the +Z direction through the evasion spring 423. Furthermore, as shown in FIG16(a), the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving unit 422 are stationary at a position where the mechanical brake 424 is in contact with the evasion Z driving unit 422. In this way, the Z-direction positions of the cam follower 420b and the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance always return to the same position even when subjected to external force. In addition, the contact surface of the mechanical brake 424 that contacts the plane of the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance is preferably a spherical surface in order to improve reproducibility. Alternatively, the contact surface of the Z-drive unit 422 for avoidance may be a spherical surface, and the contact surface of the mechanical brake 424 may be a plane. In addition, in order to reduce the load on the Z-guide 421 for avoidance, it is preferred that the center of the cam follower 420b and the Y-coordinate position of the Z-guide 421 for avoidance are consistent.

In addition, FIG. 16( c ) is a diagram showing the cam follower 420 c in a state where no external force is applied, and FIG. 16( d ) is a diagram showing the cam follower 420 c in a state where an external force is applied in the +Z direction. The cam follower 420 c is configured to be driven up and down by the extension and contraction of the avoidance spring 423, as is the case with the cam followers 420 a and 420 b. In addition, the driving amount can be limited by mechanical brakes 424 a and 424 b.

Next, the substrate transport operation of the substrate transport mechanism will be described with reference to Fig. 17. The substrate transport operation is an operation of transporting the substrate P after the exposure process is completed from the substrate stage 6 to the buffer stage 70 disposed outside the exposure apparatus EX.

The substrate transporting motion is divided into an outward motion and a return motion. First, the outward motion is described with reference to FIG. 17( a ) to FIG. 17( g ). Here, the outward motion refers to the motion from when the substrate transporting mechanism transfers the substrate P from the origin position to the buffer stage 70 .

Fig. 17 (a) is a diagram showing the state where the substrate transport mechanism is located at the origin position. At this time, the standby position of the substrate transport mechanism is arranged at a position lower than the upper surface of the mounting table 20, and the mounting table 20 holds the substrate P and the holding parts 430a and 430b do not hold the substrate P.

When the substrate transport operation starts, the Y driving unit 402 drives in the -Y direction along the Y guide 401. Along with the above-mentioned driving, the Z guide 403, the Z driving unit 405, the base 404 and the cam followers 420a and 420b connected to the Y driving unit 402 are also driven in the -Y direction. In addition, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a.

As shown in FIG. 17( b ), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is also driven in the +Z direction along the first guide 410a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 connected to the cam follower 420b are driven along the Z guide 403. The driving amount in the Z direction in the aforementioned driving depends on the shape of the first guide 410a, and the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b become higher than the upper surface of the mounting table 20. In addition, the shape of the first guide 410a can be designed so that when the substrate P is transported by the substrate transport mechanism, the substrate P is bent in the Z direction, so that the height at which the substrate P does not contact the mounting table 20 is reached. Along with the aforementioned driving, the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b come into contact with the lower surface of the substrate P, so that the substrate P is held by the holding parts 430a and 430b, and the substrate P is lifted in the +Z direction according to the driving amount of the first guide 410a in the Z direction.

That is, although the Y driving part 402 is driven in a predetermined straight direction, the first guide 410a can guide the holding parts 430a and 430b in a direction (inclination) different from the aforementioned straight direction. In addition, the aforementioned straight direction refers to a direction parallel to the contact surface of the aforementioned substrate that contacts the substrate P and the holding parts 430a and 430b. The first guide 410a is configured to raise the holding parts 430a and 430b as the Y driving part 402 is driven. Specifically, the first guide 410a or the second guide 410b is a shape including a guide extending in the aforementioned straight direction (first direction) and a guide extending in a direction (oblique direction) different from the aforementioned straight direction.

As shown in FIG. 17(c), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. Furthermore, the base 404, the retaining portions 430a and 430b, and the substrate P are driven in the -Y direction while maintaining the height (Z coordinate position) of FIG. 17(b). At this time, at least one of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower 420b is in contact with the first guide 410a. In order to prevent the substrate P from shifting in the horizontal direction during the aforementioned driving, the acceleration of the Y driving portion 402 can be set so that the friction force of the contact surface between the substrate P and the retaining portions 430a and 430b is greater than the inertial force accompanying the driving.

As shown in Fig. 17(d), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420b is separated from the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. That is, only the cam follower 420a is in contact with the sliding surface of the first guide 410a.

As shown in FIG. 17( e), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, if the driving amount in the -Z direction is set so that the upper surface of the holding parts 430a and 430b is at a position lower than the upper surface of the pin of the buffer 70, the substrate P leaves the substrate transport mechanism and is delivered to the buffer 70. During the period when the holding parts 430a and 430b hold the substrate P in the aforementioned driving, since the substrate P, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven with acceleration in the -Z direction, the vertical resistance of the substrate P is reduced and the friction force is also reduced. At this time, the acceleration of the Y driving unit 402 can be set so that the substrate P does not move in the horizontal direction on the holding parts 430a and 430b.

That is, the first guide 410a is configured to lower the holding parts 430a and 430b as the Y driving part 402 is driven.

At this time, the cam follower 420c contacts the third guide 410c, and as the Y-driving unit 402 is driven, the cam follower 420c slides on the sliding surface of the third guide 410c.

As shown in FIG. 17( f ), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a also separates from the sliding surface of the first guide 410a, similarly to the cam follower 420b. At this time, only the cam follower 420c is in contact with the third guide 410c. The cam follower 420c slides along the third guide 410c.

As shown in Fig. 17(g), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420c reaches the lowermost surface of the third guide member 410c. At this time, the cam followers 420a and 420b are in contact with the second guide member 410b.

The above is the description of the outward movement. Next, the return movement is described with reference to FIG. 17(h) to FIG. 17(k). The return movement refers to the movement of the substrate transport mechanism that delivers the substrate to the buffer 70 and returns to the original position.

As shown in FIG17(h), if the Y driving part 402 is driven in the +Y direction, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Y direction while maintaining the height in FIG17(g). At this time, the cam follower 420c leaves the third guide 410c.

As shown in FIG. 17(i), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420b is subjected to an external force in the -Z direction, so as shown in FIG. 3(b), the cam follower 420b and the evasive Z driving part 422 are driven in the -Z direction along the evasive Z guide 421. By the aforementioned driving of the cam follower 420b and the evasive Z driving portion 422, even if the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a, the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 can be driven in the +Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 17( j), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are driven in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420b leaves the lower surface of the first guide 410a, and the cam follower 420a and the evading Z driving part 422 are driven in the +Z direction along the evading Z guide 421 through the evading spring 423. Then, the cam follower 420b contacts the mechanical brake 424, so that the cam follower 420b returns to its original position as shown in FIG. 16( a).

As shown in FIG. 17( k ), when the Y driving part 402 is driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420a is driven along the sliding surface of the second guide 410b. The driving amount in the −Y direction at this time can be designed so that the shapes of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are driven until the cam follower 420b contacts the sliding surface of the first guide 410a. By further driving in the −Y direction from the aforementioned driving, the substrate transport mechanism can be returned to the original position shown in FIG. 17( a ).

The relationship between the cam followers 420a, 420b, 420c and the first guide 410a, the second guide 410b, and the third guide 410c in the X direction is shown in FIG18. FIG18 is a view of the substrate transport mechanism from the +Z direction; as shown in FIG18, the cam followers 420a, 420b, and 420c are separated and arranged in the X direction. In this embodiment, the cam followers 420a and 420b are arranged at the same position, and the cam follower 420c is arranged at a position away from the positions of the cam followers 420a and 420b in the -X direction. On the other hand, the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are arranged so that only the cam followers 420a and 420b are in contact with each other, and the third guide 410c is arranged so that only the cam follower 420c is in contact with each other.

In addition, FIG. 17(b) is also referred to as a holding procedure for holding the substrate P by the holding parts 430a and 430b. In addition, FIG. 17(c) to FIG. 4(e) are also referred to as a driving procedure for driving the holding parts 430a and 430b by driving the Y driving part 402 in a straight direction (-Y direction). In addition, in the present embodiment, after driving the Y driving part in a predetermined direction (-Y direction), the Y driving part is driven in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction (+Y direction), so that the substrate is returned to the origin after being transported by the base 404. The method including such procedures is also referred to as a substrate moving method.

In the present embodiment, three cam followers are arranged so that when the substrate transporting mechanism performs the substrate transporting action, the driving of the cam followers 420a and 420b is not hindered, and the substrate transporting mechanism returns to the origin. The cam follower 420a has the function of driving the substrate 404 along the +Z direction as shown in Figures 17(g) to (j); the cam follower 420b has the function of maintaining the position of the substrate 404 in the Z direction as shown in Figure 17(k). In addition, the cam follower 420b has the function of reducing the impact of the substrate 404. In addition, the number of cam followers is not limited to three, and more than three may be arranged as long as the above-mentioned actions can be performed. The arrangement and shape of the first guide 410a and the second guide 410b are not limited to those shown in FIG. 15 , and other arrangements and shapes are also possible as long as the above-mentioned operation can be realized.

In this embodiment, the Y drive unit 402 is controlled by the drive control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal drive but also the vertical drive can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a drive unit in the Z direction, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced. In addition, in this embodiment, the substrate transport mechanism is driven in a manner that any cam follower among the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with the guide member, so that the above-mentioned impact can be alleviated.

<Fifth Implementation Method> In the fourth implementation method, a configuration is described in which, during the substrate transport operation, the cam follower 420b contacts the lower surface of the first guide 410a so that the substrate transport mechanism can return to the origin position. In this implementation method, an example different from the fourth implementation method is described. In terms of matters not mentioned in this implementation method, the fourth implementation method is followed.

Next, referring to FIG. 19 , the substrate transporting action of the present embodiment is described. FIG. 19 (a) to FIG. 19 (l) are diagrams showing the appearance of the substrate transporting action. In the fourth embodiment, the base 404 is always subjected to force in the -Z direction due to its own weight, while in the present embodiment, the base 404 is always subjected to force in the direction opposite to gravity (+Z direction) due to the compression coil spring 460. That is, the cam followers 420a and 420b are driven along the lower surface instead of along the upper surface of the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b as the Y-driving portion 402 is driven in the Y direction. In addition, the number of cam followers and guides is two, respectively, which is different from the fourth embodiment.

The compression coil spring 460 is connected to the upper surface of the Y driving part 402 and the lower surface of the base 404. According to this structure, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are always forced in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403 by the compression coil spring 460. The first guide 450a and the second guide 450b are guide rails having sliding surfaces of the cam followers 420a and 420b, and the compression coil spring 460 is applied to the contact surfaces of the cam followers 420a and 420b and the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b. The compression coil spring 460 is one of the guide mechanisms.

Next, the operation of the substrate mechanism in this embodiment will be described based on FIG. 19 (a) to FIG. 19 (l) are diagrams showing the operation in this embodiment. As in the fourth embodiment, the cam followers 420a and 420b are arranged at positions separated in the Y direction. The purpose of having two cam followers is to enable the substrate transport unit 40 to perform the desired substrate transport operation and to mitigate the impact of the substrate transport mechanism.

In the fourth embodiment, two cam followers are required when the substrate transport unit 40 returns to the origin. In addition, a third cam follower 420 is required to mitigate the impact of Z movement when the substrate transport unit 40 moves in the -Z direction without guidance after transporting the substrate 10. In contrast, in the present embodiment, only two cam followers 420a and 420b are required for the following reasons.

Figures 19(d) to (f) show the action of moving the substrate transport unit 40 in the -Z direction in order to place the transported substrate 10 on the pins of the buffer table 70. In the aforementioned action, the cam follower 420b drives the substrate transport unit 40 in the -Z direction. Moreover, as shown in Figure 19(j), when the cam follower 420a is not in contact with the first guide 450a, it is in contact with the second guide 450b, thereby having the function of bearing the +Z direction force of the compression coil spring 460. The cam follower 420a, as shown in Figures 19(f) to (g), has the function of maintaining the height of the substrate transport mechanism in the Z direction after moving in the -Z direction.

19(j) to (l) show the operation of returning the substrate transport unit 40 to the origin. In the above operation, the cam follower 420b has the function of preventing the +Z movement without the guidance of the substrate transport mechanism.

The details of the structure of the cam followers 420a and 420b in this embodiment are shown in FIG. 20. The difference from the fourth embodiment is that the cam followers 420a and 420b are connected to the Z drive parts 422a and 422b for avoidance, and the compression spring 425 for avoidance is connected to the cam follower 420a. In addition, the tension spring 423 for avoidance is connected to the cam follower 420b, and the mechanical brakes 424b and 424c are provided in a manner of sandwiching the Z drive part 422b for avoidance.

The evasion compression spring 425 of the cam follower 420a is connected to the evasion Z driving part 422a and the base 404, and always applies a force in the -Z direction to the Z driving part 422a. In addition, the upper surface of the mechanical brake 424a is set to contact the lower surface of the evasion Z driving part 422a. In order to make the evasion Z driving part 422a always contact with the mechanical brake 424a, the mechanical brake 424a is set in a position to compress the evasion compression spring 425.

With the above-described structure, when an external force in the +Z direction is applied to the cam follower 420a, as shown in FIG. 20(b), the evasion compression spring 425 is compressed, and the cam follower 420a and the evasion Z driving part 422a move in the +Z direction. If the external force disappears, the cam follower 420a and the evasion Z driving part 422a move in the -Z direction due to the compressed evasion compression spring 425 and gravity, and stop at a position where the evasion Z driving part 422a contacts the mechanical brake 424a. As described above, according to the structure of FIG. 20 , when no external force is applied or when the external force disappears, the positions of the cam follower 420a and the evasive Z driving portion 422a in the Z direction always remain stationary at the same position.

On the other hand, the evasion tension spring 423 of the cam follower 420b is connected to the evasion Z driving part 422b and the base 404, and always applies a force in the +Z direction to the evasion Z driving part 422b. The lower surface of the mechanical brake 424c is arranged to contact the upper surface of the evasion Z driving part 422b.

According to the above-mentioned structure, when an external force in the -Z direction is applied to the cam follower 420b, as shown in FIG. 20(b), the evasion tension spring 423 is stretched, and the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving part 422b slide in the -Z direction until they contact the mechanical brake 424b. When the external force disappears, the cam follower 420b and the evasion Z driving part 422b move in the +Z direction through the stretched evasion tension spring 423, and stop at the position where the evasion Z driving part 422b contacts the mechanical brake 424c. Thus, according to the structure of FIG20, when no external force is applied and when the external force disappears, the Z-direction positions of the cam follower 420a and the evasive Z-driving portion 422b always remain stationary at the same position. In addition, as shown in FIG19(d), by making the evasive Z-driving portion 422b contact the mechanical brake 424b, the +Z-direction force of the compression coil spring 460 can be borne by the mechanical brake 424b.

Next, the positional relationship of the first guide 450a, the second guide 450b, the fourth guide 450c, and the cam followers 420a and 420b in the X direction will be described based on FIG. 21. FIG. 21 is a diagram of the substrate transport mechanism of FIG. 19 when viewed from the +Z direction. The cam followers 420a and 420b are located at positions separated in the X direction, and the first guide 450a is arranged to contact both the cam followers 420a and 420b. On the other hand, the second guide 450b is arranged to contact only the cam follower 420a, and the fourth guide 450c is arranged to contact only the cam follower 420b.

The moving method and moving position of the substrate transport mechanism in this embodiment will be described based on Fig. 19. As shown in Fig. 19(a), the standby position of the substrate transport mechanism is arranged at a position lower than the upper surface of the holding parts 430a and 430b.

The substrate transporting operation shown in FIG. 19( a ) is the same as the operation in FIG. 15( a ) of the fourth embodiment. Since the first guide 410 a in FIG. 15( a ) can be understood by replacing it with 450 a , its explanation is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19( b), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a is subjected to the force of the compression coil spring 460 and moves in the +Z direction along the first guide 450a. Furthermore, the base 404 connected to the cam follower 420a and the Z driving part 405 connected to the base 404 move in the +Z direction along the Z guide 403. The amount of movement in the Z direction in the above movement depends on the shape of the first guide 450a. Similar to the fourth embodiment, the shape of the first guide 450a is designed to be at a height at which the substrate P does not contact the substrate holding part 20 due to the deflection in the Z direction caused by the dead weight of the substrate P when the substrate conveying mechanism conveys the substrate.

The substrate transporting action shown in FIG. 19( c ) is the same as the action in FIG. 15( c ) of the fourth embodiment. Since the first guide 410a in FIG. 15( c ) can be understood by replacing it with 450a , its explanation is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 19( d ), if the Y driving unit 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b moves along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving unit 405 move in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, if the movement amount in the -Z direction is set so that the upper surface of the holding parts 430a and 430b is located at a position lower than the upper surface of the buffer 70, the substrate P leaves the substrate transport mechanism and is delivered to the buffer 70. As in the fourth embodiment, since the force received by the holding parts 430a and 430b from the substrate P is reduced, the frictional force is reduced, and therefore the acceleration of the Y driving unit 402 is set so that the substrate P does not move in the horizontal direction.

During the aforementioned movement, the cam follower 420a contacts the upper surface of the second guide 450b, and the cam follower 420a receives an external force in the +Z direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20( b), the cam follower 420a and the cam follower Z driving portion 422 move in the +Z direction along the cam follower Z guide 421. Through the aforementioned movement of the cam follower 420a and the cam follower Z driving portion 422, even if the cam follower 420a contacts the upper surface of the second guide 450b, the base 404 and the Z driving portion 405 can move in the -Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 19( e ), if the Y driving part 402 further moves in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420b is driven along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 further move in the -Z direction along the Z guide 403. At this time, the cam follower 420a leaves the upper surface of the second guide 450b, and due to the compression spring 425 for avoidance and its own weight, the cam follower 420a and the cam follower Z driving part 422 move in the -Z direction along the avoidance Z guide 421. Then, as shown in FIG. 20( a ), the cam follower 420a returns to its original position due to contact with the mechanical brake 424.

As shown in FIG19(f), if the Y driving part 402 moves in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b moves along the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 move in the +Y direction. At this time, even if the cam follower 420a contacts the sliding surface of the second guide 450b and the cam follower 420b leaves the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 can move in the +Y direction while maintaining the height of FIG19(e). In order to realize the above-mentioned movement, the interval in the Y direction between the first guide 450a and the second guide 450b is designed to be larger than the diameter of the cam followers 420a and 420b, and smaller than the interval in the Y direction between the cam followers 420a and 420b. By making the Z-direction position of the sliding surface of the second guide 450b the same position as the lowermost surface of the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, or a position lower than the above-mentioned position, the substrate transport mechanism can be moved without the upper surfaces of the holding parts 430a and 430b contacting the lower surface of the substrate P.

As shown in FIG19(g), when the Y driving part 402 further moves in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a moves along the sliding surface of the second guide 450b. At this time, the cam follower 420b leaves the sliding surface of the first guide 450a, and the external force in the -Z direction disappears, so as shown in FIG20(a), the cam follower 420b moves in the +Z direction.

As shown in Fig. 19 (h) and (i), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b contacts the fourth guide 450c, and the cam follower 420b moves in the -Z direction. At this time, if the shape of the fourth guide 450c is designed so as to contact the mechanical brake 422b, the force of the compression coil spring 460 can be received by the contact surface between the cam follower 420b and the fourth guide 450c.

As shown in FIG19(j), if the Y driving part 402 further moves in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b moves in the +Y direction along the sliding surface of the fourth guide 450c. Before the cam follower 420b leaves the sliding surface of the fourth guide 450c, when the first guide 450a is arranged in such a manner that the cam follower 420a contacts the first guide 450a, the substrate transport mechanism can move in the +Y direction while maintaining the height in the Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 19( k ), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420b leaves the sliding surface of the fourth guide member 450c, and the external force in the -Z direction disappears, so the cam follower 420b moves in the +Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 19( l), if the Y driving unit 402 is further driven in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420a moves along the sliding surface of the first guide member 450a, and the substrate transport mechanism moves in the +Z direction. Through the above movement, the substrate transport mechanism can return to the original position. By setting the cam follower 420b as shown in FIG. 20, there is no Z-direction movement without the guidance of the substrate transport mechanism, so the impact on the substrate transport unit 40 can be alleviated.

The Y drive unit 402 may be a linear motor, a ball screw, a metal wire drive, etc., as described in FIG. 7 . The metal wire 82 is connected to the Y drive unit 402 , and the metal wire 82 is configured to drive the Y drive unit 402 through the rotation of the drum 83 . The Y drive unit 402 is configured to have a motor 81 for rotating the drum 83 , and the motor 81 is controlled by the drive control unit 80 .

In the present embodiment, the Y drive unit 402 is controlled by the drive control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal drive but also the vertical drive can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a drive unit in the Z direction, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced. In addition, in the present embodiment, the substrate transport mechanism is driven in a manner that any cam follower among the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with the guide member, so that the impact can be mitigated.

<Sixth Implementation Method> This implementation method describes a substrate transfer mechanism having a different structure from the fourth and fifth implementation methods. Matters not mentioned in this implementation method are in accordance with the fourth implementation method.

The substrate transfer device of the third embodiment will be described based on Fig. 22. Fig. 22 (a) to (j) are diagrams showing the substrate transfer operation of the substrate transfer mechanism of the third embodiment.

The rotation guide 470 of FIG. 22( a) is formed on the Z driving part 405 and the base 404. In terms of the mounting direction, the X axis is mounted as the rotation axis. According to the above-mentioned structure, the base 404 can rotate in the pitch direction (with the X axis as the rotation axis) relative to the Z driving part 405. The part of the base 404 that is separated from the rotation guide 470 and the compression spring 460 in the -Y direction (specifically, the part where the cam followers 420c and 420d are provided in FIG. 22) is subjected to the force caused by its own weight in the -Z direction with the rotation guide 470 as the rotation center. The weight is supported by the contact surface between the cam follower 420c and the guides 481 and 483, or by the contact surface between the cam follower 420d and the guides 481, 482 and 484. The guides 481 and 483 are provided on the X-driving unit 30, and the guides 482 and 484 are provided on the buffer stage 70.

In the fourth and fifth embodiments, the base 404 is supported in a cantilever manner, and the vibration of the base 404 in the Z direction during the substrate transfer may become a problem. On the other hand, in this embodiment, through the above-mentioned structure, the base 404 is supported at both ends by any two of the cam followers 420a to 420d, so the above-mentioned vibration can be reduced.

FIG23 shows the relationship between the cam followers 420c, 420d and the guides 481, 482, 483, and 484 in the X direction. FIG23 is a diagram of the substrate conveying unit 40 of FIG22 viewed from the +Z direction. As shown in FIG23, the cam followers 420c and 420d are arranged at positions separated along the X direction. In this embodiment, the cam follower 420c is arranged in the -X direction, and the cam follower 420d is arranged in the +X direction. The guide 481 has a sliding surface with a width in the X direction in such a manner that both the cam followers 420c and 420d are in contact. The guides 482 and 484 have sliding surfaces that only the cam follower 420d is in contact with, and the guide 483 has a sliding surface that only the cam follower 420c is in contact with.

The cam follower 420c has the function of supporting the weight of the substrate transport mechanism when it is on the stage side, and 420d has the function of supporting the weight of the substrate transport mechanism when it is on the stage side and the buffer stage 70. In addition, it is configured so that the origin return can be performed during the substrate transport operation as shown in Figures 22(g) to (i). The cam follower 420d of Figure 24 can dodge the guide member 481 as shown in Figures 22(h) to (i). In addition, the structure of Figure 24 is the same as that of the cam followers 420a and 420b in the fourth embodiment, so the description is omitted.

The moving method and moving position of the substrate transport mechanism in this embodiment are described based on FIG. 22 .

The substrate transporting action shown in Figure 22(d) is basically the same as the action in Figure 19(d) of the fifth embodiment, but the difference is that the cam follower 420d moves along the sliding surface of the guide member 482 in the -Z direction.

The substrate transporting action shown in FIG. 22( b ) is basically the same as the action in FIG. 19( b ) of the fifth embodiment, except that the cam follower 420 d moves along the sliding surface of the guide 481 in the +Z direction.

As shown in FIG. 22( c ), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d is driven along the sliding surface of the guide 481. Since the sliding surfaces of the guides 481 and 482 are not continuous, there is a moment when the cam follower 420 d leaves the sliding surface of the guide 481 as the Y driving part 402 moves in the −Y direction. However, since the cam follower 420 c is also in contact with the guide 481, the contact surface can be used to support the weight of the base 404 and the substrate 10. The Y-direction interval between the guides 481 and 482 or the interval between the cam followers 420c and 420d can be adjusted and designed so that the cam follower 420c contacts the guide 481 and the cam follower 420d contacts the guide 482 provided on the buffer stage 70. Thus, the base 404, the holding portions 430a and 430b, and the substrate P move in the -Y direction while maintaining the Z-direction height of FIG. 22(b).

As shown in FIG. 22( c ), if the Y driving portion 402 is further driven in the −Y direction, the cam follower 420 d is driven along the sliding surface of the guide member 482 .

The substrate conveying action shown in FIG. 22( d ) is basically the same as the action in FIG. 19( d ) of the fifth embodiment, but the difference is that the cam follower 420 d moves in the -Z direction along the sliding surface of the guide 482. As long as the contact surface between the cam follower 420 d and the guide 482 is used to support the weight of the base 404 until the substrate P is delivered to the buffer 70, the posture of the substrate P can be kept horizontal, and the placement position of the substrate P can be prevented from being greatly changed and the substrate P can be prevented from being damaged. However, in order not to hinder the +Y direction movement of the cam follower 420 d in FIG. 22( f ), the clearance between the bottom surface of the guide 482 and the sliding surface of the guide 484 is made larger than the outermost diameter of the cam follower 420 d.

The substrate transporting action shown in Figure 22(e) is basically the same as the action in Figure 19(e) of the fifth embodiment, but the difference is that the cam follower 420d leaves the sliding surface of the guide member 482, descends due to its own weight, and contacts the guide member 484.

As shown in FIG. 22( f), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420d is driven along the sliding surface of the guide 484. Accompanying the movement of the Y driving part 402 in the +Y direction, the cam follower 420d leaves the sliding surface of the guide 484. However, at this time, in order to make the cam follower 420c contact the sliding surface of the guide 483, the Y direction interval between the guides 483 and 484 or the Y direction interval between the cam followers 420c and 420d is adjusted.

The substrate transporting action shown in Figure 22(g) is basically the same as the action in Figure 19(g) of the fifth embodiment, but the difference is that the cam follower 420c moves along the sliding surface of the guide member 483.

The substrate transporting action shown in Figure 22(h) is basically the same as the action in Figure 19(j) of the fifth embodiment, but the difference is that the cam follower 420c moves along the sliding surface of the guide member 483.

As shown in FIG. 22(i), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420c moves along the guide 483, so the cam follower 420c moves in the +Z direction. However, since the cam follower 420a is in contact with the guide 450a, the base 404 is tilted around the rotation guide 470. At this time, although the cam follower 420d is in contact with the lower surface of the guide 481, through the structure of FIG. 24, it can avoid the guide 481 without hindering the movement of the substrate conveying mechanism, similar to the cam follower 420b of the fourth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 22(j), if the Y driving part 402 is further driven in the -Y direction, the cam follower 420a moves along the sliding surface of the guide 450a, and the cam follower 420c moves along the sliding surface of the guide 483. At this time, although the cam follower 420c is separated from the sliding surface of the guide 483, the guide 481 can be configured in such a way that the cam follower 420d contacts the guide 481. Thus, the weight of the base 404 can be supported by the contact surface between the cam follower 420c and the guide 481, and the base 404 can return to the original position of FIG. 22(a).

In this embodiment, the Y driving unit 402 is controlled by the driving control unit 80, so that not only the horizontal driving but also the vertical driving can be performed. That is, there is no need to separately set up a Z-direction driving unit, and the substrate stage movement realization unit can be made into a simple structure. As a result, the design difficulty and dust risk can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the base 404 can be stably driven, the posture of the substrate P can be kept horizontal, which can prevent the placement position of the substrate P from being greatly shifted and the substrate P from being damaged. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the substrate transport mechanism is driven in such a manner that any one of the plurality of cam followers is always in contact with the guide member, thereby alleviating the impact.

Here, FIG11 shows the substrate transport mechanism and the entire stage when the substrate P is placed on the buffer stage 70 as viewed from above. In the fourth to sixth embodiments, as shown in FIG11, the stage 20 is divided in the X direction, and the substrate transport mechanism is configured to be driven in the +Z direction from the gap between the divided stages 20. When the substrate P is transported by the substrate transport mechanism, the amount of deformation of the substrate P in the Z direction is determined by the number of bases 404 disposed and the positions disposed in the X and Y directions, and by the number of holding portions 430a and 430b disposed, the contact area with the substrate P, and the positions disposed in the X and Y directions. In addition, the driving amount of the base 404 and the Z drive portion 405 in the +Z direction may be greater than the deformation amount of the substrate P.

In the fourth to sixth embodiments, as shown in FIG. 11 , the X-direction position of the X-driving unit 30 can also be in standby at the position where the driving in the +X direction is the largest, and an X-mechanical brake is provided so that the X-driving unit 30 does not drive in the +X direction. By performing the substrate transport operation of the base 404 at the aforementioned standby position, even if the stage is out of control due to an error, etc., the substrate P and the X-strip mirror 90 will not interfere with each other, so the Y-direction intersection position of the substrate P can be located at a position overlapping with the Y-direction position of the X-strip mirror 90. By locating the substrate at the aforementioned intersection position, the Y-direction driving stroke of the base 404 can be reduced, and the Y-direction outer shape of the X-driving unit 30 can be prevented from being enlarged.

In the fourth to sixth embodiments, since the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 are only fixed to the Z guide 403, the rigidity in the ω _Z direction (rotation direction centered on the Z axis) is small. Therefore, when being driven under high-speed transportation, due to its acceleration or disturbance, the base 404 and the Z driving part 405 perform ω _Z rotation, and the base 404 collides with the substrate holding part 20, which is accompanied by the risk of component damage and dust generation. In order to prevent the aforementioned collision, as shown in FIG. 12, any number of ω _Z brakes 100 may be provided on the stage side and the buffer stage 70. The clearance between the ω _Z brake 100 and the end surface of the base 404 is made smaller than the clearance between the end surface of the base 404 and the end surface of the substrate holding part 20. Thus, even if the base 404 and the Z drive unit 405 rotate in θ due to an external force, they will not collide with the substrate holding unit 20, but will collide with the ω _Z brake 100. The ω _Z brake 100 is a rotating body such as a roller, and the contact surface is preferably made of a low-dust material such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. In the above-mentioned structure, when the base 404 collides with the ω _Z brake 100, the impact force is large because the impact occurs at the corner of the base 404, which may cause damage to the substrate conveying unit 40 and the ω _Z brake and become an external force on the stage. In order to alleviate the above-mentioned impact force, it is preferred to set the top shape of the base 404 in the -Y direction to a cone as shown in Figure 13.

In the fourth to sixth embodiments, when the cam followers 420a, 420b and the guides are arranged only on one side relative to the Y center axis of the base 404, the base 404 tilts in the ω _Y direction. As a result, the edges of the cam followers 420a, 420b contact the sliding surface of the guide, and a force in the ω _Y direction is applied to the Z guide 403. Therefore, by symmetrically arranging the cam followers 420a, 420b and the guides, the tilt of the base 404 can be suppressed. The cam followers 420c, 420d and the guides in the sixth embodiment can also be arranged on one side relative to the Y axis center of the base 404, or symmetrically arranged on both sides. In addition, the material of the base 404 becomes a factor of damage when the weight is heavy, so it is preferably made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), aluminum, etc. with high specific rigidity.

The flowchart for the substrate transport operation and the preceding and following procedures in the fourth to sixth embodiments is the same as that in the first to third embodiments shown in FIG14. Each procedure is executed by controlling each part of the substrate stage 6 through the drive control unit 80. FIG14 is a flowchart for the process from the completion of the exposure process of a substrate to the start of the exposure process of the next substrate.

In step S1, the substrate stage 6 moves to the substrate transfer position. In step S2, the substrate is transferred to the outside of the exposure device (e.g., buffer stage) by the substrate transfer mechanism (transfer process). Alternatively, the buffer stage may be replaced and the substrate may be directly transferred to the manufacturing device (e.g., developing device) of the next process. In step S3, the substrate transfer mechanism is stored inside the substrate stage 6. In step S4, the next substrate is placed on the loading platform 20. In step S5, the substrate stage 6 moves to the exposure start position.

<Implementation of the method for manufacturing an article> The method for manufacturing an article of the implementation of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as flat panel displays (FPDs), semiconductor devices, sensors, optical elements, etc. FIG. 25 is a flow chart illustrating the sequence of the method for manufacturing an article. The method for manufacturing an article of the present implementation includes a procedure for forming a latent image pattern by exposing a photosensitive material coated on a substrate through the above-mentioned exposure device, and obtaining an exposed substrate (exposure procedure, step S11). In addition, it includes a procedure for unloading the exposed substrate on which the latent image pattern is formed in the procedure (unloading procedure, step S12). In addition, it includes a procedure for developing the substrate transported in the procedure and obtaining a developed substrate (development procedure, step S13). The unloading procedure is executed through the above-mentioned substrate unloading mechanism. Furthermore, the manufacturing method includes other well-known procedures (oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, planarization, etching, anti-etching agent stripping, cutting, bonding, packaging, etc.) (processing procedure, step S14). The manufacturing method of the article of this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to the previous method.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist. For example, it can also be a substrate stage of a substrate processing device such as a semiconductor manufacturing device (film forming device, sputtering device, annealing device, inspection device, etc.), an organic EL evaporation device, and an imprinting device.

6: Substrate stage 402: Y drive unit (drive unit) 410a, 450a: First guide (guide mechanism) 410b, 450b: Second guide (guide mechanism) 420a, 420b: Cam follower (guide mechanism) 430a, 430b: Holding unit P: Substrate

[Fig. 1] is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the exposure device. [Fig. 2] is a schematic diagram of the substrate stage 6 in the first embodiment. [Fig. 3] is a detailed diagram of the cam follower in the first embodiment. [Fig. 4] is a diagram for explaining the substrate carrying-out mechanism in the first embodiment. [Fig. 5] is a diagram for explaining the substrate carrying-out mechanism in the second embodiment. [Fig. 6] is a detailed diagram of the cam follower in the second embodiment. [Fig. 7] is a diagram for explaining the wire drive. [Fig. 8] is a diagram for explaining the substrate carrying-out mechanism in the third embodiment. [Fig. 9] is a top view of the substrate stage in the third embodiment. [Fig. 10] is a detailed diagram of the cam follower in the third embodiment. [Fig. 11] is a top view of the substrate being transferred to the buffer stage. [Figure 12] is a top view of the substrate carrying mechanism and the ω _Z brake. [Figure 13] is a diagram illustrating the optimal shape of the substrate. [Figure 14] is a flow chart from the end of exposure of a substrate to the start of exposure of the next substrate. [Figure 15] is a schematic diagram of the substrate stage 6 in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 16] is a detailed diagram of the cam follower in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 17] is a diagram for illustrating the substrate transport mechanism in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] is a top view of the substrate stage in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] is a diagram for illustrating the substrate transport mechanism in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 20] is a detailed diagram of the cam follower in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] is a top view of the substrate stage in the fifth embodiment. [Fig. 22] is a diagram for explaining the substrate transfer mechanism in the sixth embodiment. [Fig. 23] is a top view of the substrate stage in the sixth embodiment. [Fig. 24] is a detailed view of the cam follower in the sixth embodiment. [Fig. 25] is a flow chart of the method for manufacturing an article.

6: Substrate table

20: Platform

30:X drive unit

30a,50a: Air bearings

50:Y drive unit

60:Y guide

80: Drive control unit

90:X strip reflector

201,202: Pillar

401:Y guide

402:Y drive unit (drive unit)

403:Z guide

404: Base

405:Z drive unit

410a: First guide (guiding mechanism)

410b: Second guide member (guiding mechanism)

420a, 420b: Cam follower (guide mechanism)

430a, 430b: holding part

P: Substrate

Claims (18)

A substrate stage has a carrying mechanism for carrying out a substrate, wherein the carrying mechanism comprises: a holding portion for holding the substrate; a driving portion for driving in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction to drive the holding portion; a first guide member for guiding the holding portion in a manner that drives the holding portion in the first direction and a direction different from the first direction when the driving portion is driven in the first direction; and a second guide member for guiding the holding portion in a manner that drives the holding portion in the second direction and a direction different from the second direction when the driving portion is driven in the second direction. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first direction is a direction parallel to a contact surface of the substrate where the substrate is in contact with the holding portion. As for the substrate stage of claim 1, the first guide is configured to raise the holding portion along with the driving of the driving portion. As in the substrate stage of claim 1, the first guide is configured to lower the holding portion along with the driving of the driving portion. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide is shaped to include a guide extending in the first direction and a guide extending in a direction different from the first direction. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first guide member guides by driving the holding portion when the holding portion holds the substrate, and the second guide member guides by driving the holding portion when the holding portion does not hold the substrate. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide is arranged at a position closer to the holding portion than the second guide. As in claim 1, the substrate stage, wherein the carrying-out mechanism further comprises a cam follower provided on the holding portion, and the cam follower slides on the sliding surfaces of the first guide and the second guide, thereby the holding portion is driven along with the driving of the driving portion. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cam followers are plural, and at least one of the cam followers is configured to be driven up and down. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 8, wherein the cam follower slides on the upper surfaces of the first guide and the second guide by the weight of the holding portion. As in claim 8, the substrate stage, wherein the carrying mechanism further comprises a coil spring connected to the holding portion, and the coil spring applies a force to the holding portion in a direction opposite to the direction of gravity, thereby causing the cam follower to slide on the lower surfaces of the first guide and the second guide through the force. The substrate stage of claim 8 is constructed as follows: When the holding portion is at the origin position, the driving portion is driven in the first direction, so that the cam follower slides on the sliding surface of the first guide, and then the cam follower is driven from the first guide to the second guide, and the driving portion is driven in the second direction, so that the holding portion can return to the origin position after the cam follower slides on the sliding surface of the second guide. A substrate stage as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrying-out mechanism comprises: a first cam follower that slides on a sliding surface of either the first guide or the second guide; and a second cam follower that slides on a sliding surface of a third guide that guides the holding portion in a direction different from the first direction, thereby moving the first cam follower from the sliding surface of the first guide to the sliding surface of the second guide. A substrate moving method, comprising: a holding procedure for holding a substrate by a holding portion; and a driving procedure for driving the driving portion in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby driving the holding portion. The driving procedure comprises: when the driving portion is driven in the first direction, the holding portion is driven to guide a first guide member in the first direction and a direction different from the first direction; when the driving portion is driven in the second direction, the holding portion is driven to guide a second guide member in the second direction and a direction different from the second direction. The substrate moving method of claim 14, wherein the driving procedure comprises: a procedure for driving the driving portion in the first direction when the holding portion is at the origin position, and the cam follower provided on the holding portion slides on the sliding surface of the first guide member, thereby moving the substrate out; and a procedure for driving the driving portion in the second direction, and the cam follower slides on the sliding surface of the second guide member, thereby returning the holding portion to the origin position. A substrate processing device having a substrate stage as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the carrying-out mechanism carries out the substrate processed by the substrate processing device to the outside of the substrate processing device. An exposure device having a substrate stage as in any one of claims 1 to 13, further having a projection optical system for exposing the original pattern on the substrate, the aforementioned unloading mechanism unloading the substrate exposed by the aforementioned projection optical system to the outside of the aforementioned exposure device. A method for manufacturing an article, comprising: an exposure process, which is to expose a substrate using an exposure device such as claim 17 to obtain an exposed substrate; a removal process, which is to remove the exposed substrate through the removal mechanism; and a development process, which is to develop the exposed substrate to obtain a developed substrate; and manufacturing an article from the developed substrate.

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