Scanning light exposure apparatus

• US 5,579,147 A
• Filed: 12/06/1994
• Issued: 11/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Mori, Susumu, Naraki, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US08/354,715
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 359/201, 359/738, 359/202, 359/739, 359/204, 359/740, 250/548, 250/205, 356/401, 355/46, 355/53, 355/67, 355/70, 355/71
• US Class Current: 359/204.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/7005 by multiple sources, e.g. light-emitting diodes [LED] or light source arrays addressable array sources specially adapted to produce patterns without a mask G03F7/70391
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70241 Optical aspects of refractive lens systems, i.e. comprising only refractive elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70275 Multiple projection paths, e.g. array of projection systems, microlens projection systems or tandem projection systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70358 Scanning exposure, i.e. relative movement of patterned beam and workpiece during imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70475 Stitching, i.e. connecting image fields to produce a device field, the field occupied by a device such as a memory chip, processor chip, CCD, flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70791 Large workpieces, e.g. glass substrates for flat panel displays or solar panels

Abstract

A scanning light exposure apparatus comprises illumination optical systems for radiating light beams to a plurality of sub-areas in a pattern area of a mask, a plurality of projection optical systems arranged along a predetermined direction for projecting erected images of unity magnification of the sub-areas by the light beams transmitted through the mask onto a photo-sensitive substrate, a diaphragm member arranged at a substantially conjugate position to the photo-sensitive substrate in each illumination optical system for limiting a projection area of the sub-area to the photo-sensitive substrate, scanning means for synchronously scanning said mask and said photo-sensitive substrate substantially transversely to the predetermined direction relative to said projection optical systems and diaphragm control means for changing a width of an aperture of each diaphragm member along a direction transverse to the predetermined direction.

Claims

1. A scanning light exposure apparatus comprising:

a plurality of illumination optical systems for irradiating light beams to a corresponding plurality of sub-areas in a pattern area of a mask;

a plurality of projection optical systems arranged along a predetermined direction for projecting erected images of unity magnification of the sub-areas by respective light beams transmitted through the mask onto a photo-sensitive substrate;

each illumination optical system having a diaphragm member arranged at a substantially conjugate position to the photo-sensitive substrate in said illumination optical system for limiting a projection area of the sub-area to the photo-sensitive substrate;

scanning means for synchronously scanning said mask and said photo-sensitive substrate substantially transversely to the predetermined direction relative to said projection optical system; and

diaphragm control means for changing a width of an aperture of each diaphragm member along a direction transverse to the predetermined direction.

2. A scanning light exposure apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a light intensity sensor for detecting intensities of the light beams on a substantially same plane as that of the photo-sensitive substrate;

the width of the aperture being changed in accordance with the detection result of said light intensity sensor.

3. A scanning light exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sub-area is a polygon having a side at a predetermined angle to the direction transverse to the predetermined direction, and the predetermined angle changes with the change of the width.

4. A scanning light exposure apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the sub-area is a polygon having a first side at a predetermined angle to the direction transverse to the predetermined direction and a second side extending along the predetermined direction, and the width is changed such that a component for the predetermined direction at a crosspoint of the first side and the second side is kept unchanged.