CN111470362A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus for carrying a long sheet-like substrate in a long direction and performing a predetermined process on the sheet-like substrate, the apparatus comprising: a processing mechanism for performing a predetermined process on each part of the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction; a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet-shaped substrate in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension to the sheet-shaped substrate passing through the processing mechanism; a retaining mechanism which is arranged at a predetermined position in a conveying path of the sheet substrate and can retain the sheet substrate at the predetermined position; and a control device which controls the conveying mechanism to reduce the conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate when the conveying of the sheet-shaped substrate is temporarily stopped, and controls the card retaining mechanism to retain the sheet-shaped substrate at a predetermined position when the conveying speed is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus

The present application is a divisional application of a patent application entitled "substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method" having an application date of 2017, 8/7, and an application number of 201780048591.1.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for performing predetermined processing on a flexible long sheet-like substrate while conveying the substrate in a long direction.

Background

Japanese patent laid-open No. 2009-146746 discloses a roll-to-roll manufacturing system in which, in order to form an electronic device (organic E L display panel) on a strip-shaped flexible base material (flexible long plastic film), the flexible base material wound in a roll shape is pulled out and conveyed in a long direction, and the flexible base material is sequentially processed by processing devices arranged in the long direction, each of which performs a plurality of forming steps, and then wound in a roll shape, and further, in japanese patent laid-open No. 2009-146746, an accumulator for speed adjustment of the flexible base material between the forming steps (processing devices) is provided, and an organic E L display panel is continuously produced.

However, depending on the processing apparatus, it may be desirable to interrupt the processing operation of the sheet-like substrate and perform an adjustment operation of the processing apparatus (such as a replenishing operation or a refreshing operation of the consumable supplies, a cleaning operation, and a calibration operation) in order to maintain the performance of the apparatus, maintain the quality of the manufactured electronic device, and the like. When the processing apparatus that temporarily interrupts the processing is a patterning apparatus (a printer, an inkjet printer, an exposure apparatus, a transfer apparatus, a stamp apparatus, or the like), if the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate is stopped and the sheet-like substrate is removed or released from the conveyance roller or the like for the adjustment operation, the position of the pattern region formed on the sheet-like substrate after the resumption of the processing may be greatly shifted from the position of the pattern region that has been formed before the adjustment operation.

Disclosure of Invention

A 1 st aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for carrying a long sheet-like substrate in a longitudinal direction and performing predetermined processing on the sheet-like substrate, including: a processing mechanism for performing the predetermined processing on each part of the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction; a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed while applying a predetermined tension to the sheet-like substrate passing through the processing mechanism; a retaining mechanism which is arranged at a predetermined position in a conveying path of the sheet substrate and can retain the sheet substrate at the predetermined position; and a control device that controls the conveying mechanism to decrease a conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate when the conveying of the sheet-shaped substrate is temporarily stopped, and controls the retaining mechanism to retain the sheet-shaped substrate at the predetermined position when the conveying speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

A 2 nd aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for carrying a long sheet-like substrate in a longitudinal direction and performing predetermined processing on the sheet-like substrate, comprising: a processing mechanism that performs the predetermined process for each portion of the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction; a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction while measuring a conveying amount of the sheet-like substrate so that the sheet-like substrate passes through the processing mechanism at a controlled speed; a tension applying mechanism for applying a predetermined tension to the sheet-like substrate conveyed by the conveying mechanism; a predetermined position storage unit that stores a predetermined position on the sheet substrate at which the predetermined process by the processing unit is temporarily interrupted or a predetermined position at which the predetermined process is restarted, based on the conveyance amount measured by the conveyance unit; and a control device that controls the conveying mechanism such that, when the predetermined process is temporarily interrupted, the conveying speed of the sheet-like substrate is reduced by a characteristic of suppressing occurrence of slip of the sheet-like substrate in the conveying mechanism after the predetermined position is stored in the predetermined position storage section.

A 3 rd aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing method for performing predetermined processing on each part of a long sheet-like substrate in a longitudinal direction thereof by a processing means while the long sheet-like substrate is conveyed in the longitudinal direction by a conveying means, the method comprising: a conveying step of conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed by the conveying means while applying a predetermined tension to the sheet-like substrate by the processing means; a retaining step of positioning a designated portion in the longitudinal direction of the sheet-like substrate so as to be aligned with a retaining mechanism disposed at a predetermined position in a transport path of the sheet-like substrate when temporarily stopping the transport operation of the transport mechanism, and retaining the designated portion of the sheet-like substrate by the retaining mechanism; and a tension relaxing step of relaxing the predetermined tension applied to the sheet-like substrate on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the predetermined position in a transport direction of the sheet-like substrate.

A 4 th aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for carrying a long sheet-like substrate in a long direction and performing predetermined processing on the sheet-like substrate, comprising: a processing mechanism that performs the predetermined process for each portion of the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction; a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction so that the sheet-like substrate passes through the processing mechanism at a predetermined speed; a storage device that is provided on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the processing mechanism in a transport path of the sheet-like substrate and that can store the sheet-like substrate over a predetermined length in a state where a predetermined tension is applied to the sheet-like substrate; and a control unit configured to control the storage device so as to relax the predetermined tension applied to the sheet-like substrate stored in the storage device when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate by the conveyance mechanism is stopped in order to interrupt the predetermined process by the processing mechanism.

A 5 th aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus for carrying a long sheet-like substrate in a long direction and performing predetermined processing on the sheet-like substrate, including: a processing mechanism for performing the predetermined process on the sheet-like substrate; a conveying mechanism for conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction by passing the sheet-like substrate through the processing mechanism at a predetermined conveying speed while a predetermined tension is applied to the sheet-like substrate; and a control device for controlling the operations of the processing mechanism and the conveying mechanism; and the control device includes: a margin determination unit that determines a temporal margin until the sheet-like substrate conveyance operation by the conveyance mechanism is stopped or a margin of a length of the sheet-like substrate that can be conveyed until the conveyance operation is stopped; and a tension indicating section that indicates the tension to be applied to the sheet-shaped substrate while the conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate is gradually decreased by the conveying mechanism, based on a determination result of the width determination section.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing the entire configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the substrate processing apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a sheet-like substrate support device (drum) and a drawing unit provided in the exposure apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of microscope objective lenses of an alignment system for detecting a trace of a focused light beam supported on a sheet-like substrate in the support device (drum) of fig. 3 and an alignment mark formed on the sheet-like substrate.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus for controlling the exposure apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a control routine for temporarily stopping the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate in the exposure apparatus of fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the arrangement of pattern forming regions, marks, and drawing lines formed on a sheet-like substrate.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a program incorporated as a subroutine in step 120 in fig. 6 for estimating the condition or state of stop of the conveyance of the sheet substrate.

Fig. 9 schematically shows a state diagram in the middle of pattern drawing of an exposure region on a sheet-like substrate by a drawing line.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an estimated stop state at the time of conveyance stop estimated in the case of the sheet-like substrate shown in fig. 7.

Fig. 11A is a diagram showing another mechanism for holding a sheet-like substrate, and is a diagram showing an arrangement of the drum and the rollers as viewed in an XZ plane, and fig. 11B is a diagram showing another mechanism for holding a sheet-like substrate, and is a diagram showing an arrangement of the drum and the rollers as viewed in an XY plane.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart schematically illustrating a sequence of jobs executed by the exposure apparatus during a temporary stop.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state of the sheet-like substrate at the time of temporary stop in embodiment 2, in which the sheet-like substrate is developed in parallel with the XY plane.

Fig. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 15 shows a configuration diagram of the storage device.

Fig. 16 shows a trigger mark formed on a sheet-like substrate.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the drawing unit.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing a schematic external configuration of the device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 19 is an illustration showing a case where the current operating state and the transition of the predictable future operating state of each processing device constituting the device manufacturing system of fig. 18 are graphically displayed on the operation screen of the high-level control device.

Detailed Description

Preferred embodiments of a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method according to aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the aspects of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be added thereto. That is, the following constituent elements include substantially the same ones and those easily assumed by the manufacturer, and the following constituent elements may be appropriately combined. Various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[ embodiment 1 ]

Fig. 1 shows the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus of a roll-to-roll system, and a pattern for an electronic device is exposed to a photosensitive layer such as a resist layer or a photosensitive silane coupling agent layer on the surface of a sheet-like substrate P in an exposure apparatus EX surrounded by a chamber CB by processing performed by the processing apparatus of fig. 1. In fig. 1, an XY plane of an orthogonal coordinate system XYZ is parallel to a horizontal floor surface of a factory where a processing apparatus is installed, and a Z axis is a gravity direction perpendicular to the floor surface.

The sheet-like substrate P coated with the photosensitive layer and prebaked is wound around a supply roll FR and is mounted on a rotating shaft protruding in the-Y direction from an EPC1 of a roll holding unit (1 st roll holding unit). The roll holding section EPC1 is provided on the side surface of the winding/unwinding section 10 on the-X side, and is configured to be capable of fine movement in the ± Y direction as a whole. The sheet-like substrate P pulled out from the supply reel FR is fed to the cleaning roller CUR1 attached to the cleaner section 11 adjacent in the + X direction via the edge sensor Eps1 attached to the reel-up/reel-up section 10, a plurality of rollers having rotation axes parallel to the Y axis, and the tension roller RT1 that applies tension and measures tension. The cleaning roller CUR1 is composed of 2 rollers, which are processed so that the outer peripheral surfaces thereof have adhesiveness and rotate in contact with each of the front and back surfaces of the sheet-shaped substrate P to remove fine particles or foreign substances adhering to the front and back surfaces of the sheet-shaped substrate P.

The sheet-like substrate P having passed through the cleaner unit 11 is carried into the exposure apparatus EX through an opening CP1 formed by extending a side wall of the chamber CB of the exposure apparatus EX in a slit shape in the Y direction via a nip roller NR1 and a tension roller RT2 provided to project from the XZ surface of the tension adjusting unit 12 in the-Y direction. The surface of the sheet substrate P on which the photosensitive layer is formed is on the upper side (+ Z direction) when passing through the opening CP 1. The sheet-like substrate P subjected to the exposure process in the exposure apparatus EX is carried out through an opening CP2 formed on the-Z side of the opening CP1 so that the side wall of the chamber CB extends in the Y direction in a slit shape. At this time, the surface of the sheet substrate P on which the photosensitive layer is formed is the lower side (-Z direction). The sheet-like substrate P carried out through the opening CP2 is fed to the cleaning roller CUR2 of the cleaner section 11 adjacent in the-X direction via the tension roller RT3 and the nip roller NR2 provided to protrude from the XZ surface of the tension adjusting section 12 in the-Y direction. The cleaning roller CUR2 is configured similarly to the cleaning roller CUR 1.

The sheet-like substrate P having passed through the cleaner unit 11 is wound around the recovery reel RR via the tension roller RT4, the edge sensor Eps2, and a plurality of rollers having rotation axes parallel to the Y axis, which are attached to the lower portion of the side surface parallel to the XZ plane of the reel-out/winding unit 10. The recovery spool RR is attached to a rotation shaft of a spool holding portion (2 nd spool holding portion) EPC2, and the spool holding portion (2 nd spool holding portion) EPC2 is provided at a lower portion of a side surface of the winding-out/winding portion 10 on the-X side and is configured to be capable of fine movement in the ± Y direction as a whole. The recovery roll RR rolls up the sheet substrate P so that the photosensitive layer of the sheet substrate P faces the outer peripheral surface side. As described above, the respective rotation axes of the roll holding portions EPC1, EPC2 and the respective rollers provided in the winding-up/unwinding portion 10, cleaner portion 11 and tension adjusting portion 12 are set so that the rotation center axes are parallel to the Y axis, and the sheet-like substrate P is conveyed in the longitudinal direction with its surface always parallel to the Y axis.

The roll holding unit EPC1 includes a motor or a gear box (reduction gear) for applying a predetermined torque to the supply roll FR, and the motor is servo-controlled by the control unit of the conveying mechanism based on the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT 1. Similarly, the roll holding unit EPC2 has a motor or a gear box (reduction gear) for applying a predetermined torque to the recovery roll RR, and the motor is servo-controlled by the control unit of the conveying mechanism based on the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT 4. Further, the measurement information from the edge sensor Eps1 that measures the Y-directional displacement of one end portion (edge portion) of the sheet-like substrate P is sent to the drive control unit of the servo motor that moves the roll holding unit EPC1 (and the supply roll FR) in the ± Y direction, and the positional deviation of the sheet-like substrate P in the Y direction toward the exposure apparatus EX by the edge sensor Eps1 is always suppressed within a predetermined allowable range. Similarly, measurement information from the edge sensor Eps2 that measures a displacement in the Y direction of one end portion (edge portion) of the sheet-like substrate P is sent to a drive control unit of a servo motor that moves the roll holding unit EPC2 (and the recovery roll RR) in the ± Y direction, and the recovery roll RR is moved in the Y direction in accordance with a positional displacement in the Y direction of the sheet-like substrate P by the edge sensor Eps2, whereby winding unevenness of the sheet-like substrate P is suppressed.

A step 13 provided on the factory floor is provided extending in the X direction on the-Y direction side of each of the unwinding/winding section 10, the cleaner section 11, and the tension adjusting section 12 constituting the conveying mechanism shown in fig. 1. The step 13 has a width of several tens of cm in the Y direction so that an operator can get on the step to perform adjustment work or maintenance work. Various electric wirings, air conditioning gas pipes, cooling liquid pipes, and the like are laid inside the step portion 13. On the + Y direction side of the step portion 13, the following members are arranged: a power supply unit 14; a laser control unit 15 that controls a laser light source that generates an exposure beam; a cooler unit 16 for circulating a cooling liquid for cooling a heat generating portion such as a laser light source or a modulator; and an air conditioning unit 17 that supplies the temperature-controlled gas into the chamber CB of the exposure apparatus EX.

In the above configuration, a substantially constant tension is applied to the sheet-like substrate P on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus EX in the longitudinal direction (conveyance direction) by the nip roller NR1 and the tension roller RT2 attached to the tension adjusting unit 12. The tension roller RT2 includes a tension measuring unit (sensor) and is movable in the ± Z direction in fig. 1 by a servo motor so that the measured tension amount reaches a specified value. The nip roller NR1 can cut off the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P on the upstream side and the downstream side of the nip roller NR1 by rotating and driving one roller by a servo motor while opposing 2 parallel rollers with a fixed pressing force and sandwiching the sheet-like substrate P therebetween. The conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P can be actively controlled by the rotational driving of one of the rollers of the rolling roller NR1 by the servomotor, and for example, when the rotational servo of the servomotor of the rolling roller NR1 is locked in a stopped state (speed zero), the sheet-like substrate P can be locked (caught) at the position (predetermined position) of the rolling roller NR 1.

Similarly, a substantially constant tension is applied to the sheet-like substrate P downstream of the exposure apparatus EX in the longitudinal direction (conveyance direction) by the nip roller NR2 and the tension roller RT3 attached to the tension adjusting unit 12. The tension roller RT3 includes a tension measuring unit (sensor) and is movable in the ± Z direction in fig. 1 by a servo motor so that the measured tension amount reaches a specified value. Since the nip roller NR2 can be actively rotation-controlled by the servo motor similarly to the nip roller NR1, the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P can be cut off on the upstream side and the downstream side of the nip roller NR 2. By locking the rotation servo of the servo motor of the rolling roller NR2 in a stopped state (speed zero), the sheet-like substrate P is locked (caught) at the position (predetermined position) of the rolling roller NR 2.

Further, in the present embodiment, by synchronously controlling the servomotor for rotationally driving the supply roll FR and the servomotor for rotationally driving the nip roll NR1 based on the tension amount measured by the tension roll RT1, a predetermined tension can be applied to the sheet-like substrate P in the conveyance path from the supply roll FR to the nip roll NR 1. Similarly, by synchronously controlling the servomotor for rotationally driving the recovery roll RR and the servomotor for rotationally driving the roll NR2 based on the tension amount measured by the tension roller RT4, a predetermined tension can be applied to the sheet-like substrate P in the conveyance path from the roll NR2 to the recovery roll RR.

Next, as the sheet-like substrate P to be processed in the present embodiment, for example, a resin film (plastic), a foil (foil) made of metal such as stainless steel or alloy, or the like can be used. As the material of the resin film, for example, 1 or 2 or more kinds selected from polyethylene resin, polypropylene resin, polyester resin, ethylene-vinyl copolymer resin, polyvinyl chloride resin, cellulose resin, polyamide resin, polyimide resin, polycarbonate resin, polystyrene resin, and vinyl acetate resin can be used. The thickness or rigidity (young's modulus) of the sheet-like substrate P may be in a range such that the sheet-like substrate P is not creased or irreversibly wrinkled due to buckling during transportation. When a flexible display panel, a touch panel, a color filter, an electromagnetic wave shielding filter, a disposable sensor sheet, or the like is manufactured as an electronic device, a resin sheet such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) having a thickness of about 25 to 200 μm can be used.

The sheet substrate P may be formed by laminating a film made of a metal material, an organic material, an oxide, or the like on one surface or both surfaces of a resin sheet such as PET or PEN. In particular, in the manufacture of electronic devices, in order to mount (solder) electronic components or form electrode layers of transistors, capacitors, sensors, and the like, a conductive film (layer) of a metal substance such as copper or aluminum is laminated on a resin sheet in a predetermined thickness (for example, 1 μm to several tens μm), and the sheet-like substrate P may be laminated with such a conductive layer. Further, the sheet substrate P may have a multilayer structure in which an organic material to be an insulating layer or an oxide material to be a semiconductor layer is laminated on a resin sheet or a plurality of layers (for example, a conductive layer and a semiconductor layer) of different materials are laminated in order to form an insulating layer or a semiconductor layer of a thin film transistor, a capacitor, or the like on the sheet substrate P.

The sheet-like substrate P is preferably selected so that the thermal expansion coefficient is not significantly large, so that the amount of deformation due to, for example, heat received in various processes performed on the sheet-like substrate P can be substantially ignored. Further, when an inorganic filler such as titanium oxide, zinc oxide, aluminum oxide, or silicon oxide is mixed with the resin sheet as a base, the thermal expansion coefficient can be reduced. The sheet-like substrate P may be a single layer of a bendable extra-thin glass having a thickness of 100 μm or less produced by a float method or the like, or may be a laminate obtained by laminating the above resin film, or a metal layer (foil) of aluminum, copper, or the like on the extra-thin glass.

Next, the flexibility of the sheet-like substrate P means a property that the sheet-like substrate P can be bent without being sheared or broken even if a force of a self weight is applied to the sheet-like substrate P. Also, the property of bending due to a force of the self weight level is also included in flexibility. The degree of flexibility varies depending on the material, size, and thickness of the sheet-like substrate P, the layer structure formed on the sheet-like substrate P, and the environment such as temperature and humidity. In short, when the sheet-like substrate P is accurately wound around a conveying direction switching member such as various conveying rollers or drums provided in the conveying path in the substrate processing apparatus (or exposure apparatus EX) of fig. 1 of the present embodiment, the flexibility range is defined as long as the sheet-like substrate P can be smoothly conveyed without being bent and without being creased or broken (broken or cracked).

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the exposure apparatus EX shown in fig. 1, which is a direct imaging type pattern drawing apparatus that distributes exposure light beams from each of the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb into 6 light beams L B1 to L B6 in a time division manner, supplies the light beams to each of 6 drawing units U1 to U6, and scans the light beams on the sheet-like substrate P by a rotating polygon mirror (polygon mirror) in each of the drawing units U1 to U6, and therefore, a detailed description of the configuration from the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb to each of the drawing units U1 to U6 is omitted because, for example, international publication No. 2015/166910 describes the configuration.

In the present embodiment, the sheet-like substrate P carried in through the nip roller NR1 of the tension adjusting unit 12 is sequentially stretched over the guide roller R1, the tension roller RT5, the drum DR, the tension roller RT6, the guide rollers R2, and the R3, and then carried out from the exposure apparatus EX to reach the nip roller NR 2. In fig. 1, a tension roller RT2 is provided between the nip roller NR1 and the exposure apparatus EX, but it is omitted in fig. 2. Similarly, in fig. 1, a tension roller RT3 is provided between the nip roller NR2 and the exposure apparatus EX, but it is omitted in fig. 2.

The drum DR has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a constant radius from a center line parallel to the Y axis, and closely supports the sheet-like substrate P around a half of the outer peripheral surface in the + Z direction. The drum DR functions as a support member that supports the surface of the sheet-like substrate P so as to be a stable surface (cylindrical surface) when the pattern is exposed to the sheet-like substrate P, and also functions as a movable stage member that precisely conveys the surface of the sheet-like substrate P in the longitudinal direction at a controlled speed by rotational driving by a rotational driving mechanism DV1 including a motor or the like. The rotational angle position of the drum DR or the amount of circumferential movement of the outer peripheral surface can be detected by an encoder head (reader head) ECn of the encoder system. The information on the rotational angle position of the drum DR (or the amount of movement in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface) measured by the encoder head ECn is transmitted to the alignment/stage control unit 58 in the control unit (described below in detail with reference to fig. 5) that controls the pattern drawing of the drawing units U1 to U6 in a unified manner, and the alignment/stage control unit 58 transmits a drive signal for controlling the rotation of the drum DR to the rotation drive mechanism DV 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of drawing lines (scanning lines) S L1 to S L formed by scanning light beams L e1 to L e6 from drawing units U1 to U6 with respect to a sheet-shaped substrate P supported along the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, and the arrangement of encoder heads EC1a, EC1b, EC2a, and EC2b, the description of the arrangement relationship is disclosed in the specification of international publication No. 2015/166910, and further in the specification of international publication No. 2013/146184, the encoder heads EC1a and EC2a are arranged so as to face scale portions (scale lines in a grid shape) on the outer peripheral surface of a scale disk SDa, which is mounted on the-Y direction side of the drum DR coaxially with the rotation center line AXo of a shaft Sft extending from the outer peripheral surface of the scale disk SDb, and encoder heads EC1 and EC2b are mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR with the scale portions (scale lines in a grid shape) on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR disk SDb so as to be substantially aligned with the scale line difference in the left-right direction, and the scale surface of the drum DR surface (SDb) of the drum DR surface.

As shown in fig. 3, the orientation of the odd-numbered drawing lines S L, S L, S L05 in the circumferential direction of the drum DR as viewed from the rotation center line AXo is set to match as much as possible with the orientation of the encoder heads EC1a, EC1B in the circumferential direction of the scale discs SDa, SDb in order to reduce abbe errors at the time of measurement, and similarly, the orientation of the even-numbered drawing lines S68612, S L, S L in the circumferential direction of the drum DR as viewed from the rotation center line AXo is set to match as much as possible with the orientation of the encoder heads EC2a, EC2B in the circumferential direction of the scale discs SDa, SDb in order to reduce abbe errors at the time of measurement, the odd-numbered drawing lines S L, S L, S L are set to match as much as possible with the orientation of the encoder heads EC2a, EC2 8672, S L are set to draw as many as possible slice-shaped light beam patterns (e.g., a median direction) drawn by an angular distance from the drum DR-shaped drawing area S L B, and the intermediate-shaped drawing the drum DR-shaped light beam L in the circumferential direction (e) is set to draw a predetermined length L mm.

Returning to the description of fig. 2, in the light beam emitting port of each of the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb of the exposure apparatus EX, a movable shutter (shutter) SH. that mechanically shields the emitted light beam is provided in each of the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, U5, and the light beam from the laser light source L Sa is divided into 3 light beams L B1, L B L by the optical modulation member OSM for beam switching, and in each of the even-numbered drawing units U L, and U L, the light beam from the laser light source L Sb is divided into 3 light beams L B L, L B L by the optical modulation member OSM for beam switching, an acousto-optic modulation (deflection) element or the like is used as the optical modulation member OSM, and the optical modulation member is used as the heat-emitting component for the heat-emitting chamber for which the heat-generating laser light beam is generated by the heat-generating component (e.g. a heat-generating Air) and heat-generating component such as a heat-generating component (heat-generating Air-generating heat-generating component) and heat-generating component, such as a heat-generating component is installed in the heat-generating chamber of the heat-generating chamber, such as a heat-generating component (heat-generating component L B-generating component or heat-generating component, such as a heat-generating component, such as a heat-generating component-generating heat-generating component L B-generating heat-generating component, a heat-generating component, such as a heat-generating component, a heat.

Each of the light beams L B1 to L B6 split by the optical modulation means OSM is supplied to each of the drawing units U1 to U6 via a light beam path adjustment mechanism BDU disposed below the platen BP1, the light beam path adjustment mechanism BDU is a mechanism that finely adjusts the light beam path so that the eccentricity error and the slope error of each of the light beams L B1 to L B6 are accurately incident on each of the corresponding drawing units U1 to U6 within an allowable range, and includes a plurality of mirrors, parallel plate glasses, prisms, and the like that can finely adjust the angle and the like.

Around the drum DR, an alignment system AMn is provided upstream of the drawing units U1 to U6 in the conveyance direction of the sheet substrate P, for capturing an image of an alignment mark or the like formed on the sheet substrate P by a two-dimensional image sensor (CMOS) through a microscope objective lens and detecting the alignment mark or the like. The image information of the alignment mark captured by the alignment system AMn is sent to the alignment/stage control unit 58 described below with reference to fig. 5, and is used for alignment when each of the drawing units U1 to U6 draws a pattern on the sheet-shaped substrate P.

In the configuration of fig. 2 described above, the drive section DVa including the motor for rotationally driving the roll NR1 and the drive section DVb including the motor for rotationally driving the roll NR2 perform control of start or stop of rotation or control of rotation speed based on instruction information from the conveyance controller TPC. Further, the transport control unit TPC receives detection signals from force measuring devices and the like provided in the tension rollers RT5 and RT6, measures the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P between the tension roller RT5 and the drum DR and the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P between the drum DR and the tension roller RT6, and moves the position of each of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 in the Z direction or adjusts the damping coefficient (viscous resistance) when moving in the Z direction so that the amounts of tension become predetermined values. When the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is temporarily stopped, the nip roller NR1 or the nip roller NR2 driven and controlled by the conveyance controller TPC can function as a retaining member. The transport control section TPC is connected to a main control section 50 (described below with reference to fig. 5) that collectively controls the sequence or operation of the entire processing apparatus shown in fig. 1.

Next, when the supply roll FR and the recovery roll RR are not provided on the same side (-X direction side) with respect to the exposure apparatus EX as in the processing apparatus of fig. 1, but the recovery roll RR is provided on the opposite side (+ X direction side) of the supply roll FR with respect to the exposure apparatus EX, as shown in fig. 2, the sheet-like substrate P is fed to the subsequent tension adjusting portion 12' via the drum DR, the tension roller RT7, and the roller R4. The tension adjusting unit 12 'is provided with a roll NR2' that is rotationally driven by a drive unit DVc that receives instruction information from the conveyance control unit TPC. The roll NR2' functions similarly to the roll NR2, and the tension roll RT7 functions similarly to the tension roll RT6 to measure tension or adjust tension by the conveyance controller TPC. However, a processing apparatus of the next step may be connected after the roll NR 2'. Examples of the processing apparatus in the next step include a baking apparatus for heating and then baking the resist layer of the sheet-like substrate P after exposure, a developing apparatus for developing and cleaning the resist layer of the sheet-like substrate P after exposure, an electroless plating apparatus for depositing plating nuclei based on the latent image formed on the photosensitive layer of the sheet-like substrate P, an etching apparatus for etching based on the latent image formed on the photosensitive layer of the sheet-like substrate P, and a printing apparatus for selectively applying functional ink (ink containing nanoparticles of metals, semiconductors, insulators, etc.) based on lyophilic liquid repellency of the latent image formed on the photosensitive layer of the sheet-like substrate P.

Further, in the present embodiment, a stamper STP such as a laser marker is provided in the transport path of the sheet-like substrate P, the stamper being configured to imprint an information pattern (barcode or the like) indicating a position or a state of the exposure apparatus EX at the time of temporarily stopping the exposure process on the sheet-like substrate P in the periphery of the sheet-like substrate P in the width direction. The stamper STP imprints an information pattern immediately before or immediately after temporarily interrupting the exposure process and before a predetermined tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P being conveyed is reduced. The stamp device STP may also imprint an index pattern having features that are different from the shape of the alignment marks at locations detectable by the alignment system AMn. The index pattern can be used as a restart position when the exposure process for the sheet-like substrate P is restarted. The stamper STP is also connected to the main control section 50 (described later with reference to fig. 5), and controls the imprinting of the index pattern or the information pattern in accordance with the timing of the temporary stop. Further, when such a stamp device STP is used, as disclosed in, for example, international publication No. 2016/035842, the conditions or states of the process performed on the sheet-like substrate P by each of the plurality of process steps may be left on the sheet-like substrate P as a history.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the arrangement of the alignment system AMn shown in fig. 2 in an XY plane development, and in the present embodiment, 4 microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the Y direction, each of the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 is, as shown in fig. 4, configured to detect a plurality of alignment marks (mark) MKm (MK1 to MK4) formed on the sheet-shaped substrate P, a plurality of alignment marks MKm (MK1 to MK4) are, for example, cross-shaped marks formed in a range of 200 μm square, and are reference marks for aligning (aligning) a predetermined pattern of an exposure area W to be drawn on the surface to be processed of the sheet-shaped substrate P with respect to the sheet-shaped substrate P, a plurality of microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 are provided on the sheet-shaped substrate P supported by the outer circumferential surface (circumferential surface) of the drum DR, and detect a plurality of alignment marks MKm (1 to 4) and a plurality of AM 7 to AM11 to AM1 are provided on the sheet-shaped substrate P in the upstream side of the conveying light beam 1B (1B) drawn by the sheet-shaped substrate P from the microscope objective lenses ba 1B drawn on the side of the sheet-shaped substrate P.

The alignment system AMn has: a light source that projects alignment illumination light to the sheet-like substrate P through the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM 14; and a two-dimensional imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS, which captures an enlarged image of each of local regions (observation regions) Vw11 to Vw14 including the alignment mark MKm on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P at a high shutter speed while the sheet-like substrate P is moving in the conveyance direction. The image information (image data) captured by the two-dimensional imaging element of the alignment system AMn is subjected to image analysis by the alignment/stage control unit 58 (described below using fig. 5), and the positions (mark position information) of the alignment marks MKm (MK1 to MK4) on the sheet-like substrate P are detected. The alignment illumination light is light having a wavelength region having substantially no sensitivity to the photosensitive layer on the sheet substrate P, for example, light having a wavelength of about 500 to 800 nm. The size of each observation region Vw11 to Vw14 on the sheet-like substrate P is set according to the size or alignment accuracy (position measurement accuracy) of the alignment marks MK1 to MK4, and is about 100 to 500 μm square.

A plurality of alignment marks (mark) MK 1-MK 4 are provided around each exposure field W. The alignment marks MK1, MK4 are formed at regular intervals Dh along the longitudinal direction of the sheet-like substrate P on both sides of the exposure field W in the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet-like substrate P. Alignment mark MK1 is formed on the-Y direction side in the width direction of sheet-like substrate P, and alignment mark MK4 is formed on the + Y direction side in the width direction of sheet-like substrate P. The alignment marks MK1 and MK4 are arranged so as to be at the same position in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the sheet-like substrate P in a state where the sheet-like substrate P is not subjected to a large tension or is deformed by heat treatment. Further, the alignment marks MK2, MK3 are formed between alignment mark MK1 and alignment mark MK4, and the blank portions on the + X direction side and the-X direction side of the exposure region W are formed in the width direction (short dimension direction) of the sheet substrate P. Alignment marks MK2, MK3 are formed between exposure area W and exposure area W. The longitudinal interval Dh of the alignment marks MK1, MK4 may be set to any value depending on the material, thickness, and rigidity of the sheet-like substrate P, but is preferably about 5mm in the case of a sheet-like substrate having a large deformation rate with respect to tension. Note that the longitudinal intervals Dh of the alignment marks MK1, MK4 may be formed at the narrowest fixed value (for example, 4mm) at all times, regardless of the material, thickness, and rigidity (young's modulus) of the sheet-like substrate P, and the alignment marks MK1, MK4 may be detected for each interval Dh while the sheet-like substrate P is being fed when the deformation of the sheet-like substrate P is large, and the alignment marks MK1, MK4 may be detected at elongated intervals of 1 (interval 2Dh) or 2 (interval 3Dh) when the deformation of the sheet-like substrate P is small.

Further, the distance between alignment mark MK1 arranged at the end on the-Y direction side of sheet-like substrate P and alignment mark MK2 in the Y direction, the distance between alignment mark MK2 in the blank region and alignment mark MK3 in the Y direction, and the distance between alignment mark MK4 arranged at the end on the + Y direction side of sheet-like substrate P and alignment mark MK3 in the Y direction are set to be the same. The alignment marks MKm (MK1 MK4) may be formed together when the pattern layer of layer 1 is formed on the sheet substrate P. For example, when the pattern of the layer 1 is exposed, the alignment mark pattern may be exposed together with the periphery of the exposure area W of the exposed pattern. Furthermore, the alignment mark MKm may also be formed in the exposure area W. For example, the exposure region may be formed within the exposure region W and along the contour of the exposure region W. In addition, a pattern portion at a predetermined position or a portion having a predetermined shape in the pattern of the electronic device formed in the exposure area W may be used as the alignment mark MKm.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an apparatus that collectively controls a substrate processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) according to the present embodiment, a transport control unit TPC and a die device STP shown in fig. 2 are connected to a main control unit (host computer) 50, a drawing control unit 52 is connected to the main control unit (host computer), an alignment/stage control unit 58 is connected to the drawing control unit 52, and under the drawing control unit 52, a drawing unit driving unit 54, a switching element driving unit 56, and a laser light source L Sa, L switching element driving unit 56 are connected to each of 6 acoustic light deflecting elements L to AOM L constituting an optical modulation member OSM, and are driven by high frequency signals in synchronization with rotational angle positions of rotary polygonal mirrors (aogon mirrors) PM of 6 drawing units U L to U L, respectively, so as to be sequentially driven by high frequency signals, and to supply the deflected light beams L Bn (L B L to the deflected light beams L B) to the corresponding drawing unit L, L Ba, and the non-AOM-Ba-L B L, and when the deflected light beams (AOM) are drawn by the odd-saw elements L B L, and the non-72B L, which are in series with the respective AOM, and the respective AOM-72, which draw the respective AOM, which are in the state, which the deflected light beams, which are not drawn by the respective AOM, and which are not drawn by the odd-72, and which are respectively, and which the respective AOM (AOM, the respective AOm, and which are drawn by the respective deflected lights absorbed by the respective AOm, and.

Similarly, the beam L Bb from the laser source L Sb passes through the acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM2, AOM4, and AOM6 corresponding to the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6 in series in order, and fig. 5 shows a case where the acousto-optic deflecting element AOM4 corresponding to the drawing unit U4 of the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6 is in an on state (deflecting state), and the other acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM2 and AOM6 are in an off state (non-deflecting state), and when the even-numbered acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM2, AOM4, and AOM6 are in an off state (non-deflecting state), the beam L Bb or the leaked beam is generated from the laser source L Sb, and absorbed by the damper (light absorber) Dmp.

The polygon mirror driving circuit controls the motor of the rotary polygon mirror PM such that the rotational speeds of the rotary polygon mirror PM of the drawing units U to U are precisely matched and the rotational angle phase of the rotary polygon mirror PM is in a predetermined state based on the origin signal generated from each of the drawing units U to U, and the polygon mirror driving circuit controls the motor of the rotary polygon mirror PM such that the rotational angles of the rotary polygon mirror PM of the drawing units U to U are set to a predetermined state, and the rotational angle phase of the rotary polygon mirror PM is set to the set of the rotational angle phase of the rotary polygon mirror PM in the international publication No. in detail, for example, only one of the drawing beams B, 0B, 1B is set to the scanning light beam line S1, S5, S6, and the scanning light beam S2, S5, S3, S5, S3, S.

The drawing control unit 52 connected to the main control unit 50 includes a storage unit that stores pattern information (for example, dot pattern data obtained by subdividing the drawing area into a two-dimensional pixel map and setting a logical value "0" or "1" for each pixel) to be drawn on the sheet-shaped substrate P by each of the drawing units U1 to U6, and a data sending unit that converts the pattern information (dot pattern data) into bit-serial drawing data by restoring the origin signal from each of the drawing units U1 to U6 acquired via the drawing unit driving unit 54 and sends out the bit-serial drawing data to each of the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb, and when each of the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb is an optical fiber amplifier laser light source, the pulse of the clock signal is restored and the light of the infrared wavelength region pulse is emitted, and thereafter, the light is amplified by the optical fiber amplifier and converted into a light beam L and L Bb. in the ultraviolet wavelength region (for example, 355nm) by the wavelength conversion element, so that the light beam intensity of the light is output from the optical fiber amplifier 9636B, and the drawing data obtained by switching the optical fiber amplifier 3629B, so that the bit-serial drawing data (3629B) is output from the optical fiber amplifier 3629B, L, thus, the optical fiber amplifier).

Further, the drawing control section 52 restores the origin signal from each of the drawing units U1 to U6 obtained via the drawing unit driving section 54, and outputs a control signal for sequentially turning on any 1 of the odd-numbered acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM1, AOM3, and AOM5, and sequentially turning on any 1 of the even-numbered acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM 9, AOM4, and AOM6, in the case of fig. 5, for example, a light beam L Ba from the laser light source L Sa is deflected only by the odd-numbered acousto-optic deflecting element AOM3 and is incident to the corresponding drawing unit U7, so that the drawing beam L B3 is scanned by the rotating polygon mirror PM, a drawing pattern of a 1 scanning line along the drawing line S363 is performed, and the drawing pattern from the laser beam 3B generated by the laser light source drawing unit 3B is performed on the basis of the polygon scanning data generated by the laser light source 3B drawing unit 3B, and the drawing a polygon drawing pattern from the laser beam 3B generated by the light source 3B drawing the polygon scanning beam 3B is drawn by the light source 3B.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when the light beam L Ba emitted from the laser light source L Sa is incident to the corresponding drawing unit Un. in a state where the intensity modulation is applied by restoring the drawing data of the pattern information to be drawn by any 1 of the drawing units U1, U3, and U5, similarly, the light beam L Bb emitted from the laser light source L Sb is incident to the corresponding drawing unit Un. in a state where the intensity modulation is applied by restoring the drawing data of the pattern information to be drawn by any 1 of the drawing units U2, U4, and U6, since the drawing data (bit string) is set to be transmitted at the frequency 1/2 of the clock signal from the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb (the focused light of 2 pulses is allowed to pass through 1 pixel), the deflection light beam L and L b based on the deflection data is modulated at the maximum frequency of the modulated light beam 200MHz (AOM) which is higher than the maximum frequency of the modulated light beam 638 and 200MHz (AOM).

The alignment/stage control unit 58 includes a mark position measurement unit that measures the position or positional shift amount of each mark by analyzing an enlarged image of the alignment mark MKm on the sheet-like substrate P based on image information from the alignment system AMn (including the two-dimensional imaging element provided corresponding to each of the 4 microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) described with reference to fig. 2 and 4. Further, the alignment/stage control unit 58 includes a counter circuit unit that measures the amount of movement of the sheet substrate P in the conveyance direction (in the circumferential direction along the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR) based on measurement information from the encoder head ECn that detects a change in the rotational angular position of the drum DR. The alignment/stage control unit 58 controls the rotation drive mechanism DV1 (see fig. 2) based on the measurement information from the encoder head ECn or the measurement value of the counter circuit unit so that the moving speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P matches the target speed. Further, the alignment/stage control unit 58 specifies the drawing start position or the drawing end position in the X direction of the exposure area W on the sheet substrate P based on the measurement value of the counter circuit unit and the position information of the alignment mark MKm measured by the mark position measurement unit, and transmits information (timing) of the drawing start position or the drawing end position to the drawing control unit 52.

As described above, with the configuration of the processing apparatus of the present embodiment described with reference to fig. 1 to 5, the sheet-like substrate P that is unwound from the supply reel FR and carried into the exposure apparatus EX is sequentially patterned (exposed) for each of the exposure areas W shown in fig. 4, and the sheet-like substrate P carried out of the exposure apparatus EX is taken up by the recovery reel RR, and when the conveying error of the sheet-like substrate P by the conveying mechanism (see fig. 1 and 2) of the entire sheet-like substrate P from the supply reel FR to the recovery reel RR, the driving error of the rotary polygon mirror PM in each of the drawing units Un in the exposure apparatus EX, the relative positional error and slope error of the drawing lines S L1 to S L6, the drawing magnification error, the connection error, and the like are within the allowable ranges, the sheet-like can be continuously conveyed at a fixed speed, and the pattern for the electronic apparatus can be continuously and repeatedly exposed onto the sheet-like.

However, when the exposure apparatus EX is continuously operated for a long time, there is a possibility that the pattern drawing apparatus of the direct imaging system that scans the focused light of the light beam like the exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment may fluctuate more or less with time, in particular, when the quality of the pattern drawn on the sheet-like substrate P is significantly impaired due to fluctuation in the intensity of the light beam, fluctuation in the position of the light beam incident on the drawing unit Un, or the incident angle, and the like, and in addition, when the temperature of each part in the exposure apparatus EX rises due to long-time operation, in particular, when the metal part or the housing holding the optical components in the light beam optical path is thermally deformed, the diameter of the light beam passing through the optical path from the laser light sources L Ba and L Bb to the sheet-like substrate P is small, and therefore, there is a case where the position of the focused light (for example, diameter of 3 μm) projected on the sheet-like substrate P fluctuates by several micrometers, and further, there is a case where the length interval between the observation regions Vw 34 to Vw 56 of each of the alignment system AMn shown in fig. 4 and the drawing unit Un (so-called linear direction of the long X596) of the sheet-like 466 (linear drawing unit Un) fluctuates due to thermal deformation of the long linear direction.

Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) of the present embodiment, when there occurs a change in the intensity of the light beam, a change in the position or the incident angle of the light beam, a temperature change of each part in the exposure apparatus EX, or the like during the exposure process on the sheet-like substrate P, or when there occurs a conveyance error in the conveyance path of the sheet-like substrate P from the supply reel FR to the recovery reel RR, the exposure process of the exposure apparatus EX is temporarily interrupted, and an adjustment operation for maintaining the state of the apparatus is performed. In order to perform this adjustment operation, the operation of conveying the sheet-like substrate P passing through the exposure apparatus EX or the conveying mechanism (fig. 1) is temporarily stopped. In the processing apparatus shown in fig. 1 and 2, the rollers NR1, NR2(NR2'), and the drum DR apply a conveyance thrust to the sheet-like substrate P, and the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P can be stopped by stopping the motors of the driving units DVa, DVb, and DVc and the rotary driving mechanism DV 1.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a schematic control sequence (sequence control of a control program) for temporarily stopping a processing apparatus including the exposure apparatus EX. The flowchart (control sequence) of fig. 6 may be executed by a computer that collectively controls the entire processing apparatus or a host computer of a factory in which the processing apparatus is installed, but is explained here as being executed in the main control unit 50 of fig. 5. The control sequence of fig. 6 is executed as an interrupt process when some stop request is generated in the main control section 50 of the exposure apparatus EX or the control system of the transport mechanism. Roughly distinguishing between stop requests is the following: a request for an emergency stop generated when an abnormality (failure or the like) that cannot be immediately recovered occurs in the apparatus, or a request for a temporary stop in which the operation of the apparatus (conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P) can be resumed by stopping the operation for a certain time, such as an adjustment operation. The processing apparatuses (including the exposure apparatus EX) shown in fig. 1 and 2 are provided with a monitor for detecting various abnormalities and errors related to the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P. In the monitor, mainly, in the configuration shown in fig. 1 and 2, tension rollers RT1 to RT7 for measuring tension applied in the longitudinal direction of the sheet-like substrate P, and edge sensors Eps1 and Eps2 for measuring displacement in the width direction of the edge (edge) of the sheet-like substrate P.

As another monitor, the alignment system AMn (including the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) shown in fig. 2 and 4 may be used as a sensor for sensing a large error (abnormality) in the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P when the mark MKm formed at the fixed interval Dh cannot be recognized at a predetermined position, and further, a monitor or a sensor for sensing an abnormality of the driving state (failure of servo recovery, generation of rattling or vibration, abnormal heat generation, etc.) is incorporated in a control circuit of a driving source (motor) such as each of the driving units DVa, VDb, VDc, the rotational driving mechanism DV1, etc. in the processing apparatus, and a sensor (light source monitor) for sensing the operation or state of each function is also provided in each of the driving units (the drawing unit driving unit 54 and the switching element driving unit 56 in fig. 5) or the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb in the exposure apparatus EX.

Further, although not shown, there are provided: a wrinkle generation monitor (for example, japanese patent laid-open nos. 2002-211797 and 2009-249159) that senses generation of longitudinal wrinkles in the sheet substrate P wound around the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR of the exposure apparatus EX, such as a longitudinal wrinkle extending in the longitudinal direction at random positions in the width direction; and a meandering sensor (for example, japanese patent laid-open nos. 2001-233517 and 2013-018557) or the like that senses meandering generated immediately before the sheet-like substrate P is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR; thus, the conveying error or the conveying failure of the sheet-shaped substrate P can be detected. Therefore, the main control unit 50 sequentially collects sensing information from the tension rollers RT1 to RT7, the edge sensors Eps1 and Eps2, the alignment system AMn, the monitors or sensors of various driving units, the light source monitor, the wrinkle generation monitor, the meandering sensor, and the like, and immediately determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the conveyance mechanism or the exposure apparatus EX.

Next, in step 100 of the control sequence of fig. 6, the main control section 50 analyzes whether an abnormality that is difficult to recover occurs in the conveyance state of the sheet-like substrate P, the operation state of the exposure apparatus EX, or whether an abnormality that is difficult to recover occurs in a short period of time, and determines that an emergency stop is necessary when an abnormality occurs or it is predicted that an abnormality occurs in a short period of time, based on the information sensed by the sensors or monitors at various locations in the processing apparatus (the exposure apparatus EX and the conveyance mechanism).

[ Emergency stop mode ]

If it is determined that the emergency stop is necessary, the main control section 50 determines whether or not a time margin (margin) exists until the operation of the processing apparatus (the conveyance mechanism and the exposure apparatus EX) is completely stopped in the next step 102, and executes a sequence in consideration of the response at the time of the re-operation after step 120 if the margin exists. When it is determined in step 102 that there is no temporal margin, the main control portion 50 determines whether or not the information pattern, the barcode, or the like can be stamped (driven) onto the sheet-like substrate P by the stamping device STP (fig. 2) in next step 104. The information pattern or bar code or the like to be printed on the sheet-like substrate P by the stamper STP is, for example, an address of an exposure area W in which the exposure process is interrupted (the number of exposure areas counted from the head of the sheet-like substrate P), or a length from a starting point position in the longitudinal direction of the sheet-like substrate P to a position in which the exposure process is interrupted. As the information pattern or barcode to be printed on the sheet-like substrate P, a code number indicating a factor of the emergency stop (a mechanism or function determined to be abnormal), a date and time determined to be the emergency stop, and the like may be further added.

Since it takes a certain amount of time to drive an information pattern, a barcode, or the like by the stamp device STP, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not the stamp can be printed in consideration of the time in step 104, and if so, activates the stamp device STP in the next step 106 to drive the information pattern, the barcode, or the like onto the sheet-like substrate P. If it is determined in step 104 that the impression (driving) time is not so acute, step 106 is omitted and the parameter setting of the quick stop mode in step 108 is executed.

In the quick stop mode, control parameters (including control timings) of the driving portions DVa, DVb and DVc, the rotary driving mechanism DV1, and the rotary driving portions of the supply roll FR and the recovery roll RR are set so as to quickly transition to the conveyance stop state mainly without damaging the sheet-shaped substrate P. Since the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P (tension in the longitudinal direction) abruptly varies in the case of an abrupt stop, the respective rotation driving units DVa, DVb, DVc, the rotation driving mechanism DV1, the supply roll FR, and the recovery roll RR are servo-controlled so that the amounts of tension measured by the tension rollers RT1 to RT7 do not deviate from the set ranges, in order to prevent excessive tension from being applied to the sheet-like substrate P. The setting range of the tension amount varies depending on the material, thickness, young's modulus (rigidity), friction coefficient, etc. of the sheet substrate P, but if the rotation speed of the nip rollers NR1, NR2 or the drum DR is changed sharply, the recovery of the tension servo is delayed, and the sheet substrate P is damaged by sliding on the front surface portion or the rear surface portion of the sheet substrate P in contact with (in close contact with) the nip rollers NR1, NR2 or the drum DR. Therefore, even in the emergency stop mode, the parameters of the tension control are set so that the rotational speeds of the rolls NR1 and NR2 and the rotational speed of the drum DR are reduced in synchronization with each other so that the slip is not generated as much as possible, and the target tension amount is changed in accordance with the reduction in the speed.

In the emergency stop mode, if a time lag or the like occurs in conjunction with the control of reducing the rotation speed of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 or the drum DR and the control of adjusting the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P, the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P may be temporarily (instantaneously) extremely reduced and then may be in an excessive tension state. In this case, a large slip may occur between the conveying roller or the drum DR and the sheet substrate P, and the sheet substrate P may be damaged. In the scram mode, it is necessary to stop the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P at a minimum by conveyance control so as not to damage the sheet-like substrate P.

Next, the main control section 50 sets various control parameters set to the quick stop mode as instruction values in step 110 and sends the instruction values to the transport control section TPC in fig. 2 and the alignment/stage control section 58 in fig. 5, further, in step 110, the main control section 50 also outputs an instruction indicating an emergency stop of operation to the drawing control section 52 in fig. 5, and returns the instruction to the drawing control section 52, and the drawing control section 52 sends the main control section 50 a flag indicating whether or not exposure (drawing) of the exposure area W on the sheet-shaped substrate P is in progress or is completed and the start of exposure of the next exposure area W is waited, and further, the drawing control section 52 outputs an instruction to close the movable shutter SH shown in fig. 2 while stopping sending out drawing data (bit string) to the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb, and the quick stop is an important problem in any one of the transport mechanism or the exposure apparatus EX, and the start is started when the operation is stopped due to a mechanical failure, and the operation is performed in a state that a lot of the sheet-shaped substrate is left as a roll-up operation, and a lot of the operation of the roll is left in the transport process, and the operation is necessary for the time to be performed since the roll-up, the operation of the sheet-up, the roll-up, and the operation is set up to the operation of the sheet-up to the operation of the sheet-up roll-up operation when the operation due to the recovery.

Therefore, in the processing apparatus of the present embodiment described with reference to fig. 1 and 2, after the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped by the emergency stop performed by the execution of step 110, the tension is set to be substantially zero (no-tension state) or to be extremely low (low-tension state) in all the portions of the sheet-like substrate P that are erected on the conveyance path from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR. Specifically, the tension acting on the sheet-like substrate P is set to be substantially zero (no tension state) or low tension state in each of the conveyance path from the supply roll FR to the nip roll NR1 (stuck position), the conveyance path from the nip roll NR1 (stuck position) to the nip roll NR2 or NR2' (stuck position) including the drum DR, and the conveyance path from the nip roll NR2 to the recovery roll RR.

Here, the low-tension state means a tension (N/m) in a range in which damage such as scratches and microcracks is not applied to a pattern or a thin film (layer structure) formed on the sheet-shaped substrate P even when the sheet-shaped substrate P mounted on the roller having the smallest diameter among the plurality of rollers arranged in the conveyance path is continuously stopped for a predetermined stop time. The tensionless state means that the sheet-like substrate P is stretched with substantially zero friction with the rollers or drums DR in the conveyance path. In the present embodiment, the sheet-like substrate P is stopped in a tension-free state at the time of emergency stop because a long time is often required for solving the failure. In both the emergency stop and the temporary stop, the sheet-like substrate P conveyed halfway in the conveyance path is set to either a tension-free state or a low-tension state in step 110 after the sheet-like substrate P stops.

[ temporary stop mode ]

On the other hand, in step 100 of fig. 6, when it is determined that a temporary stop request is made and an emergency stop is not made, or when it is determined that an emergency stop is required in step 102 but a temporal margin exists until the stop, the main control section 50 executes steps 120 to 124 and then executes step 110. The steps 120 to 124 include a preparation sequence (program) for automatically restarting (re-operating) the processing operation in a short time from the continuation of the processing interruption position on the sheet-like substrate P after the processing operation of the processing apparatus (exposure apparatus EX) is interrupted for a short time. First, in step 120, the main control unit 50 checks a stop time (a time required from a time when a stop request is generated to an actual conveyance stop) Tsq of the interrupt processing operation (the conveyance operation of the sheet substrate P) when the temporary stop request is made, a stop duration Tcs for continuing the temporary stop state, and a processing position Xpr on the sheet substrate P when the stop request is generated, calculates a predetermined stop position Xst for stopping the sheet substrate P and a tension value (tension amount) Fn applied to the sheet substrate P, and sets them as target values, respectively. If it is determined in step 102 that the vehicle has a temporal margin until the vehicle stops in the emergency stop mode, the time period of the margin determined in the determination in step 102 is set in the stop time Tsq determined in step 120.

In the case of the exposure apparatus EX of the present embodiment, the stop duration Tcs is set in several stages depending on the factor causing the temporary stop, for example, a rough stop duration Tcs predetermined as about 60 seconds is prepared as a preset value when the dummy oscillation (light emission) is performed when the setting in the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb is finely adjusted for the intensity adjustment of the drawing focusing light, a main control operation (including an operation of conveying the sheet-like substrate again in the forward direction after reversing and conveying the sheet-like substrate by a predetermined distance) in which the mark detection of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P cannot be accurately recognized by the alignment system AMn is about 120 to 180 seconds, a calibration operation in which the connection accuracy of the plurality of drawing lines S L1 to S L6 is confirmed is about 300 seconds to 500 seconds, as shown in fig. 2, a case where the sheet-like processing apparatus (the processing apparatus) connected to the roll NR2 'which is connected to the subsequent tension adjusting unit 12' is connected, and a next step of the sheet-like temporary stop information is set in advance, and the sheet-like a temporary stop-conveying-like temporary stop-processing apparatus is also provided as a next step, a temporary stop-indicating that the temporary-conveying-processing-stopping-indicating that the sheet-conveying-carrying-processing-carrying-processing-step-processing-holding-of-indicating-holding-indicating-of-holding-indicating that the sheet-carrying-holding-carrying-.

As described above, when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is temporarily stopped in accordance with the state in the exposure apparatus EX, the main control unit 50 selects an appropriate one from preset values prepared in advance in accordance with the stop factor and sets the selected one as the stop duration Tcs in step 120. When the sheet-like substrate P is temporarily stopped in the exposure apparatus EX due to the situation on the post-process processing apparatus side, the main control unit 50 sets the stop duration Tcs with reference to the information on the stop duration conveyed from the post-process processing apparatus or sets the stop time Tsq based on the stop request information conveyed from the post-process processing apparatus in step 120.

Here, with reference to fig. 7, an example of a case where a sheet-like substrate P having a plurality of exposure regions W1 to W6a … and W1b to W6b … sequentially exposed by 6 drawing lines S L to S L is temporarily stopped is described, fig. 7 is a view showing a state where the sheet-like substrate P wound around a drum DR is straightened in a long direction to a flat shape, for convenience, the long direction (conveyance direction) of the sheet-like substrate P is taken as the X direction, the short direction (width direction) of the sheet-like substrate P is taken as the Y direction, and the direction orthogonal to the surface of the sheet-like substrate P is taken as the Z direction, in fig. 7, each of the exposure regions W1a to W6a and W1b to W6b is, for example, a region for a display panel electronic device forming a moving terminal, and the odd-numbered b-b pattern (b-W3, and b are disposed by taking 2 chamfers whose long sides in the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet-like the exposure regions W72 and b, and the even-numbered b are drawn as MK lines S72, b, and b are described above, and the case where MK b and the odd-b are drawn by the odd-b drawing lines S b and the MK b are taken as well as the MK drawing lines b and b, b are drawn in the case before the MK b, b and b.

In fig. 7, in the formation regions of the marks MK1 and MK4 disposed on both sides in the width direction of the sheet-like substrate P, the number mark patterns AP1 to AP3 are formed with the interval in the longitudinal direction (X direction) set to the distance XG (XG > Dh). The number mark patterns AP1 to AP3 are marked with a barcode or the like or printed with numbers that are sequentially increased from the front end side of the sheet-like substrate P, and are set to positions and sizes that can be detected by the observation regions Vw11 and Vw14 of the microscope objective lenses AM11 and AM14 in the alignment system AMn. The detection of the number mark patterns AP1 to AP3 may be performed by a dedicated number detection mechanism (barcode reader or the like) provided in addition to the alignment system AMn. In this case, the size of the number mark patterns AP1 to AP3 does not need to be accommodated in the observation regions Vw11 and Vw14 of the alignment system AMn, and thus can be set to a size that can be reliably read by a barcode reader or the like. The distance XG may be set to an arbitrary value that is convenient for management of the exposure process, but when determined according to the size of the exposure regions Wna (W1a to W6a …) and Wnb (W1b to W6b …) that are the formation regions of 1 electronic device formed on the sheet-like substrate P, the distance corresponding to the extent that the exposure regions Wna and Wnb are aligned several to several tens in the longitudinal direction may be set, for example.

As shown in fig. 7, when a request for temporary stop occurs during the continuous execution of the pattern drawing operation by the drawing lines S L1 to S L6 of the exposure apparatus EX, the main control section 50 sets conditions or states for interrupting the drawing operation (exposure process) being executed and stopping the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P in step 120, for example, along the flowchart shown in fig. 8, based on the set stop time (temporal margin to stop) Tsq, and the execution of the flowchart of fig. 8 can be incorporated as a subroutine in step 120 in fig. 6.

In step 130 of fig. 8, the main control unit 50 confirms the processing position Xpr at which pattern drawing is actually performed on the sheet-shaped substrate P, the processing position Xpr can be determined by the numbering mark patterns AP1 to AP3 and the alignment mark MKn (in particular, marks MK1, MK4) on the sheet-shaped substrate P, in the case of fig. 7, the processing position Xpr of the exposure areas W4a, W4b at which pattern drawing is being performed is confirmed as an area between the numbering mark pattern AP1 and the numbering mark pattern AP2 and between the No. 2 to No. 4 mark 1, MK4 on the upstream side (in the-X direction in fig. 7) from the numbering mark pattern AP1, and since the numbering mark pattern AP1 and the marks MK1, MK4 following these mark patterns pass through the alignment system AMn or the barcode reader disposed on the upstream side of the drawing range (the MK area including the rectangular lines S L to S6), and reads the barcode reading position of the exposure area, and the exposure area X a and measures the position xp position of the sheet-shaped substrate P a.

Further, in step 130, considering a restart operation in which the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is temporarily stopped and the drawing operation is suspended for only the stop duration Tcs, the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is restarted and the drawing operation is restarted, and the precise position information (encoder measurement value) in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR (sheet-like substrate P) measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb shown in fig. 3 and the alignment/stage control unit (control unit) 58 shown in fig. 5 is stored in the alignment/stage control unit 58 as the number mark pattern AP1 (the same applies to AP2 to AP 3) or the position information in the longitudinal direction of the marks MK1 and MK 4. That is, as shown in fig. 3, the position of each of the number mark patterns AP1 or the marks MK1, MK4 in the longitudinal direction can be uniquely determined by the encoder measurement value in the range in which the sheet-like substrate P is closely wound around the drum DR in the circumferential direction.

In the next step 132, the main control unit 50 determines whether or not any 1 of the drawing units U1 to U6 is performing the drawing operation on the exposure areas Wna and Wnb on the sheet-shaped substrate P at the current point, since the exposure areas W4a and W4a on the sheet-shaped substrate P are being exposed by the respective drawing lines S L to S L of the drawing units U1 to U6 in the state illustrated in fig. 7, the main control unit 50 departs from the step 132 by "Yes" in the state illustrated in fig. 7, and performs the next step 134, the main control unit 50 estimates the time until the completion of the drawing operation (the exposure operation on the exposure areas W4a and W4 a) performed at the current point, calculates the drawing operation on the Wna and Wnb by the time until the completion of the drawing operation on the current drawing operation (the exposure operation on the exposure areas W4 and W4) of the sheet-shaped substrate P, and calculates the length of the drawing operation on the exposure areas Wna drawing operation on the Wna long line X a and Wnb by the odd-numbered drawing lines S3601, S72, W72, and the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered substrate P a, and the current drawing operation (ecp) by the known length of the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered substrate X encoder 72, and the drawing operation (ecp a) and the drawing operation start time (the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered (ecp a) and the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered substrate P a, and the drawing operation (the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered substrate P a) by the drawing operation (the drawing operation on the drawing lines X a) and the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered lines X a, the sheet-numbered (a, the sheet-numbered substrate P3) and the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered (the drawing operation on the sheet-numbered (the sheet-numbered substrate P a) and.

Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a state in the middle of pattern drawing on an exposure area W4a (W4b) by an odd drawing line S L1 (S L, S L) and an even drawing line S L (S L, S L), where, when the end on the + X side of the exposure area W4a overlaps with a drawing line S L2, the encoder measurement values measured by the encoder heads EC2a, EC2b become position information xp0 for starting drawing by the drawing line S L at the time point when the end on the + X side of the exposure area W4a overlaps with the drawing line S L, when the execution of steps 130 to 134 of fig. 8 is current main control, the measurement values measured by the encoders heads EC 2L, EC 2L at the current time point become position information xp1, the main control unit 50 determines the transport length (transport movement amount) L u from the current time point of the sheet substrate P until the drawing is completed by the encoder heads tp1, the process unit L, when the transport length (transport movement amount) L u from the current time point L to the time point tpp is equal to the time point tpp when the encoder 72 is determined by the next time calculation is repeated by the encoder 72, and the next step S34/L calculation is repeated with the next step S L until the process of the process is repeated until the process of.

Next, in step 136, simply comparing the length of the predicted completion time Tdw with the stop time Tsq, if the margin time to completely stop the conveying operation while reducing the conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P is the stop time Tsq, it is sufficient to obtain in advance the time required to decelerate the conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P to zero as the deceleration time Tva, and to compare the length of the time based on (Tsq-Tva) > Tdw, and further, in the determination in step 136, it may be determined whether or not the pattern drawing operation for the next exposure field W5a (W5b) can be completed within the stop time Tsq (or Tsq-Tva), and if the interval in the longitudinal direction (X direction) between the exposure field W4a (W4b) and the next exposure field W5a (W5b) in the current exposure process is L z, it may be determined whether or not to perform the additional drawing operation from the time of step t9 to the time of the next exposure field W4 (W b) and the stop time 638, and the step 369, and thus, if the time of the subsequent process is equal to the time of completing step 19, the step 368, the step 369, and the step 366, are performed as the additional time of the step 19, and the step 368, and the step 369, and step 19, and the.

In the case of considering the additional processing time Tad, since the completion position Xp2 is reset at the end of the next exposure field W5a (W5b) in the-X direction before the deviation from step 136 is "yes" and the return to step 130 is made, the main control unit 50 obtains the predicted completion time tdw using the value obtained by adding (L z + L W) to the transport length (movement amount) L u calculated in step 134 during the execution of the next repeat instruction, and thus, the number of exposure fields Wna and Wnb exposed during the period from the request for temporary stop (or emergency stop) to the start of deceleration of the transport speed of the sheet substrate P can be maximized within the set stop time Tsq by considering the additional processing time Tad.

When it is determined in step 136 that the predicted completion time Tdw (or Tdw + Tad) exceeds the stop time Tsq (or Tsq-Tva), the main control unit 50 proceeds to step 136 as "No" (No) and then proceeds to step 140. The state determined as "no" in step 136 is a case where the set stop time Tsq is shorter than the predicted completion time Tdw for completion of the drawing operation for the exposure areas W4a and W4b that are currently being exposed. That is, the drawing operation of the exposure areas W4a and W4b is stopped in the middle, and the conveying operation of the sheet-shaped substrate P is immediately stopped. Therefore, in this case, the exposure areas W4a and W4b that are currently being exposed are registered in the main control unit 50 as defective drawing areas. The absolute positions (unique positions) of the exposure regions W4a, W4b on the sheet-like substrate P are registered as the processing positions Xpr specified by the number mark pattern AP1 and the marks MK1, MK4 in the previous step 130. Information of the processing position Xpr which is the exposure region W4a or W4b where the defective drawing is formed may be transferred to the stamp device STP described above with reference to fig. 2, and the information may be stamped (marking) on the sheet-like substrate P.

Next, at step 142, when the conveyance of the sheet-shaped substrate P is stopped, the main control section 50 sends various control parameters (such as gain, return time constant, and feedback amount during servo control) for each of the rotary drive mechanism DV1 and the drive sections DVa to DVc controlled by the conveyance control section TPC shown in fig. 2 to the conveyance control section TPC. The main control unit 50 sends a set value (instruction value) of the tension amount Fn of each portion applied to the sheet-like substrate P in the transport path from the supply roll FR to the recovery roll RR, a change characteristic corresponding to a speed change of the set value, and the like to the transport control unit TPC during a period from the start of deceleration of the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P to the complete stop. When the initial conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P suitable for the exposure process (pattern drawing) in the exposure apparatus EX is reduced, it is important that the sheet-like substrate P is not damaged. For example, when the sheet-like substrate P is fed at the initial conveyance speed, if the rotation of the drum DR is abruptly stopped or the rotation of the rollers NR1 and NR2 (or NR2') is abruptly stopped in a state where a relatively large amount of tension is applied to the sheet-like substrate P from the roller NR1 to the roller NR2 (or NR2') in fig. 2, there is a possibility that an excessive tension is instantaneously applied to the sheet-like substrate P or the sheet-like substrate P is rubbed (slid) by the outer peripheral surface (contact surface) of the drum DR or the rollers NR1 and NR2 (or NR2 '). Therefore, while the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is reduced to zero, the conveyance controller TPC controls the driving units DV1, DVa, and DVb (or DVc) so that the rotation speed of the drum DR and the rotation speeds of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2 (or NR2') are smoothly reduced in synchronization with each other, while monitoring that the tension amount measured by the force measuring devices of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6 (or RT7) is a set value.

The routine of fig. 8 executed as the processing in step 120 of fig. 6 is mainly premised on temporarily interrupting the operation of the exposure apparatus EX (i.e., stopping the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P) for the stop duration Tcs, and then restarting the exposure processing on the sheet-like substrate P. After the process for the continuously conveyed sheet-like substrate P is interrupted, the process is preferably resumed from the interrupted portion on the sheet-like substrate P with the same state and the same accuracy as before the interruption. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the conveyance of the sheet substrate P is stopped, the deceleration rate of the rotation speed of the drum DR and the amount of tension applied to the sheet substrate P on the upstream side and the downstream side of the drum DR are adjusted so that at least the sheet substrate P wound around the drum DR does not slip on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR by an amount equal to or more than the allowable amount. The adjustment amount or range may be set according to the thickness or rigidity (young's modulus) of the sheet-like substrate P, the friction between the sheet-like substrate P and the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, or the like. If the sheet substrate P slides greatly in the longitudinal direction on the drum DR during the period until the speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced to zero, a large deviation occurs between the drawing start position of the first exposure regions Wna, Wnb to be drawn by the exposure apparatus EX and the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR measured by the encoder heads ECna, ECnb before the interruption of the operation, that is, the position in the transport direction (longitudinal direction) of the sheet substrate P, at the time of resumption of the operation, and it becomes difficult to start pattern drawing with the exposure regions Wna, Wnb of the sheet substrate P precisely aligned.

In particular, when the sheet-like substrate P is stopped on the drum DR so as to slide in the conveying direction, the marks MK1 and MK4 (or MK2 and MK3) to be detected by the alignment system AMn at the time of restart of the operation are different from the marks at the original positions, or cannot be detected. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even if the sheet-like substrate P slides in the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR during the period from the initial value of the rotation speed of the drum DR to zero, the allowable amount of the sliding is preferably suppressed within the interval Dh in the conveying direction of the marks MK1, MK4 shown in fig. 4 or fig. 7. Whether or not the sheet-shaped substrate P slides on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR is checked by successively and continuously sensing the marks MK1 and MK4 by the alignment system AMn while the conveyance speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P is being lowered, storing the respective measured values obtained by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb when the marks MK1 and MK4 are sequentially sensed in the observation regions Vw11 and Vw14, and analyzing how different the difference is with respect to the interval Dh. When the sheet-like substrate P is made of resin and has a thickness of less than 100 μm, the sheet-like substrate P itself is largely deformed by heat treatment or by an increase in the moisture content after wet treatment (ink application, liquid immersion, or the like), and therefore the interval (pitch) Dh in the transport direction of the markers MK1 and MK4 is set to about several mm.

Further, if some tension is continuously applied in the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped substrate P while the conveying speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P is reduced, the slip of the sheet-shaped substrate P on the drum DR is mainly generated in the conveying direction, and is not substantially generated in the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet-shaped substrate P orthogonal to the conveying direction. However, if the tension temporarily sharply decreases due to improper setting of the parameters for the conveyance control, the sheet-like substrate P may slide in the width direction on the drum DR. In the present embodiment, in order to prevent such a widthwise slip (lateral slip), parameters of the conveyance control are set so that a loss of tension does not occur until the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is reduced to zero. This is because observation regions Vw11 to Vw14 of microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 of alignment system AMn are 1mm square or less in size, and therefore, when a lateral sliding in millimeter units occurs, alignment system AMn cannot capture marks MK1 to MK4 after the reactivation.

Further, in step 142, the main control section 50 determines the planned stop position Xst at which the sheet-like substrate P stops, based on the control parameter (particularly, the rate of change in the speed) set when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P stops. The predetermined stop position Xst can be calculated as a position (or a movement amount from a current position) in the transport direction of the outer peripheral surface (sheet-like substrate P) of the drum DR measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb. Further, since the servo control of the transport system may slightly vary from a predetermined state depending on the characteristics (thickness, rigidity, etc.) of the sheet-like substrate P, the predetermined stop position Xst determined in step 142 may slightly deviate from the position (encoder measurement value) at which the rotation of the drum DR is actually stopped.

In the above-described steps 130 to 142, if the exposure process of the exposure regions Wna and Wnb (W4 a and W4b in fig. 7) which were originally the pattern drawing areas is ended while the determination is deviated from yes in step 136 and the repeat command is repeated, the main control unit 50 determines no in step 132 and executes step 144. In step 144, a signal (drawing enable) for interrupting the drawing operation for the exposure fields Wna and Wnb (W5 a and W5b and thereafter in fig. 7) subsequent to the exposure field whose exposure has been completed is sent from the main control unit 50 to the drawing control unit 52 (fig. 5). Here, the state is set to the 1 st state when the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 located upstream in the conveying direction of the sheet-shaped substrate P are in the drawing operation, the state is set to the 2 nd state when the odd-numbered drawing units U1, U3, and U5 are stopped in the drawing operation, the even-numbered drawing units U2, U4, and U6 are in the drawing operation, and the state is set to the 3 rd state when all of the odd-numbered and even-numbered drawing units U1 to U6 are stopped in the drawing operation. In the 1 st state, it is unconditionally determined "yes" in step 132, and in the 2 nd state, it is determined "yes" after the drawing operations (the state where the light beam is projected onto the sheet-like substrate P) subsequent to the odd-numbered drawing cells U1, U3, and U5 are set to the prohibition state in step 132, and then it is determined "no" in step 132 when the state is set to the 3 rd state. As described above, when step 140 is executed, the drawing operation for the exposure regions Wna and Wnb in the pattern drawing on the sheet-like substrate P is completed in the middle of the exposure failure, and when step 144 is executed, the drawing operation for the exposure regions Wna and Wnb in the pattern drawing is completed accurately.

After the step 144 is executed, the main control section 50 executes the previously described step 142 to determine the setting of the control parameters of the conveyance system for stopping the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P, the setting of the appropriate tension amount Fn at the time of deceleration of the conveyance speed, and the stop scheduled position Xst, in order to stop the conveyance operation of the sheet-like substrate P.

The main control section 50 executes step 122 of fig. 6 after executing the last step 142 of the program of fig. 8. Step 122 is a case of estimating (confirming) a re-operation in which the sheet substrate P is re-started after the stop duration Tcs elapses after the processing operation of the exposure apparatus EX is stopped and the conveyance of the sheet substrate P is stopped, and the processing operation by the exposure apparatus EX is re-started. In step 122, the conditions for conveyance control of the sheet substrate P, such as normal resumption of the pattern drawing operation from the unexposed exposure areas Wna and Wnb on the sheet substrate P, are comprehensively checked based mainly on the various conditions set or determined in step 120 (steps 130 to 142 of fig. 8), the characteristics of the conveyance system, the characteristics of the sheet substrate P, the positional information of the marks MK1 to MK4 obtained by the alignment system AMn and the encoder heads ECna and ECnb. In particular, it is preferable that the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 formed around or near the exposure areas Wna and Wnb to be re-exposed on the sheet substrate P during the re-operation be marked uniquely with the rotational angle position of the drum DR (the encoder measurement value measured by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb), that is, the position in the transport direction of the sheet substrate P during the stop duration Tcs be maintained without being displaced on the drum DR, and that the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 be immediately measured by the alignment system AMn (microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14) during the re-operation.

Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating an expected stop state when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P shown in fig. 7 is stopped, which is estimated in step 122. In fig. 10, exposure processing is normally performed until exposure areas W4a and W4b shown in fig. 7, exposure processing is prohibited from the subsequent exposure areas W5a and W5b, and the predetermined stop position Xst is set in the middle of the subsequent exposure areas W6a and W6 b. The predetermined stop position Xst can be obtained in accordance with the encoder measurement values obtained by the encoder heads ECna and ECnb, but here is an average value of the encoder measurement values measured by each of the encoder heads EC1a and EC2 a. The average value corresponds to the intermediate position Poc shown in fig. 3. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the sheet-like substrate P is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR to a degree of about 1/4 on each of the upstream side and the downstream side with respect to the intermediate position Poc. The position where the upstream-side sheet substrate P at the intermediate position Poc starts to contact the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR is Xfa, and the position where the downstream-side sheet substrate P at the intermediate position Poc is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR is Xfb. That is, immediately after the conveyance of the sheet-like substrates P is stopped, the sheet-like substrates P are supported on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR between the position Xfa and the position Xfb in a state where a predetermined tension is applied thereto. At this time, each of the observation regions Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system AMn is located substantially at the center between the intermediate position Poc and the position Xfa on the sheet-like substrate P. Therefore, the positional information of each of the markers MK1 to MK4 located on the downstream side (in the + X direction in fig. 10) of the observation regions Vw11 to Vw14 is measured by the alignment system AMn, the encoder heads ECna, ECnb, and the alignment/stage control unit 58, and is stored by the main control unit 50.

Since the alignment marks MK1 to MK4 are provided in plural at regular intervals from the head of the sheet-like substrate P, the main controller 50 can store all the positional information of the measured marks MK1 to MK4 located on the downstream side of the observation regions Vw11 to Vw14, but the number of marks may be limited to the number necessary for the restart after the stop. For example, the position information of the markers MK1 to MK4 associated with 1 or a plurality of exposure areas Wna and Wnb subjected to the exposure processing normally on the downstream side of the predetermined stop position Xst (or observation areas Vw11 to Vw14) or the position information of the markers MK1 to MK4 existing on the downstream side of the predetermined stop position Xst (or observation areas Vw11 to Vw14) and in the range from the position Xfb may be limited and stored. When the number mark patterns AP1, AP2, etc. exist within the range where the marks MK1 to MK4 to be stored in advance on the downstream side of the predetermined stop position Xst (or the observation regions Vw11 to Vw14) exist, the main control unit 50 may store the number mark patterns APn.

Based on the position information of marks MK1 to MK4 and the information of number mark pattern APn necessary for the reactivation obtained as described above, main control unit 50 sets exposure regions Wna and Wnb for which exposure processing is started by the reactivation in step 122. For example, when the exposure process is normally performed to the exposure areas W4a and W4b and the state is stopped as shown in fig. 10, it is desirable to restart the exposure process from the next exposure area W5a and W5 b. However, when the lowering tendency is observed in the position measurement accuracy of marks MK1 to MK4 detected by alignment system AMn immediately before the termination of the exposure process, there is a possibility that marks MK1 to MK4 associated with the next exposure regions W5a and W5b are damaged or deformed, and therefore, the exposure process may be skipped for the next exposure regions W5a and W5b, and the exposure process may be restarted from the next exposure regions W6a and W6 b. The number of skipped exposure regions Wna, Wnb is not limited to 1, but it is preferable that the number of skipped exposure regions Wna, Wnb is smaller in order to improve productivity.

Further, the main control section 50 sets whether to start conveying the sheet-like substrate P in the forward direction (the + X direction in fig. 10) or in the backward direction (the-X direction in fig. 10) at the start of the restart in step 122. As shown in fig. 10, the predetermined stop position Xst is set after the next exposure fields W5a, W5b located on the upstream side with respect to the exposure fields W4a, W4b subjected to the exposure processing normally. Therefore, in order to resume the normal exposure process from the next exposure areas W5a, W5b, the sheet-like substrate P must be transported in the forward direction after being transported in the backward direction by a predetermined distance from the predetermined stop position Xst. Further, when the exposure process is resumed after skipping only a predetermined number of exposure areas Wna and Wnb from the exposure areas W4a and W4b in which the exposure process is normally performed, and when there is a time margin from when the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P reaches the target speed to when the exposure process is started, the substrate may be transported from the predetermined stop position Xst in the forward direction.

Further, in step 122, the main control unit 50 also performs confirmation of whether or not a predetermined tension is continuously applied to the sheet-shaped substrate P being conveyed and stopped, the amount of tension when the tension is applied, whether or not the sheet-shaped substrate P is stuck at a predetermined position, and the like, based on the length of the stop duration Tcs until the restart. For example, when it is determined that an emergency stop is required in step 100 of fig. 6 and it is determined that there is no temporal margin (immediate shutdown) in step 102, the stop duration Tcs is set to be considerably long or not set, and therefore the main control unit 50 determines in step 122 to release the tension applied to the sheet substrate P after the conveyance stop. When the stop duration Tcs is short enough that the winding inertia force (bending) of the roll or the like is not applied to the sheet-like substrate P due to the tension during the stop, a predetermined tension is applied. Further, even if the stop duration Tcs is long, when the sheet substrate P is not removed from the roller or drum DR in the conveyance path and can be recovered (re-operated), it is determined that the sheet substrate P is in a tension-free state while being stuck at the predetermined position. Further, the presence or absence of tension or the presence or absence of sticking applied to the sheet-like substrate P during conveyance stoppage can be checked in advance depending on the length of the stop duration Tcs until the time of restart, the necessity of detaching (pulling) the sheet-like substrate P from the conveyance path, or the like. In the case of the present embodiment, the predetermined position of the card-shaped substrate P is set to any one of the nip rollers NR1, NR2, and NR2' shown in fig. 2.

Next, the main control section 50 executes step 124 of fig. 6. Step 124 is to set a sequence or timing of the transport operation until the transport of the sheet-like substrate P which is subject to the operation stop is stopped, based on the various conditions or states set in step 120 (steps 130 to 142 in fig. 8) and the conditions confirmed or set in step 122, and to set each section in the exposure apparatus EX so as to be in a state in which the transport of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped and then can be operated again. Further, in step 124, as necessary, the setting of driving the stamp is performed in the same manner as in step 106. The die information to be driven here is, for example, position information (e.g., number mark pattern APn) of exposure areas Wna and Wnb where a drawing failure occurs, position information of exposure areas Wna and Wnb where a skip process is performed at the time of restart, and information of the conveying direction (whether the sheet-shaped substrate P is started in the forward direction or the backward direction) of the sheet-shaped substrate P at the time of start of restart. When the above settings in step 124 are completed, the main control section 50 executes step 110. In the flowchart of fig. 6, since the emergency stop mode is performed when step 110 is executed after step 108, and the stop mode in a state where the re-operation is possible is performed when step 110 is executed after step 124, there are cases where a plurality of parameters sent to each control unit or drive unit are set to values different from those in the emergency.

When step 110 is executed, main control unit 50 instructs drawing control unit 52 in fig. 5 to perform a pattern drawing operation for stopping the operation, and instructs rotation driving mechanism DV1 of drum DR to decrease the rotation speed via alignment/stage control unit 58. At the same time, the main controller 50 supports the transport controller TPC of fig. 4 such that the respective drivers DVa, DVb, and DVc are reduced at an appropriate speed. The conveyance controller TPC gradually adjusts the tension amounts of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6(RT7) so that the sheet-like substrate P does not slip on the drum DR in accordance with the decrease in the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P (the rotation speed of the drum DR, and the rotation speeds of the rollers NR1, NR2, and NR 2'). When the exposure apparatus EX is normally operated, the sheet substrate P is fed at a normal conveyance speed (for example, a fixed value in a range of 5 mm/sec to 20 mm/sec), and therefore, a tension is applied to the upstream side or the downstream side of the sheet substrate P wound around the drum DR so that the sheet substrate P does not slip on the drum DR at the normal conveyance speed. However, when the sheet-like substrate P is stopped by being lowered from the normal conveyance speed, the rotation speed of the drum DR is lowered in accordance with the rotation speeds of the rollers NR1 and NR2(NR 2'). In the present embodiment, in order to prevent an error or timing shift from occurring in the matching, various parameters are set in steps 124 and 110 of fig. 6 with reference to the recovery delay of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6(RT 7).

The main control portion 50 determines that the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped when the rotational speeds of the drum DR and the nip rollers NR1, NR2(NR2') become zero, and if the sheet-like substrate P does not slip on the drum DR in a period in which the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is reduced and reaches zero, the sheet-like substrate P is stopped at a predetermined stop position Xst uniquely determined in relation to the position of the drawing area (or the rotational angle position of the drum DR) including the drawing lines S L to S L of each of the drawing units U1 to U6 as illustrated in fig. 10 and the like, and when the sheet-like substrate P stops without slipping on the drum DR 8656, the main control portion 50 determines whether or not to adjust the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P and to what degree to adjust the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P in the case of adjustment, and the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like in the case of adjustment is adjusted, and the sheet-like, and, the tension applied to the sheet-like is continuously applied to the sheet-like in the drum DR 46r 634, the transport path R, the transport rollers R, the transport path R, the rollers R, the roller DR, and the rollers R634, and the rollers R9, and the rollers.

In the case of adjusting the amount of tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P immediately after the conveyance stop, in order to facilitate the management of the conveyance position of the sheet-like substrate P at the time of restart, it is preferable to adjust the amount of tension applied by the tension rollers RT5 and RT6(RT7) in a state where the rotation of the nip rollers NR1 and NR2(NR2') is stopped. When the rollers NR1 and NR2(NR2') are not driven and stopped (servo lock), both the position of the sheet-like substrate P at the roller NR1 and the position of the roller NR2(NR2') are caught. Therefore, even when the sheet-like substrate P is placed in a tension-free state between the nip rollers NR1 to NR2(NR2') during the stop of the operation, the sheet-like substrate P can be returned to the original position on the drum DR immediately after the stop by applying the original tension to the tension rollers RT5 and RT6(RT7) at the start of the restart of the operation. In the present embodiment, in order to avoid lateral displacement of the sheet-shaped substrate P in the short dimension direction (width direction) on the drum DR, the tension amount is set to be continuously applied to such an extent that the sheet-shaped substrate P is constantly kept in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR for the stop duration time Tcs. However, a plurality of fine holes (or fine grooves or porous members) for vacuum (reduced pressure) suction may be provided in a part of the outer circumferential surface of the drum DR in the circumferential direction, and the rear surface of the sheet-like substrate P may be brought into close contact with the outer circumferential surface of the drum DR by the fine holes (or grooves or porous members) for vacuum (reduced pressure) suction when the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P becomes zero. In this case, since the rotation of the drum DR is stopped, the fine holes (or grooves or porous members) for vacuum (reduced pressure) suction function as a retaining member for retaining the sheet-like substrate P in the conveyance path. In this way, when the sheet-like substrates P are vacuum (reduced in pressure) adsorbed on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, a pipe distributor is required which has a flow path or a pipe for supplying vacuum (reduced in pressure) inside the drum DR and is connected to a vacuum (reduced in pressure) source outside the drum DR. The structure for supporting the sheet-like substrate by suction through a rotating cylinder such as the drum DR is disclosed in, for example, japanese patent laid-open nos. 2004-026348 and 2011-051782.

As a mechanism for retaining the sheet-like substrate P on the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR being stopped, for example, as shown in fig. 11A and 11B, a roll NRa capable of advancing and retracting around the drum DR may be provided, fig. 11A is a view of observing the arrangement of the drum DR and the roll NRa in the XZ plane, fig. 11B is a view of observing the arrangement of the drum DR and the roll NRa in the XY plane, the roll NRa is disposed on the downstream side of the drawing region where the drawing lines S L to S L are located, on the upstream side of the position where the sheet-like substrate P is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, and is provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis Sfg parallel to the Y axis, the roll NRa is a tip end of an arm member L a swingable about a swing axis AXg such that the outer side of the exposure region W of the sheet-like substrate P contacts both end portions in the width direction as shown in fig. 11B, a width of the rotation axis Sfg for pivoting the roll NRa is provided between the positions of the arm AXg for swinging the rotation axis of the drum DR and the position of the roll DR where the roll DR is placed on the rotating shaft DR and the rotating arm L, and the position where the drum DR is switched, and the pressure of the drum DR is passed through the broken line of the drum DR.

Since the nip roller NRa is one that presses and retains the sheet-like substrate P against the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR while it is stopped, a roller made of rubber or synthetic resin (plastic, teflon (registered trademark), vinyl resin, or the like) may be used as long as the surface of the sheet-like substrate P is not damaged, or a nip member (engagement member) such as a short strip-shaped pad or a simple plate-shaped pad having the same curvature as the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR may be used as a shape other than a roller that does not have a cylindrical surface and cannot rotate. As the nip member, a felt material may be used. When the sheet-like substrate P is caught in the drum DR by the nip rollers NRa shown in fig. 11A and 11B or the nip members other than the rollers, the sheet-like substrate P may be locked at the catching position so as not to be displaced in 2 directions of the longitudinal direction and the short-side direction. As described above, when a mechanism for retaining the sheet-like substrate P on a part of the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR by vacuum (reduced pressure) suction or the nip rollers NRa (or nip members) is provided, the drum DR is servo-locked so as not to rotate thereafter, and therefore, the nip state of the sheet-like substrate P by the nip rollers NR1, NR2, and NR2' shown in fig. 2 can be released. When the sheet-like substrate P is not caught on the drum DR but caught by the rollers NR1 and NR2(NR2'), either one of the upstream roller NR1 and the downstream roller NR2(NR2') of the drum DR may be set in a non-caught state without releasing the nipping state of the sheet-like substrate P.

As described above, when the sheet substrate P is stably stopped without slipping on the drum DR, the relative relationship between the rotational angle position (encoder measurement value) of the drum DR and the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet substrate P does not change, and therefore, the operation for restarting the pattern drawing process on the sheet substrate P after the stop duration Tcs has elapsed is easy. However, the sheet substrate P may slide on the drum DR during a period until the conveyance speed of the sheet substrate P is reduced and stopped or during the stop duration Tcs. The amount of sliding of the sheet-like substrate P in the longitudinal direction is preferably suppressed within the interval Dh between the alignment marks MK1 and MK4 in the longitudinal direction (conveyance direction) as shown in fig. 4 or 7 (fig. 10). Further, assuming that the sheet-like substrate P slides on the drum DR, a configuration capable of quantitatively measuring the amount of the slide is preferably provided in advance. Therefore, the positions of the marks MK1 to MK4 detected normally immediately before the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is decelerated may be stored in advance as encoder measurement values obtained by the encoder heads ECn by the alignment/stage control unit 58 shown in fig. 5.

During the period when the transport speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P is reduced, the alignment system AMn may detect the marks MK1 to MK4, and the stored encoder measurement values may be used as references (starting points) to sequentially check whether or not the marks MK1 and MK4 are detected at the same positions in the observation regions Vw11 and Vw14 of the alignment system AMn at the interval Dh in the transport direction. When the last detected marks MK1, MK4 before the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P was stopped are not detected at the same positions in the observation regions Vw11, Vw14 and are shifted, the main control unit 50 stores the shift amount as the slip amount. It is determined whether or not the detection operation of the markers MK1 to MK4 by the alignment system AMn is necessary at the time of the restart, based on the stored magnitude of the amount of slippage. Further, at the time of the restart, the drive source (the nip rollers NR1, NR2, or the drum DR) of the conveyance mechanism is accelerated so that the sheet-like substrate P has a predetermined conveyance speed, but at this time, various parameters (such as a rate of increase in speed and an amount of change in tension) of the conveyance control are set so that the sheet-like substrate P does not slip on the drum DR. Of course, since there is a possibility that the sheet substrate P may slip on the drum DR while the conveyance speed of the sheet substrate P is gradually accelerated, it is possible to quantitatively measure the slip amount by checking whether or not each of the marks MK1 and MK4 is detected at every interval Dh, as in the case of the stop.

[ work and action while temporarily stopped ]

In the present embodiment, as a main factor for generating a request for temporary stop, there are assumed a case where 3 kinds of operations are necessary, (1) a retry operation for performing a mark detection operation when the position detection accuracy of the marks MK1 to MK4 by the alignment system AMn is significantly lowered, (2) a correction operation for correcting, for example, drift of the drawing systems (the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb to the drawing units U1 to U6) or the alignment system AMn) in the exposure apparatus EX, and (3) a maintenance operation for cleaning dirt (foreign matter) attached to the various rollers or DR drums in the exposure apparatus EX during temporary stop, fig. 12 shows a case where the exposure apparatus EX performs at least 1 kind of operation among the 3 kinds of operations during temporary stop, and the like, and is a case where a process flow of the above-mentioned process is performed by a main controller (a wet coating apparatus) which is set as a process controller) for simulating a process flow of the process performed by a main controller (e.g., a wet coating apparatus) which is set as a process controller 12 which is capable of performing a process on the basis of a process flow of a process performed by a process flow of the above-process apparatus EX, and a process flow of a process performed by a host apparatus EX-processor (e.g., a process flow) which is set up to a process flow of a process performed by a process system EX-processor, which is set up-to a process device, which is performed by a process system before the wet process system 12, which is performed by a process apparatus EX-up-to a process device which is performed by a process system which is performed by a host system which is performed by a process apparatus EX-system which is.

In fig. 12, the main control unit 50 determines which of (1) the retry operation, (2) the correction operation, and (3) the maintenance operation is the operation during the temporary stop period in the order of steps 300, 302, and 304. When a job or an operation other than the 3 types of jobs is set, the main control section 50 determines it in step 306, and when the job is not the 3 types of jobs or other jobs, the main control section 50 executes the error processing of step 308. In general, when a transition to the temporary stop mode is requested, the job content and the stop duration Tcs for which the temporary stop is necessary are set, and therefore, unless there is any setting error, the error processing from step 306 to step 308 is not performed at all. The main control section 50 also determines whether there is any setting error in each of steps 300, 302, 304, and 306. For example, when the stop duration Tcs is significantly deviated from the length appropriate for the content of the job, all of steps 300, 302, 304, and 306 are determined as "no", and step 308 is executed. In addition, the operations other than step 306 include, for example, a standby operation in which a delay or a stagnation occurs in the processing apparatus for the subsequent step after the tension adjusting unit 12 'including the nip roller NR2' shown in fig. 2 or the processing apparatus for the step before the tension adjusting unit is connected to the upstream side of the exposure apparatus EX, and the processing operation of the exposure apparatus EX (pattern drawing and conveyance of the sheet substrate P) is temporarily stopped until the situation is improved.

In step 308, when the amount of tension applied to the sheet-shaped substrate P is large in the state of being temporarily stopped, the tension (tension) is released, or the sheet-shaped substrate P is released from being stuck by the nip rollers NR1, NR2(NR2'), NRa, and the like. The sheet-like substrate P is not damaged by releasing the tension or the sticking of the sheet-like substrate P. When step 308 is executed, since it is already difficult to automatically restart the operation, the main control unit 50 issues an alarm to request assistance from the operator.

If it is determined at step 300 that the operation is to be retried, at step 310, main control unit 50 performs a sequence (operation) of measuring again each of a plurality of markers MK1 through MK4 on sheet-like substrate P detected before conveyance of sheet-like substrate P is stopped. In this case, the drum DR is reversely rotated at a fixed angle so that the portion of the sheet-like substrate P located at the predetermined stop position Xst shown in fig. 10 is returned to the vicinity of the position Xfa. When the drum DR is reversely rotated from the stopped state, the tension amount is adjusted so that the sheet-like substrate P does not slip on the drum DR while synchronously controlling the rotational driving of the rollers NR1 and NR2(NR2') and the rotational driving of the drum DR, and the sheet-like substrate P is conveyed in the backward direction at a low speed (low acceleration). Since the main control section 50 can recognize the request for temporary stop as a retry operation as the operation content in step 120 of fig. 6, the sheet substrate P is not jammed by the nip roller NRa (or the nip member) or the vacuum (reduced pressure) suction section of the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR as described in fig. 11 when the conveyance speed of the sheet substrate P becomes zero. In the retry operation, since the rotation in the backward direction is performed immediately after the rotation in the forward direction of the drum DR is stopped, the amount of tension applied to the sheet substrate P can be kept large on each of the upstream side and the downstream side of the drum DR, and the slip of the sheet substrate P during the rotation in the backward direction of the drum DR can be suppressed. As for the method of re-detecting and re-measuring alignment marks MK1 to MK4 by returning the sheet-like substrate P, which is originally conveyed in one direction, only slightly in the retreating direction as in the re-trial operation, for example, japanese patent laid-open nos. 2015-145971 and 2016-095387 are disclosed.

If it is determined in step 300 that the operation is not to be retried, the main control section 50 determines in next step 302 whether the requested job content is a calibration job (calibration job), and if not, determines in next step 304 whether the job content is a maintenance job. Normally, the job that needs to be temporarily stopped is 3 types of retry operations, calibration operations, and maintenance operations, but when the job needs to be temporarily stopped due to other factors, the main control section 50 determines whether or not the job is another job (preset) at step 306. In other operations set in step 306, for example, a simple standby operation is included, in which the exposure process of the exposure apparatus EX is interrupted for a fixed time when the conveyance speed (process length) of the sheet-like substrate P in the processing apparatus on the upstream side or the downstream side of the exposure apparatus EX greatly fluctuates.

If it is determined in step 306 that the operation is not another operation set in advance, the main control section 50 executes the error processing of step 308. Normally, step 308 is not executed because the factors for temporary stopping or the job content being temporarily stopped are determined, but the error processing of step 308 is set in advance in consideration of the case where the type designation of the job content is omitted. In the error processing in step 308, since the operation content is unknown, each driving unit is controlled so as to release the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate P and also release the jam even when the jam operation is performed, and the operation is changed to a stop state in which the operation is not resumed, in the same manner as when the exposure apparatus EX is stopped in the emergency stop mode.

[ retry action ]

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 300 that the operation is to be retried, the main control unit 50 sends an instruction to remeasure the markers MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P to each of the driving units, the alignment system AMn, and the like in step 310. When the drawing position can be set again normally by re-measurement of the markers MK1 to MK4, the main control unit 50 determines that the recovery is possible, and executes a preparatory operation for recovery (such as a recovery operation of the sheet-like substrate P to a predetermined stop position Xst or a restart position shifted by a predetermined length from the predetermined stop position Xst), and then executes step 320. In step 320, various parameters for the reactivation are set in each of the transport control section TPC and the drawing control section 52 so that the sheet-like substrate P is transported again in the original state. The various parameters during the re-operation include information such as a control pattern indicating the rotation speed of the drum DR and a change pattern of the amount of tension applied to the sheet substrate P so that the sheet substrate P does not slip (microslip or the like) on the drum DR during the period from the stop state to the constant speed. When the marker positions are not determined or the measurement accuracy of the marker positions is not ensured as a result of re-measuring the markers MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P in step 310, the main control unit 50 determines that recovery after the retry operation is not possible, and executes the error processing in step 308. Thus, the exposure apparatus EX is brought into a stop state in which it is not operated any more.

[ correction operation (calibration) ]

When it is determined in step 302 that the calibration operation is to be performed, the main control unit 50 sends an instruction to each unit in the exposure apparatus EX in step 312 so as to perform various measurement processes and adjustment processes based on the preset calibration content. In the correction operation, there are an operation performed in a state where the sheet substrate P is retracted from the outer peripheral space of the drum DR, an operation that can be performed even without retracting the sheet substrate P, and an operation using the drum DR for correction. When the sheet-like substrate P is retracted from the outer circumferential space of the drum DR, the main control portion 50 is set such that, for example, one of the upstream side roll NR1 and the downstream side roll NR2(NR2') shown in fig. 2 continues to be in a stuck state (rotation stopped state), and the other is fed by a predetermined length so that the sheet-like substrate P is greatly loosened (becomes a tension-free state) between the roll NR1 and the roll NR2(NR 2'). Thus, the sheet-like substrates P can be shifted in the Y direction (width direction) from the outer peripheral space of the drum DR, and can be pulled out from between the drawing units U1 to U6 and the drum DR. The pulled-out sheet-like substrate P can be manually locked to the apparatus wall surface on the side end side of the drum DR by using an appropriate clamp member.

When the sheet-like substrate P is retracted from between the rotary drum DR and the drawing units U1 to U6, the alignment system AMn can detect a reference mark or a reference pattern formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR, and further, the reflected light monitor provided in each of the drawing units U1 to U6 can measure, by the rotation of the rotary drum DR, a positional error, a slope error, a connection error of the drawing lines S L1 to S L6, or an error (a baseline error) of a positional relationship between each of the observation regions (observation fields) Vw11 to Vw14 of the alignment system AMn and the drawing lines S L1 to S L6, and thus, an example of forming a reference mark or a reference pattern on the outer peripheral surface of the rotary drum DR and using the reference mark or the reference pattern to calibrate the exposure apparatus EX (correction or adjustment based on the measured error) is disclosed in international publication No. 2014/034161 or international publication No. 2015/152217.

Further, as the correction work in the state of retracting the sheet-like substrate P, there are a correction work of measuring an absolute value or a deviation of each intensity (light quantity) of the drawing beams B to B emitted from each of the drawing units U to U and making each intensity of the drawing beams 0B to 1B uniform, a work of measuring and adjusting a deviation of a focus position (light converging position) of the drawing beams 2B to 3B with respect to an outer peripheral surface (surface on which a reference pattern is formed) of the drum DR, a work of measuring and adjusting a dimension (diameter) error or spherical aberration and the like of the focused light of each of the drawing beams 4B to 5B and adjusting optical members and the like in the drawing units U to U, a work of confirming and adjusting setting accuracy of a magnification of the drawing in a main scanning direction (Y direction in fig. 3) of the pattern drawn by each of the drawing lines S1 to S6, and a work of drawing and adjusting a state of a reflection light from a monitor provided for each of the drawing units U to U, a state of drawing a reflected light from the drum B or a reflection light from the monitor provided for each of the drawing units U, a state of the drum DR, a measured state of the light quantity, a surface of the drum DR, a spot size of the measured state of the measured light quantity of the drawing beam B, a spot size of the measured state of the spot, a spot size of the measured state of the measured spot.

As a correction operation that can be performed even in a state where the sheet-like substrate P is wound around the drum DR, an optical adjustment operation may be performed in which a movable shielding plate (shutter) is disposed at an incident position of the light beams L B1 to L B6 of each of the drawing units U1 to U6 to block the light beams L B1 to L B6 from the respective drawing units U1 to U6, or in a state where a protective sheet having light-shielding properties with respect to exposure ultraviolet rays is interposed between the sheet-like substrate P wound around the drum DR and the drawing units U1 to U6, slight inclination or lateral shift of the light beams L B1 to L B9 passing through the optical paths of each of the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb, the optical modulating member OSM, and the beam path adjusting mechanism BDU shown in fig. 2 is adjusted, and for such optical adjustment, a light beam deviation detecting element (such as a light beam deviation detecting element or a mirror for detecting an error in the lateral direction of the light beam reflected light beam (including a light beam shift) from the laser source L, L to the optical path adjusting mechanism BDU or BDU) in the optical path adjusting mechanism BDU (BDU).

In the exposure apparatus EX which performs pattern drawing by using the focused light as in the present embodiment, it is important that the scanning position of the focused light of each of the drawing units U1 to U6 is stable, but in the beam path from the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb to the sheet-like substrate P, there are optical members which are susceptible to influence by environmental changes such as temperature (or humidity) or atmospheric pressure.

When each part of the exposure apparatus EX returns to the initial performance again by the above correction operation, the main control section 50 determines that the recovery is possible and performs the preparatory operation for the recovery (recovery operation of the sheet-shaped substrate P to the predetermined stop position Xst or the restart position shifted by a predetermined length from the predetermined stop position Xst, etc.), and then, performs the previously described step 320, when the correction operation of the step 312 is performed, the performance cannot be returned to the original state, and when there is a possibility of a problem in the exposure process after the restart, the main control section 50 determines that the recovery after the correction operation cannot be achieved and performs the error process of the step 308, whereby the exposure apparatus EX is changed to the stopped state in which the sheet-shaped substrate P is not operated again, and also, depending on the content of the correction operation, after the correction operation in the step 312 is completed, the alignment system AMn detects the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-shaped substrate P, and confirms that the image information or the position information of the observed marks on the marks 3 to the marks 4 are difficult to be brought into the relationship with the sheet-shaped substrate alignment by the alignment system NR AMn, when the registration of the sheet-substrate P is once the registration rollers NR 54, the registration roller NR 94, the registration roller NR 54 is performed, the registration roller NR 94 is once again, the registration roller is recovered, the registration roller 120, the registration roller is performed, the registration roller 120 is performed, the registration roller 310, the registration roller 120 is performed, the registration roller 120 is recovered to the registration roller 310, the registration roller is performed, the registration roller 120 is performed, the registration roller is preferably, the registration roller is recovered to the registration roller is performed, the.

[ maintenance work (servicing) ]

When the reason for the temporary stop is not the correction operation in step 302, the main control section 50 determines whether the reason for the temporary stop is the maintenance operation in the next step 304, when it is determined that the maintenance operation is performed in step 304, the main control section 50 sets (prepares) each section in the exposure apparatus EX to a state suitable for the maintenance operation based on the content of the maintenance operation in step 314, in many cases, the maintenance operation is performed manually (by a human hand), so the main control section 50 prepares to enable the manual operation, a typical example of the maintenance operation is a cleaning operation of a member (various rollers or drums DR 865) in contact with the sheet-shaped substrate P in a transport system in the exposure apparatus EX, and particularly, if a roller in contact with the photosensitive layer of the sheet-shaped substrate P like a roll NR1, NR2(NR2'), a roller R3, a tension roller RT5, or various rollers shown in fig. 1, which the width direction (Y direction) of the sheet-shaped substrate P is brought into contact with the photosensitive layer, or if a light scattering mark adhered to a predetermined light beam pattern is drawn on the surface of the sheet-shaped substrate P adhered to a predetermined light shading mark 588294, or if the light is drawn significantly reduced, or if the light shading mark adhered to the sheet-shaped substrate P adhered to a predetermined light shading mark is drawn on the surface of the sheet-shaped substrate P adhered to a predetermined light shading mark such as a predetermined light shading mark or a foreign matter adhered to a predetermined light shading mark segregation pattern drawing is drawn by a predetermined light shading mark 585, such as a foreign matter adhered to a predetermined light shading mark or a drum R3635, such as a foreign matter adhered to a predetermined light shading mark, such as a foreign matter adhered to a foreign matter on a predetermined focus mark, such as a foreign matter on a sheet-like roll NR1, a foreign matter on a sheet-like a predetermined focus mark, a sheet-like roll, a focus mark, a predetermined sheet-like roll, a focus mark, a focus.

Therefore, it is necessary to constantly clean the outer peripheral surfaces of the various rollers or drums DR constituting the conveyance system. The timing and interval of cleaning are not particularly limited, but may be set according to the material, thickness, adhesion, and the like of the photosensitive layer applied to the sheet substrate P. When the sheet substrate P coated with, for example, a photosensitive silane coupling agent as a photosensitive layer is continuously subjected to exposure treatment, the photosensitive layer is formed as a self-assembled monolayer (SAM film) which is chemically and tightly bonded to the surface of the sheet substrate P, and therefore, the possibility of peeling is low. On the other hand, a photosensitive layer formed by applying a liquid photoresist in a thickness of the order of micrometers and drying the photoresist or a photosensitive layer (having a thickness of several μm or more) of a dry film may be separated as fine powder (foreign matter) by contact with a roller during conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P. Therefore, when the sheet substrate on which the photosensitive layer having a high possibility of being finely divided and being peeled off is continuously processed, the frequency of cleaning is set to be high. The cleaning frequency may be set based on an experimental rule in actual device manufacturing, but an inspection mechanism such as a foreign matter inspection unit or a surface inspection unit that optically inspects whether or not foreign matter that is a problem is adhered to the outer peripheral surface of a part of the rollers or the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR may be incorporated into the exposure apparatus EX, and whether or not cleaning or the timing of cleaning is necessary may be determined based on the inspection result of the inspection mechanism. In this case, a request signal for temporary stop or emergency stop may be generated (generated) based on the inspection result of the inspection means.

As the inspection means for inspecting whether or not foreign matter adheres to the outer peripheral surface of the various rotating rollers or drums DR, for example, the method disclosed in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-184053 can be used, and as the inspection means for inspecting whether or not foreign matter adheres to the sheet-like substrate P during conveyance by the rollers, for example, the method disclosed in japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2009-085869 can be used. In the inspection or cleaning work for foreign matter adhesion, the sheet-like substrate P is removed (loosened) from the drum DR or various rollers as in the case of the previous correction work, but the sheet-like substrate P is caught (locked) at the position of either of the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2(NR2'), and therefore, after the correction work is completed, the sheet-like substrate P can be returned to the position immediately after the temporary stop on the drum DR.

In particular, the cooling of the laser light sources L Sa, L Sb or the optical modulation member OSM shown in fig. 2 is important in order to stably scan the sheet-like substrate P without changing (drifting) the focused light of the drawing light beams L B1 to L B6, respectively, depending on the contents of the maintenance, and the time taken for the maintenance operation of the cooler unit 16 is different, and a function (L AN end or the like) for notifying the main control unit 50 of status information such as the control status, the maintenance contents, the maintenance required time or the like may be provided in the control unit (CPU) in the cooler unit 16 so as to grasp the approximate time taken for the maintenance operation in advance, and as another maintenance operation, there may be a case where the replacement of the laser light sources in the laser light sources 6, 585, respectively, and the time required for the replacement of the optical components is temporarily stopped after the replacement operation of the optical components has been stopped, and the adjustment of the optical components is temporarily stopped, for example, when the replacement of the optical components is temporarily stopped, or when the time required for the replacement of the optical components is temporarily stopped, is changed, may be temporarily adjusted by the control unit 3630, or the replacement of the optical adjustment mechanism may be provided in the control unit 3630, and the replacement of the optical adjustment mechanism may be temporarily stopped, and the optical adjustment mechanism may be provided in the replacement of the optical adjustment unit may be provided in the control unit may be used after the control unit may be changed from the control unit 16.

When each unit of the exposure apparatus EX returns to the original performance again by the maintenance work described above, the main control unit 50 determines that the recovery is possible, and executes a preparatory operation for recovery (such as a recovery operation of the sheet-like substrate P to a predetermined stop position Xst or a restart position shifted by a predetermined length from the predetermined stop position Xst), and thereafter executes step 320 described above. When the performance cannot be returned to the original state even if the maintenance operation of step 314 is performed and there is a possibility that a problem occurs in the exposure process after the restart, the main control section 50 determines that the recovery after the maintenance operation cannot be achieved and executes the error process of step 308. Thus, the exposure apparatus EX is brought into a stop state in which it is not operated any more. Depending on the content of the maintenance work, after the maintenance work is finished in step 314, the alignment system AMn detects the markers MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P, and confirms the image information and the position information of the observed markers MK1 to MK 4. When it is necessary to detect markers MK1 to MK4 on sheet-like substrate P after the maintenance operation, main control unit 50 executes step 310 after step 314.

[ other work ]

As described above, although step 306 is not necessarily required, when step 306 is set, if the main control section 50 determines that another operation (including a simple temporary stop of the exposure apparatus EX) of the operation under temporary stop is set in advance, step 316 is executed. In step 316, a determination is made as to whether or not restoration (reactivation) is possible after another job, and a preparatory operation is performed when restoration is possible. When the other operation is a simple temporary stop of the exposure apparatus EX, it is determined that the operation of the upstream or downstream processing apparatus (adjacent processing apparatus) is temporarily stopped and the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is in a stopped state, and therefore the exposure apparatus EX may be on standby in the stopped state before the adjacent processing apparatus resumes operation. Therefore, in this case, in step 316, it is determined whether or not to return (re-operate) the exposure apparatus EX based on, for example, the length of time from the stop state to the re-operation of the adjacent processing apparatus. Therefore, it is preferable that the adjacent processing apparatus has a function of transmitting status information including information on the time to restart or the reason for stoppage, and the main control unit 50 of the exposure apparatus EX has a function of receiving status information of the adjacent processing apparatus.

When it is determined in step 316 that the sheet-like substrate P can be recovered (re-operated), the main control unit 50 executes step 320, and when it is necessary to measure the positions of the markers MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P after another operation, executes step 310 after step 316. In the case where the exposure apparatus EX simply stands by in a stopped state before resuming the operation of the adjacent processing apparatus as another job, when the standby time reaches, for example, 30 minutes or more or when the standby time is unknown, it is determined in step 316 that the recovery is not possible (the operation is resumed), and the main control unit 50 executes the error processing of step 308.

As described above, according to the sequence of fig. 12, it is possible to determine whether or not the exposure apparatus EX can be re-operated from the state of being temporarily stopped for each operation, and to appropriately set the control state of each part in the apparatus at the time of re-operation, further, in the present embodiment, when the exposure apparatus EX is restored from the stopped state after each operation, the relationship between the predetermined position on the sheet-like substrate P and the detection positions (Vw11 to Vw14) of the alignment system AMn or the exposure positions (S L1 to S L6) of each of the drawing units U1 to U6 is not greatly deviated from the positional relationship immediately before the stop.

[ embodiment 2 ]

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state of a sheet-shaped substrate P at the time of temporary stop in embodiment 2, and is obtained by spreading the sheet-shaped substrate P parallel to the XY plane, in embodiment 2, rectangular exposure regions W1 to W4 each having a long side in the longitudinal direction of the sheet-shaped substrate P are arranged on the sheet-shaped substrate P with a space SSa or a space SSb therebetween, a space SSa between the exposure region W2 and the exposure region W3 is set to a narrow space of, for example, several cm or less, a space SSb between the exposure region W3 and the exposure region W4 is set to a wide space of, for example, several cm or more, a space SSb having a wide space is set to pass through an NR1 (which may be any of NR2, NR 638 ', nr686a) as a retaining member, and a space SSb is set on the sheet-shaped substrate P for each of a plurality of Wn, a space SSb is set to pass through a roll as a card retaining member (may be any of NR2, NR 358', nr686a) and a roll SSb is drawn as a central position of a drum X-X direction of a drum X direction, and a length of the roll ssn drawing is changed from a drum roll position where the roll ssn may be drawn approximately a roll drawing a roll length of a roll drawing position in the roll length drawing position in the roll direction, and a drawing line drawing direction, and a drawing a roll drawing a drawing line drawing a drawing line drawing space ssn drawing space 366 is depicted from a roll length drawing a roll.

Therefore, when a temporary stop (or an emergency stop) is requested when a jam area such as a blank area SSb is set on the sheet-like substrate P, the main control section 50 controls each driving mechanism so as to stop the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P when the blank area SSb is moved to the position of the roll NR1, however, in the case of fig. 13, when the blank area SSb comes to the position of the roll NR1, the exposure area W1 is a position where the pattern drawing is performed by drawing the lines S L to S L, and therefore, when there is a temporal margin until the operation is stopped (except for the emergency stop) after the pattern drawing of the exposure area W1 is completed, the drawing operation for the next exposure area W2 is stopped and the conveyance stop sequence of the sheet-like substrate P is started, in the case of fig. 13, when the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is zero, the position of the roll NR1 is shifted from the blank area SSb 2 on the exposure area SSb, and therefore, the sheet-like substrate P is moved forward in the sheet-like substrate P conveyance direction before the blank area SSb, and the pattern drawing is stopped in the sheet-like, the sheet-like substrate P is drawn in the sheet-like this state, and the sheet-like this sheet-like, the sheet-like substrate P is drawn in the blank area SSb, and the blank area SSb is moved forward and the conveyance direction is stopped.

The relationship between the roll NR1 and the position on the sheet-like substrate P at the time of conveyance stop in the advancing direction of the sheet-like substrate P can be determined based on the interval L sx shown in fig. 13 and the measurement value obtained by the encoder head ECn that measures the angular position of the drum DR, further, the position in the conveyance direction of the blank portion SSb on the sheet-like substrate P can be determined based on the result of sensing the number mark pattern APn and the result of sensing the position of the alignment marks MK1, MK4 shown in fig. 10, whereby the state in which the blank portion SSb on the sheet-like substrate P is stopped at the position of the roll NR1 (or NR2, NR2', NRa) can be switched to the chucking operation, the state in which the blank portion SSb is not exposed to the nip state of the chucking member such as the roll NR1 can be continuously used over a long period of time, and therefore, even when the sheet-like substrate P slips (or slips) against the nip pressure (483) of the nip pressure of the sheet-like member such as the roll NR1, the sheet-like, the size of the nip portion SSb in the conveyance direction can be set to a long length, thereby reducing the size of the blank portion in the sheet-like.

[ embodiment 3 ]

Fig. 14 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of a device manufacturing system (processing system, manufacturing system) of the 3 rd embodiment, the device manufacturing system of fig. 14 is, for example, a manufacturing line (flexible display manufacturing line) for manufacturing a part of a pattern layer (1 layer structure of an electrode layer, a bus line wiring layer, an insulating layer, a transparent electrode layer, and the like of a flexible display as an electronic device, for example, an organic E L display or a liquid crystal display is present as the flexible display, the device manufacturing system is a roll-to-roll system in which a sheet-shaped substrate P after processing is taken up by a take-up roll RR after various processes are continuously performed on the sheet-shaped substrate P fed out from a feed roll FR, in this embodiment, the sheet-shaped substrate P fed out from the feed roll FR is taken up to the take-up roll RR through at least processing devices PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, PR5, and in this embodiment, the sheet-shaped substrate P fed out from the feed roll FR is taken up to the take-up roll RR.

The processing apparatus PR1 is a surface processing apparatus that performs a plasma surface processing on a sheet-like substrate P while conveying the sheet-like substrate P conveyed from the supply roll FR in a conveying direction (+ X direction) along the longitudinal direction. The processing apparatus PR1 modifies the surface of the sheet substrate P, thereby improving the adhesion of the photosensitive functional layer. The processing apparatus PR2 is a film forming apparatus (coating apparatus) that performs a film forming process for the photosensitive functional layer while conveying the sheet-like substrate P conveyed from the processing apparatus PR1 in the conveying direction (+ X direction). The processing apparatus PR2 selectively or uniformly forms a photosensitive functional layer (photosensitive film, coating layer) on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P by selectively or uniformly applying a photosensitive functional liquid on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P. The processing apparatus PR3 includes an exposure apparatus EX that performs exposure while conveying the sheet-like substrate P fed from the processing apparatus PR2 in a conveying direction (+ X direction). The exposure apparatus EX of the processing apparatus PR3 irradiates the surface (light-receiving surface) of the sheet-like substrate P with a light pattern corresponding to the pattern of the display panel circuit, wiring, and the like. Thereby, a latent image (modified portion) corresponding to the pattern is formed on the photosensitive functional layer. The processing apparatus PR4 is a developing apparatus that performs a wet developing process while conveying the sheet-like substrate P conveyed from the processing apparatus PR3 in a conveying direction (+ X direction). Thereby, a resist layer or the like having a pattern corresponding to the latent image appears on the photosensitive functional layer. The processing apparatus PR5 is an etching apparatus that performs an etching process using a photosensitive functional layer formed with a pattern as a mask while conveying the sheet-like substrate P conveyed from the processing apparatus PR4 in the conveying direction (+ X direction). Thereby, a pattern of a conductive material, a semiconductor material, an insulating material, or the like of the wiring or the electrode for the electronic device appears on the sheet-like substrate P.

A 1 st stocker BF1 capable of stocking the sheet-like substrates P over a predetermined length is provided between the processing apparatus PR2 and the processing apparatus PR3, and a 2 nd stocker BF2 capable of stocking the sheet-like substrates P over a predetermined length is provided between the processing apparatus PR3 and the processing apparatus PR 4. Therefore, the sheet-like substrate P fed from the processing apparatus PR2 is carried into the exposure apparatus EX of the processing apparatus PR3 via the 1 st stocker BF1, and the processing apparatus PR3 carries the sheet-like substrate P out to the processing apparatus PR4 via the 2 nd stocker BF 2. The processing apparatuses PR1 to PR5 are installed on an installation surface in a manufacturing factory. The setting surface can be a surface on the base station or a floor. The processing apparatus PR3 including the exposure apparatus EX, the 1 st storage apparatus BF1, and the 2 nd storage apparatus BF2 is a patterning apparatus for forming a pattern for an electronic device on the sheet substrate P, and a precise printing apparatus or an inkjet printer may be used instead of the exposure apparatus EX. In this case, the front and rear processing apparatuses PR2 (film formation process), PR4 (development process), and PR5 (etching process) may be replaced with apparatuses for performing other processing steps.

The high-level controller 200 controls the processing apparatuses PR 1-PR 5, the 1 st storage apparatus BF1, and the 2 nd storage apparatus BF2 of the apparatus manufacturing system. The high-level control device 200 includes a computer and a storage medium storing a program, and executes the program stored in the storage medium to thereby collectively control the device manufacturing system according to the present embodiment. The high-level control apparatus 200 may store a program for a stop sequence or a restart sequence when an operation (also referred to as an additional operation) of the exposure apparatus EX is executed in an emergency or during a temporary stop as described above with reference to fig. 6, 8, and 12. The device manufacturing system of the present embodiment is provided with 5 processing devices PR1 to PR5, but may be provided with 2 or more processing devices PR. For example, the device manufacturing system of the present embodiment may be 2 processing devices PR including the processing devices PR2 and PR3 or the processing devices PR3 and PR4 in total, or 3 processing devices PR including the processing devices PR2 to PR4 in total.

For example, as shown in fig. 15, the 1 st storage device (storage device) BF1 and the 2 nd storage device (storage device) BF2 include: rollers 500a, 500b on the carrying-in side of the sheet-like substrate P; the delivery- side rollers 503a and 503 b; a plurality of fixed rollers 501a to 501d arranged in a line in the X direction; a plurality of tension rollers 502a to 502 e; a support member 504 for supporting the tension rollers 502a to 502e in a line in the X direction and moving up and down in the Z direction along the support columns 506a and 506 b; and a control unit 508 that measures and drives the Z-direction position of the support member 504. The position information in the Z direction of the support member 504 measured by the control unit 508 corresponds to the length (stored length) of the sheet-like substrate P stored in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2, and is transmitted not only to the high-order control device 200 of fig. 14 but also to the main control unit 50 of fig. 5. Therefore, the main control unit 50 of the exposure apparatus EX can grasp the actual storage length of the sheet-like substrate P at the present time or the storable length of the sheet-like substrate P up to the storage limit length, which is stored in each of the upstream-side storage device BF1 and the downstream-side storage device BF 2.

The stockers BF1 and BF2 are provided to absorb the difference between the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P passing through the exposure apparatus EX and the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P passing through each of the upstream processing apparatus PR2 and the downstream processing apparatus PR 4. In the present embodiment, before the execution of the sequence for temporarily stopping the operation of the exposure apparatus EX, the high-order control apparatus 200 or the main control unit 50 determines the actual storage length and the storable length of the sheet substrate P at that time in each of the storage apparatuses BF1, BF 2. In the case of the production line shown in fig. 14, since the sheet-like substrate P sequentially passes through the stocker BF1, the exposure device EX, and the stocker BF2, at a point just before the operation of the exposure device EX (conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P) is temporarily stopped, it is preferable that the stocker BF1 on the upstream side is set in advance to a state in which the sheet-like substrate P is not substantially stocked (a state in which the actual stock length is approximately equal to the minimum stock length and the stock length is approximately equal to the stock limit length) and the stocker BF2 on the downstream side is set in a state in which the sheet-like substrate P is substantially fully stocked (the actual stock length is approximately equal to the stock limit length and the stock length is approximately equal to zero).

As shown in fig. 15, when the support member 504 supporting the tension rollers 502a to 502e is positioned on the most negative side (lowermost side) in the Z direction, the positional relationship in the Z direction between the fixed rollers 501a to 501d and the tension rollers 502a to 502e (indicated by broken lines) is reversed, and the sheet-like substrate P can be linearly conveyed in the X direction from the conveyance-side nip rollers 500a and 500b to the conveyance-side nip rollers 503a and 503 b. The state in which the sheet-like substrate P is linearly conveyed from the rollers 500a and 500b to the rollers 503a and 503b is a state in which the actual stock length is the minimum stock length (or zero). When the support member 504 is positioned at the most positive side (uppermost side) in the Z direction, the sheet-like substrate P is conveyed from the nip rollers 500a and 500b to the nip rollers 503a and 503b while being alternately wound around the tension rollers 502a to 502e and the fixed rollers 501a to 501 d. When the support member 504 is positioned at the uppermost position, the length of the sheet-like substrate P stored between the rollers 500a and 500b and the rollers 503a and 503b is a storage limit length.

Therefore, when determining whether or not the exposure apparatus EX can be temporarily stopped, the high-order control apparatus 200 or the main control unit 50 estimates the actual storage length of the sheet-like substrate P in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2 based on the position in the Z direction of the support member 504 measured by the control unit 508. Further, when the exposure apparatus EX stops the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P, the time Δ Tbf1 until the actual stock length of the stock device BF1 reaches the stock limit length is estimated based on the carry-out speed of the sheet-like substrate P from the processing apparatus PR2, and the time Δ Tbf2 until the actual stock length of the stock device BF2 reaches the minimum stock length is estimated based on the carry-in speed of the sheet-like substrate P into the processing apparatus PR 4. When both of the 2 times Δ Tbf1 and Δ Tbf2 are longer than the stop duration Tcs (described with reference to fig. 6) of the temporary stop, the higher-order control device 200 or the main control unit 50 determines that the sequence of the temporary stop can be immediately executed (fig. 6, 8, and 12). When at least one of the times Δ Tbf1 and Δ Tbf2 is shorter than the stop duration Tcs of the temporary stop, it is determined that the sequence of the temporary stop cannot be started immediately, and the high-order control device 200 determines whether or not the adjustment of the actual storage length in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is possible. In the roll-to-roll manufacturing line shown in fig. 14, the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P is generally set to be the same in any of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR5, but depending on the processing apparatus, the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P may be temporarily increased or decreased.

In the case of the production line of fig. 14, when the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P passing through the processing apparatus PR2 on the upstream side of the exposure apparatus EX can be temporarily reduced from the normal predetermined speed, the actual stock length of the stock apparatus BF1 becomes gradually shorter, and as a result, the time Δ Tbf1 can be extended. When the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P passing through the downstream processing apparatus PR4 can be temporarily increased from the predetermined speed, the actual storage length of the stocker BF2 gradually increases, and as a result, the time Δ Tbf2 can be extended. The high-order controller 200 determines whether such adjustment of the conveyance speed (time Δ Tbf1, Δ Tbf2) can be achieved within a stop time Tsq (described with reference to fig. 6) which is a margin time until the operation is stopped in each of the processing apparatus PR2 and the processing apparatus PR 4. When the adjustment of the transport speed (time Δ Tbf1, Δ Tbf2) is possible within the stop time Tsq, the high-order controller 200 instructs both of the processing apparatus PR2 and the processing apparatus PR4 or one of them to temporarily change the transport speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P, and adjusts other control parameters so that the processing apparatus PR2 or the processing apparatus PR4 performs a predetermined process on the sheet-shaped substrate P at the instructed transport speed. When the adjustment of the conveyance speed (time Δ Tbf1, Δ Tbf2) cannot be achieved within the stop time Tsq, the high-order control device 200 notifies the main control unit 50 that the adjustment of the stock length in the stock devices BF1, BF2 cannot be achieved, and instructs all the processing devices PR1 to PR5 of the production line to stop the conveyance operation. This means that the entire production line has to be stopped to perform additional work of the exposure apparatus EX.

However, by providing the storage devices BF1 and BF2 on the upstream side and the downstream side of the exposure apparatus EX, the possibility that the operation of the exposure apparatus EX can be temporarily stopped can be significantly increased, and thereby additional operations (retry, calibration operation, maintenance operation, and the like) of the exposure apparatus EX can be performed without temporarily stopping the operations of the other processing apparatuses PR1, PR2, PR4, and PR 5. For example, when the predetermined value of the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P in the production line is 10 mm/sec, the sheet-like substrate P advances by 0.6m in a period of 1 minute, and therefore, in order to secure a storage length of about 30 minutes, the storage devices BF1 and BF2 may set the number of times of folding back the tension rollers 502a to 502e and the fixing rollers 501a to 501d and the maximum separation dimension in the Z direction between the tension rollers 502a to 502e and the fixing rollers 501a to 501d so as to accumulate the sheet-like substrate P by about 18 m. When the maximum distance between the tension rollers 502a to 502e and the fixing rollers 501a to 501d in the Z direction is set to about 1.8m, the number of times the sheet-like substrate P is folded back is about 10 times.

As described above, according to embodiment 3, even when the exposure apparatus EX (patterning apparatus) in the production line needs to perform an additional operation for a short time, the operation of the exposure apparatus EX (patterning apparatus) can be temporarily stopped without temporarily stopping the operation of other processing apparatuses, and also in embodiment 3, as in embodiment 1 or embodiment 2, when the exposure apparatus EX (patterning apparatus) is re-operated, the relative positional relationship between the position on the sheet-shaped substrate P and the exposure position (drawn lines S L1 to S L6) can be reproduced substantially accurately, and therefore, advantages such as shortening the start-up time from the re-operation to the stable processing of the sheet-shaped substrate P, and reducing the downtime can be obtained.

[ modification 1 of Exposure apparatus ]

In each of the above embodiments 1, 2, and 3, the description has been made of the configuration of the exposure apparatus EX of the direct imaging method in which a pattern is exposed by using focused light of a scanning beam, but the exposure apparatus may be of another exposure method, for example, a device configured to illuminate a mask pattern formed on a flat mask or a cylindrical mask with illumination light in an ultraviolet wavelength region and expose transmitted light or reflected light from the mask pattern onto a sheet-like substrate P in a proximity (proximity) method or a projection (projection) method, or a maskless exposure apparatus configured to two-dimensionally draw a pattern on a substrate based on CAD data of the pattern by using a DMD (digital mirror device) or S L M (spatial light modulator) in which a plurality of variable-posture micro mirrors are arranged in a matrix, and a microlens array.

[ modification 2 of Exposure apparatus ]

However, when the exposure apparatus is temporarily stopped in operation, the operating state of the member or component that may become the heat source in the exposure apparatus may be greatly changed, and the distribution of the ambient temperature in the exposure apparatus may also be greatly changed, so that there is a possibility that the distribution of the ambient temperature is also changed again by the member or component that may become the heat source being activated at the time of re-operation, whereby there is also a possibility that the quality of the pattern transferred onto the sheet-shaped substrate P is deteriorated immediately after re-operation, in the exposure apparatus EX described in embodiment 1 (fig. 2 to 5), it is convenient to stop the oscillation of the laser light sources Sa 34 Sa, Sa 56 Sb during the temporary stop, or to control the rotation speed of the mirror elements when the laser beam applied to the laser light sources L, L is continuously driven at substantially the same rotational speed as that of the laser beam applied to the laser beam after-irradiation windows of the laser light sources L, L, and the rotational speed of the rotating shutter elements (aof) is controlled to be substantially the same as that when the rotating mirror elements (AOM/m) are continuously driven under the rotational speed of the rotating shutter elements (aof) and the rotating shutter elements (aof) controlled to be turned On.

[ modification 3 of Exposure apparatus ]

Further, since the damper (light absorber) Dmp shown in fig. 5 may be a heat source because the light beams L Ba and L Bb from the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb are absorbed at the timing when the acousto-optic deflecting elements AOM1 to AOM6 are in the Off state during the pattern drawing of the sheet-like substrate P by the exposure apparatus EX, the temperature of the damper Dmp is greatly changed (lowered) when the oscillation of the light beams L Ba and L Bb from the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb is stopped at the time of temporary stop or the light beams L Ba and L Bb are shielded by the shutter SH, it is preferable to provide a temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature change of the damper Dmp or a temperature adjusting mechanism for keeping the temperature of the damper Dmp at the same temperature as that during operation, and it is preferable to provide a temperature adjusting mechanism for suppressing the heat transfer of the damper Dmp to the peripheral optical components or their installation, and to provide a mechanism for suppressing the heat radiation pattern drawing when the temperature of the damper Dmp is changed from the heat transfer to the peripheral optical components or the thermal insulation structure (ceramic structure) provided around the damper Dmp, or when the thermal insulation structure is changed from the thermal insulation state during the heat transfer to the heat radiation drawing mechanism, or the thermal insulation mechanism, and the drawing mechanism is relatively quickly.

[ modification 4 of Exposure apparatus ]

When the operation of the exposure apparatus EX is stopped (conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped), the detection operation of the marks MK1 to MK4 on the sheet-like substrate P by the alignment system AMn is also stopped. The alignment system AMn irradiates the photosensitive layer on the sheet substrate P with alignment illumination light in a non-photosensitive wavelength range, but stops the irradiation of the alignment illumination light during the stop of the operation, and stops the imaging operation of the two-dimensional imaging device (CCD, CMOS, or the like) that detects the enlarged images of the marks MK1 to MK4 through the objective lens of the alignment system AMn. As shown in fig. 2, since the alignment system AMn is provided in a narrow space between the drawing units U1, U3, U5 and the drum DR, the temperature of the alignment system AMn itself tends to rise further than the outside atmospheric temperature by the passage of the illumination light for alignment through the alignment system AMn. Further, when the two-dimensional imaging device continues the imaging operation (also referred to as an image scanning operation or a shutter operation) at substantially constant time intervals, the temperature of a drive circuit of the two-dimensional imaging device, an amplifier circuit of an image signal, and the like greatly increases with respect to the external atmospheric temperature. Therefore, while the exposure apparatus EX is in the operation stop state, the sheet substrate P (or the drum DR) may be continuously irradiated with the alignment illumination light of the alignment system AMn, and the two-dimensional imaging device may be controlled to continuously perform the imaging operation (the image scanning operation and the shutter operation) at substantially the same interval and under the same condition as the detection of the marks MK1 to MK4 during the operation. Thereby, even when the state is changed from the operating state to the non-operating state or from the non-operating state to the operating state, the alignment system AMn can be stabilized at a temperature that is increased by a substantially fixed amount with respect to the outside atmospheric temperature.

When the alignment illumination light is continuously passed through the alignment system AMn, the alignment illumination light is continuously projected to the same position on the sheet substrate P during the operation stop, and therefore the photosensitive layer may be affected depending on the type of the photosensitive layer and the projection duration (stop duration Tcs). Therefore, a movable shutter for shielding the illumination light for alignment may be provided immediately before or immediately after the objective lens in the alignment system AMn, and when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped by a sequence of temporary stop or emergency stop, the movable shutter may be inserted into the optical path to prevent the illumination light for alignment from being projected onto the sheet-like substrate P. In other words, in this case, the two-dimensional imaging device is controlled to continue the imaging operation (image scanning operation, shutter operation) under the same conditions at substantially the same interval as the detection of the operating markers MK1 to MK 4.

[ modification 5 of Exposure apparatus ]

When exposure processing for a plurality of exposure regions Wn (Wna, Wnb) of a sheet-like substrate P is superposition exposure (secondary exposure), as shown in fig. 7 or 10, in each exposure region Wn (Wna, Wnb) on the sheet-like substrate P, marks MK1 to MK4 or number mark patterns APn drawn at the time of the primary exposure are formed, and therefore, at the time of re-operation, by sensing these marks MK1 to MK4 or number mark patterns APn using an alignment system AMn or the like, an exposure region (irradiation region) to be pattern-drawn first at the time of re-operation and a drawing start position for the exposure region are determined, and particularly, the drawing start position is important for suppressing the superposition accuracy within an allowable error range, and therefore, at the time of the primary exposure, as shown in fig. 16, for example, a trigger mark MTg1, MTg2, MTg3 indicating the drawing start position (head position) of each exposure region Wn (Wnb) is formed in advance on the sheet-like substrate P so that the scanning position S731, or 493 23 of the line can be detected by a scanning system S3, or 493, which can be aligned in advance.

In fig. 16, 3 trigger marks MTg1, MTg2, MTg3 are arranged in a blank space between exposure areas Wn, Wn-1 adjacent in the conveyance direction (X direction), and each of the trigger marks MTgn is formed in a trapezoidal shape in which upper and lower sides are arranged in the conveyance direction, a conveyance direction dimension Δ L ga of the upper and lower sides of each of the trigger marks MTgn is about several tens μm to several hundreds μm, a conveyance direction interval dimension Δ L gb of the upper and lower sides of each of the trigger marks MTgn from the top of the exposure areas Wn is about several tens μm to several tens μm, a Y direction dimension of the lower side of each of the trigger marks MTgn is about several tens μm, a trigger mark MTg1 is arranged at a position substantially identical to a mark MK 8 in the Y direction (a position detectable by a microscope objective lens AM11 of an alignment system), a trigger mark MTg3 is arranged at a position substantially identical to a mark MK 27 in the Y direction (a position detectable by an alignment system AM × 6866), a trigger mark MTg3 is arranged at a position substantially identical to a position of a mark 4 in the Y direction (a position of an alignment system alignment mark 14, a trigger mark is a position of a trigger mark 466, and a scanning light beam can be drawn by a scanning system, and is arranged at a scanning beam passing through a scanning line 59465 and a trigger mark 598 and a trigger mark is arranged near a trigger mark capable of drawing a trigger mark capable of being drawn by a scanning line 465 and capable of being drawn by a scanning line 466 and a scanning light passing through a trigger line capable of passing through a trigger line.

The markers MK 1-MK 4 and trigger markers MTg 1-MTg 3 are formed as metal layers on the sheet substrate P after the first exposure and the processing (development, etching or electroplating). Therefore, when the first exposure is performed immediately after the reactivation is performed on the exposure area Wn, the position at which the trigger mark MTg1 is detected by the microscope objective lens AM11 of the alignment system (the position measured by the encoder head ECn of fig. 3) and the position at which the trigger mark MTg3 is detected by the alignment system AM14 (the position measured by the encoder head ECn of fig. 3) are stored while the sheet-like substrate P is fed so that the blank portion is located on the upstream side with respect to the positions of the microscope objective lenses AM11 to AM14 of the alignment system and then the sheet-like substrate P is conveyed at a fixed speed in the forward direction.

Then, based on the base line length from the alignment system AMn to the odd-numbered drawing lines S L, S L, S L, or even-numbered drawing lines S L, S L, S L, the feed amount of the sheet-shaped substrate P, and the like, the position at which the trigger mark MTg1 reaches the drawing line S L1 is estimated, when the trigger mark MTg1 comes to the position scanned by the drawing line S L1, dummy data different from the drawing data of the actual pattern and a rectangular pattern (dummy pattern) including the size of the trigger mark MTg1 are drawn by the drawing unit U1 so as to continuously scan the focused light across a part of the drawing line S L including the trigger mark MTg1, the position on the sheet-shaped substrate P of the dummy pattern, particularly the position in the transport direction (sub-scanning direction), which is obtained by drawing the position on the sheet-shaped substrate P of the dummy pattern, which is measured by the rotational angle position of the drum DR (encoder head ECn, alignment/alignment control section 58), when the reflected light beam is drawn by the photo-sensor reflection angle sensor, which is drawn by the photo-encoder system (photo sensor head ECn) which detects the reflection angle difference between the reflected light generated by the trigger mark and the trigger mark 595, when the trigger mark is drawn by the photo-sensor probe mark 599, which is drawn by the photo-sensor, which is drawn by the photo-alignment system (photo-sensor) and the photo-alignment system, which is drawn by drawing system, which is set).

The drawing light beam L B1 falling from the beam path adjusting mechanism BDU (see fig. 2) is bent in the X direction at right angles by the mirror M10, then bent in the Y direction by the mirror M11, the light beam L B1 reflected on the mirror M11 is reflected in the X direction by the light splitting member (polarizing beam splitter) BS1, reflected in the Z direction by the mirror M12, and reflected in the X direction by the mirror M13, the light beam L B1 from the mirror M13 is converged in the Z direction by the cylindrical lens CYa, the scanning light beam L B2 (6862) projected on the reflecting surface of the polygon PM by the reflecting mirror M14 is drawn by the polygon mirror M8456 to a reflecting surface of the polygon mirror PM as a scanning light beam passing through the focusing lens r 865, and is drawn by the main focusing lens system as a sheet-shaped polygon mirror P865, and is drawn by the main focusing lens system, which is tilted in the X direction by the main focusing lens X-f focusing system, and the main focusing lens r is drawn by the lens r af system, which is tilted on the sheet-f focusing lens 8456, and the focusing system is drawn as a sheet shaped polygon mirror P-f, and is drawn by the main focusing system, and is tilted to a focusing system, and is drawn by the main focusing system, and is drawn as a focusing system, wherein the main focusing system, and is drawn by the main focusing system, and the focusing system, the main focusing system, the focusing system, and the focusing system is drawn by the focusing system, and the focusing system, wherein the focusing system is drawn by the focusing system, and the focusing system is drawn by the focusing system, and the focusing system, the focusing system is drawn by the focusing system, and the focusing system, wherein the focusing system is drawn by the focusing system, the.

When the focused light SP is projected onto the sheet-like substrate P, a specular reflection light is generated at an intensity corresponding to the reflectance of the surface of the sheet-like substrate P, and the specular reflection light is returned to the light splitting member BS1 via the cylindrical lens CYb, the mirror M15, the f-theta lens FT, the polygon mirror PM, the mirror M14, the cylindrical lens CYa, the mirrors M13, M12, and is telecentric, the specular reflection transmitted through the light splitting member BS1 is received by the photo sensor DT1, the photo sensor DT1 is composed of a PIN photodiode or the like having a high resilience, and outputs a photo signal corresponding to the change in the intensity of the specular reflection light generated during the main scanning of the focused light SP, and further, in the drawing unit U1, in order to generate an origin signal indicating the moment when the angle of each reflection surface of the polygon mirror PM becomes a predetermined angle, a light source 60a projecting the reflection light beam toward the reflection surface of the polygon mirror PM is projected, and 60b is disposed in a timing relationship with the light receiving position of the sheet-like optical path of the reflected light from the polygon mirror PM, and a light receiving light source SP at a predetermined angle, and a predetermined angle of the sheet-like, and a light-like reflected light-receiving portion of the sheet-like, and a light-like reflected light-like reflected light-receiving portion SP at a predetermined angle signal is set in a timing signal (a timing signal, and a time-like optical path of the sheet-like optical-like, and a time-like optical-.

Therefore, the relative positional relationship (positional error between the sub-scanning direction and the main scanning direction) of the trigger mark MTg1 with reference to the position of the dummy pattern drawn in a rectangular shape is obtained by digitally sampling the waveform change of the photoelectric signal from the photosensor DT1 of fig. 17 in a high speed manner in return to the clock signal of the laser light sources L Sa and L Sb and analyzing the waveform change, and the trigger mark MTg1 is formed in the vicinity of the known interval Δ L gb with respect to the leading position of the exposure field Wn to be exposed, so that correction for precisely aligning the drawing start position of the focused light SP of the drawing light beam L B1 with the leading position of the exposure field Wn can be performed immediately before the exposure of the exposure field Wn based on the obtained relative positional relationship.

As described above, by providing the same photo-sensor DT1 in the other drawing units U2 to U6 and providing the function of detecting specular reflection light, the positions of the other trigger marks MTg2 and MTg3 on the sheet-shaped substrate P can be directly measured by the drawing light beam, and overlay exposure can be performed in a state of being precisely aligned from the head position of the exposure region Wn, and further, since the position measurement in the X direction and the Y direction in fig. 16 by the drawing light beam of each of the trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3 can be realized in two dimensions, the relative error between the position in the Y direction of the pattern drawing of the drawing lines S L1 to S L6 and the position in the Y direction of the exposure region Wn can be obtained, and the pattern drawing position can be minutely displaced in the Y direction so that the error is corrected.

As described above, the dedicated trigger marks MTg1 to MTg3 are formed in advance at predetermined positions on the sheet-like substrate P for the purpose of measuring the position of the sheet-like substrate P (exposure area Wn) using the drawing light beam as a measurement probe, but alignment marks MK1 to MK4 may be used instead of the trigger marks MTg1 to MTg 3. Since marks MK1 through MK4 are also formed as metal layers by processes after the initial exposure, the position of the top of exposure region Wn can be precisely determined immediately before the pattern drawing operation for exposure region Wn is started by monitoring the photoelectric signal of any of the photoelectric sensors DT1 provided in each of drawing units U1 through U6, and exposure processing that maintains good overlay accuracy can be continued.

As described with reference to fig. 16 and 17, the exposure sequence in which the position of a predetermined pattern (or a mark or a predetermined pattern in a circuit pattern) on the sheet-like substrate P having a reflectance different from that of the surroundings is sensed immediately before the exposure operation for the exposure field Wn using a drawing beam (exposure beam) and the relative position error is determined and corrected is not limited to the exposure operation after the restart after the temporary stop, and may be performed during the period in which the exposure operation of the sheet-like substrate P is normally continued by the exposure apparatus EX. Accordingly, even when the tendencies of the shape deformation of the exposure regions Wn to be generated in accordance with the relatively large expansion and contraction or deformation of the sheet-like substrate P are different from each other, precise overlay exposure can be realized for each exposure region Wn.

[ modification 6 of Exposure apparatus ]

In the above embodiments, the rotation of the drum DR is stopped even when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped during the temporary stop. However, when the driving of the motor or the like for rotationally driving the drum DR is stopped, the air-conditioning state in the chamber CB (see fig. 1 and 2) of the exposure apparatus EX changes, and there is a possibility that a drift due to a temperature change occurs during the re-operation. Therefore, in the present modification, the drum DR is continuously rotated under the same conditions as during operation while the conveyance of the sheet-like substrates P is stopped. In the configuration shown in fig. 2, when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is stopped, for example, after the sheet-like substrate P is jammed by the upstream-side nip roller NR1, the downstream-side nip roller NR2(NR2') is slightly reversed until the tensions of the tension rollers RT5 and RT6(RT7) do not act on the sheet-like substrate P. Thereby, the sheet-like substrate P is loosely held between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2(NR 2'). Thereafter, the drum DR is rotated and driven at the same speed as that during operation so that the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR slides on the back surface side of the loosened sheet-like substrates P.

In this case, the rear surface side of the sheet-shaped substrate P may rub against the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, whereby the sheet-shaped substrate P may be damaged or dust (foreign matter) may be generated. When it is necessary to avoid the occurrence of scratches or dust, the contact can be avoided by providing an infinite number of minute gas ejection holes in the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR, supplying a pressure gas into the drum DR to eject the gas from the gas ejection holes in the outer peripheral surface, and slightly floating the back surface of the sheet substrate P from the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR. After the sheet-like substrate P is loosened between the nip roller NR1 and the nip roller NR2(NR2'), auxiliary rollers having a small diameter or simple round bars having high rigidity may be inserted at a plurality of positions between the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR and the sheet-like substrate P, and the holding rollers may be moved so as to be spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the drum DR in the radial direction.

[ modification 1 of conveying device ]

In the case where the storages BF1, BF2 are provided on the upstream side or the downstream side of the exposure apparatus EX as in embodiment 3 shown in fig. 14, the operation of the entire production line is stopped when the stop duration Tcs of the temporary stop of the exposure apparatus EX becomes long, the accumulation or removal of the sheet-like substrate P in the storages BF1, BF2 reaches the limit, or the emergency stop is necessary due to a serious failure of any one of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR 5. In this case, the sheet-like substrates P stored in the stockers BF1 and BF2 are brought into a conveyance stopped state while being held between the conveyance- side rollers 500a and 500b and the conveyance- side rollers 503a and 503b as shown in fig. 15, for example, with a predetermined tension applied therebetween. Therefore, when both the processing apparatus PR2 on the upstream side and the exposure apparatus EX on the downstream side of the stocker BF1 are stopped, or when both the processing apparatus PR4 on the downstream side and the exposure apparatus EX on the upstream side of the stocker BF2 are stopped, the nipping of the fixed rollers 501a, 501b, 503a, and 503b as the respective nip rollers is released or the supporting member 504 supporting the tension rollers 502a to 502e is moved downward so as not to apply tension to the sheet-like substrate P in the stockers BF1 and BF 2.

[ modification 1 of other processing apparatus ]

In the case where the sheet-like substrate P is processed in a roll-to-roll manner by combining the exposure apparatus EX and a plurality of processing apparatuses performing the processing steps before and after the exposure apparatus EX in series as in embodiment 3 shown in fig. 14, although not shown in fig. 14, the sheet-like substrate P needs to be cleaned, dried, and heated after the wet processing step of the sheet-like substrate P such as the film formation processing apparatus PR2, the development processing apparatus PR4, and the etching processing apparatus PR 5. In the drying and heating step, the drying (heating) time may be set in accordance with the length of the conveying path of the heating region for drying and the conveying speed of the sheet-like substrate P. When the operation of the entire production line is stopped based on the request for the emergency stop or when any 1 of the wet processing apparatuses (PR2, PR4, PR5) is temporarily stopped, the conveyance of the sheet-like substrates P is also stopped in the drying/heating processing section associated with the wet processing apparatus. In the case of an emergency stop, since the time until a serious trouble is released and the operation can be resumed is long, the driving of the heating heater or the blowing of the temperature-controlled gas is stopped at the time when the drying/heating processing unit receives the request for the emergency stop, and the heating area is lowered to the ambient temperature.

On the other hand, when the wet processing apparatus is temporarily stopped and the stop duration is relatively short, the driving of the heating heater or the blowing of the temperature-adjusting gas is adjusted so that the target temperature of the heating zone set during the normal operation is lowered in accordance with the estimated stop duration. For example, in the case where the sheet-like substrate P is a PET film, the glass transition temperature is about 110 ℃. However, if the sheet-shaped substrate P is exposed to a temperature of 100 ℃ or more in the heating region for a predetermined time period or more due to the temporary stop, the sheet-shaped substrate P may be largely deformed. Therefore, when the stop duration for temporarily stopping the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P is short, the initial target temperature of 100 ℃ is lowered to, for example, about 70 ℃, and when the stop duration is long, the initial target temperature of 100 ℃ is lowered to, for example, about 40 ℃. This is because, when the stop duration is short, the time from the stop of the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P to the restart of the conveyance is short, and therefore, if the temperature of the heating region is greatly reduced, it takes time for the heating region to return to the original target temperature again.

In this way, by changing the temperature setting of the drying/heating section after the wet treatment in accordance with the estimated stop duration of the temporary stop, the drying/heating treatment under the original temperature condition can be resumed from the time of the restart after the elapse of the stop duration. Moreover, it is possible to suppress the application of thermal damage to the sheet substrate P during temporary stop. The target temperature set in the heating region of the drying/heating unit may be dynamically changed as the expected stop duration elapses. For example, the temperature may be continuously or stepwise changed such that the target temperature is gradually increased with the elapse of the stop duration after the target temperature is temporarily greatly decreased immediately after the temporary stop, and becomes substantially the initial target temperature at the end of the stop duration. In this way, while suppressing the power consumption in the drying/heating processing unit, the processing at the correct temperature setting can be restarted at the expected timing of the restart, and the reduction in productivity can be suppressed.

[ 4 th embodiment ]

Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of the apparatus manufacturing system (roll-to-roll flow line) according to embodiment 4, and the substrate supply unit 30A, the processing apparatuses PR1, PR2, PR3, and the substrate recovery unit 30B are provided on the floor of the factory in a row in the X direction which is the conveying direction (longitudinal direction) of the sheet-like substrate P, based on the manufacturing system described in fig. 14. Since the internal temperature and the air-conditioning state (state such as air volume and humidity) of each of the processing devices PR1, PR2, and PR3 are often set individually, the processing devices PR1, PR2, and PR3 are housed in appropriate chambers.

The supply roll FRa of the 2 supply rolls FRa, FRb mounted in the substrate supply unit 30A feeds out the sheet-like substrate P, and the supply roll FRb is a standby supply roll around which a new sheet-like substrate P joined near the end of the sheet-like substrate P from the supply roll FRa is wound. The substrate supply unit 30A includes, for example, a cutting mechanism for cutting the sheet-like substrates as disclosed in international publication No. 2013/175882, and a joining mechanism for joining the tip end portion of one of the 2 sheet-like substrates P to the other sheet-like substrate P. The substrate recovery unit 30B that recovers the sheet-like substrate P processed by the processing apparatuses PR1, PR2, and PR3 includes a cutting mechanism and a bonding mechanism configured similarly to the substrate supply unit 30A, and is disposed such that the substrate supply unit 30A is rotated by 180 degrees about an axis parallel to the Z axis in the XY plane (on the floor of the factory). Although not shown in fig. 18, 2 recovery reels RRa and RRb for substrate recovery may be mounted in the substrate recovery unit 30B. In this manner, the fact that the substrate supply unit 30A, which is provided with 2 supply reels and adds sheet-like substrates to supply them continuously, and the substrate recovery unit 30B, which is provided with 2 recovery reels and can recover sheet-like substrates continuously, can be realized by the same mechanism is also disclosed in the above international publication No. 2013/175882.

The sheet-like substrate P carried out of the substrate supply unit 30A is subjected to activation, cleaning, or electrostatic removal of the surface of the sheet-like substrate P in the processing apparatus PR1, and then fed to the processing apparatus (film formation processing apparatus) PR 2. The processing apparatus PR2 is composed of: a die coater type coating section PR2A for coating a photoresist (liquid) as a photosensitive functional layer on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P with a uniform thickness; and a heat drying part PR2B for evaporating the solvent from the applied photoresist to harden the photoresist. The heat drying section PR2B also has a function of prebaking the photoresist layer formed on the sheet-like substrate P, and has a transport path for continuously applying a high temperature (100 ℃ or lower) to the sheet-like substrate P over a predetermined time. The sheet-like substrate P carried out of the heat drying section PR2B of the processing apparatus PR2 is fed to a processing apparatus PR3 including an exposure apparatus EX, in which storage apparatuses BF1 and BF2 are disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the conveyance path, respectively, as in fig. 14. As shown in fig. 15, for example, the stocker BF1 is provided with a plurality of tension rollers 502a to 502e and a plurality of fixed rollers 501a to 501d, and a temperature adjusting mechanism for cooling the sheet-like substrate P heated by the heating and drying section PR2B to a normal temperature (for example, 23 ℃). The temperature control mechanism can be realized by a configuration in which a temperature control gas controlled to a normal temperature is blown (circulated) at a predetermined flow rate in a chamber covering the storage device BF1, a configuration in which a temperature control gas controlled to a temperature is sprayed from a nozzle toward the fixed rollers 501a to 501d (or the tension rollers 502a to 502e), or a configuration in which the rollers 500a and 500b with which the sheet-like substrate P carried into the storage device BF1 comes into contact first are controlled to a temperature lower than a normal temperature.

The sheet-like substrate P (with photoresist) having passed through the storage device BF1 is carried into the exposure device EX, and a pattern corresponding to an electronic device (a circuit for a display panel, a wiring circuit for mounting electronic parts, etc.) is exposed to a photoresist layer, the exposure device EX may be constituted by any one of a direct imaging type pattern drawing device as shown in FIGS. 2 and 17, a proximity type or projection type exposure device using a flat mask or a cylindrical mask, and a maskless exposure machine using DMD, S L M, etc., the sheet-like substrate 387P subjected to the exposure process is fed to the processing device PR4 through the storage device BF2 on the downstream side, a latent image corresponding to a portion irradiated with ultraviolet rays and a portion not irradiated with ultraviolet rays is transferred to the photoresist layer on the sheet-like substrate P subjected to the exposure process, but a baking process after heating the sheet-like substrate P is performed to suppress blooming of the sheet-like substrate P is carried out, when the sheet-like substrate P is stored, the sheet-like substrate P is subjected to the drying process by providing an electrothermal jet, a hot air jet, a wet nozzle, and the sheet-like is dried by a developing process by a developing unit PR 67PR 64B, and the developing process is carried out to form of drying process, the sheet-substrate PR dry the sheet-like, and the developing process is carried out a wet-drying process, and the wet-like, and the developing process is carried out the developing process, wherein the sheet-like is carried out the developing process, the developing process is carried out on the developing process, the developing process is carried out by the developing unit PR dry process, wherein the developing unit PR dry process is carried out is carried.

In the case where an electrode pattern, a wiring pattern, or the like is formed on the sheet-like substrate P by subtractive method using the device manufacturing system of fig. 18, a conductive thin film (conductive layer) made of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), indium tin oxide (ItO), or the like is formed on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P wound around the supply roll FRa, and a photoresist layer is applied to the conductive layer in the processing apparatus PR 2. In fig. 18, the sheet-like substrate P subjected to the development/drying process by the processing apparatus PR4 is taken up by the take-up reel (RRa or RRb), but it is preferable that the sheet-like substrate P is further passed through a wet processing apparatus PR5 (see fig. 14) for etching the conductive layer, and is taken up by the take-up reel after the drying process.

In the case where an electrode pattern, a wiring pattern, or the like is formed on the sheet-like substrate P by an additive method in the device manufacturing system of fig. 18, the processing apparatus PR2 applies a solution of a photosensitive plating reducing agent (a polymer material in which a protective group (fluorine group) is removed by irradiation of ultraviolet rays and an amine group such as a metal ion is reduced is exposed) as disclosed in, for example, international publication No. 2016/163525, as a photosensitive functional liquid, and dries it. The processing apparatus PR3 (exposure apparatus EX) adjusts the degree of correction of the exposure amount (beam intensity), and projects the ultraviolet exposure light corresponding to the pattern of the electrodes or the wiring of the electronic device onto the photosensitive functional layer of the sheet substrate P. The processing apparatus PR4 is composed of: a 1 st plating section for immersing the surface of a sheet-like substrate P in an electroless plating solution (containing palladium ions, for example) to deposit plating nuclei (palladium) in accordance with the shape of the pattern of electrodes or wirings; a 2 nd plating processing part for performing electroless plating of nickel phosphorus (NiP) on the plating nuclei; a cleaning unit for cleaning the sheet-like substrate P with pure water; and a drying unit that dries the sheet-like substrate P. In this case, an electrode pattern or a wiring pattern of a metal layer of NiP is formed on the surface of the sheet-like substrate P wound up by the recovery reel of the substrate recovery unit 30B.

In this embodiment, in order to manage the state of the entire apparatus manufacturing system shown in fig. 18, or the state of each of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4, the substrate supply unit 30A, and the substrate recovery unit 30B, the control rack RCU provided movably on the floor of the factory by means of casters or the like is provided with a computer (personal computer or the like) L PC on which software related to data communication with the main computer of the factory, software related to control or communication of each of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4, the substrate supply unit 30A, the substrate recovery unit 30B, or the like, software related to monitoring/management of the operation state of the entire apparatus manufacturing system, and an input device RMD composed of a keyboard or a switch for inputting commands or data or the like, and a touch panel display DSP monitor (for example, a 32 inch liquid crystal or an organic E L panel) for display or input of various information, and various communication is performed by at least one of a wired or wireless manner, and is configured to facilitate adjustment of the operation of each of the operation panel monitor (PR 4630A) provided in the operation devices PR 4630A, PR 4630B, PR 30B, PR L, PR 30B, PR 30B.

In addition, in each of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B, a touch panel type display monitor CSP for displaying the operation state, the operation condition, or the like of the individual device itself, or controlling the operation state may be provided on the front surface of the chamber, so that even when the management or control of the device manufacturing system controlling the rack RCU is lowered due to a failure of the main computer of the factory, the computer L PC controlling the rack RCU, or a failure of the communication environment, the operation of the device manufacturing system can be continued as much as possible by individually controlling each of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B by the operator through the display monitor CSP.

Instead of providing a touch panel type display monitor CSP on the outer wall of the chamber of each of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, 30B, a portable tablet terminal machine (having a touch panel type display monitor) may be provided in place of the display monitor CSP, or a configuration may be provided in which 1 tablet terminal machine is mounted on the outer wall of the chamber of a device that needs to be monitored or operated among the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, 30B, in which case the tablet terminal machine automatically recognizes which of the individual devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, 30B is mounted, and communicates with a control computer incorporated in the individual device to which the tablet terminal machine is mounted to share various control information, and extracts and stores information about the operating state of the individual device to which the tablet terminal machine is mounted, and the tablet terminal machine is configured to communicate with a computer L PC L of the control stand, or a computer L PC 865u, which can communicate with the computer L PC controlling stand L PC 865u while the tablet terminal machine is mounted, and which the tablet terminal machine is connected with the respective devices PR 6330, PR 4630, or PR 631, PR 4630B, which is connected to the maintenance operator of the respective devices, PR 6330, PR 631, PR 30 is connected to the master computer, PR 631, PR 30 is connected to the maintenance operator, PR 30 is connected to the maintenance operator, PR 30 is connected to the working machine, PR 30 is connected to the master computer, PR 639, PR 30 is connected to the master computer, PR 30 is connected to the maintenance operator, and the maintenance operator of the maintenance operator.

Fig. 19 shows an example of a display screen of the display monitor DSP of the control stand RCU, the display monitor CSP attached to the outer wall of the chamber, or the display monitor of the tablet terminal device shown in fig. 18, which is displayed by software for monitoring or managing the operation state of the entire manufacturing system shown in fig. 18. In fig. 19, the horizontal axis represents time, and state information on the operating state of each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4 and the storage devices 30A and 30B at the current time, the operating state (past state) earlier than the current time, and the expected operating state from the current time to a predetermined time thereafter is graphically displayed in a vertical direction. Further, although not shown in the display screen of fig. 19, the state information of the processing apparatus PR1 can be similarly displayed on the processing apparatus PR2 by operating the upper and lower reels (scroll bars) SCB on the right end of the screen upward. On the upper side of the screen, a time axis band 400 is displayed in units of minutes (or 30 seconds), and a mark 402 indicating the current time is displayed on the time axis band 400. In the frame 404 at the top left of the frame, the current time is also recorded by a numerical value. The current time in the frame 404 is updated and displayed in real time, and the state information of each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4 and the storage devices 30A and 30B is also updated and displayed in real time. Therefore, when the position of the marker 402 is not dragged in the lateral direction on the time axis band 400, the time axis description (time scale) displayed on the time axis band 400 and the state information of each of the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B are sequentially shifted in the left direction in the screen.

When the indicator 402 is dragged and slid on the time axis tape 400 to the rightmost end, the current time is at the rightmost end, and the time axis description (time scale) of the time axis tape 400 and the state information of each of the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B are all updated and displayed in real time as the past state. Further, although the right and left reels SCB at the lowermost end of the screen are closer to the rightmost side in fig. 19, when the right and left reels SCB are slid gradually to the left, the time axis description (time scale) of the time axis tape 400 and the state information of each of the devices PR2 to PR4, 30A, and 30B are immediately shifted to the left in the screen, and the expected state information of the time bands later than the current time is displayed. At the lower left end of the screen, a zoom-out button 405a for zooming out the time axis (time scale) 1/2 times or 1/4 times and a zoom-in button 405b for zooming in the time axis (time scale) 2 times or 4 times are displayed. As the status information of each of the processing devices PR2 to PR4, line graphs (speed graphs) Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4 (Vpp in the case of collective name) corresponding to the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P passing through the processing device, and bar graphs (execution graphs) 410a and 410b (410 in the case of collective name) indicating the progress status of the processing in the processing device are displayed. The progression chart 410a shows a situation before the current time in dark blue, for example, and the progression chart 410b shows a situation that can be expected after the current time in light blue, for example, and turns red when the operation of the apparatus is stopped suddenly due to a failure or the like.

On the left side of the velocity graphs Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4 and the progression graphs 410a, 410b corresponding to the processing devices PR2 to PR4, a bar graph (velocity variation graph) 406 is displayed in which the increase and decrease of the conveyance velocity of the sheet-like substrate P at the current time from the reference value in the velocity graphs Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4 can be made clear. The reference value (reference speed) of the conveyance speed is a standard conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P set during the period when the sheet-like substrate P is wound off the supply roll FRa and wound on the recovery roll RR in the manufacturing system of fig. 18. Among the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4, the processing apparatus PR3 (exposure apparatus EX) that performs patterning is set to have a lower conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P.

Although the mode of the exposure apparatus varies, for example, in the case of a direct imaging exposure apparatus of a focus scanning type as shown in fig. 2 to 5, the reference speed is set to a range of about 10 to 50 mm/sec depending on the size or resolution of the focus light (minimum pixel size in pattern data), the number of times of multiple scanning of the focus light, and the like. In an exposure apparatus of a proximity type or a projection type using a cylindrical mask, a reference speed is set to a range of about 20 to 100 mm/sec in accordance with a magnification of a light source (illuminance of illumination light). The speed variation graph 406 is a graph in which arrow-shaped marks are displayed at the middle position in the vertical direction when the conveyance speed of the sheet-shaped substrate P passing through each of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4 is the reference speed, and the arrow-shaped marks are displayed above the middle position when the conveyance speed is increased from the reference speed. The display range (%) of the speed variation in the speed variation map 406 may be set according to an adjustable or specifiable speed variation in each of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4, and may be, for example, about ± 5% to ± 15% with respect to the reference speed.

As the state information on each of the storage devices BF1, BF2, graphs (storage length variation graphs) Acc1, Acc2 showing the states of the storage length of the sheet-like substrate P that can vary between the minimum storage length (lower limit value) and the maximum storage length (upper limit value) with the time axis are displayed. Further, on the left side of each of the storage length change graphs Acc1, Acc2, a bar chart (actual storage length chart) 408 is displayed, and the bar chart (actual storage length chart) 408 can graphically make the proportion of the actual storage length of the sheet-like substrate P stored at the current time in the storage ranges BF1, BF2 clear at a glance. Further, in each of the storage length variation graphs Acc1, Acc2, a standard line indicating the storage length of half of the range capable of being stored is also displayed.

On the display screen as described above, the stop display TSTP indicating the period of temporary stop of the device is displayed so as to be inserted into the progress diagrams 410(410a, 410b) and the velocity graphs Vpp (Vpp2, Vpp3, Vpp4) indicating the progress status of the processing by each of the processing devices PR2, PR3, PR 4. The stop display TSTP is generated by replying stop request information for interrupting or temporarily stopping the operation of the apparatus described with reference to fig. 6 and 12, for example, and is displayed in a time length that is an expected calculated stop duration Tcs. By visually recognizing the stop display TSTP and the storage length of the storages BF1 and BF2, the operator can intuitively grasp the estimated future stop or the conveyance state of the sheet-like substrate P, that is, the operation state as the production line, not only in the past but also from the present time to a fixed time thereafter.

A specific display example will be described below with reference to the screen display of the display monitor DSP (or CSP) shown in fig. 19. From the velocity map Vpp2 and the processing map 410a, the processing apparatus PR2 continuously performs processing without stopping while conveying the sheet-like substrates P at the reference velocity in the period from the time about 12 minutes before the current time (about 14 minutes and 10 minutes) to the current time as shown in fig. 19. Similarly, in this period, from the velocity profile Vpp3 and the progression diagram 410a, it is clear that the processing apparatus PR3 also continues processing without stopping while conveying the sheet-like substrate P at the reference velocity. On the other hand, as shown in the velocity map Vpp4 and the progression map 410a, the processing apparatus PR4 which has the development and drying steps displays a stop display TSTP inserted from a time tt1 (about 12 minutes at 14) to a time tt2 (about 19 minutes at 14) which is approximately 10 minutes before the current time, and thus it is known that the conveyance of the sheet substrate P is temporarily stopped (the conveyance velocity is set to zero) and the process is interrupted. In the case of fig. 19, the stop duration Tcs of the Temporary Stop (TSTP) of the processing device PR4 is about 7 minutes.

The temporary stop of the processing device PR4 is predicted to be further before time tt1 in the period from time tt1 to tt 2. Therefore, the storage device BF2 provided between the processing apparatus PR3 and the processing apparatus PR4 is adjusted to a state in which the storage length is sufficiently reduced at the time of time tt1 as shown in the storage length change graph Acc2 so that the length of the sheet-like substrate P fed out from the processing apparatus PR3 at the reference speed can be reliably stored during the stop period (tt1 to tt2) of the processing apparatus PR 4. The processing device PR2 on the upstream side of the processing device PR3, which is responsible for the coating and drying steps, is expected to temporarily stop as indicated by the stop display TSTP for about 3 minutes from time tt3 (about 31 minutes at 14) to time tt4 (about 34 minutes at 14) about 9 minutes after the current time. This event is an event occurring later than the current time, and is displayed as an Alert (Alert) in the lower part of the display screen of the display monitor dsp (csp). In order to continue the operation of the downstream processing apparatus PR3 even during the stop period of the processing apparatus PR2 from time tt3 to tt4, the storage apparatus BF1 is adjusted to have a storage length to the extent that the sheet-like substrates P are fed out at the reference speed toward the processing apparatus PR3 during the stop period (tt3 to tt4) until time tt3 is reached, as shown in the storage length change graph Acc 1.

Next, when the sheet-like substrate P passed through the processing apparatus PR4 is conveyed at the reference speed until the time tt1, the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P conveyed into the processing apparatus PR4 is zero during the stop period from the time tt1 to tt2, and therefore the sheet-like substrate P sent out from the processing apparatus PR3 at the reference speed is sequentially stored in the storage apparatus BF1 at a length of a fixed time ratio. When the processing apparatus PR4 is operated again and the sheet-like substrate P is in a state where the sheet-like substrate P can be conveyed at time tt2, the processing apparatus PR4 corrects the processing conditions up to time tt1 so that the sheet-like substrate P stored in the storage apparatus BF2 is reduced to about half the storage length, and performs the developing and drying step while feeding the sheet-like substrate P at a speed faster than the reference speed during a period from time tt2 to time tt5 (about 14 hours 39 minutes). In this case, since the processing apparatus PR4 controls the development quality by the immersion time of the sheet-like substrate P and the developer, and the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P is set to be faster than the reference speed, the development quality can be maintained as high as before the time tt1 by adjusting the immersion length of the sheet-like substrate P and the developer as the processing conditions to be slightly longer. As described above, as the development processing portion PR4A which can easily adjust the processing conditions (development conditions) and easily maintain the development quality, for example, wet processing apparatuses disclosed in japanese patent laid-open nos. 2016-. When the wet processing apparatus disclosed herein is used, not only the adjustment of the transport speed of the sheet-like substrate P and the contact length (immersion length) with the developer can be facilitated, but also the amount of the developer to be used can be reduced, and therefore the temperature control and concentration control of the developer can be facilitated.

In this way, the processing apparatus PR4 performs the development and drying process while feeding the sheet-like substrate P at a speed faster than the reference speed during the period from time tt2 to tt5, but along with this, the sheet-like substrate P stored in the storage apparatus BF2 gradually decreases the stock length as shown in the stock length change curve Acc2, and becomes about half the stock length at time tt 5. At time tt5, the processing apparatus PR4 gradually decreases the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P as shown in the speed map Vpp4, and sets the speed at time tt6 (about 45 minutes at 14 hours) as a reference speed. During this period, the processing apparatus PR4 continues the development and drying process while gradually shortening the immersion length between the sheet-like substrate P and the developer in accordance with the decrease in the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P.

On the other hand, the processing device PR2 carrying out the coating and drying steps is temporarily stopped for about 3 minutes at times tt3 to tt4 between times tt2 to tt5, so the storage device BF1 is configured to send out the stored sheet-like substrate P toward the processing device PR3 at the reference speed during the times tt3 to tt3, as shown in the storage length change graph Acc 3, the storage length of the storage device BF 3 is gradually reduced by the length of the sheet-like substrate P determined by the product of the time (stop duration Tcs) from the time 3 to the time tt3 of the processing device PR3 and the reference speed, after the time tt3, as shown in the speed graph P3, the processing device PR3 again transports the sheet-like substrate P at the reference speed, after the time tt3, until the time tt3 (time tt 3601) is set as the time when the processing device PR3 is temporarily stopped for the time tt3, and the time is set as the time when the processing is temporarily stopped for the processing is performed by the computer PR3, and the temporary processing is performed by the temporary processing device PR3 is set as the time map (PC) and the time PR3 is temporarily stopped for the time PR3 is set as the time when the temporary processing is temporarily process start time PR-time-and the temporary processing is temporarily-time-and the temporary-time-and-time-and-time-for-and-time-for-time-and-time-for-and-time-and-time-for-and.

When the processing device PR3 does not generate the stop request information at the current time, each of the velocity profiles Vpp2, Vpp3, and Vpp4 after the time tt7 is described as being sequentially shifted at the reference velocity, and each of the storage length change profiles Acc1 and Acc2 of the storage devices BF1 and BF2 is described as being shifted in the state of holding the storage length at the time tt 5. The screen display of the display monitor dsp (csp) as shown in fig. 19 is set to be updated almost immediately every 1 second (or every several seconds) of the update cycle, for example. Therefore, the progress map 410b or the velocity profile Vpp earlier than the current time is successively overwritten by an update cycle based on the result of the simulation based on the received stop request information.

Based on the state information at the time tt7 of each of the processing apparatuses PR2 to PR4 and the storage apparatuses BF1 and BF2 shown in fig. 19, when the operation of the processing apparatus PR3 (the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate P) is temporarily stopped at the time tt9, it is determined that the storage length of the sheet-like substrate P to be stored in the storage apparatus BF1 on the upstream side of the processing apparatus PR3 exceeds the storable limit (the upper limit length), and the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P by the processing apparatus PR2 is gradually reduced from the reference speed within about 6 minutes from the time tt7 to the time tt8 (about 15 minutes and 07 minutes). The processing apparatus PR2 gradually adjusts the amount of the photoresist supplied from the coating head of the die coater system or the gap (clearance) between the coating head and the sheet-like substrate P in accordance with the decrease in the conveyance speed, and controls the coating thickness of the photoresist to be within an allowable range. Accordingly, the storage length of the sheet-like substrate P in the storage device BF1 gradually decreases, and becomes a storage length close to the lower limit length at the time point tt 9.

When the operation of the processing apparatus PR3 (conveyance of the sheet-like substrates P) is temporarily stopped at time tt9, it is determined that the storage length of the sheet-like substrates P stored in the storage apparatus BF2 on the downstream side of the processing apparatus PR3 is smaller than the storable lower limit length (shortest length), and the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrates P passing through the processing apparatus PR4 is gradually reduced from the reference speed in about 6 minutes from time tt7 to time tt8 (about 15 minutes and 07 minutes). The processing apparatus PR4 is adjusted so as to gradually shorten the liquid contact length (immersion length) between the sheet-like substrate P and the developer in the transport direction as the processing condition in accordance with the decrease in the transport speed, and is controlled so as to maintain a constant development quality. Accordingly, the storage length of the sheet-like substrate P in the storage device BF2 gradually increases from a substantially half state, and becomes a value close to the upper limit length at the time point tt 9.

As shown in the speed map Vpp3, the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P in the processing device PR3 is zero from the reference speed at time tt9, and the operation of the processing device PR3 is temporarily stopped for about 5 minutes from the time tt10, during which time the processing devices PR2 and PR4 each continue to perform their respective processes while conveying the sheet-like substrate P at a speed slower than the reference speed. When the operation of the processing apparatus PR3 is stopped, the storage apparatus BF1 stores the sheet-like substrate P fed from the processing apparatus PR2 over the length corresponding to the product of the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P at time tt9 in the speed profile Vpp2 and the stop duration Tcs of the processing apparatus PR 3. In the example of fig. 19, at time tt10, the sheet-like substrate P is stored in the storage device BF1 to a length of about half the maximum storable length. The stocker BF2 is a length obtained by multiplying the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P by the stop duration Tcs of the processing device PR3 at the time tt9 in the speed map Vpp4, and the sheet-like substrate P stored at the upper limit length is sent out toward the processing device PR4 at a speed slower than the reference speed. In the example of fig. 19, at time tt10, the stocker BF2 feeds out the sheet-like substrate P until the length becomes about half the maximum storable length.

When the operation of the processing apparatus PR3 is restarted and the sheet-like substrate P starts to be conveyed again at the reference speed at time tt10, the processing apparatuses PR2 and PR4 are each controlled so as to gradually return (increase) the conveyance speed of the sheet-like substrate P to the reference speed over about 6 minutes from time tt10 to time tt11 (about 15 minutes and 36 minutes). Therefore, in the period from time tt10 to time tt11, the sheet-like substrate P having a slightly longer storage length than the time at time tt10 was stored in each of the storage devices BF1 and BF 2.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in order to display the processing state, the conveying state, the storage state, and the like of the sheet-like substrates P in each of the processing apparatuses PR1 to PR4, the storage apparatuses BF1, and BF2 in a graphical manner in real time, it is possible to confirm that the operation of the apparatus as a predictable future event can be realized by simulation using a host computer, a computer L PC of the control rack RCU shown in fig. 18, or the like, or to compare the state of the apparatus during operation stoppage with the state of the apparatus during other operations, and to visually confirm the operation state of the entire production line.

In addition, the starting time of the stop display TSTP of the processing device PR2 or the processing device PR3, which is the future event with respect to the current time, may be determined by simulation under the condition of shifting to the temporary stop as soon as possible, and therefore, according to the device, there is also a case where the starting time of the temporary stop is delayed from the stop display TSTP displayed by the simulation result on the screen (TSTP is slid to the rear on the time axis or dragged by the mouse pointer) while touching the stop display TSTP displayed as the simulation result, and the stop display TSTP is shifted to the rear within a settable range, and in this case, in fig. 19, the sheet-shaped substrate P is transported at the reference speed in any of the processing devices PR2 to PR4 during the period from the time tt6 to the time tt7, and the storage length of the sheet-shaped substrate P is not increased or decreased to be substantially stable in any of the storage length of the processing devices PR2 to csp 4, and the storage length of the sheet-shaped substrate P is not increased or decreased from the initial processing device PR 42 to the csp 4128 in the storage device BF 6324, and when the initial processing time of the initial processing device PR 52, the processing device PR 72, the initial processing device PR 52, the processing device PR 52, and the storage time of the storage rack PR 52, the storage rack PR 72, the virtual storage rack PR 52, the virtual storage rack 24, which the virtual storage time of the virtual storage rack PR 72, the virtual storage rack is set, the virtual storage rack 9, the virtual rack 9, or the virtual rack (the virtual rack 9, which is set, the virtual rack 9, the virtual rack, which is set, the virtual rack, etc., the virtual rack, which is set, the virtual rack, which the virtual rack, etc., the virtual rack, which is set, the virtual rack, which is made to the virtual rack can be updated, etc., the virtual rack is set, etc., when the virtual rack is set, the virtual rack is set, the virtual rack, etc., is set, etc., when the virtual.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, there is provided a display monitor provided as an interface device of a control device for monitoring or managing a device manufacturing system including a plurality of processing devices (PR1 to PR4) for sequentially passing a long sheet-like substrate (P) in a long direction and performing different processes from each other, and a storage device provided on an upstream side or a downstream side of any one of the plurality of processing devices in a transport direction of the sheet-like substrate and capable of storing the sheet-like substrate over a predetermined length in the long direction, wherein when at least 1 of the plurality of processing devices is temporarily stopped based on information on a transport speed of the sheet-like substrate in each of the plurality of processing devices and information on a storage length of the sheet-like substrate in the storage device, a state of a speed change of the sheet-like substrate at the time of speed adjustment and a state of a change of the storage length corresponding to the speed change are set, by graphically displaying the time axis together with the operation status of each processing device of the device manufacturing system including the temporary stop state and the conveyance status of the sheet-like substrate, the efficiency of production management can be improved. In the case where a series of manufacturing systems from the substrate supply unit 30A to the substrate recovery unit 30B shown in fig. 18 are installed in each of a plurality of production lanes in a factory, the portable control rack RCU shown in fig. 18 may be moved to the vicinity of each lane to automatically recognize the lane and display status information or the like corresponding to the manufacturing system of the lane on the display monitor DSP.

Claims (6)

1. A substrate processing apparatus which carries a long sheet-like substrate in a long direction and performs a predetermined process on the sheet-like substrate, comprising:

a processing mechanism including a drum rotatable about a central axis extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the drum being supported so as to be curved in the longitudinal direction by a support surface curved into a cylindrical surface shape with a certain radius from the central axis, the support surface being curved in the longitudinal direction;

a conveying mechanism including a tension adjusting mechanism for adjusting and applying a predetermined tension to the sheet-like substrate supported by the drum of the processing mechanism and conveying the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined speed;

a retaining mechanism which is arranged at a predetermined position in a conveying path of the sheet substrate and can retain the sheet substrate at the predetermined position; and

and a controller that controls the conveying mechanism so as to decrease a conveying speed of the sheet-like substrate when the conveyance of the sheet-like substrate is temporarily stopped, controls the retaining mechanism so as to retain the sheet-like substrate at the predetermined position when the conveying speed is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and controls the tension adjusting mechanism so as to decrease the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate after the sheet-like substrate is retained at the predetermined position.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein

The control device controls the tension adjusting mechanism so that the tension applied to the sheet-like substrate is relaxed when the temporary stop continues for a predetermined stop time or longer.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

The predetermined position is set at a part of the support surface of the drum,

the retaining mechanism retains the sheet-like substrate on the drum.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

The predetermined position is set on at least one of an upstream side and a downstream side of the drum of the processing mechanism on a transport path in the longitudinal direction of the sheet substrate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

The retaining mechanism is a clamping member capable of releasably clamping at least a part of the front surface and the back surface of the sheet-like substrate,

the clamping member is switched from an unclamped state to a clamped state by the control device when the conveying speed of the sheet substrate is substantially zero or less than a predetermined value.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein

The retaining mechanism is a roller which rotates while holding the sheet-like substrate therebetween and conveys the sheet-like substrate in the longitudinal direction,

the roller is switched from a rotatable state to a non-rotatable state by the control device when the transport speed of the sheet substrate becomes substantially zero or less than a predetermined value.

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