Substrate positioning apparatus and exposure apparatus

Abstract

A substrate positioning apparatus and an exposure apparatus includes a rotary circular eccentric cam mechanism as an X direction moving mechanism, in contact with one end of a support body holding a substrate, and rotary circular eccentric cam mechanisms as first and second Y direction moving mechanisms, offset in the X direction with each other, to be in contact with another side of the support body. As a result, a substrate positioning apparatus and an exposure apparatus having simple and inexpensive structure that provides satisfactory accuracy and reliability can be provided.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substrate positioning apparatus, having a base plate, holding means provided on the base plate and holding a substrate movable in X, Y and θ directions including a plane of the substrate, detecting positions of a plurality of sides of said substrate or a position of a positioning mark by a position detection sensor, calculating an amount of deviation from a predetermined position of the substrate, and positioning said substrate by moving said holding means in the X, Y and θ directions based on the result of calculation to eliminate the amount of deviation, comprising: 
 an X direction moving mechanism moving said holding means in the X direction;  
 a first Y direction moving mechanism moving said holding means in the Y direction; and  
 a second Y direction moving mechanism positioned offset in the X direction from said first Y direction moving mechanism, moving said holding means in the Y direction; wherein  
 said X direction moving mechanism, said first Y direction moving mechanism and said second Y direction moving mechanism are implemented by rotary cam mechanisms in contact with said holding means.  
 
     
     
         2 . The substrate positioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said rotary cam mechanism includes    an eccentric rotary member implemented as a disk or a cylindrical circular eccentric cam attached eccentrically on a rotary shaft, and    a rolling bearing fitted in an outer periphery of said eccentric rotary member; and    an outer periphery of said rolling bearing is in contact with said holding means.    
     
     
         3 . The substrate positioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said rotary shaft further includes reading means for reading angle of rotation of said eccentric rotary member.    
     
     
         4 . The substrate positioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein necessary angle of rotation each said circular eccentric cam to eliminate positional deviation of said substrate is calculated by a processor based on the amount of deviation of said substrate read by said position detection sensor, and each said circular eccentric cam is rotated in accordance with the data.  
     
     
         5 . The substrate positioning apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 a fixing mark positioned outer than a side of said substrate is provided on said base plate, a distance between the plurality of sides of said substrate or the positioning mark and said fixing mark is read by said position detection sensor, and based on the read data, said substrate is positioned so that the distance between the plurality of sides of said substrate or the positioning mark and said fixing mark attains to a predetermined value.    
     
     
         6 . The substrate positioning apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein 
 each said eccentric rotary member includes said disk shaped or said cylindrical circular eccentric cam directly attached to an output shaft of a motor of which angle of rotation is controllable.    
     
     
         7 . An exposure apparatus, in which a photomask and a substrate are overlapped close to each other or in contact with each other, a pattern drawn on said photomask being transformed to said substrate by irradiating said substrate with light through said photomask, wherein 
 said photomask and said substrate are provided with a plurality of alignment marks at positions corresponding to each other, for alignment of said photomask and said substrate;    the alignment marks of said photomask and said substrate are read by a CCD camera with said photomask and said substrate overlapped with each other;    said exposure apparatus comprising    alignment means for aligning said photomask and said substrate, as said photomask and said substrate are moved in X, Y and θ directions relative to each other, based on data read by said CCD camera,    said alignment means having    holding means for holding one of said photomask or said substrate that moves, and movable along a plane direction of said photomask or said substrate,    an X direction moving mechanism for moving said holding means in the X direction,    a first Y direction moving mechanism for moving said holding means in the Y direction, and    a second Y direction moving mechanism positioned offset in X direction from said first Y direction moving mechanism and moving said holding means in the Y direction,    said X direction moving mechanism, said first Y direction moving mechanism and said second Y direction moving mechanism are each a rotating cam mechanism in contact with said holding means.    
     
     
         8 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 said rotating cam mechanism includes    an eccentric rotary member consisting of a disk or a cylindrical circular eccentric cam attached eccentrically on a rotary shaft, and    a rolling bearing fitted in an outer periphery of said eccentric rotary member,    said rolling bearing having an outer periphery being in contact with said holding means.    
     
     
         9 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein 
 said rotary shaft further includes reading means for reading an angle of rotation of said eccentric rotary member.    
     
     
         10 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising: 
 image processing means for recognizing an amount of positional deviation between said photomask and said substrate read by said CCD camera; and    output means for calculating the amount of positional deviation between said photomask and said substrate based on information from said image processing means, and for outputting necessary angle of rotation of each said eccentric rotary member to said X direction moving mechanism, said first Y direction moving mechanism and said second Y direction moving mechanism, so as to eliminate the positional deviation between said photomask and said substrate.    
     
     
         11 . The exposure apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein each said eccentric rotary member includes said disk shaped or said cylindrical circular eccentric cam attached directly on an output shaft of a motor, of which angle of rotation is controllable.