Work stage of exposing apparatus, exposing method and method of manufacturing a structure

Abstract

At a time of aligning a thin plate-shaped work of which both front and rear surfaces are subjected to work, a deflection caused at a central portion of the thin plate-shaped work is corrected and the thin plate-shaped work is controlled to be parallel state with respect to a photomask. The present invention provides an exposing method comprising: a supporting step in which a peripheral portion 6 b of a thin plate-shaped work 6 of which both front and rear surfaces are subjected to work is supported by a supporting portion 7 of a work stage 9 provided to a exposing apparatus; a deflection correcting step in which a fluid is introduced into a hollow portion 8 formed to an inside the supporting portion 7 , so that a deflection caused at a central portion 6 a of the thin plate-shaped work 6 supported by the supporting portion 7 is corrected; an aligning step in which positions of the thin plate-shaped work 6 of which peripheral portion 6 b is supported by the supporting portion 7 and a photomask 3 are adjusted; and an exposing step in which the thin plate-shaped work 6 is exposed with light irradiated from upper side of the photomask 3.

1 . An exposing method comprising:
 a supporting step in which a peripheral portion of a thin plate-shaped work of which both front and rear surfaces are subjected to work is supported by a supporting portion of a work stage provided to an exposing apparatus;   a deflection correcting step in which a fluid is introduced into a hollow portion formed to an inside the supporting portion, so that a deflection caused at a central portion of the thin plate-shaped work supported by the supporting portion is corrected;   an aligning step in which a position of the thin plate-shaped work of which peripheral portion is supported by the supporting portion and a position of a photomask are adjusted; and   an exposing step in which the thin plate-shaped work is exposed with light irradiated from upper side of the photomask.   
   
   
       2 . The exposing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprising a contacting step in which the thin plate-shaped work is closely contacted to the photomask while the deflection of the thin plate-shaped work is corrected by introducing the fluid into the hollow portion prior to the exposing step. 
   
   
       3 . The exposing method according to  claim 2 , wherein a pressure of the fluid in the contacting step is set to be higher than that in the deflection correcting step. 
   
   
       4 . The exposing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the supporting step is performed such that the peripheral portion of the thin plate-shaped work is sucked to the supporting portion by a vacuum-sucking device thereby to support the peripheral portion. 
   
   
       5 . The exposing method according to  claim 1 , wherein the deflection caused at the central portion of the thin plate-shaped work is corrected by flowing the fluid between inside and outside of the hollow portion. 
   
   
       6 . A method of manufacturing a structure in which the structure is manufactured by using the thin plate-shaped work which is exposed with light in accordance with the exposing method according to  claim 1 . 
   
   
       7 . A work stage of an exposing apparatus, comprising:
 a supporting portion for supporting a peripheral portion of a thin plate-shaped work of which both front and rear surfaces are subjected to work; and   a hollow portion formed under the thin plate-shaped work at inside of the supporting portion;   wherein the work stage comprises: a deflection correcting device for correcting a deflection caused at a central portion of the thin plate-shaped work by introducing a fluid into the hollow portion; and at least two fluid introducing systems each introducing the fluid having a different pressure to each other into the hollow portion; and opening/closing devices provided to the respective fluid introducing systems; said fluid introducing systems are configured such that: i) a fluid pressure at a time of an alignment operation in which a position of the thin plate-shaped work of which peripheral portion is supported by the supporting portion and a positions of the photomask are adjusted; and ii) a fluid pressure at a time of an exposing operation in which the thin plate-shaped work is closely contacted to the photomask; are set to be changeable by switching the opening/closing devices provided to the respective fluid introducing systems.   
   
   
       8 . The work stage of the exposing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the opening/closing devices are controlled by a control device so as to automatically switch the opening/closing devices. 
   
   
       9 . The work stage of the exposing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the work stage further comprises a base portion formed with an introducing hole for introducing the fluid into the hollow portion and a discharging hole for discharging the fluid to outside of the hollow portion. 
   
   
       10 . The work stage of the exposing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the work stage further comprises a vacuum sucking device for sucking the peripheral portion of the thin plate-shaped work to the supporting portion at a time of aligning operation.