# US 2019/0377271 A1 · Exposure apparatus, manufacturing method of flat-panel display, device manufacturing method, and exposure method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0377271 A1 - Document ID: US20190377271A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/336,260 - Filed: 2017-09-29 - Published: 2019-12-12 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-30 - Assignees: Nikon Corporation - Applicants: Nikon Corporation - Inventors: Yasuo AOKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190377271A1 ## CPC - G03F 7/70716: {Stages} - G03F 7/20: Exposure; Apparatus therefor (photographic printing apparatus for making copies G03B27/00) - G03F 7/22: Exposing sequentially with the same light pattern different positions of the same surface {(G03F7/70 takes precedence)} - G03F 7/70775: {Position control, e.g. interferometers or encoders for determining the stage position} - H10P 72/57: {Mask-wafer alignment} - G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A liquid crystal exposure apparatus that moves a substrate supported in a noncontact manner by a noncontact holder to a projection optical system, and performs scanning exposure to the substrate equipped with: holding pads that hold a part of the substrate located at a first position above the noncontact holder; adsorption pads that hold another part of the substrate; a first drive section moves the holding pads from below the substrate direction intersecting a vertical direction, where the substrate is located at the first position held by the adsorption pads; and a second drive section that moves the adsorption pads holding the substrate, to a second position where the substrate is supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder, wherein the scanning exposure, the second drive section moves the adsorption pads holding the substrate supported in a noncontact manner by the noncontact holder to the projection optical system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An exposure apparatus that relatively moves an object supported in a noncontact manner by a support section, with respect to an optical system, and performs scanning exposure with respect to the object, the apparatus comprising: a first holding section that holds a part of the object located at a first position above the support section; a second holding section that holds another part of the object; a first drive section that relatively moves the first holding section from below the object along a direction intersecting a vertical direction, in a state where the object is located at the first position and held by the second holding section; and a second drive section that moves the second holding section holding the object, to a second position where the object is to be supported in a noncontact manner by the support section, wherein in the scanning exposure, the second drive section relatively moves the second holding section that holds the object supported in a noncontact manner by the support section, with respect to the optical system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section has a main body section and a drive section that is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the main body section and moves the object downward, and the apparatus further comprises: a maintaining section that maintains a positional relationship between the drive section that has moved the object downward and the main body section, within a predetermined range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the maintaining section maintains the positional relationship by coupling the drive section and the man body section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the maintaining section maintains the positional relationship by electrically restricting driving of the drive section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the drive section performs position adjustment of the object relative to the support section, in a state where the positional relationship between the drive section and the main body section is maintained by the maintaining section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in the position adjustment, the support section supports the object in a noncontact manner by interposing gas between the support section and the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The exposure apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the drive section moves the second holding section so that the object is supported by the support section, after performing the position adjustment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section has a first holding member and a second holding member, the first holding member holding a part of the object, and the second holding member holding another part of the object so that the object that has been moved downward by the second holding section is not rotated with respect to the support section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second drive section moves the object that has a plurality of divided areas and is supported in a noncontact manner, using the second holding section, and changes the divided area serving as a target of the scanning exposure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section holds the another part of the object so that the another part of the object can be levitated and held, and the first drive section moves the second holding section so that the second holding section is withdrawn from the another part of the object in a state where the another part of the object is levitated and held by the second holding section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first drive section moves the second holding section to the first position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The exposure apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a carry-out device that carries out another object supported on the support section, wherein the first drive section withdraws the first holding section from below the object, at least partly in parallel with an operation in which the carry-out device carries out the another object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second drive section moves downward the second holding section holding another part of the object, at least partly in parallel with an operation in which the carry-out device carries out the another object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: a third holding section that holds a part of the another object, wherein the third holding section delivers the another object to the carry-out device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the support section has a first accommodating section that accommodates the third holding section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second drive section moves the second holding section so that the object is not deformed by gas intervening between the object and the support section. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support section has a supply hole that supplies gas from the support section to the object, and an amount of the gas between the object held by the second holding section and the support section is changed. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support section has a suction hole that suctions gas between the support section and the object, and an amount of the gas between the object held by the second holding section and the support section is changed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a drive device that moves the support section, wherein the drive device is movable along a plane parallel to a surface of the support section, and the second holding section is movable along the plane in a predetermined positional relationship with the support section. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second drive section moves the second holding section when the support section is moved by the drive device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The exposure apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the second drive section moves the support section from one of a position and another position to the other of the position and the another position, in the position the object supported by the support section being processed, and in the another position the object being supported by the support section. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second drive section moves the second holding section downward together with the object, in a state of restraining a position of the object in a direction parallel to a two-dimensional plane that intersects the vertical direction. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support section has a second accommodating section that accommodates the second holding section. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section adsorbs and holds another part of the object. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section supports an end of the object. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding section holds one end side of an outer periphery edge of the object. ### Claim at position 27 -33. (canceled) ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object is a substrate used in a flat-panel display. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The exposure apparatus according to claim 34, wherein at least a length of a side or a diagonal line of the substrate is 500 mm or greater. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) A manufacturing method of a flat-panel display, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1; and developing the object that has been exposed. ### Claim 37 (depends on 1) A device manufacturing method, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1; and developing the object that has been exposed. ### Claim 38 An exposure apparatus that relatively moves an object supported in a noncontact manner by a support section, with respect to an optical system in a scanning direction, and performs scanning exposure with respect to the object, the apparatus comprising: a holding section that holds the object located at a first position above the support section; and a drive section that moves the holding section from the first position to a second position where the object is to be supported in a noncontact manner by the support section, and moves the object with respect to the support section in the scanning direction at a time of the scanning exposure. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The exposure apparatus according to claim 38, wherein the object is a substrate used in a flat-panel display. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The exposure apparatus according to claim 39, wherein at least a length of a side or a diagonal line of the substrate is 500 mm or greater. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) A manufacturing method of a flat-panel display, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 38; and developing the object that has been exposed. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) A device manufacturing method, comprising: exposing the object using the exposure apparatus according to claim 38; and developing the object that has been exposed. ### Claim 43 An exposure method of relatively moving an object supported in a noncontact manner by a support section, with respect to an optical system, and performing scanning exposure with respect to the object, the method comprising: holding a part of the object at a first position located above the support section, by a first holding section; relatively moving a second holding section holding another part of the object located at the first position and held by the first holding section, from below the object along a direction intersecting a vertical direction, and releasing the holding of the object by the first holding section; and moving the second holding section that holds the object, to a second position where the object is to be supported in a noncontact manner by the support section, wherein in the moving, the object supported in a noncontact manner is relatively moved with respect to the optical system by the second holding section, in the scanning exposure. ### Claim 44 An exposure method of relatively moving an object supported in a noncontact manner by a support section, with respect to an optical system in a scanning direction, and performing scanning exposure with respect to the object, the method comprising: holding the object located at a first position above the support section, by a holding section; and moving the holding section that holds the object, from the first position to a second position where the object is to be supported in a noncontact manner by the support section; and relatively moving the holding section that holds the object with respect to the support section in the scanning direction at a time of the scanning exposure.