Light exposure device and method

A device for exposing and printing a predetermined pattern on an exposure surface of a substrate, the device comprising:

• measuring means for measuring a curvature of the exposure surface of said substrate, said measuring means is arranged at a substrate deformation correcting station,
• a chuck including a suction and holding means for drawing and holding a back surface of said substrate opposite to said exposure surface of said substrate, and deforming means for imparting a force to said back surface of said substrate to deform said substrate,
• control means for controlling said deforming means of said chuck in accordance with the curvature of said exposure surface of said substrate measured by said measuring means such that said exposure surface of said substrate conforms to an image surface of said pattern over an entire exposure area within a predetermined allowable error, and
• a carriage means for carrying said chuck thereon, said carriage means being movable in a horizontal direction from said substrate deformation correcting station to an exposure station.

A light exposure device for exposing and printing a predetermined pattern on an exposure surface of the substrate, comprising:

• measuring means for measuring curvature of said exposure surface of said substrate,
• a chuck including suck and hold means having a flexible thin film disposed on a chuck surface to oppose to a back surface of said substrate opposite to said exposure surface of said substrate to suck and hold said back surface of said substrate to said thin film and deformation means for imparting a force to said thin film to deform said thin film to thereby deform said substrate sucked to and held by said suck and hold means, said deformation means has a cylinder having a piston inserted therein, an end of an output shaft of said piston being fixed to the back surface of said thin film, said thin film having an air chamber on a back surface thereof, and
• control means for controlling said deformation means of said chuck in accordance with the curvature of said exposure surface of said substrate measured by said measuring means such that said exposure surface of said substrate conforms to an image surface of said pattern over an entire exposure area within a predetermined allowable error, said control means has pressure control means for controlling fluid pressure supplied to said cylinder and a pressure controller for controlling air pressure supplied to said air chamber.

A device for exposing and printing a predetermined pattern on an exposure surface of a substrate, the device comprising:

• measuring means for measuring a curvature of said exposure surface of said substrate, said measuring means is mounted on a base, at least three leveling pads are arranged on the base in opposition to the periphery of said exposure surface of said substrate,
• a chuck including suction and holding means having a flexible plate disposed on a chuck surface to oppose a back surface of said substrate opposite to said exposure surface of said substrate to draw and hold said back surface of said substrate to said flexible plate, and deformation means for imparting a force to said flexible plate to deform said flexible plate thereby deforming said substrate drawn to and held by said suction and holding means, said chuck further includes a sphere or a spherical seat at a bottom thereof,
• stage means for supporting said chuck, said stage means is adapted to be selectively raised and lowered and includes a spherical seat or a sphere at a top thereof, whereby when said stage means is raised, said stage means abuts against the periphery of said exposure surface of said substrate and said exposure surface of said substrate is rotated by said sphere of said spherical seat to level said exposure surface to said image surface of said pattern, and
• control means for controlling said deformation means of said chuck in accordance with the curvature of said exposure surface of said substrate measured by said measuring means such that said exposure surface of said substrate conforms to an image surface of said pattern over an extire exposure area within a predetermined allowable error.

A method for exposing and printing a predetermined pattern on an exposure surface of a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:

• interposing a thin flexible plate between a back surface of the substrate and a chuck means for holding the substrate,
• drawing and holding the surface of the substrate to the thin flexible plate,
• measuring a curvature of the exposure surface of the drawn and held substrate, and
• imparting a force to the thin flexible plate so as to deform the thin flexible plate and substrate in accordance with the measured curvature of the exposure surface of the substrate, and
• conforming the exposure surface of the substrate to an image surface of the pattern over an exposure area within a predetermined allowable error.