Transporting method, transporting apparatus, exposure method, and exposure apparatus

A device manufacturing method comprising:

• supporting a plurality of surface locations of a film-shaped photosensitive substrate by a plurality of rod-shaped members while holding the film-shaped photosensitive substrate by the rod-shaped members using suction, wherein a longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped members intersects a predetermined moving direction of the film-shaped photosensitive substrate;
• moving the rod-shaped members along with the film-shaped photosensitive substrate in the moving direction while the rod-shaped members support the film-shaped photosensitive substrate and hold the film-shaped photosensitive substrate using suction;
• detecting an alignment mark that is formed on the film-shaped photosensitive substrate with an area to be exposed of the film-shaped photosensitive substrate that is supported by the rod-shaped members;
• and
• performing alignment between the area to be exposed of the film-shaped photosensitive substrate and a predetermined pattern based on a detection result of the alignment mark;
• exposing, with the predetermined pattern, the area to be exposed of the film-shaped photosensitive substrate supported by the rod-shaped members which are moving in the moving direction;
• and
• processing the film-shaped photosensitive substrate after the exposure.

A device manufacturing method using an exposure apparatus which exposes a predetermined pattern onto a film-shaped substrate, the method comprising:

• operating a transporting apparatus attached to the exposure apparatus, the transporting apparatus comprising:
• a plurality of rod-shaped members whose longitudinal direction intersects a predetermined moving direction along a surface of the film-shaped substrate, wherein the rod-shaped members support the film-shaped substrate while holding the film-shaped substrate using suction;
• and
• a drive unit that moves the rod-shaped members along with the film-shaped substrate in the moving direction while the rod-shaped members support the film-shaped substrate and hold the film-shaped substrate using suction,
• operating a mark detection system of the exposure apparatus to detect an alignment mark formed on the film-shaped substrate, wherein the alignment mark is arranged with an area to be exposed of the film-shaped substrate that is supported by the at least one of the rod-shaped members;
• operating an exposure section of the exposure apparatus to perform alignment between the area to be exposed of the film-shaped substrate and the predetermined pattern based on a detection result by the mark detection system, and to expose the area to be exposed of the film-shaped substrate supported by the at least one of rod-shaped members while moving in the moving direction;
• and
• processing the film-shaped substrate after the exposure.

A device manufacturing method for exposing a device pattern image onto a film-shaped flexible substrate, the method comprising:

• transporting the film-shaped flexible substrate in a moving direction while the film-shaped flexible substrate is supported by a plurality of rod-shaped members and held by the rod-shaped members using suction,
• wherein a longitudinal direction of the rod-shaped members intersects the moving direction,
• moving the rod-shaped members along with the film-shaped flexible substrate in the moving direction while the rod-shaped members support the film-shaped flexible substrate and hold the film-shaped flexible substrate using suction;
• and
• exposing an area to be exposed of the flexible substrate with the device pattern image while transporting the film-shaped flexible substrate by the synchronization movement of the rod-shaped members in the moving direction.