JP5481736B2 - Film exposure equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a film exposure apparatus, and more particularly to a film exposure apparatus that can accurately set the position of a mask when starting exposure of a film and can stably perform film exposure.

  Conventionally, when a member such as a flat substrate is exposed, in order to accurately control the exposure position, for example, a substrate with a predetermined marking on the surface is used, and this marking is used for exposure. The position of a mask to be determined is determined, or positioning pins are placed on a pallet on which a substrate is placed (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

However, when the exposure target is a film, it is difficult to apply the alignment technique in the exposure of the flat plate member as described above. That is, the film to be exposed is supplied to the exposure apparatus 1 in the middle of a roll-to-roll manufacturing line in a process as shown in FIG. 9, for example, but is different from the case of exposing a flat substrate or the like. Due to its flexibility, the film 2 being conveyed is easily wavy.

  Further, in the roll-to-roll film production line as shown in FIG. 9, processing using the flexibility of the film is performed in every processing step. That is, the film 2 is unwound from the roll 20 and supplied to the line, and pretreatment such as dry cleaning and surface modification is performed in the pretreatment unit 3, and a predetermined material is applied to the surface by the slit coater 4. After being worked, the coated material is dried by the drying device 5. Then, the film 2 having the material film formed on the surface is supplied to the exposure apparatus 1, and the material film is exposed by the exposure apparatus 1. At this time, the film 2 is supported by, for example, the rollers 9 between the apparatuses and is conveyed by the rotation. Therefore, it is difficult to apply the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 to the exposure of the film 2.

  As a mask alignment technique in exposure of a film, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 3. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which exposure is performed twice on a single film, and after the first exposure is performed on the film to form a pattern, in the second exposure, A technique is disclosed in which this pattern is detected by a line CCD and the position of the mask is adjusted based on the detection result.

  However, in the technique of Patent Document 3, when the film is exposed once in a predetermined pattern, the position of the mask can be adjusted by imaging the pattern, but the film is not subjected to exposure processing. On the other hand, when exposure is performed for the first time, the position of the mask cannot be set with high accuracy.

FIG. 10 shows a type in which light sources 11 that emit exposure light are arranged facing each other in correspondence with one mask 12 and irradiate the exposure light, for example, on the film 2 to be exposed from different directions. It is a figure which shows this conventional exposure apparatus as an example. Such a type of exposure apparatus is used in an exposure process when forming an alignment film on a glass substrate such as a liquid crystal display, for example, and divides a region to be a picture element on the glass substrate into two regions. In each region, the alignment films are aligned in different directions, whereby the liquid crystal molecules sandwiched between the glass substrates are aligned according to the alignment direction of the alignment film, thereby increasing the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display or the like. Recently, it has been attracting attention as a technology that can be expanded.

  When the film is exposed by such an exposure apparatus, the film is likely to be wavy during conveyance, thereby causing a problem of deviation of the exposure position. In order to reduce the influence of the deviation of the exposure position, for example, in an exposure apparatus having a plurality of light sources arranged in the film moving direction as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. Dividing and further arranging them in a zigzag pattern. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, the film 2 is exposed in the exposure areas A and C by the masks 121 and 122 arranged separately from each other on the upstream side where the film is supplied, and on the downstream side, A region B between the exposure regions A and C is exposed by a mask 123, and a region D adjacent to the exposure region C is exposed by a mask 124. Thereby, the pattern which carried out orientation division | segmentation can be formed in the substantially whole surface of the film 2. FIG.

JP 62-294252 A International Publication No. 08/139634 JP 2006-292919 A

  However, the technique of Patent Document 3 is a technique that can perform the second and subsequent exposures with high accuracy only when a predetermined pattern is formed on the film with high accuracy in advance. A technique for setting the position of the mask at the time of the first exposure with high accuracy has not yet been proposed. Therefore, the problem that the exposure position shifts when starting exposure of the film remains unsolved.

  Further, in the exposure apparatus having a configuration in which a plurality of light sources are arranged in the moving direction of the film as described above, as shown in FIG. 10, a portion in which the light source 11 for exposure is incorporated (a housing portion of the light source 11). Has a length of, for example, about 2 m in the moving direction of the film per light source, and the distance between the exposure areas A and C and the exposure areas B and D as shown in FIG. 11 is at least 4 m. About and longer. Therefore, there is a problem that the film is not only easily waved but also easily displaced in the width direction during conveyance from the upstream exposure areas A and C to the downstream exposure areas B and D. Therefore, in addition to the shift of the exposure position in one exposure area, the film is displaced in the width direction between the exposure areas A and C on the upstream side and the exposure areas B and D on the downstream side. Overlap, or unexposed areas occur.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and when starting exposure of a film, the position of the mask can be accurately set, and the film can be stably exposed with high exposure accuracy. An object is to provide an exposure apparatus.

The film exposure apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
A light source that emits exposure light;
A mask in which a pattern of a predetermined light transmission region is formed and transmits exposure light from the light source corresponding to the pattern; and
A film supply unit for continuously supplying a film to be exposed from the tip of the film onto the optical path of light transmitted through the light transmission region of the mask;
A mask support that supports the mask so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film ;
Have
A plurality of the masks are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film and a plurality of rows in the moving direction of the film, and the patterns formed on each mask are arranged so as not to overlap with each other in the moving direction of the film. And
In an exposure apparatus that exposes the film by irradiating light transmitted through a light transmission region of the mask to an exposure material formed on the surface of the film,
A lead-in mark forming part for forming a plurality of lead-in marks corresponding to the respective masks at the leading edge of the film, each serving as a reference for each initial position of the plurality of masks;
A detector for detecting the distance between the marks on the mask said corresponding with each pull mark in the moving direction in the direction of the vertical of the film,
The detection result by the detecting unit, the position of each mask in the direction of the vertical in the direction of movement of the film by the mask support, the distance between the corresponding mark of the the position of the pull mark mask is constant A mask position control unit to be adjusted, and
It is characterized by having.

  In this film exposure apparatus, for example, the mark on the mask is formed at a position closer to the film supply unit than the light transmission region.

The plurality of masks are arranged in a staggered manner in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film , for example .

  In the above-described film exposure apparatus, for example, the pull-in mark forming unit includes a stage unit extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film, a marking unit for forming the pull-in mark, and the marking unit as the stage unit. And a transport section that moves along the longitudinal direction of the.

  An exposure apparatus for a film according to the present invention includes, for example, an alignment mark forming unit that is arranged closer to the film supply unit than the mask and forms an alignment mark on an edge of the film supplied from the film supply unit, and the alignment A second detection unit that detects a mark position downstream in the movement direction of the film, and the mask position control unit continuously detects the film based on a detection result of the second detection unit. During the feeding, the position of the mask in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film is adjusted.

  The film exposure apparatus according to the present invention has a pull-in mark forming portion for forming a pull-in mark serving as a reference for the initial position of the mask at the leading end of the film, and the detection unit in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film. The distance between the pull-in mark and the mark on the mask is detected, and the mask position control unit adjusts the position of the mask in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film based on the detection result. Thereby, a pull-in mark for positioning is formed with high accuracy at the leading end of the film, and the position of the mask can be set with high accuracy even when starting exposure of the film by the position of the pull-in mark. . Therefore, according to the present invention, the film can be stably exposed with high exposure accuracy.

It is a perspective view which shows a drawing mark formation part in the exposure apparatus of the film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the whole exposure apparatus of the film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the process of forming a drawing mark with respect to a film in the film exposure apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows a mask in the exposure apparatus of the film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows correction | amendment of the mask position by a drawing mark in the exposure apparatus of the film which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the control part of a film position as an example. It is a figure which shows the exposure process by the downstream mask in the film exposure apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows correction | amendment of the shift | offset | difference of the width direction of a film. It is a figure which shows an example of the film manufacturing line of a roll to roll system. It is a perspective view which shows the exposure apparatus of an orientation division system as an example. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the mask at the time of exposing a film as an example.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, the structure of the exposure apparatus of the film which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a pull-in mark forming portion in a film exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire film exposure apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a figure which shows the process of forming a drawing mark with respect to. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the film exposure apparatus according to this embodiment includes a light source 11 that emits exposure light, a mask 12, and a mask stage 17 (mask support unit) that supports the mask 12 so as to be movable. For example, a laser marker 13 (drawing mark forming unit) disposed in the vicinity of the film supply unit such as a transport roller, and a line CCD 15 (for example, disposed below the mask 12 so as to extend in the width direction of the film 2). Film pull-in position detection unit) and a mask position control unit 30 that controls the position of the mask 12. In the present invention, the pull-in mark 2a serving as a reference for positioning the mask 12 is formed by the laser marker 13 with respect to the film 2 supplied from the film supply unit. In the present embodiment, as an example, the case where the present invention is applied to an alignment-dividing exposure apparatus will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to an alignment-dividing exposure apparatus, and may be applied to any film exposure apparatus. Can do.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the film 2 to be exposed is wound from a roll-to-roll type roll 20 and supplied to the slit coater 4, and a predetermined material such as an alignment film material is applied to the surface by the slit coater 4. After being coated and dried by the drying device 5, it is supplied into the exposure device 1 by the transport roller 9 . The entrance of the exposure apparatus 1 is provided with a film supply unit such as a transport roller driven by a motor, for example, and is configured to supply the film 2 to the laser marker 13 side, for example, in the horizontal direction. For example, the exposure apparatus 1 is further provided with a film transport unit such as a transport roller, and is configured to transport the film 2 along the longitudinal direction in the exposure apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the laser marker 13 is composed of a gantry stage 13a, a transport unit 13b, and a marking unit 13c. The gantry stage 13a is located above the portion where the film is supplied with respect to the moving direction of the film. Are arranged so as to extend vertically (in the width direction of the film). The transport unit 13b is supported by the gantry stage 13a and is configured to be able to move along the longitudinal direction on the gantry stage 13a. Further, the position of the transport unit 13b is controlled by a control device (not shown), and thereby the position of the marking unit 13c can be adjusted.

  The marking unit 13c emits laser light from a laser light source such as an Nd: YAG laser, for example, and has a predetermined shape, for example, a cross shape, at the leading end of the film 2 supplied from the film supply unit as shown in FIG. The pull-in mark 2a is formed. The marking unit 13c is fixed to the conveyance unit 13b, and is configured to be able to adjust the formation position of the pull-in mark 2a on the film 2 by controlling the position of the conveyance unit 13b by a control device. In the present embodiment, the marking portion 13c is configured to form, for example, four lead-in marks 2a at the front end of the film 2 at regular intervals so as to correspond to each of four masks 12 described later. Has been.

  The light source 11 is a light source that emits ultraviolet light in, for example, an alignment division type exposure apparatus, and for example, a mercury lamp, a xenon lamp, an excimer lamp, an ultraviolet LED, or the like is used. On the optical path of the exposure light emitted from the light source 11, for example, a collimator lens and / or a reflecting mirror, for example, are arranged so that the exposure light is irradiated with a predetermined light amount on the alignment material film on the surface of the film 2, for example. ing. The light source 11 can adjust the emission direction of exposure light by, for example, a control device (not shown), and is configured to be able to adjust the incident angle of exposure light to the film 2. In the exposure apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, two light sources 11 are arranged so as to face one exposure area, and the exposure light emitted from each light source 11 is transmitted through the mask 12 and then the film 2. The region to be one picture element is divided and exposed with different exposure light to form alignment films in which alignment film materials are aligned in different directions in the respective areas. By irradiating the alignment material film with two exposure lights having different pretilt angles, the alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules can be made different from each other. For example, in one pixel, the alignment direction of the alignment film is followed. Thus, the viewing angle of a liquid crystal display or the like is widened by setting the directions of liquid crystal molecules aligned in two directions. Note that the number of the light sources 11 is not limited to two per one exposure region, but may be three or more. For example, the alignment film material may be aligned in three or more directions by exposure light from different directions. Further, for example, one light source 11 is provided for one exposure area, and the exposure light emitted from the light source 11 is divided by a polarizing plate or the like, and the two divided exposure lights are irradiated from different directions. May be. For example, by using a polarizing plate, exposure light can be divided into P-polarized linearly-polarized exposure light and S-polarized linearly-polarized exposure light and irradiated from different directions.

  A plurality of masks 12 are arranged separately from each other on the upstream side and the downstream side in the moving direction of the film 2. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the upstream side (masks 121 and 122) and the downstream side (masks). 123, 124), two each. As shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of masks 12 are arranged such that the exposure area by the upstream masks 121 and 122 and the exposure area by the downstream masks 123 and 124 are adjacent to each other along the moving direction of the film. That is, they are arranged in a zigzag pattern, and the above-described pair of light sources 11 is provided for each mask 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the exposure light from the light source 11 is transmitted through the masks 121 and 122 on the upstream side in the moving direction of the film 2 to expose the alignment film material on the film 2 in the exposure areas A and C. . Further, the exposure light from the light source 11 is transmitted through the masks 123 and 124 on the downstream side, and the alignment film material on the film 2 is exposed in the exposure regions B and D.

In the present embodiment, the mask 12, as shown in FIG. 4, for example, is constructed with the frame body 1200 by the center of the pattern forming unit 1210, the pattern forming unit 1210, a pattern 1210a of a given light transmission regions Is formed. That is, an opening having a shape that transmits exposure light corresponding to the pattern shape to be formed on the film 2 is formed, or a light transmissive member is provided. For example, in an alignment division type exposure apparatus, the alignment material film on the surface of the film 2 disposed on the stage 10 is exposed by light transmitted through the pattern forming unit 1210 . In the present embodiment, a pair of light sources 11 is arranged for each mask 12 and emits exposure light having different incident angles. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pattern 1210a is formed so that a plurality of slits arranged in the width direction of the film are arranged in two rows in the moving direction of the film.

In this embodiment, the mask 12 has a width of about 300 μm and a length of about 250 mm so as to extend in the width direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film 2 upstream of the pattern 1210a . Is provided in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the viewing window 12a. For example, a linear light shielding pattern 12b having a width of about 15 μm is provided. Then, the position of the light shielding pattern 12 b is detected by a line CCD 15 to be described later and used for positioning the mask 12.

The mask stage 17 (mask support portion) is provided for each of the masks 12 and supports, for example, the frame body 1200 of the mask 12. The mask stage 17 is connected to, for example, a mask position control unit 30 as shown in FIG. 6, and the position thereof is controlled, for example, in the horizontal direction (film width direction or film width direction) under the control of the mask position control unit 30. And the longitudinal direction of the film). Thereby, the exposure position of the film 2 by the mask 12 can be adjusted to a horizontal direction. The mask stage 17 can be moved in the vertical direction, for example, and can be adjusted so that, for example, the alignment film material on the film 2 is exposed to a predetermined size.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the line CCD 15 (film drawing position detection unit) is arranged to extend in the width direction of the film 2 below the viewing window 12 a and the light shielding pattern 12 b provided in each mask 12. When the film 2 is conveyed until the leading end of the film 2 is located above the line CCD 15 (between the line CCD 15 and the mask 12), the position of the pull-in mark 2a formed at the leading end of the film 2 is determined. To detect. Further, the line CCD 15 detects a light shielding pattern 12 b provided in the middle of the viewing window 12 a of the mask 12 as an actual position of the mask 12. The line CCD 15 is connected to the mask position control unit 30 and is configured to transmit the detected positions of the pull-in mark 2 a and the light shielding pattern 12 b to the mask position control unit 30.

  The mask position control unit 30 is configured to adjust the position of the mask 12 based on the distance between the drawing mark 2a transmitted from the line CCD 15 and the plane parallel to the film surface calculated from the position of the light shielding pattern 12b. Has been. That is, the mask position control unit 30 stores in advance the position data of the mask (light shielding pattern 12b) to be set with reference to the position of the pull-in mark 2a. As shown in FIG. The unit 30 moves the position of the mask stage 17 using the position of the pull-in mark 2a detected by the line CCD 15 as a reference position until the mask position determined by the detected position of the light shielding pattern 12b reaches a predetermined position. Thereby, in the exposure apparatus of this embodiment, when starting the exposure, the position of the mask 12 can be adjusted with reference to the position of the pull-in mark 2a previously formed on the film 2 with high accuracy. The position to be exposed can be determined with high accuracy.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the mask position control unit 30 as an example. As shown in FIG. 6, the mask position control unit 30 is connected to a motor control unit provided in, for example, a mask stage driving unit, the light source 11, and a film winding roll 8 (see FIG. 9). As shown in FIG. 6, the mask position control unit 30 includes an image processing unit 31, a calculation unit 32, a memory 33, a motor drive control unit 34, a light source drive unit 35, a mask stage drive control unit 36, And a control unit 37.

  The image processing unit 31 performs image processing of the alignment mark 2b picked up by the alignment mark detection unit 16 described later, and detects, for example, the center position of the alignment mark 2b in the film width direction. The calculation unit 32 calculates, for example, a deviation between the distance between the center positions of the pull-in mark 2a and the light shielding pattern 12b and the distance to be set between both stored in advance. The calculation unit 32 also calculates a shift in the film width direction between the center position of the alignment mark 2b to be set and the actual center position of the alignment mark 2b based on the center position of the alignment mark 2b detected by the image processing unit 31. To do. The memory 33 stores, for example, the center position of the alignment mark 2b detected by the image processing unit 31 and the shift amount calculated by the calculation unit 32. The motor drive control unit 34 controls, for example, driving or stopping of the motor of the film take-up roll 8 or the rotational speed when being driven.

  The light source drive unit 35 controls the turning on / off of the light source 11, the output, or the oscillation frequency. The mask stage drive control unit 36 controls the drive of the mask stage 17 and controls, for example, the movement direction and the movement amount of the mask stage 17. The control unit 37 controls driving of the image processing unit 31, the calculation unit 32, the memory 33, the motor drive control unit 34, the light source drive unit 35, and the mask stage drive control unit 36. Thereby, the film exposure apparatus 1 adjusts the position of the mask 12, for example, switches on / off the exposure light irradiation by the light source 11, or the rotational speed of the motor provided in the roll 8 that winds the film 2 or the like. It can be controlled.

  In the present embodiment, the light source 11, the mask 12, the mask stage 17, the line CCD 15, and the mask position control unit 30 are also provided on the downstream side in the moving direction of the film 2, but these configurations are arranged on the upstream side. Since it is the same as the configuration, detailed description is omitted.

Next, the operation of the film exposure apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. First, the film 2 that has been subjected to the predetermined processing by the slit coater 4 and the drying device 5 as shown in FIG. 9 is supplied into the exposure apparatus 1 from its tip by, for example, a transport roller 9 . The film 2 supplied into the exposure apparatus 1 is supplied at the leading end thereof below the laser marker 13 by a film supply unit such as a transport roller.

  When the leading end of the film 2 is supplied below the laser marker 13, for example, the supply of the film 2 by a transport roller or the like is temporarily stopped. And the marking part 13c is conveyed to a predetermined position by moving the conveyance part 13b of the laser marker 13 on the gantry stage 13a by control by a control apparatus. Thereby, the marking part 13c is arrange | positioned in the position in any one of the upstream of the observation window 12a provided in each of the four masks 12, for example.

  When the position of the marking portion 13c is determined, a laser beam is emitted from the marking portion 13c to form, for example, a cross-shaped pull-in mark 2a at the leading end of the film 2. At this time, since the film 2 is in a state of being supported by a conveying roller or the like on the film supply unit side, the leading end portion of the film 2 does not vibrate or wave, and the pull-in mark 2a can be formed with high accuracy. When the formation of one pull-in mark 2a is completed, the control device moves the marking unit 13c, for example, by moving the transport unit 13b on the gantry stage 13a. A pull-in mark 2a is formed at the leading end of the film. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, when the formation of the four pull-in marks 2a at the leading end of the film is completed, the operation of the laser marker 13 is stopped and the conveyance of the film 2 by the conveyance roller or the like is resumed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the film 2 reaches below the mask 12 (masks 121 and 122) arranged corresponding to the exposure areas A and C, as shown in FIG. A line CCD 15 is arranged at a position corresponding to the viewing window 12a (and the light shielding pattern 12b) below each mask 12 so as to extend in the width direction of the film 2. The line CCD 15 has a pull-in mark 2a with a line CCD 15 The position of the pull-in mark 2a is detected when the sheet is conveyed until it is positioned above. Further, the line CCD 15 detects the position of the light shielding pattern 12 b provided in the middle of the viewing window 12 a of the mask 12. Thereby, the distance between the drawing mark 2a and the light shielding pattern 12b of the mask 12 is measured. Then, the line CCD 15 transmits a signal indicating the distance between the detected pull-in mark 2 a and the light shielding pattern 12 b to the mask position control unit 30. Note that, until the adjustment of the mask position is completed after the detection process by the line CCD 15, for example, the conveyance of the film 2 is stopped or the exposure on the film 2 is not started.

  Next, when a signal indicating the distance between the pull-in mark 2a and the light shielding pattern 12b is input from the line CCD 15, the mask position control unit 30 first stores the distance between the two in a plane parallel to the film surface. It is compared with the data (data of the initial position to be set on the mask 12 with reference to the position of the pull-in mark 2a). Then, the mask stage 17 is moved until the mask position determined by the position of the light shielding pattern 12b reaches a predetermined initial position. Thereby, before the start of exposure in the exposure areas A and C, the initial position of the mask 12 (masks 121 and 122) is accurately determined with reference to the film 2.

  When the initial position of the mask 12 is determined, the film 2 is transported by, for example, a transport roller until the exposure target portion is located in the exposure light irradiation region, and the exposure light from the light source 11 is transmitted through the mask 12 to Exposure. Thereby, the alignment film material on the film 2 is aligned in a predetermined direction. When the exposure of one place is completed, the film 2 is sequentially supplied, and the exposure target portions are sequentially exposed. As a result, two patterns exposed in the exposure areas A and C are formed on the film 2 in a strip shape.

As shown in FIG. 7, the film 2 is transported so that the leading end reaches below the mask 12 (masks 123 and 124) arranged corresponding to the exposure areas B and D on the downstream side . A line CCD 15 is arranged at a position corresponding to the viewing window 12a (and the light shielding pattern 12b) below each mask 12 so as to extend in the width direction of the film 2 as in the upstream side. Detects the position of the pull-in mark 2a when it is conveyed until the pull-in mark 2a is positioned above the line CCD 15 (between the line CCD 15 and the mask 12). As in the upstream case, the line CCD 15 detects the light shielding pattern 12b provided in the middle of the viewing window 12a of the mask 12 as the actual position of the mask 12, and thereby the pull-in mark 2a and the mask 12 The distance from the light shielding pattern 12b is measured. Then, a signal of the distance between the detected pull-in mark 2 a and the light shielding pattern 12 b is transmitted to the mask position control unit 30. Note that, until the adjustment of the mask position is completed after the detection process by the line CCD 15, for example, the conveyance of the film 2 is stopped or the exposure on the film 2 is not started.

  When the signal of the distance between the pull-in mark 2a and the light shielding pattern 12b is input from the line CCD 15, the mask position control unit 30 first stores the distance between the two in a plane parallel to the film surface (the pull-in). The data of the initial position to be set on the mask 12 with respect to the position of the mark 2a is compared. Then, the position of the mask stage 17 is moved until the mask position determined by the position of the light shielding pattern 12b becomes a predetermined initial position. Thereby, before the start of exposure in the exposure regions B and D, the initial position of the mask 12 (masks 123 and 124) is accurately determined with reference to the film 2.

  When the initial position of the mask 12 is determined, the film 2 is transported by, for example, a transport roller until the exposure target portion is located in the exposure light irradiation region, and the exposure light from the light source 11 is transmitted through the mask 12 to Exposure. Thereby, the alignment film material on the film 2 is aligned in a predetermined direction. When the exposure of one place is completed, the film 2 is sequentially supplied, and the exposure target portions are sequentially exposed. As a result, a pattern exposed by the exposure areas B and D is formed on the film 2, and the pattern formed between the exposure areas A and C is filled with the pattern exposed by the exposure area B. A pattern by the exposure region D is formed so as to be adjacent to the pattern formed by.

  In the conventional exposure apparatus, when the exposure area is divided into the upstream side and the downstream side, the exposure areas are overlapped or unexposed areas are generated due to the waviness of the film 2 and the shift in the width direction. However, in this embodiment, since the initial position of the mask is determined based on the pull-in mark 2a formed at the tip of the film 2, the downstream pattern is also added to the upstream pattern. It can be formed with high accuracy. That is, the pattern already formed by the exposure areas A and C and the pattern formed by the exposure areas B and D do not overlap or leave an unexposed part, and the pattern is accurately formed on the entire surface of the film. Is formed, and the film can be stably exposed.

Next, in the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment, a mechanism for correcting an exposure position shift caused by a position shift in the width direction of the film 2 during continuous exposure will be described. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the exposure apparatus 1 has an alignment laser marker 14 (alignment mark forming portion) aligned with the masks 121 and 122 on the upstream side in the film movement direction and in the film width direction. Is provided. Then, the alignment mark 2 b is formed on the edge of the film 2 supplied from the film supply unit by the alignment laser marker 14. Further, the exposure apparatus 1 is provided with an alignment mark detector 16 so as to be aligned with the masks 123 and 124 on the downstream side in the film moving direction and the film width direction. The alignment mark detection unit 16 is disposed above or below the film 2 and detects the position in the film width direction of the alignment mark 2 b formed on the edge of the film 2 by the alignment laser marker 14. The alignment mark detection unit 16 is connected to the mask position control unit 30 described above, and transmits the detected signal to the mask position control unit 30.

The alignment laser marker 14 is a laser light source that irradiates, for example, an Nd: YAG laser or ultraviolet light, and emits pulsed laser light from a pulse light source such as a xenon flash lamp, for example, as shown in FIG. For example, alignment marks 2b having a width of 20 μm and a length of 15 mm are formed at regular intervals on the edge. The alignment laser marker 14 is, for example, an alignment mark in a region corresponding to, for example, 25 mm or less from the edge of the film 2 at a position corresponding to the viewing window 12a (and the light shielding pattern 12b) of the upstream masks 121 and 122 in the moving direction of the film 2. 2b is formed. Thereby, the distance between the pattern formed in the exposure area A and the exposure area C on the upstream side in the moving direction of the film 2 and the alignment mark 2b at the edge of the film 2 is always constant.

The alignment mark detection unit 16 disposed on the downstream side in the moving direction of the film 2 is, for example, a CCD camera, and, for example, at a position corresponding to the viewing window 12a of the downstream masks 123 and 124, as shown in FIG. The position of the alignment mark 2b formed on the edge of the film 2 in the film width direction is detected. The alignment mark detection unit 16 transmits the detected position of the alignment mark 2b in the film width direction to a mask position control unit 30 as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and the mask position control unit 30 is based on the position of the alignment mark 2b. The position of the masks 123 and 124 on the downstream side in the moving direction of the film is adjusted.

In the exposure by the exposure apparatus 1 configured as described above, after the film 2 is exposed by the upstream mask 12, for example, when the position is shifted in the width direction while being transported a distance of 4 m or more, As shown in FIG. 8, the position of the alignment mark 2b formed on the edge of the film 2 is also shifted in the width direction of the film. In this case, the mask position control unit 30 corrects the shift in the width direction of the film 2 based on the position of the alignment mark 2b detected by the alignment mark detection unit 16 in the film width direction. Thus, the mask stage 17 is moved, and thereby the position of the mask 12 with respect to the film 2 is corrected. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, when the position of the alignment mark 2b is shifted outward in the width direction of the film, the mask position control unit 30 shifts the positions of the downstream masks 123 and 124 with respect to the alignment mark 2b. Move the film outward in the width direction by the amount. Conversely, even when the position of the alignment mark 2b is shifted inward in the width direction of the film, the mask position control unit 30 shifts the position of the downstream masks 123 and 124 by the amount of the shift of the alignment mark 2b. Move inward direction. Therefore, the distance between the alignment mark 2b and the downstream masks 123 and 124 is maintained at a constant interval on the downstream side in the moving direction of the film 2.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, during continuous exposure, as shown in FIG. 8, even when the film 2 is displaced in the width direction, the exposure position with respect to the film 2 is corrected by correcting the position of the mask 12. Stable exposure can be performed without deviation.

  In addition, in this embodiment, although the exposure apparatus of the orientation division system which divides | segments and exposes the area | region used as 1 picture element was demonstrated, the polarizing film for 3D displays is comprised, for example by configuring the exposure apparatus as follows. Can be manufactured. In other words, when exposure light from two light sources, for example, exposure light of P-polarized light and S-polarized linearly polarized light is alternately applied to each region that becomes a pixel adjacent in the width direction of the film, a plurality of picture elements can be obtained. The alignment direction of the alignment material film can be made different for each pixel constituted by the above. Thereby, the orientation direction in a film surface differs 90 degrees mutually, and the orientation film | membrane which has a function similar to a quarter-lambda board can be obtained, and the obtained film can be used as a polarizing film. That is, if light for linearly polarized image display is transmitted through this polarizing film, circularly polarized transmitted light having a rotation direction opposite to each other for each display column composed of a plurality of pixels and extending in the width direction of the film. Is emitted. These two circularly polarized transmitted lights can be used as display light for the right eye and the left eye of a 3D display, for example.

1: exposure apparatus, 10: stage, 11: light source, 12: mask, 12a: viewing window, 12b: light shielding pattern, 1210a : pattern , 121: first mask, 122: second mask, 123: third Mask: 124: Fourth mask, 13: Laser marker, 13a: Gantry stage, 13b: Conveyance unit, 13c: Marking unit, 14: Laser marker for alignment, 15: Film drawing position detection unit, 16: Alignment mark detection unit, 17 : Mask stage, 2: film, 2a: pull-in mark, 2b: alignment mark, 2c: pattern, 30: mask position control unit, 31: image processing unit, 32: calculation unit, 33: memory, 34: motor drive control unit , 35: light source drive unit, 36: mask stage drive control unit, 37: control unit

Claims (5)

A light source that emits exposure light;
A mask in which a pattern of a predetermined light transmission region is formed and transmits exposure light from the light source corresponding to the pattern; and
A film supply unit for continuously supplying a film to be exposed from the tip of the film onto the optical path of light transmitted through the light transmission region of the mask;
A mask support that supports the mask so as to be movable in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film ;
Have
A plurality of the masks are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film and a plurality of rows in the moving direction of the film, and the patterns formed on each mask are arranged so as not to overlap with each other in the moving direction of the film. And
In an exposure apparatus that exposes the film by irradiating light transmitted through a light transmission region of the mask to an exposure material formed on the surface of the film,
A lead-in mark forming part for forming a plurality of lead-in marks corresponding to the respective masks at the leading edge of the film, each serving as a reference for each initial position of the plurality of masks;
And mark the pull each in the direction of vertical to the moving direction of the film, a detector for detecting the distance between the marks on the corresponding said mask,
The detection result by the detecting unit, the position of each mask in the direction of the vertical in the direction of movement of the film by the mask support, the distance between the corresponding mark of the the position of the pull mark mask is constant A mask position control unit to be adjusted, and
A film exposure apparatus comprising: The film exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mark on the mask is formed at a position closer to the film supply unit than the light transmission region. 3. The film exposure apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of masks are arranged in a staggered manner in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film. The pull-in mark forming portion includes a stage portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the film, a marking portion for forming the pull-in mark, and a transport for moving the marking portion along the longitudinal direction of the stage portion. an exposure device of the film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a section, the. An alignment mark forming part that forms an alignment mark on the edge of the film that is arranged on the film supply part side of the mask and is supplied from the film supply part, and the position of the alignment mark is downstream in the movement direction of the film The mask position control unit moves the film while continuously supplying the film according to a detection result by the second detection unit. an exposure device of the film according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that adjusting the position of the mask in a direction perpendicular to the direction.

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