Maskless exposure apparatus and method, and manufacturing method of a semiconductor device including the maskless exposure method

Abstract

A maskless exposure apparatus includes a light source, an optical head including a light modulator and an optical system, and reflecting light from the light source to radiate the light to a substrate to be exposed, a stage supporting the substrate and moving the substrate in a scanning direction, where the substrate is rotated such that a reference line of the substrate is at a first angle with respect to the scanning direction, and an optical head rotating unit rotating the optical head. When patterns are formed on the substrate in a direction of a first row and an nth row that is substantially perpendicular to the reference line, the first angle is set such that illuminations accumulated, by a beam spot array, in first portions and second portions on the substrate respectively corresponding to the patterns of the first row and the patterns of the nth row vary.

1 . A maskless exposure apparatus comprising:
 a light source;   an optical head comprising a light modulator and an optical system, and configured to reflect light from the light source to radiate the light to a first substrate to be exposed;   a stage configured to support the first substrate and move the first substrate in a first direction, which is a scanning direction, wherein the first substrate is rotated such that a reference line of the first substrate is at a first angle with respect to the first direction; and   an optical head rotating unit configured to rotate the optical head,   wherein the light modulator comprises a micro-mirror array configured to reflect light from the light source and allow the light to be incident to the optical system, wherein the optical system radiates the reflected light from the light modulator to the first substrate by transforming the reflected light into a beam spot array including a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,   wherein the beam spot array comprises on-spots where a beam is radiated to the first substrate and off-spots where no beam is radiated to the first substrate, and the on-spots and the off-spots are controlled by the micro-mirror array, and   wherein, when patterns are formed on the first substrate in a direction of a first row and an nth row (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) that is substantially perpendicular to the reference line, the first angle is set such that illuminations accumulated, by the beam spot array, in first portions and second portions on the first substrate respectively corresponding to the patterns of the first row and the patterns of the nth row vary.   
     
     
         2 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, before the optical head is rotated, the plurality of columns of the beam spot array are substantially parallel to the first direction and the plurality of rows are substantially perpendicular to the first direction,
 wherein the optical head is rotated by using the optical head rotating unit such that the plurality of columns are at a second angle with respect to the first direction,   wherein the patterns of the first row and the patterns of the nth row are substantially identical, and   wherein illuminations accumulated in the first portions and the second portions vary as the first substrate is rotated at the first angle.   
     
     
         3 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 2 , the reference line is arranged in parallel with the first direction such that the directions of the first row and the nth row are perpendicular to the first direction,
 when the patterns of the first row are substantially identical to each other, illuminations accumulated in the first portions are different from each other, and a portion I, which is any one of the first portions, and a portion II, which is any one of the second portions corresponding to the portion I, have a substantially equal cumulative illumination, and   as the first substrate is rotated by the first angle, when the patterns of the first row are substantially identical to each other, illuminations accumulated in the portion I and the portion II vary.   
     
     
         4 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein, in the beam spot array, a first beam spot of a first row and a first column is a reference for rotation of the optical head, and
 the second angle is set such that a second beam spot of a last row and a third column corresponds to the first beam spot in the first direction.   
     
     
         5 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a substrate arranging unit configured to arrange the first substrate on the stage by rotating the first substrate with respect to the first direction;   an angle measuring unit configured to measure a second angle between the reference line and the first direction; and   a spot data generator configured to generate data about the on-spots and the off-spots of the beam spot array.   
     
     
         6 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the angle measuring unit measures the second angle by using an alignment key formed on the first substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the spot data generator comprises:
 an angle calculator configured to calculate the first angle;   a pre-processed data generator configured to generate pre-processed data about the on-spots and the off-spots based on the first angle; and   an exposure data generator configured to generate exposure data by correcting the pre-processed data based on a rotational angle error value, which is a difference between the second angle and the first angle.   
     
     
         8 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the angle calculator and the pre-processed data generator operate when forming a pattern on a second substrate that is different from the first substrate or when forming a new pattern on the first substrate. 
     
     
         9 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A maskless exposure apparatus comprising:
 a light source;   an optical head comprising a light modulator and an optical system, and configured to reflect light from the light source to radiate the light to a substrate to be exposed;   a stage configured to support the substrate and move the substrate in a scanning direction having a first angle with respect to a reference line of the substrate; and   an optical head rotating unit configured to rotate the optical head,   wherein the light modulator comprises a micro-mirror array configured to reflect light from the light source and allow the light to be incident to the optical system, wherein the optical system radiates the reflected light from the light modulator to the substrate by transforming the reflected light into a beam spot array including a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns,   wherein the beam spot array comprises on-spots where a beam is radiated to the substrate and off-spots where no beam is radiated to the substrate, and the on-spots and the off-spots are controlled by the micro-mirror array, and   wherein, when patterns are formed on the substrate in a direction of a first row and an nth row (where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) that is substantially perpendicular to the reference line, the first angle is set such that illuminations accumulated, by the beam spot array, in first portions and second portions on the substrate respectively corresponding to the patterns of the first row and the patterns of the nth row vary.   
     
     
         15 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the scanning direction is a first direction, and
 the substrate is rotated on the stage such that the reference line has the first angle with respect to the first direction.   
     
     
         16 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein, the reference line is arranged substantially in parallel with the first direction such that the direction of the first row and the nth row is substantially perpendicular to the first direction,
 when the patterns of the first row are substantially identical to one another, illuminations accumulated in the first portions are different from one another, and a portion I, which is any one of the first portions, and a portion II, which is any one of the second portions corresponding to the portion I, have a substantially equal cumulative illumination, and   as the substrate is rotated by the first angle, when the patterns of the first row are substantially identical to one another, illuminations accumulated in the portion I and the portion II vary.   
     
     
         17 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the substrate is arranged on the stage such that the reference line is substantially parallel to a first direction, and
 the scanning direction is set to have the first angle with respect to the first direction.   
     
     
         18 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the direction of the first row and the nth row is substantially perpendicular to the first direction,
 wherein the patterns of the first row and the patterns of the nth row are substantially identical, and   wherein illuminations accumulated in the first portions and the second portions vary as the substrate is moved in the scanning direction.   
     
     
         19 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A maskless exposure apparatus, comprising: a light source;
 an optical head comprising a light modulator and an optical system, and configured to reflect light from the light source to radiate the light to a substrate to be exposed;   a stage configured to support the substrate; and   the substrate comprising a plurality of patterns and a side edge, and arranged on the stage, wherein the side edge is at a first angle with respect to a scanning direction and the first angle is greater than zero,   wherein the light modulator comprises a micro-mirror array configured to reflect light from the light source and allow the light to be incident to the optical system, wherein the optical system radiates the reflected light from the light modulator to the substrate by transforming the reflected light into a beam spot array including a plurality of beam spot rows and a plurality of beam spot columns,   wherein a first beam spot column among the plurality of beam spot columns is at a second angle with respect to the scanning direction and the second angle is greater than zero, and   wherein the beam spot array comprises on-spots where a beam is radiated to the substrate and off-spots where no beam is radiated to the substrate, and the on-spots and the off-spots are controlled by the micro-mirror array.   
     
     
         27 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of patterns includes a first pattern of a first row and a second pattern of a second row, and the first pattern and the second pattern are substantially identical, and
 wherein a number of on-spots for the first pattern is different from a number of on-spots for the second pattern.   
     
     
         28 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of patterns includes a first pattern of a first row and a second pattern of a second row, and the first pattern and the second pattern are substantially identical, and
 wherein illumination accumulated in the first pattern is different from illumination accumulated in the second pattern.   
     
     
         29 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the scanning direction is substantially parallel to the side edge. 
     
     
         30 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 an optical head rotating unit configured to rotate the optical head.   
     
     
         31 . The maskless exposure apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the stage is configured to move the substrate in the scanning direction.