JP2000340642A - Board storage case, and aligner using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To hold a stored board within a case, even though the case is of such a structure that the side separates as a door, in a board storage case and an aligner using this. SOLUTION: A board storage case C1, which holds and stores a board R inside, is equipped with a case body 12 having an attachable and detachable side plate 9, and a holding mechanism 13 for holding the board provided within the case body. That is, the holding mechanism is equipped with a pressing part 14, which presses the board 14 against the case body and holds it with pressure when the user presses the side plates against the case body for attachment, so that it becomes possible to perform retention of the stored board and its release merely by attaching/detaching the side plate to/from the case body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate storage case for storing and holding, for example, a reticle used for an exposure apparatus, and an exposure apparatus using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a reticle (original plate) of an exposure apparatus used for manufacturing a semiconductor, it is necessary to prevent adhesion of particles that cause transfer failure to a semiconductor wafer. recent years,
To reduce capital investment and maintenance costs for clean rooms,
A clean room system has been considered in which a high degree of cleanness is set only in the apparatus or around a limited area of the apparatus and a low level of cleanliness is set in other areas. In this case, it is necessary to consider the use of a case for accommodating a substrate such as a reticle, a mask, and a semiconductor wafer in an area with low cleanliness.

On the other hand, a case of a closed mini-environment system, that is, a case of realizing an ultra-clean environment has been considered. The case of this system is a system in which the bottom is separated as a door, so-called SMIF system (Standard
Mechanical Interface) or the method of separating the side (front) as a door, the so-called FOUP method (Front Opening Unifi
ed Pod: front opening unified pod).

In the former method, as shown in FIG. 20, a reticle support portion 3 of a reticle R is provided on a bottom surface 2 and a latch 4 driven by a mechanism (not shown) enters a groove 5 of the upper cover 1. As shown in FIG. 20B, the upper cover 1 and the bottom surface 2 are fixed. In the latter method, as shown in FIG. 21, a case body 7 has a reticle support portion 8 for a reticle R, and a side door 9 has a built-in latch 10 driven by a mechanism (not shown). Groove 11
As a result, the case body 7 and the side door 9 are fixed as shown in FIG. Note that the symbol P
Is a pellicle.

[0005] By the way, it is conceivable that the case vibrates when the operator handles, carries, or automatically conveys the case.
Vibrating and repeatedly separating and contacting the case components inside the case is undesirable because it causes dust inside the case. For this reason, it is desirable to fix and hold the reticle in the case.

In the former method, a reticle pressing component 6 made of an elastic material is provided inside the upper cover 1, and when the bottom surface 2 and the upper cover 1 are fixed by the latch 4, the reticle R is pressed. Is possible. Further, in the case where the front door is a hinge type, a mechanism in which the front door and the reticle pressing component are connected by a spring and presses the reticle with a spring force by interlocking with the reticle pressing component has been considered.

[0007]

However, in the case of the above-mentioned conventional system, the following problems remain. That is, in the latter method (FOUP method), a surface different from the former (side surface such as a front surface) is separated, so that the same configuration as the former cannot be adopted, and the side is separated as a door. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the spring and the door cannot be connected as in the hinge system. On the other hand, in these sealed cases, there is a concern that degassing volatilized from the resin parts constituting the case may affect the internal storage (reticle, mask, semiconductor wafer, etc.). In particular, when a reticle is stored, the transmittance decreases due to absorption of degassed gas from the pellicle, and when a semiconductor wafer is stored, degassing may adversely affect the internal wafer and resist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and can hold a substrate accommodated in a case even in a structure in which a side surface is separated as a door, and accommodates a substrate by degassing volatilized from a resin component. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate storage case capable of reducing the influence on a substrate and an exposure apparatus using the same.

[0009]

The present invention has the following features to attain the object mentioned above. That is, the substrate storage case according to claim 1 is a substrate storage case (C1, C2) for holding and storing a substrate (R) therein, A case body (12, 24) having possible side plates (9, 22);
A holding mechanism (13, 21) provided in the case main body for holding the substrate, wherein the holding mechanism presses the substrate with the pressing force of the side plate when the side plate is pressed against the case main body. A technology including a pressing portion (14, 23) that presses and holds the main body is adopted.

In this substrate storage case, the holding mechanism (1)
3, 21) attaches the side plates (9, 22) to the case body (12,
24) is pressed against the case body by the pressing force of the side plate when attached by pressing against the case body (14, 2).
Because of the provision of 3), it is possible to easily hold and release the storage board simply by attaching and detaching the side plate to and from the case body.

In the substrate storage case according to the present invention, the substrate storage case (C) for holding and storing the substrate (R) therein.
3) which comprises a case body (31) having a detachable side plate (9), and a holding mechanism (13) provided in the case body and holding the substrate, and at least constituting the case body On one side, a technique is employed in which an opening (31a) covered with a dustproof filter material (32) having air permeability is provided.

In this board storage case, the case body (3
An opening (31) covered with an air-permeable dust-proof filter material (32) is provided on at least one surface constituting 1).
Since a) is provided, even if degassing occurs in the case main body, the degassing is discharged to the outside through the opening through the dustproof filter and is not sealed inside. Also,
The dustproof filter also prevents external particles from entering.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the exposure apparatus provided with a substrate transport system for transporting a substrate therein, the substrate transport system (120) is provided with a substrate storage system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects. A technology including a case holding mechanism (110) capable of holding the cases (C1, C2, C3) is employed.

In this exposure apparatus, a substrate transport system (120)
A case holding mechanism (1) capable of holding the substrate storage case (C1, C2, C3) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
10), the substrate can be transported and stored in units of the FOUP type substrate storage case, and a transport system using the mini-environment method can be realized.

In the substrate storage case according to the eleventh aspect, the substrate (R) provided with the mark (B) is attached to the case body (4).
The substrate storage case (C4,
C5), wherein the case body employs a technology in which transparent windows (42, 52) are provided so that marks of the housed substrate can be read from the outside.

In the substrate storage cases (C4, C5),
Since the transparent windows (42, 52) are provided so that the marks (B) of the stored substrate (R) can be read from the outside, at least the windows are transparent even in a non-transparent or translucent case body. Therefore, a mark such as a barcode can be easily read from the outside through the window.

In the exposure apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, in the first aspect,
A case transport system (130) for transporting the substrate storage case described in 1 or 12, and the window (4) from outside the substrate storage cases (C4, C5) transported by the case transport system.
A technique including a mark detection mechanism (131) for reading the mark (B) on the substrate (R) via the second and second 52) is adopted.

In this exposure apparatus, the substrate storage case (C) is transported by a case transport system.
4, C5) is provided with a mark detection mechanism (131) for reading the mark (B) of the substrate (R) from outside the window (42, 52) through the window (42, 52). The mark can be reliably read by the mark detection mechanism without taking out the substrate.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a substrate storage case according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a reticle storage case (substrate storage case) C1 of the present embodiment. In these figures, the reticle storage case C1 has a reticle (substrate) R for an exposure apparatus therein. A FOUP type resin case that holds and stores a case body 12 having a side door (side plate) 9 as a detachable front door, and a holding mechanism 13 provided in the case body 12 for holding a reticle R.
And

The holding mechanism 13 is provided on a reticle supporting portion 8 erected on the lower surface inside the case body 12 and on which the reticle R is mounted.
And a rod-shaped reticle pressing support member (pressing portion) 14 for pressing and holding the reticle R against the reticle supporting portion 8 with the pressing force of the side door 9 when the side door 9 is pressed against the case body 12 and mounted. And a rod-shaped door contact member (contact portion) 15 which is arranged to be able to contact the inner surface of the side door 9 and is movable in the attaching / detaching direction of the side door 9.

The reticle pressing support member 14 and the door contact member 15 are connected and fixed at their base ends to form a substantially L-shape as a whole.
It is attached to the left and right inside 2 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center shaft 14a. Also, the reticle holding support member 14
The rotation center axis 14a is provided at the base end of the
A torsion spring 14b is mounted around the reticle holding support member 14 in the clockwise direction in FIG.
And the door contact member 15 is urged.

The tip of the reticle holding support member 14 is
A reticle-side rotating body 14c such as a bearing that can bend along the upper surface of the case body 12 and along the side door 9 and extends above the reticle R in the housed state, and is rotatable along the surface of the reticle R in the housed state. Installed. Further, a door-side rotating body 15 a such as a bearing rotatable along the inner surface of the side door 9 is attached to the tip of the door contact member 15 to prevent the door contact member 15 from rubbing against the side door 9. The reticle pressing support member 14 is formed of an elastic body such as a resin having a certain degree of elasticity as a whole.

The reticle-side rotator 14c and the door-side rotator 15a are made of a resin such as polyacetal, which is a resin having excellent frictional properties and a low coefficient of friction. A stopper 16 is erected below the door-side rotating body 15 a on the inner lower surface of the case body 12, and when the side door 9 is removed, the door-side rotating body 15 a comes into contact with the stopper 16 and the reticle side. The rotator 14c is set above the reticle R in the housed state, and is set at a position where the rotator 14c does not contact the inner upper surface of the case body 12.

A lock mechanism (not shown) provided with a latch 10 is built in the side door 9, and a key (not shown) is inserted into a latch release hole 10a formed on the front side, and the key is rotated. The latch 10 is set to be able to advance and retreat from the side door 9. That is, when the side door 9 is pressed against the case main body 12 and united, and the key is rotated to make the latch 10 protrude, the latch 10 is fitted into the groove 11 in the case main body 12 and the side door 9 is put into the case. It can be fixed to the main body 12.

Next, a method of storing the reticle R in the reticle storage case C1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, the reticle R mounted on the transfer arm 122 is inserted from the side opening 12a into the case body 12 from which the side door 9 has been removed. Place on top. In this state, FIG.
As shown in (1), the side door 9 is fitted into the side opening 12a of the case body 12 and pressed down. At this time, the door contact member 15 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1B by the door-side rotating body 15a being pushed by the inner surface of the side door 9.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the reticle pressing support member 14 connected to the door contact member 15 also rotates in the same manner, and the reticle-side rotating body 14c at the tip comes into contact with the upper surface of the reticle R and the reticle. R is pressed against the reticle support 8 and held. And the latch release hole 10
The side door 9 is fixed to the case body 12 by rotating the key inserted into the case a so that the latch 10 protrudes. In this state, the reticle R is in the reticle storage case C.
1 is held and stored in a sealed state.

Conversely, when the stored reticle R is to be taken out, the fixing of the side door 9 by the latch 10 is released and the side door 9 is separated from the case body 12 in the reverse order to the above procedure. Door contact member 1 pushed to
5 rotates clockwise in FIG. 2B together with the reticle pressing support member 14 by the urging force of the torsion spring 14b. At this time, the reticle-side rotating body 14c that has pressed the reticle R separates from the reticle R, and the reticle R is released. In this state, the reticle R can be carried out of the case main body 12.

That is, in the reticle storage case C1 of the present embodiment, when the holding mechanism 13 presses the side door 9 against the case body 12 and mounts the reticle R, the reticle R is pressed against the case body 12 by the pressing force of the side door 9. Since the reticle holding support member 14 and the door contact member 15 are provided, the reticle R can be easily held and released simply by attaching and detaching the side door 9 to and from the case body 12.

Further, since the reticle-side rotating body 14c is provided at the tip of the reticle pressing support member 14, it is difficult to damage the reticle R due to friction, and it is possible to prevent the generation of particles. Further, the reticle-side rotating body 1
Since the outer periphery of 4c is formed of a resin material, damage to the reticle R and generation of particles can be further reduced. In addition, since the reticle pressing support member 14 is entirely formed of an elastic body such as a resin, the force generated by the bending is also the force pressing the reticle R.

Next, the second embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the holding mechanism 13 of the first embodiment holds the reticle R with the door contact member 15 and the reticle holding support member 14 urged by the torsion spring 14b. 4 and 5 in the reticle storage case C2 of the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, as a holding mechanism 21, a door-side pressing spring (biasing member) 2 which is provided on the inner surface of the side door 22 and has a reticle pressing member 23a at its tip and can be urged in the attaching / detaching direction.
3 is provided.

The door-side pressing spring 23 is connected to the side door 2.
In a state where the reticle R is mounted, the reticle R is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the reticle R, and the reticle R is moved to the side door 22.
In the mounting direction. The reticle pressing member 23a is formed of an elastic body made of rubber or resin.

A body-side pressing spring 24a is also attached to the inner surface of the case body 24 facing the side door 22, and the body-side pressing spring 24a holds the reticle R pressed by the door-side pressing spring 23. It is biased and supported in the opposite direction on the inner side. A holding member 24c made of the same material as the reticle holding member 23a is also attached to the tip of the main body-side holding spring 24a.

That is, in the reticle storage case C2 of this embodiment, after the reticle R is mounted on the reticle support portion 8 in the case main body 24, the side door 22 is opened.
b, the reticle pressing member 23a of the door-side pressing spring 23 comes into contact with and presses the peripheral portion of the reticle R, and is held and held between the opposing main body-side pressing spring 24a. Can be.
Therefore, this embodiment can be realized with a simple configuration,
The holding state can be obtained by contacting the peripheral portion without contacting the upper surface of the reticle R.

It is to be noted that the door-side pressing spring 23 may not be provided and only the elastic reticle pressing member 23a may be used. Also, the pressing member 24 made of an elastic body is not provided because the main body side pressing spring 24a is not provided.
Only c may be used. Further, one of the pressing member 24c, the pressing member 24c, the door-side pressing spring 23, and the reticle pressing member 23a is used as an elastic body for the reticle R.
You may hold down.

Next, the third embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is that the reticle storage case C1 of the first embodiment has a completely closed state in which the ventilation with the outside air is blocked when the side door 9 is fixed. On the other hand, in the reticle storage case C3 of the third embodiment, one surface of the case
The point is that an opening 31a covered with a dustproof filter material 32 having air permeability is provided to ensure air permeability inside and outside.

The dustproof filter material 32 is pressed by a frame member 33 while being fitted in a rectangular opening 31a formed on the side surface of the case body 31, and is stopped by a screw 34 from above the frame member 33 for replacement. It is possible. Also,
As the dust filter material 32, a material that allows air to pass but does not allow dust to pass is used, and a membrane type filter material is preferable. For example, an MF Millipore filter (trade name) imported and sold by Nippon Millipore Limited is used. Among these, the MF Millipore filter is formed into a gas-permeable filter using cellulose mixed ester as a material. In addition, since the dust-proof filter material 32 is exchangeably mounted, it is appropriately replaced according to the use condition.

Next, the fourth embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

The difference between the fourth embodiment and the second embodiment is that in the reticle storage case C2 of the second embodiment, the case body 24 is formed of a non-transparent or translucent resin material. As shown in FIG. 8, in the reticle storage case C4 of the fourth embodiment, a bar code (mark) B provided on the reticle R is provided on the bottom surface of the case body 41.
Is provided with a transparent window member (window portion) 42 that makes it possible to read. The window member 42 is provided with a screw 43.
Attached detachably. In addition, between the window member 42 and the case main body 41, a packing 44, which is an elastic body, is disposed to ensure the sealing performance.

The reason why the structure of this embodiment is adopted will be described below. For example, various information (ID, etc.)
May be displayed by a mark such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code, and it may be necessary to read a barcode or the like provided on the reticle pattern surface (lower surface) of the reticle stored in the storage case. in this case,
If the case main body is made of a non-transparent or translucent material, it is difficult to read from the outside, so that the reticle must be taken out of the storage case and read, which takes time and effort for taking out and storing.

When the reticle storage case C2 is made of a transparent resin material, as shown in FIG. 9, the bar code B of the reticle R stored in the reticle storage case C2 can be read from outside by a reader RE. However, even if it is transparent at first, the surface required for reading may become large or small due to contact with other units such as storage cases during use, or it may become cloudy due to solvents during cleaning. In some cases, the transparency may decrease, and reading may not be performed.

Further, in order to prevent a part required for reading from being damaged to some extent, a part required for reading is depressed on the lower surface of the reticle storage case C2 to form a recess 24d as shown in FIG. However, the reticle storage case C2 is not always placed on a flat surface.
It is not a very effective countermeasure because it may be inadvertently bumped into something outside the case, and it is inevitable that it will be rubbed at the time of cleaning and the transparency will gradually decrease with a solvent.

In general, a case for accommodating a reticle or the like is often integrally formed of a resin material for reasons of weight, manufacturability, cost, and the like. If they are integrated, if the transparency of the parts required for reading deteriorates, expensive cases must be discarded, or replacement and adjustment of parts are required, leading to increased costs. Was.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the bar code B of the stored reticle R can be read from the outside, and the bar code B can be replaced at a low cost in order to cope with a decrease in transparency of a portion required for reading. Thus, a transparent window member 42 (made of resin) is provided on the case body 41.
That is, the barcode B of the reticle R in the housed state can be read from the outside of the case body 41 via the window member 42, and even if the transparency of the window member 42 is reduced due to repeated use or the like, the reading becomes impossible. , The screw 43 is removed and the window member 42 is replaced with a new window member 42, eliminating the need to replace the entire expensive case.

Accordingly, the usable period of the expensive case can be extended, and the window member 42 needs to be replaced in a short time, thereby contributing to the cost reduction of facilities for IC production and labor costs. Also, when it is necessary to make the color of the entire case in a different color in order to discriminate the contents stored therein, since only the window member 42, which is a part necessary for reading the bar code B, is transparent, the Can be made more efficient. As another example of the present embodiment, FIG.
As shown in FIG.
May be formed to make it hard to be damaged.

Next, the fifth embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention will be described.
An embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The difference between the fifth embodiment and the fourth embodiment is that in the reticle storage case C4 of the fourth embodiment, the case body 41 and the window member 42 are formed of a resin material. The reticle storage case C5 of the embodiment is different in that a central portion (a portion necessary for reading) of the window member 52 is made of a high-hardness transparent material 52a having excellent durability and transparency such as glass and quartz. That is, in the present embodiment, since the high-hardness transparent material 52a such as glass is used only in the portion of the window member 52 that needs to be read, the increase in weight, manufacturability, cost, and the like is minimized and the durability is improved. And the reliability of reading is remarkably improved, and the operation rate of the IC production apparatus can be increased.

Next, an embodiment of an exposure apparatus using any of the reticle storage cases C1 to C5 of the above embodiments will be described with reference to FIGS.

The exposure apparatus main body 40 transfers the pattern of the reticle R onto the semiconductor wafer W as a mask by a step-and-scan method, as shown in FIG. The exposure apparatus body 40 includes an illumination system 60 including an exposure light source, and a reticle stage RS for holding a reticle R.
T, a projection optical system PL, a wafer stage WST on which a semiconductor wafer W is mounted, and the like.

The illumination system 60 comprises an exposure light source and an illumination optical system (neither is shown). The illumination optical system includes a collimator lens, an illuminance uniforming optical system including an optical integrator such as a fly-eye lens or a rod-type integrator, a relay lens, a variable ND filter, a reticle blind, a relay lens, and the like. Is illuminated by the illumination light IL with uniform illuminance. Here, each of the driving units in the illumination system, that is, the variable ND filter, the reticle blind, and the like are controlled by the illumination control device 62 in accordance with an instruction from the main control device 70.

The reticle stage RST is arranged on a reticle base plate 64, and has a reticle R on its upper surface.
Is fixed, for example, by vacuum suction. Here, the reticle stage RST is positioned in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the illumination optical system (in the XY plane) for positioning the reticle R by a reticle stage driving unit (not shown) composed of a magnetic levitation type two-dimensional linear actuator. , And can be driven at a designated scanning speed in a predetermined scanning direction (here, Y direction).

The position of reticle stage RST is always detected by reticle laser interferometer 66 with a resolution of, for example, about 0.5 to 1 nm. The position information of the reticle stage RST from the interferometer 66 is sent to the stage control device 69 and to the main control device 70 via the stage control device 69. The reticle stage RST is driven via a reticle stage driving unit (not shown) based on the position information.

The projection optical system PL is disposed below the reticle stage RST, and the direction of the optical axis AX is set to the Z-axis direction. Here, a predetermined projection magnification which is telecentric on both sides, for example, 1/5 (or 1 /). The reduction optical system having 4) is used. Therefore, when the illumination area IAR of the reticle R is illuminated by the illumination light IL from the illumination system 60, the illumination light IL passing through the reticle R causes
Through the projection optical system PL, a reduced image of the circuit pattern of the reticle R in the illumination area IAR is formed in the exposure area IA on the semiconductor wafer W whose surface is coated with a resist.

The wafer stage WST is arranged on a wafer base plate 67 arranged below the projection optical system PL, and a wafer holder 6 is mounted on the wafer stage WST.
8 are placed. The semiconductor wafer W is vacuum-sucked on the wafer holder 68 via a vacuum chuck (not shown). The wafer holder 68 is configured to be tiltable in an arbitrary direction with respect to the best image forming plane of the projection optical system PL and to be finely movable in the optical axis AX direction (Z direction) of the projection optical system PL by a driving unit (not shown). ing. The wafer holder 68 is also capable of rotating about the Z axis.

Here, wafer stage WST is driven in the two-dimensional directions of the X-axis and the Y-axis by wafer driving device 72 composed of a magnetic levitation type two-dimensional linear actuator. That is, wafer stage WST moves in the scanning direction (Y
Direction), and also in a non-scanning direction (X direction) perpendicular to the scanning direction so that a plurality of shot areas on the semiconductor wafer W can be positioned in the exposure area IA conjugate to the illumination area IAR. A step-and-scan operation which is configured to be movable and repeats an operation of scanning (scanning) exposure of each shot area on the semiconductor wafer W and an operation of moving to a scan start position for exposure of the next shot. I do.

The position of wafer stage WST is always detected by wafer laser interferometer 74 with a resolution of, for example, about 0.5 to 1 nm. The measured value of the interferometer 74 is
Stage control device 69 and main control device 70 via this
The stage controller 69 drives the wafer stage WST via the wafer driving device 72 based on the position information of the wafer stage WST in response to an instruction from the main controller 70. On wafer stage WST, a reference plate FP on which a reference mark for baseline measurement and other reference marks are formed is arranged.

The operations of the illumination system 60, the reticle stage RST, the wafer stage WST and the like during scanning exposure are managed by the main controller 70 via the illumination controller 62, the stage controller 69 and the like. Further, in the exposure apparatus body 40, an off-axis type alignment microscope ALG for detecting the position of an alignment mark (wafer mark) attached to each shot area on the semiconductor wafer W is provided on the side surface of the projection optical system PL. The measurement result of the alignment microscope ALG is provided to the main controller 7.
0 is supplied.

In the exposure apparatus main body 40, an image forming light beam (detection beam F) for forming a plurality of slit images is formed.
An illumination optical system AF1 that supplies B) obliquely with respect to the optical axis AX direction, and a light receiving optical system AF2 that receives the respective reflected light beams of the image forming light beam on the surface of the semiconductor wafer W through slits. The oblique incidence type multi-point focal position detection system is fixed to a holding member (not shown) that supports the projection optical system PL. The wafer position information from the multipoint focus position detection system is transmitted to the stage controller 6 via the main controller 70.
9 The stage controller 69 drives the wafer holder 68 in the Z direction and the tilt direction based on the wafer position information.

The reticle base plate 64, the wafer base plate 67, the projection optical system P
Main components such as L are held by the same main body frame, and the main body frame is horizontally held via an anti-vibration pad (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 14, the reticle storage cases C1 to C
5 (hereinafter, referred to as a reticle storage case C1 in the present embodiment), a reticle library (case holding mechanism) 110 capable of holding a plurality of reticle libraries,
A reticle transport system (substrate transport system) 12 that selects one reticle R from 10 and transports it onto reticle stage RST.
0. The reticle transport system 120 includes an attachment / detachment mechanism 121 for attaching / detaching the side door 9 of the reticle storage case C1 held by the reticle library 110.

The reticle library 110 holds the reticle storage cases C1 in a stacked manner such that the side doors 9 are aligned in the same direction.
It is held immovable in the up-down direction by the support 110a. However, it can be moved in the horizontal direction for attachment and detachment. The reticle transport system 120 includes a reticle storage case C1.
Arm 122 for placing and taking out or storing the reticle R therein, and a reciprocating vertical movement device 123 for moving the arm 122 horizontally and vertically.
And an attachment / detachment mechanism moving device 124 that moves the attachment / detachment mechanism 121 in the horizontal direction and also moves up and down. The attachment / detachment mechanism 121 has a reticle storage case C1
A pair of rotatable operation units 121a are provided as keys inserted into the latch release holes 10a.

Next, the operation of the reticle transport system 120 will be described. First, when opening the side door 9 of the reticle storage case C1, the attachment / detachment mechanism 121 is attached to the attachment / detachment mechanism moving device 124.
To move horizontally and up and down to the position of the predetermined reticle storage case C1.
The operation unit 121a is inserted into 0a. Further, the operation unit 12
1a to release the latch by rotating the
With the side door 9 grasped by the user, the detachable mechanism moving device 124
As a result, the attachment / detachment mechanism 121 is retracted, and the side door 9 is separated from the case body 12.

After retracting the side door 9 and the attachment / detachment mechanism 121 to a position where they do not hinder the conveyance of the reticle R,
The arm 122 is inserted under the reticle R stored in the case body 12 by the reciprocating device 123,
The reticle R is placed after being raised by a predetermined amount. In this state,
The reticle R is taken out of the case body 12 by retracting the arm 122, and is transferred to and mounted on the reticle stage RST.

Therefore, in the exposure apparatus of this embodiment,
The reticle transport system 120 includes a reticle library 110 capable of holding a reticle storage case C1, and further includes a reticle storage case C held by the reticle library 110.
Since the detachable mechanism 121 for attaching and detaching the first side plate door 9 is provided, the reticle R can be transported and stored in units of the FOUP type reticle storage case, and a transport system using the mini-environment method can be realized.

As shown in FIG. 15, the exposure apparatus of the present embodiment uses the reticle storage cases C1 to C5 from the reticle library 110 or a case loading position from the outside.
And a case transport system 130 for transporting the. The case transport system 130 includes, for example, reticle storage cases C4 and C4.
When the ID of the reticle R in the stored state is read using the reticle storage case 5, as shown in FIG.
5 is transported from the reticle library 110 or an external case loading position to the ID reading position. At this time, the reticle storage cases C4 and C5
The reticle storage cases C4 and C5 may be held by other support components (see FIG. 3). Then, at the ID reading position, the bar code B provided on the internal reticle R is detected by the bar code detecting mechanism (mark detecting mechanism) 131, and the ID is read.

The bar code detection mechanism 131 is disposed below the reticle storage cases C4 and C5,
An ID reader 132 for reading the barcode B of the reticle R in the housed state via the 52, and a decoder 133 for analyzing the ID from the barcode B read by the ID reader 132
And When reading the bar code B from above the reticle storage cases C4 and C5, the ID reader 132 is arranged above the reticle storage cases C4 and C5.

As the ID reader 132, for example,
As shown in FIG. 16, a laser scan type ID reader 132A that scans laser light to detect reflected light is employed. In this case, if a white diffuse reflection surface is formed on the opposite side of the ID reader 132A, the detection becomes easier. For example, the upper part 41e of the inner surface of the case body 41 may be white, or the white diffuse reflection plate 134 may be arranged above the reticle storage cases C4 and C5.

Further, as shown in FIG.
LED type ID reader 1 that is separated into the side and the light receiving section 136 side
32B may be adopted. That is, light is emitted from the light emitting unit 135 disposed above the reticle storage cases C4 and C5 to the internal reticle R, and the transmitted light is distributed below the reticle storage cases C4 and C5 and directly below the window members 42 and 52. The bar code B may be read by receiving light with the light receiving unit 136 that has been used.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18, a CCD camera 132C may be employed. In this case, the brightness that can be read by the CCD is required around the bar code B, and when the brightness in the apparatus is insufficient for reading the CCD, the reticle R inside the reticle storage cases C4 and C5 is May be used. Then, if a white background is required on the opposite side of the CCD camera 132C, as shown in FIG.
May be white, or a white diffuse reflector 134 may be arranged above the reticle storage cases C4 and C5. At that time, if further brightness is required, a light-emitting body 137 for illuminating the surroundings may be provided on the CCD camera 132C side.

The present invention includes the following embodiments. (1) In each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the case for accommodating the reticle R and the exposure apparatus using the same. However, the substrate accommodating case (wafer case) for accommodating another substrate, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a mask or the like. Etc.) and an exposure apparatus using the same. In the fourth and fifth embodiments, the present invention is applied to the FOUP type substrate storage cases C4 and C5.
The present invention may be applied to the F type or the hinge type.

(2) As another example of the second embodiment, the body-side pressing spring 24a may be omitted, but in this case, the peripheral edge of the reticle R directly contacts the inner surface facing the side door 9. Therefore, the reticle R may be rubbed by the vertical movement of the reticle R to generate particles. Therefore, it is preferable to provide a body-side pressing spring. (3) In the third embodiment, the opening 31a is
Although formed on one side, it may be formed on another side.
It may be provided on the above surface. In this case, it goes without saying that the air permeability is improved.

(4) The exposure apparatus of the above embodiment can be applied to a proximity exposure apparatus that exposes a mask pattern by bringing a mask and a substrate into close contact instead of a reticle without using a projection optical system. . (5) The application of the exposure apparatus is not limited to an exposure apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor, and for example, manufactures an exposure apparatus for a liquid crystal for exposing a liquid crystal display element pattern on a square glass plate and a thin film magnetic head. Can be widely applied to an exposure apparatus for the purpose.

(6) The light source of the exposure apparatus of this embodiment is g
Line (436 nm), i-line (365 nm), KrF excimer laser (248 nm), ArF excimer laser (19
3 nm) and F2 laser (157 nm), as well as charged particle beams such as X-rays and electron beams. For example, when an electron beam is used, thermionic emission type lanthanum hexaborite (LaB6) or tantalum (Ta) is used as an electron gun.
Can be used. (7) The magnification of the projection optical system may be not only a reduction system but also any one of an equal magnification and an enlargement system.

(8) When far ultraviolet rays such as an excimer laser are used as the projection optical system, a material that transmits the far ultraviolet rays such as quartz or fluorite is used as the glass material.
When a line is used, a catadioptric or refraction type optical system is used (use a reticle of a reflection type). When an electron beam is used, an electron optical system including an electron lens and a deflector is used as the optical system. You can use it. It goes without saying that the optical path through which the electron beam passes is in a vacuum state.

(9) When a linear motor (see US Pat. No. 5,623,853 or US Pat. No. 5,528,118) is used for a wafer stage or a reticle stage, an air levitation type using an air bearing and a magnetic levitation type using Lorentz force or reactance force are used. Either may be used. Also, the stage
A type that moves along a guide or a guideless type that does not have a guide may be used.

(10) The reaction force generated by the movement of the wafer stage may be mechanically released to the floor (ground) using a frame member (as described in US Pat. No. 5,528,118). (11) The reaction force generated by the movement of the reticle stage may be mechanically released to the floor (ground) using a frame member (as described in US S / N 416558).

(12) The illumination optical system and the projection optical system composed of a plurality of lenses are incorporated into the main body of the exposure apparatus for optical adjustment, and a reticle stage or a wafer stage composed of many mechanical parts is mounted on the main body of the exposure apparatus. The exposure apparatus of the present embodiment can be manufactured by connecting wirings and pipes and performing overall adjustment (electrical adjustment, operation confirmation, and the like). It is desirable that the manufacture of the exposure apparatus be performed in a clean room in which the temperature, cleanliness, and the like are controlled.

(13) For a semiconductor device, a step of designing the function and performance of the device, a step of manufacturing a reticle based on this design step, a step of manufacturing a wafer from a silicon material, and a reticle by the exposure apparatus of the above-described embodiment. The device is manufactured through a step of exposing the pattern to a wafer, a device assembling step (including a dicing step, a bonding step, and a package step), an inspection step, and the like.

[0082]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. (1) According to the substrate storage case of the first aspect, the holding mechanism includes a pressing portion that presses and holds the substrate against the case main body with the pressing force of the side plate when the side plate is mounted on the case main body by pressing. Therefore, even in the FOUP system, the holding and release of the storage board can be easily performed only by attaching and detaching the side plate to and from the case body.

(2) According to the substrate storage case of the second aspect, the holding mechanism is provided with a contact portion which is disposed so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the mounted side plate and is movable in the attaching / detaching direction of the side plate. The part is connected to the contact part so that it can move in the thickness direction of the board in conjunction with the movement of the contact part and presses the top surface of the board with the side plate attached. It can be held down from the upper surface, and can be securely held in a state of being placed in the case.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the portion of the pressing portion that contacts the substrate is formed of a resin material, it is difficult to damage the substrate when holding the substrate. Can be.

(4) According to the substrate storage case of the fourth aspect, the portion of the pressing portion that contacts the substrate is formed by a rotating body that is rotatable along the surface of the substrate. By rotating the rotating body, the substrate surface is not rubbed, so that damage can be further reduced and generation of particles can be suppressed.

(5) According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, since the entire pressing portion is formed of an elastic body, when the substrate is held, the entire pressing portion bends and the substrate has this elasticity. Can be held down.

(6) According to the substrate storage case of the sixth aspect, the holding mechanism is provided with an urging member provided on the inner surface of the side plate and having a pressing portion at the tip and capable of urging in the attaching / detaching direction. The urging member makes the pressing portion abut the peripheral portion of the substrate in a state where the side plate is attached, and urges the substrate in the attaching direction of the side plate, so that the direction in which the substrate is pressed and the direction in which the side plate is attached are the same, This can be realized with a simpler configuration, and the substrate can be held without touching the substrate surface.

(7) According to the substrate storage case of the seventh aspect, at least one surface constituting the case main body is provided with an opening covered with a permeable dustproof filter material, so that the case is clean. In addition, it is possible to prevent particles in the surrounding environment from entering the inside of the case and prevent degassing generated inside the case body from the opening through the dustproof filter. The effect can be reduced.

(8) According to the substrate storage case according to the eighth aspect, since the dustproof filter material is replaceably mounted, if it is appropriately replaced according to the state of the filter material,
Good air permeability and dust resistance can always be obtained.

(9) According to the exposure apparatus of the ninth aspect,
Since the substrate transport system is provided with a case holding mechanism capable of holding the substrate storage case according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the substrate can be transported and stored in units of the substrate storage case, and a mini environment method is used. A transport system can be realized.

(10) According to the exposure apparatus of the tenth aspect, since the substrate transport system is provided with the attaching / detaching mechanism for attaching / detaching the side plate of the substrate storage case held by the case holding mechanism,
FOUP type substrate storage case is easy to handle,
It becomes possible to automate the transfer and storage of the substrate.

(11) According to the substrate storage case of the eleventh aspect, since the transparent window portion is provided so that the mark of the stored substrate can be read from the outside, the non-transparent or translucent case is provided. Since at least the window portion of the main body is transparent, a mark such as a barcode can be easily read from the outside through the window portion.

(12) According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since the window is detachable, even if the transparency is reduced due to use and reading becomes impossible, only the window can be easily replaced. As a result, it is possible to extend the usable period of expensive cases and to contribute to cost reduction of equipment and labor costs.

(13) According to the exposure apparatus of the thirteenth aspect, mark detection for reading the mark of the substrate through the window from outside of the substrate storage case according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, wherein the mark is transported by the case transport system. Since the mechanism is provided, the mark can be reliably read without removing the substrate by the mark detection mechanism when transporting the substrate storage case.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a first embodiment of a substrate storage case according to the present invention, and a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a cross-sectional view and a side view showing a state after mounting a side door in the first embodiment of the board storage case according to the present invention.

3A and 3B are a cross-sectional view and a side view showing a state before mounting a side door in the first embodiment of the board storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before mounting a side door in a second embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after mounting a side door in the second embodiment of the board storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing an ID reading unit when the second embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention is used.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the ID reading means when the second embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention is used.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the fourth embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a main part showing a fourth embodiment of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an exposure apparatus using a substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a main part showing a reticle library and a reticle transport system in an embodiment of an exposure apparatus using a substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing an ID reading unit in the fourth and fifth embodiments of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view showing a laser scanning type ID reading means in the fourth and fifth embodiments of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing an LED type ID reading means in the fourth and fifth embodiments of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view showing a CCD type ID reading means in the fourth and fifth embodiments of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing another example of the CCD type ID reading means in the fourth and fifth embodiments of the substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing a state before and after holding a reticle in a conventional example of a substrate storage case according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing a state before and after holding a reticle in a conventional example of a substrate storage case according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9, 22 Side door (side plate) 12, 24, 31, 41 Case body 13, 21 Holding mechanism 14 Reticle holding support member (pressing portion) 14c Reticle side rotating body (rotating body) 15 Door contact member (contact portion) 23 Door-side pressing spring (pressing portion, biasing member) 32 Dustproof filter material 31a Opening 42, 52 Window member (window) 110 Reticle library (case holding mechanism) 120 Reticle transport system (substrate transport system) 121 Removable mechanism 131 Bar Code detection mechanism (mark detection mechanism) C1, C2, C3, C4, C5 Reticle storage case B Barcode (mark) R Reticle (substrate)

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A substrate storage case for holding and storing a substrate therein, comprising: a case main body having a detachable side plate; and a holding mechanism provided in the case main body for holding the substrate. The holding mechanism includes a pressing portion that presses and holds the substrate against the case body with a pressing force of the side plate when the side plate is pressed against the case main body and attached. 2. The holding mechanism includes a contact portion disposed so as to be in contact with an inner surface of the side plate in a mounted state and movable in a mounting / removing direction of the side plate, wherein the pressing portion is configured to move the contact portion. 2. The substrate storage case according to claim 1, wherein the substrate storage case is connected to the contact portion so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the substrate in conjunction therewith, and presses the upper surface of the substrate with the side plate attached. 3. The pressing portion, wherein a portion of the pressing portion that contacts the substrate is formed of a resin material.
The board storage case described. 4. The substrate storage case according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the pressing portion that contacts the substrate is formed of a rotating body that is rotatable along a surface of the substrate. 5. The substrate storage case according to claim 2, wherein the pressing portion is entirely formed of an elastic body. 6. The holding mechanism includes an urging member provided on an inner surface of the side plate, the urging member having the pressing portion at a tip thereof and capable of urging in a detaching direction, and the urging member has the side plate attached thereto. 2. The substrate storage case according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is brought into contact with a peripheral portion of the substrate in the state, and the substrate is urged in a mounting direction of the side plate. 7. A substrate storage case for holding and storing a substrate therein, comprising: a case main body having a detachable side plate; and a holding mechanism provided in the case main body for holding the substrate. A substrate storage case, wherein at least one surface of a case main body is provided with an opening covered with a dustproof filter material having air permeability. 8. The substrate storage case according to claim 7, wherein the dustproof filter member is exchangeably mounted. 9. An exposure apparatus including a substrate transport system for transporting a substrate therein, wherein the substrate transport system includes a case holding mechanism capable of holding the substrate storage case according to claim 1. An exposure apparatus, comprising: 10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the substrate transport system includes an attaching / detaching mechanism for attaching / detaching a side plate of the substrate storage case held by the case holding mechanism. 11. A substrate storage case for holding and storing a substrate provided with a mark inside a case main body, wherein the case main body has a transparent mark for reading the stored substrate mark from outside. A substrate storage case provided with a transparent window. 12. The substrate storage case according to claim 11, wherein the window is detachable. 13. A case transport system for transporting the substrate storage case according to claim 11 or 12, wherein a mark on the substrate is transferred from outside of the substrate storage case transported by the case transport system via the window. An exposure apparatus comprising: a mark detection mechanism for reading.