JP2005173356A - Pellicle housing case - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pellicle housing container capable of suppressing dust which seriously influences the quality of a pellicle, even when the container generates noise due to contact between the lid of the pellicle case and a pellicle. <P>SOLUTION: The pellicle housing container composed of a lid and a bottom body is characterized in that: the lid is composed of a top plate, a tapered part A, a pressing part, a tapered part B and a fitting part; the pressing part is disposed in the middle of the tapered part A and the tapered part B; the angle made by respective planes including the pressing part and the top plate of the lid is less than 15°; and a gap is present between the pressing part and the pellicle frame when the pellicle is housed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a pellicle storage container for storing a pellicle used for the purpose of preventing dust from adhering to a mask or reticle (hereinafter simply referred to as a mask or the like) used in a photolithography process in an integrated circuit manufacturing process. .

  In general, when a circuit pattern drawn on a mask is transferred onto a wafer by light in a manufacturing process of an integrated circuit or the like, it is necessary to prevent foreign matter on the mask. As much as possible, efforts are made to prevent foreign matter and dust from the product itself.

  A dedicated storage container is used to transport the pellicle. The dedicated storage container includes a pellicle, a container body, and a lid. When the lid is covered, if the lid presses against the pellicle, the delicate unevenness of the container body base is transferred to the mask fixing adhesive material of the pellicle frame, which may reduce the degree of adhesion of the pellicle to the mask. Therefore, normally, a clearance is provided between the lid and the pellicle so that the lid does not contact the pellicle. For this reason, the pellicle frame edge portion of the pellicle and the presser portion of the lid collide with each other during transportation. Therefore, when the case in which the pellicle is stored is shaken, a rattling sound is generated. At this time, the pellicle film and the film adhesive are damaged and cause dust generation.

With regard to this problem, many technologies are aimed at preventing rattling. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-133382 discloses that a pellicle frame having inclined surfaces with different angles in the vertical direction facing the top plate inner surface of the front / rear lid body is used in order to be “stored and used safely without rattling”. The pellicle storage container “having a contact surface” can be safely stored without backlash. (Patent Document 1)
Conventionally, the pellicle body is stored by pressing the pellicle body with the pressing portion 23 so that the pellicle does not move in the storage container so that it does not rattle. In general, the angle formed by the respective planes including “the angle per frame” is 15 degrees or more. The larger this angle, the smaller the gap 4 between the pellicle frame and the pressing portion, It was considered reasonable to reduce dust generation.
JP-A-8-133382

  The present invention provides a pellicle storage container that can suppress dust generation that has an important effect on the quality of the pellicle even if it makes a rattling sound when the pellicle, the lid, and the pellicle come into contact with each other.

  The present inventors have an angle formed by each plane including the pressing portion of the lid and the top plate is equal to or less than a certain angle, and further, an angle of a plane including the taper portion B and the top plate is equal to or greater than a certain angle. In addition, it has been found that dust generation is greatly reduced even when a storage container that produces rattling sound is used, and the present invention has been achieved.

  That is, according to the present invention, in the pellicle storage container including the lid and the bottom, the lid includes the top plate portion, the taper portion A, the pressing portion, the taper portion B, and the fitting portion, and the pressing portion includes the taper portion A and the taper portion. An angle formed between each plane including the pressing portion of the lid and the top plate is less than 15 degrees, and a gap portion is formed between the pressing portion and the pellicle frame when the pellicle is stored. The pellicle storage container is provided.

  By making the angle formed by each plane including the holding part of the lid and the top plate less than 15 degrees, even if the storage container storing the pellicle makes a rattling sound, the generation of dust can be greatly suppressed. did it.

(Pellicle storage)
The pellicle of the present invention is a conventionally known pellicle, for example, a pellicle film 13 is stretched over one end of a pellicle frame 11 made of aluminum or the like via an adhesive, and an adhesive is applied to the other end. It is used by fixing it to the mask. Since the pellicle is required to be clean for its intended purpose, it is stored in a container.

(Pellicle storage container peripheral structure)
FIG. 2 shows the cross-sectional shape of the pellicle stored in the pellicle storage case of the present invention. The pellicle storage container of the present invention includes a case lid main body 2 and a case bottom main body 3, and the case lid main body is installed on the case bottom main body by removing the case lid main body from the case bottom main body, and then covering the case lid main body. It is stored by. The pellicle body to be housed includes a pellicle frame 11 and a pellicle film 13 stretched on the pellicle frame. The pellicle frame and the pellicle film are bonded to each other by a film adhesive 12.

  FIG. 2 shows the cross-sectional shape of the end portion of the case lid body 2 of the present invention. The case lid body includes a lid top plate portion 21, a taper portion A22, a pressing portion 23, a taper portion B24, a lid bottom surface 26, and a fitting portion 25. The fitting part 25 is intended to prevent the entry of dust and the like from the outside by being in close contact with the case bottom, and the lid top plate is exactly the main part of the case lid main body.

  The case lid body 2 and the pellicle are in contact with any one of the pellicle frame 11, the film adhesive 12, and the pellicle film 13 by a pressing portion 23. In the present invention, the gap 4 is provided inside the storage container. If there is such a gap, it is considered that any of the pellicle frame, film adhesive, or pellicle film collides with the holding part 23 due to vibration or the like. Therefore, when transportation is considered, dust is generated due to vibration or collision. It is thought that there will be more opportunities and disadvantages. However, in the present invention, the angle of each plane including the pressing portion and the lid top plate is usually less than 15 degrees, preferably 10 degrees or less, and more preferably 5 degrees or less. When the case having this angle is used, it is possible to suppress dust generation when the pellicle is housed despite the presence of the gap 4.

(Example)
Hereinafter, description will be made based on specific examples.

  A pellicle storage case in which the angle of each plane including the pressing portion 23 and the lid top plate 21 is 5 degrees was manufactured. The pellicle was placed on the case bottom body, and the case lid body was put on the pellicle to form a pellicle storage case containing the pellicle.

  Next, attach the pellicle storage case to the vibrator (SR2S Taitec Co., Ltd.), vibrate it for 20 minutes at 250 times / minute in the horizontal direction, and damage each side 1, 2, 3, 4 near the holding part. The state of was evaluated between 0-10. The specific locations of sides 1 to 4 are shown in FIG. Next, the sample was vibrated in the height direction at 250 times / minute, evaluated in the same manner, and the results are shown in Table 1 (continued). The degree of appearance damage was displayed on a scale of 0 to 10. 0 indicates that there is no appearance damage.

(Comparative example)
In the embodiment, a similar pellicle storage case is prepared except that the angle of each plane including the holding portion 23 and the lid top plate 21 is 15 degrees, and it is vibrated in the height direction and the horizontal direction, so that the appearance damage degree is increased. Examined. The results are shown in Table 1 and Table 1 (continued).

The sides 1 to 4 named in the embodiment are clarified. It is a general view of a pellicle storage case. It is an enlarged view of the invented pellicle storage case.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pellicle main body 2 Case lid main body 3 Case bottom main body 4 Gap part 11 Pellicle frame 12 Film adhesive 13 Pellicle film 14 Pellicle frame edge 21 Lid top plate 22 Taper part A
23 Presser 24 Taper B
25 Intersection

Claims (1)

In a pellicle storage container comprising a lid and a bottom body, the lid comprises a top plate portion, a taper portion A, a pressing portion, a taper portion B, and a fitting portion, and the pressing portion is an intermediate between the taper portion A and the taper portion B. The angle formed by each plane including the lid holding portion and the top plate is less than 15 degrees, and there is a gap between the holding portion and the pellicle frame when the pellicle is stored. Characteristic pellicle storage container.

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