JP2017021229A - Pellicle storage container and pellicle take-out method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a pellicle storage container which can be easily produced by mass production, which has a simplified structure, and which allows fixing and release of a pin even in a state in which a lid body is fitted to a container body.SOLUTION: A pellicle storage container comprises: a container body which houses a pellicle; and a lid body which is fitted and engaged thereto. The container body comprises: a pin which is movable in a horizontal direction and whose tip end part is inserted into a recess part provided on a pellicle frame side face; and pin support means which fixes the pin. The lid body comprises an opening part which penetrates inside of the container body. The pin comprises a pin operation part which is extended from a pin body to a direction of the opening part of the lid body. An upper end part of the pin operation part is adhered and fixed to an adhesive sheet which is stuck to seal the opening part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a pellicle storage container that stores, stores, and transports a pellicle for lithography used as a dust-removal device when manufacturing a semiconductor device, a printed circuit board, a liquid crystal display, or the like, and a method for taking out the pellicle from the pellicle storage container. is there.

  In the manufacture of semiconductors such as LSI and VLSI or the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, a pattern is produced by irradiating a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal original plate with light. A photomask or reticle used at this time (hereinafter referred to as a photomask for short) If the dust adheres to (Description), the dust will absorb light or bend the light, so that the transferred pattern will be deformed and the edges will become sticky. There is a problem that the dimensions, quality, appearance, etc. are impaired, such as black stains.

  For this reason, these operations are usually performed in a clean room. However, since it is still difficult to keep the photomask clean, exposure is performed after a pellicle is attached to the surface of the photomask to prevent dust. In this case, since the foreign matter does not adhere directly to the surface of the photomask but adheres to the pellicle, the foreign matter on the pellicle becomes irrelevant to the transfer if the focus is set on the pattern of the photomask during lithography.

  Such a pellicle generally has a transparent pellicle film made of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, or a fluororesin that transmits light well, and is attached or bonded to the upper end surface of a pellicle frame made of aluminum, stainless steel, a resin composite material, or the like. Configured. In addition, an adhesive layer made of polybuden resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin and the like for mounting on a photomask, and a release layer (separator) for the purpose of protecting the adhesive layer are provided at the lower end of the pellicle frame. Is provided.

  However, such a pellicle has an effect of preventing foreign matter from entering the inside of the closed space formed by the pellicle after being attached to the mask. In this case, it is difficult to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the photomask. Therefore, not only is the pellicle itself required to have high cleanliness, but also the pellicle storage container used for storage and transportation is strongly required to have the ability to maintain the cleanliness. Specifically, it has excellent antistatic performance, is a material that generates little dust even when rubbed, has a structure that prevents contact between the pellicle and components as much as possible, and has high rigidity that prevents deformation when external force is applied. It is required to have a simple structure.

  Such a pellicle storage container is usually manufactured by injection molding or vacuum forming a resin such as ABS, PMMA, PC or the like. The reason why these molding methods are used is that the surface is smooth and there is little risk of foreign matter adhesion and dust generation, there is no risk of dust generation and foreign matter intrusion due to integral molding, and complicated shapes This is because there are merits that it can be easily manufactured, and it is excellent in mass productivity and can be reduced in cost.

  For example, storage containers for semiconductor and printed circuit board pellicles have an outer side length of approximately 200 to 300 mm, and are usually manufactured using injection molding. These pellicle storage containers with a side length of 200 to 300 mm are required to have high rigidity so that they are not easily deformed even when an external force is applied in order to maintain the cleanliness of the pellicle storage container. In addition, in injection molding, it is easy to change the thickness locally, and thick reinforcement can be added to important points, so there is little problem in terms of rigidity.

  On the other hand, a large pellicle storage container having a side length exceeding 500 mm mainly used for a liquid crystal pellicle is generally manufactured by vacuum molding a synthetic resin sheet such as ABS or PMMA. This is because, in the injection molding in which the resin is injected at a high speed from one or several gates into the mold, the resin flow distance is too long, so that it is difficult to manufacture. Of course, in the case of vacuum molding, it is possible to easily mold large-sized products simply by placing a heated resin sheet on the mold and evacuating, but it is impossible to mold thick-walled products, and some reinforcement with ribs Although it can be done, it is basically difficult to make a high-rigidity sheet because the sheet with the same thickness is simply folded.

  Incidentally, in the case of the pellicle storage container, in addition to the above-described rigidity problem, there is also a problem of how to store the pellicle in the pellicle storage container. For example, in Patent Document 1, a pellicle is mounted on a mounting table while being supported by a support, and the pellicle cannot be moved vertically and horizontally by pressing the upper end surface of the pellicle frame at the contact portion of the inner surface of the lid. A storage method for holding and fixing is described. According to this method, each part of the pellicle and the container is rubbed, and there is an advantage that there is little possibility of generating dust and the like, and the number of parts is small, and this is a method generally used for small semiconductor pellicles. is there.

  However, when this storage method is used, both the lid and the pellicle storage container main body need to be formed with high precision, so that it can be used in a large liquid crystal pellicle storage container with a side length exceeding 500 mm. There is no. This is because when such a large pellicle storage container is manufactured by vacuum forming, it is difficult to obtain an accurate molded product, and it is difficult to ensure the rigidity of the storage container itself, and the storage container is deformed during handling and transportation. In such a case, the container and the pellicle frame are rubbed to generate dust and cause a deterioration in quality.

  Therefore, as a method for storing a large pellicle whose side length exceeds 500 mm, Patent Document 2 discloses that a part of the liner that protects the mask adhesive layer protrudes outward and is fixed to the container body with an adhesive tape. How to do is described. In the case of this storage method, there is a problem that the operation is unavoidably performed manually, and it is difficult to fix it on the tray in a clean state. There is also a concern that when the tape is peeled off and taken out, foreign matter will be attached because the hand approaches the vicinity of the pellicle frame.

  Patent Document 3 describes a storage method in which a pin is inserted into a recess provided on the outer surface of the pellicle frame and fixed to the container body. In the case of this storage method, since the human hand does not approach the pellicle so much at the time of attachment / detachment, there is little adhesion of foreign matter from the operator, but there is a problem that it is necessary to keep the pin insertion position during transportation. In order to solve this, Patent Document 4 describes a method of fixing a pin at an insertion position. However, according to this method, the pin can be reliably fixed with a simple structure during transportation. Is possible.

  Further, in Patent Document 5, in order to further reduce the adhesion of foreign matter when removing the pin, the pellicle is removed from the container body by operating the pin for fixing the pellicle from the outside of the container while the container lid is closed. A pellicle storage container that can be released from is described. In the case of this pellicle storage container, the pin can be released from the outside of the storage container while the lid is still on the pin, which can cause foreign matter to adhere to the pellicle. It is possible to prevent foreign matter from the person from adhering to the pellicle.

  In addition, in this pellicle storage container, the lid is opened after the pellicle is free on the container body, and then the pellicle is taken out with a handling jig or the like, so that the time for the operator to approach the pellicle is shortened. Therefore, the possibility of foreign matter adhering to the operator can be greatly reduced. Also, if the pin is released first, it is relatively easy to implement an operation from opening the lid to taking out the pellicle, and it is particularly suitable for taking out the pellicle with an automatic machine. is there.

No. 6-45965 JP 2004-361647 A Japanese Patent No. 4391435 Japanese Patent No. 5586559 Japanese Patent No. 5586560

  However, the pellicle storage container described in Patent Document 5 has a problem that the structure of the pellicle fixing part 18 is particularly complicated. For example, the pellicle fixing portion 18 is provided with a columnar portion 44 formed with a locking portion that engages with the rear end of the pin 28 as an anti-rotation member that prevents the pin 28 from rotating. However, there is a problem in manufacturing and operation that it is difficult to ensure the mounting accuracy of the rotation preventing member. Further, since the pin 28, the pin mounting portion 32, and the like and the rotation preventing member are attached via the opening 14a provided on the side surface of the lid body having a large manufacturing error, the positional accuracy of the tip portion of the pin 28 is improved. There is also a problem that it is difficult to manage. Therefore, when the pellicle storage container is mass-produced, it is necessary to individually adjust the position of the pin 28, the rotation prevention member, etc. for each pellicle storage container, so that there is a problem that it is practically difficult to use the mass-produced product. is there.

  In view of the above problems of the pellicle storage container, the present invention relates to an improvement of the pellicle storage container, and its purpose is a simple structure suitable for facilitating manufacture and mass production of the pellicle storage container. It is to provide a pellicle storage container in which a pin can be fitted / released even when the lid is still fitted to the container body, and when a pellicle is taken out from the pellicle storage container It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for taking out a pellicle capable of reducing the above.

  The inventors of the present invention have made extensive studies in order to achieve the above object. As a result, the pin of the conventional pellicle fixing part has been improved to provide a pin operation part that can be fitted and released. By devising the bonding means of the part, the complicated structure of the conventional pellicle fixing part can be simplified.

  That is, the present invention is a pellicle storage container composed of a container main body for storing a pellicle and a lid body that covers the container main body and is fitted and locked at the peripheral edge thereof. A pin that is movable and inserted into a recess provided on the side surface of the pellicle frame and a pin support means for fixing the pin are placed, and an opening that penetrates the inside of the container body is provided in the lid. In addition, the pin is provided with a pin operation part extending from the pin main body to the opening of the lid, and the pin operation part is bonded to the adhesive sheet attached to seal the opening at the upper end. It is characterized by being fixed.

  Further, the pin of the present invention is preferably fitted and fixed to the pin support means by a turning operation centered on the pin shaft portion, and the protrusion provided on the pin has a notch provided on the pin support means. More preferably, it is fixed by fitting to the part.

  Furthermore, the method for taking out the pellicle of the present invention is such that after the adhesive sheet attached to the opening of the lid of the pellicle storage container is peeled off and the opening is opened, the lid is fitted onto the container body. Operate the pin operation part from the outside of the lid while it is stopped, pull out the tip of the pin inserted in the recess, release the pellicle fixed on the container body, and then remove the lid Then, the pellicle is taken out.

  According to the present invention, the pin of the pellicle fixing part can be securely fixed while having a simple structure suitable for mass production, and there is a risk of damage to the pellicle housed inside and adhesion of foreign matter to the pellicle. Therefore, a highly reliable pellicle storage container can be provided. Also, when taking out the pellicle, the cover is fitted to the container body by peeling off the adhesive sheet of the lid, opening the opening, and pulling out the tip of the pin inserted into the recess of the pellicle frame. Since the pellicle can be easily released from the container main body in the state as it is, an effect of reducing the adhesion of foreign substances from the worker accompanying the take-out operation can be expected.

It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view (through the lid body) showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is AA sectional drawing of FIG. 3 which shows one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part B (pellicle fixing part) in FIG. 4 showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the pin support means which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the pin which has a projection part which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view after combining the pin which has a projection part and pin support means which show other embodiments of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the pellicle fixing | fixed part which combined the pin which has the projection part which shows other embodiment of this invention, and the notch part of the pin support means. It is a perspective view of the pellicle fixing | fixed part of a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is particularly effective when applied to a pellicle storage container that stores a large pellicle mainly used for display manufacturing, such as a side length exceeding 500 mm, but for manufacturing a semiconductor having a side length of about 150 mm. Alternatively, it can be applied to a pellicle for manufacturing a printed circuit board having a side length of about 300 mm, and is not limited by its use or size.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pellicle storage container 10 includes a container main body 11 on which the pellicle 20 is placed, and a lid body 12 that covers the pellicle storage container 10 and fits at a peripheral edge. The lid 12 is preferably fastened to the container body 11 with a clip (not shown) or a buckle (not shown), or sealed with an adhesive tape (not shown).

  The container body 11 and the lid body 12 are made of resin such as ABS, PC, PMMA, or PVC by injection molding or vacuum molding. It is preferable that the cover body 12 be black and transparent so that the inside can be easily confirmed. Further, from the viewpoint of preventing the adhesion of foreign substances, it is preferable to impart an antistatic function by kneading a conductive material into the resin material or coating the surface.

  In a particularly large storage container in which the side length of the pellicle exceeds 1000 mm, a reinforcing body made of metal, fiber reinforced plastic, or the like can be attached to the outside of the container body 11 in order to ensure rigidity. The main body of the container 10 may be made of a lightweight metal such as an aluminum alloy.

  On the container body 11, as shown in FIG. 3, four pin support means 14 are attached by bolts (not shown). Further, the pin shaft portion 13a of the pin 13 is inserted therein, and these are formed with a gap that has little backlash and can be smoothly inserted and removed.

  The pin 13 can be manufactured by integral molding of resin such as epoxy resin, ABS, PPS, PE, and PEEK by injection molding or transfer molding. It is also preferable to improve the strength by mixing a filler such as glass fiber as necessary. Further, the pin shaft portion 13a of the pin 13 may be made of metal such as stainless steel in order to ensure rigidity, and may be constituted by press-fitting or bonding to a pin body 13b made of resin.

  About the pin support means 14, like the pin 13, it is preferable to manufacture an epoxy resin, ABS, PPS, PE, PEEK, etc. resin by injection molding, transfer molding, etc. by integral molding. The number of pins 13 for fixing the pellicle frame 21 is four in these embodiments, but other numbers, for example, six or eight for a pellicle frame with a particularly long side length, may be used. In these embodiments, they are provided on the long side, but they may be on the short side or on both the long side and the short side.

  It is preferable that a step 13c is provided at the tip of the pin 13, and an elastic body 15 is fitted into the step 13c so that the pin member does not directly contact the recess 22 of the pellicle frame 21. This is because dust generation can be prevented. As for the shape, in addition to the method of fitting a ring-shaped member as illustrated in FIG. 5 into the narrow diameter portion at the tip of the pin, the stepped portion itself may be formed of an elastic body (not shown). As the material of the elastic body 15, nitrile rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, silicone rubber, fluorine rubber, or the like can be used.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the pellicle fixing part of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the pellicle 20 is supported by a pin 13 inserted in a recess 22 provided in the vicinity of a corner of the pellicle frame 21, and the pin 13 is supported by a pin support means 14 on the container body 11. . Here, the pin 13 is provided with a pin operation portion 13d extending from the pin main body 13b to the lid body 12. The pin operation part 13d may be integrally formed of the same resin as the entire pin 13, or a hole is formed in the pin main body 13b, and a rod-like part made of metal such as stainless steel is press-fitted or bonded. May be.

  As shown in FIG. 5, an opening 12a penetrating the inside of the lid 12 near the pin operation portion 13d is provided, and the opening 12a is sealed with an adhesive sheet 12b attached thereto. ing. The opening 12a is formed by cutting after the lid 12 is molded, and the size of the opening 12a is set to the minimum necessary for the operation of the pin operation portion 13d in order to minimize the reduction in rigidity of the lid 12. That is good. Further, various shapes such as a circle, an ellipse, and a rectangle are conceivable. From the viewpoint of improving cleanliness, a shape having no corners is preferable, and a shape generally in the range of 20 × 20 mm to 40 × 40 mm is preferable.

  The pin operation part 13d extending from the pin main body 13b has a length that the tip of the pin operation part 13d reaches a position flush with the outer flat surface of the lid 12, and is attached to the adhesive sheet 12b that is attached so as to seal the opening 12a. It is fixed by contact (adhesion).

  When the pellicle 20 is taken out, the adhesive sheet 12b is peeled off, so that the opening 12a appears and the pin operation part 13d is released. Then, by the retraction operation of the pin operation portion 13d, the tip end portion of the pin 13 can be pulled out from the recess 22 of the pellicle frame 21, and the fixation of the pellicle 20 on the container body 11 can be released.

  In addition, before the lid 12 is removed, air can be ventilated inside and outside the pellicle storage container 10 through the opening 12a. Therefore, the removal of the lid 12 does not cause a negative pressure in the container. In addition, it can be expected to prevent foreign substances from being involved.

  The pellicle 20 of the present invention is not particularly limited except that a recess 22 needs to be provided on the side surface of the pellicle frame 21. In addition, the recess 22 is preferably a round hole having a diameter of 0.5 to 4 mm and a depth of 1 to 5 mm in terms of ease of fitting with the tip of the pin 13 and processing, but has other shapes. It doesn't matter.

  The pellicle frame 21 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy, a resin, or a resin composite material, and a ventilation hole (not shown) and a filter (not shown) covering the surface thereof may be attached thereto. Moreover, you may provide a groove | channel, a recessed part, etc. in various places on the side surface for handling.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a mask adhesive layer 23 is formed on one surface of the pellicle frame 21, and a protective separator 24 is attached to the surface. The pellicle frame 21 is generally rectangular, but may have other shapes such as a polygonal shape or a circular shape. The separator 24 may be omitted as long as the mask adhesive layer 23 is protected by other means instead of this. A pellicle film adhesive layer 25 is provided on one surface on the opposite side of the mask adhesive layer 23, and a pellicle film 26 is stretched.

  In one embodiment of the pellicle fixing part shown in FIG. 5, since the fixing of the pin 13 on the pin supporting means 14 relies only on the adhesion between the adhesive sheet 12b and the pin operating means 13d, there is a somewhat lack of reliability. .

  Therefore, in order to secure the pin 13 more reliably, it is more preferable to adopt another embodiment as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. That is, a protrusion 13e is provided on a part of the pin 13, and a notch 14c that is fitted to the protrusion 13e is provided on the pin support means 14. In this embodiment, an operation portion 13d extending from the pin body 13b is provided after enabling fitting / release by a turning operation around the pin shaft portion 13a. When the pin 13 is fixed by the above, the embodiment of the pellicle fixing part as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing another embodiment in which the pin 13 on the pin support means 14 is more securely fixed by the pellicle fixing portion shown in FIG. 8 in addition to the adhesion between the adhesive sheet 12b and the pin operation means 13d. is there.

  In another embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the pin support means 14 has a pin insertion part 14a that is a hole and an introduction part 14b that is a U-shaped groove that is open in one direction, as shown in FIG. A cutout portion 14c is further provided in a part of the introduction portion 14b. As shown in FIG. 8, the projection 13e is designed so that the pin 13 is inserted until it hits the back of the introduction portion 14b of the pin support means 14 and is fitted to the notch 14c when swung. With this configuration, the pin can be fitted and released by a turning operation. The turning operation angle at this time is preferably 30 to 180 degrees, more preferably 45 to 90 degrees, from the viewpoint of operability and fitting reliability.

  Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the pin operation unit 13 d has a length that reaches a position flush with the outer surface of the lid 12, and contacts (adheses) the adhesive sheet 12 b that is attached so as to seal the opening 12 a. ) Is fixed. Further, in this other embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the position of the pin 13 is fixed by the fitting of the notch portion 14c of the pin support means 14 and the protruding portion 13e of the pin 13, and the pin operation is further performed. Since the portion 13d is fixed by contacting (adhering) to the adhesive sheet 12b on the lid 12, the position of the pin 13 can be fixed more reliably.

  In these embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and 9 of the present invention, since no mechanical parts for holding the position of the pin 13 are arranged on the lid body 12, manufacturing errors and assembly errors of the respective parts are not provided. There is little accumulation of. In addition, the fixing of the pin 13 and the operation from the outside are achieved by a simple configuration in which the pin operation unit 13d, the opening 12a provided on the lid 12 and the adhesive sheet 12b are combined. It is large and extremely suitable for mass production.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the operation method is not much different from that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, and only the turning motion of the pin 13 is added. That is, after the adhesive sheet 12b attached to the lid 12 is peeled off and the opening 12a is opened, the pin operation portion 13d is turned from the outside of the lid 12 using tweezers or similar props. The fitting of the pin 13 and the pin support means 14 is released, and thereafter the tip part of the pin 13 inserted into the recess 22 of the pellicle frame 21 is pulled out by retreating, and the fastening of the container body 11 and the pellicle 20 is released. Will be. After that, the lid 12 is removed, and the pellicle 20 can be taken out with a handling jig (not shown) or the like.

  Therefore, even in the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, when the operator's hand approaches the pellicle in accordance with the pin releasing operation, the pellicle 20 is covered with the lid 12, so that the foreign matter from the operator Can be significantly reduced.

  Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. In this example, first, a container body 11 having a shape shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and a lid body 12 fitted thereto were manufactured by vacuum forming using a resin sheet material. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which both are combined, and the outer dimensions of the outer dimensions are 1080 × 960 mm and the height is 92 mm. The container body 11 is a flame retardant ABS that is black and has a thickness of 5 mm. The lid 12 is a transparent flame-retardant PMMA having a thickness of 5 mm, and after molding, an antistatic coating (trade name Sepulzida, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd.) was applied.

  Next, the pin support means 14 was manufactured by injection molding of ABS, and the pin 13 was manufactured by injection molding of PPS. 6 and 7 are perspective views showing the detailed shapes of each, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which both are combined.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the pin 13 includes a pin shaft portion 13a, a pin body 13b, a pin operation portion 13d, and a projection portion 13e. The pin shaft portion 13a is manufactured by mechanically cutting SUS304 stainless steel, and is press-fitted into a pin body 13b formed by injection molding of PPS resin. Similarly, the pin operation portion 13d is manufactured by mechanically cutting SUS304 stainless steel, and is press-fitted into a hole provided in the pin main body 13b. Further, a stepped portion 13c is provided at the tip of the pin shaft portion 13a, and a ring-shaped elastic body 15 made of fluoro rubber having a thickness of 0.5 mm is fitted therein.

  On the other hand, the pin support means 14 is comprised from the pin insertion part 14a, the introduction part 14b, and the notch part 14c, as shown in FIG. Then, when the pin shaft portion 13a of the pin 13 is inserted into the pin insertion portion 14a of the pin support means 14 and rotated 45 degrees to the right, the protrusion 13e fits into the notch 14c of the pin support means. If it does so, it can be set as the combination state of the pin 13 and the pin support means 14 as shown in FIG.

  Next, the components combined in the state shown in FIG. 8 are placed on the container main body 11, and as shown in FIG. 9, the pin 13 is adjusted to a position where it fits into the recess 22 provided in the pellicle frame 21, and from the outside. A stainless steel bolt (not shown) was used for attachment. Further, the lid body 12 was provided with a square hole 12a having a size of 20 × 30 mm by machining in a region immediately above the pin operation portion 13d when fitted to the container body 11.

  Then, 20 pellicle storage containers 10 assembled in this way were mass-produced at a time, and when the pellicle 20 was actually stored and the mounting state was confirmed, there was no need for parts replacement or readjustment. It was confirmed that the total number of units was maintained at a usable quality.

  Next, the pellicle storage container 10 was carried into a Class 10 clean room, thoroughly washed with a surfactant and pure water, and then completely dried. In order to evaluate the pellicle storage container 10, the pellicle 20 was stored and a transportation test was performed.

  The pellicle 20 used in this test has an outer dimension of 937.5 × 756 mm, an inner dimension of 925.5 × 740 mm, and a height of about 7.2 mm. The used pellicle frame 21 is made of A5052 aluminum alloy and has a surface black alumite treatment. The outer dimension is 937.5 × 756 mm, the inner dimension is 925.5 × 740 mm, and the height is 5.8 mm. Furthermore, the corners are defined as outer R5 and inner R2, and each long side has four φ1.5 mm vents (not shown) at intervals of 100 mm and φ2.5 mm × depth of 1. mm at intervals of 850 mm. Two recesses 22 of 8 mm were provided. A sheet-like filter using a PTFE membrane was attached to the vent hole with an acrylic adhesive.

  As the mask adhesive layer 23, a silicone adhesive having a thickness of about 1.2 mm (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) is used, and a release agent is applied as a separator 24 to protect the surface. A PET sheet was attached. As the adhesive layer 25 of the pellicle film 26, a silicone adhesive having a thickness of about 0.1 mm (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) is applied, and a fluorine resin (product of 3.0 μm thickness) is used as the pellicle film 26. Name Cytop, Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) was adhered.

  Next, the pellicle 20 is carried into the dark room, inspected for foreign matter by a condensing lamp, placed on the container body 11 of the pellicle storage container 10, and the tip of the pin 13 is placed on the side of the pellicle frame 21. Inserted into the recess 22 and assembled by fitting the protrusion 13e to the notch 14c of the pin support means 14 by a turning operation. Thereafter, the lid 12 is closed, an adhesive sheet 12b made of PET adhesive tape is attached to the opening 12a, the opening 12a is sealed, and the end of the pin operation part 13d appearing from the opening 12a The parts were glued.

  In addition, the peripheral portions of the container body 11 and the lid 12 are attached and fixed with a 35 mm wide PET adhesive tape (not shown), and then double packed in an antistatic PVC bag with a clean interior. Then, it was stored in a reinforced corrugated cardboard packaging box (not shown) with a cushioning material inside.

  The pellicle storage container 10 packed in this way was mounted on a truck and transported by about 1000 km. Then, after transporting the pellicle storage container 10 into a class 10 clean room and checking the inside, it was confirmed that the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet 12b attached to the lid 12 was kept sealed. .

  Further, when the adhesive sheet 12b was peeled off and the inside of the container was visually observed, the protrusion 13e of the pin 13 remained fitted in the notch 14c of the pin support means 14, and the tip of the pin 13 was also It was confirmed that the pellicle frame 21 remained fitted in the recess 22.

  Next, using tweezers (not shown) with a tip rubber, the pin 13 is turned by the operation portion 13d, moved about 10 mm backward, the lid body 12 is removed, and the inside is confirmed. 20 was confirmed to be placed on the container body 11 without any abnormality. Moreover, when the surroundings were darkened in this state and the surface was observed by irradiating the container body 11 and the pellicle 20 with a condensing lamp, adhesion of foreign matters was not confirmed.

  Since the pellicle 20 was covered by the lid body 12 during the work until the pin 13 was pulled out and the pellicle 20 was released from the container body 11, there was no concern that foreign matter would adhere to the pellicle 20 from the operator's hand. This work could be done very easily. Further, when the lid 12 was removed, the lid 12 could be smoothly lifted by ventilation from the opening 12a.

  Finally, when the pellicle 20 released from the container body 11 is transported into the dark room by a dedicated handling jig (not shown) and the foreign matter adhered to the surface is examined by the condenser lamp, the foreign matter adheres to the pellicle 20. Was not observed at all, and it was confirmed that the extremely clean state was maintained.

Comparative example

  FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a pellicle fixing part 30 manufactured for comparison. In this comparative example, the pellicle fixing part 30 is composed of a pin 31 and a pin support means 14, and the method of inserting and fixing the pin in the recess of the pellicle frame is the same as in the above embodiment, but FIG. As shown, the pin 31 is different from the embodiment in that no means corresponding to the pin operation unit 13d of the embodiment is provided. The pin support means 14 is the same as that of the embodiment, and is provided with a protrusion 31e.

  The pin 31 of the comparative example is composed of a pin shaft portion 31a, a pin body 31b, and a projection portion 31e, and is configured by press-fitting a pin shaft portion 31a made of SUS304 stainless steel into a pin body 31b formed by injection molding of PPS resin. Has been. Further, the protruding portion 31e is configured to be fitted to the notch portion 14c of the pin support means 14 when the pin 31 is turned, and when the cover body 12 is covered with the pin 31 turned and fixed. In addition, the protrusion 31e is set to a height that abuts against the inner surface of the lid body 12. Further, a hexagonal hole 31f for operation is provided at the end of the pin body 31b, and an elastic body 15 made of fluororubber is attached to the stepped portion 31c at the tip of the pin shaft portion 31a.

  In this comparative example, the pellicle 20 having the same specifications as the embodiment was stored in the container main body, and the pellicle storage container was assembled by fitting the lid body on the container main body. Are not provided with those corresponding to the opening 12a and the adhesive sheet 12b of the embodiment.

  Next, the pellicle storage container assembled in this way is subjected to exactly the same transportation test, and the transported pellicle storage container is carried into a class 10 clean room, and then the lid is removed from the container main body, As a result of confirmation, it was confirmed that the pellicle 20 was firmly fixed on the container body by the pins 31.

  Also, after thoroughly cleaning the operator's hand with air blow, carefully insert a hexagon wrench into the hexagon hole 31f at the rear end of the pin 31, and rotate it to release the fitting, while moving the pin 31 backward It was moved and pulled out from the recess 22. Then, in this state, the surroundings were darkened, and a condensing lamp was irradiated to observe the surface of the container body and the pellicle 20. As a result, the film surface of the pellicle 20 was clean. It was confirmed that several foreign matters having a size of 5 to 20 μm were scattered around the portion 30.

  Furthermore, in this comparative example, the release operation of the pin 31 was performed very carefully with the lid removed from the container body, that is, with the pellicle membrane surface exposed, so that the lid as in the example was used. Compared with the release work performed in a state of being fitted to the container body, the required time was about 1.5 times.

Finally, the pellicle 20 released from the container body is transported into a dark room with a dedicated handling jig (not shown), and foreign matter adhering to the surface is inspected by a condenser lamp. The adhesion of one foreign substance of about 10 to 20 μm was confirmed. This foreign matter could be easily removed by air blowing at a pressure of 2 kgf / cm ² , but the pellicle 20 was lifted from the container body 11 because the film surface of the pellicle 20 was clean in the observation on the container body. At that time, it was speculated that the foreign matter on the container body rolled up and adhered to the pellicle film surface.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pellicle storage container 11 Container main body 12 Cover body 12a Opening part 12b Adhesive sheet 13 Pin 13a Pin axial part 13b Pin main body 13c Step part 13d Pin operation part 13e Protrusion part 14 Pin support means 14a Pin insertion part 14b Introduction part 14c Notch part 15 Elastic body 20 Pellicle 21 Pellicle frame 22 Recess 23 Mask adhesive layer 24 Separator 25 Pellicle film adhesive layer 26 Pellicle film 30 Pellicle fixing part (comparative example)
31 Pin 31a Pin shaft part 31b Pin body 31c Step part 31e Projection part 31f Hexagonal hole

Claims (4)

  A pellicle storage container comprising a container main body for storing a pellicle, and a lid that covers the container main body and is fitted and locked at the periphery thereof, and is movable in a horizontal direction on the container main body. A pin that is inserted into a recess provided on the side surface of the pellicle frame and a pin support means that fixes the pin is placed, and the lid body is provided with an opening that penetrates the inside of the container body, The pin is provided with a pin operation part extending from the pin main body in the direction of the opening of the lid, and the pin operation part is attached to an adhesive sheet whose upper end is attached to seal the opening. A pellicle storage container, wherein the container is fixed by contact.   The pellicle storage container according to claim 1, wherein the pin is fixed to the pin support means by a turning operation centered on a pin shaft portion.   The pellicle storage container according to claim 2, wherein the pin has a protrusion provided on the pin fitted and fixed to a notch provided on the pin support means. A method for taking out a pellicle from the pellicle storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adhesive sheet attached to the opening of the lid is peeled off to open the opening. Operate the pin operation part from the outside of the lid body with the lid body fitted and locked on the container body, pull out the tip of the pin inserted into the recess, and place it on the container body. A method for removing a pellicle, comprising: releasing the fixed pellicle, and then removing the lid to remove the pellicle.

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