JP2560011Y2 - Substrate cassette - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate cassette used in a manufacturing process of a photomask or a reticle for manufacturing a semiconductor device or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, patterns of semiconductor devices have been miniaturized, and minute pattern defects in photomasks and reticles have a great influence on the yield of manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like. Therefore, it is necessary to minimize the attachment of dust to these surfaces in the manufacturing process of the photomask and the reticle.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a conventional substrate cassette will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate accommodated in the substrate cassette. This is a glass substrate, a photomask or reticle having a mask pattern formed on the surface thereof, or a semi-finished product thereof. Reference numeral 21 denotes a side plate, on one side of which a groove is provided at a constant pitch, and a large number of support portions 21a are formed in parallel.
The upper surface of the support portion 21a forms a slope that descends toward the tip. 22 and 23 are two side plates 21 facing each other at regular intervals.
It is a connecting plate for fixing. Reference numeral 24 denotes a stopper for supporting the substrate 1 when it is held vertically.

A large number of (for example, 16) substrates 1 are placed on a pair of support portions 21a in this substrate cassette, and these are held horizontally. These are mounted on an automatic processing apparatus to load the substrates 1. , Perform unloading. However,
When the substrate 1 is manually inserted into and removed from the substrate cassette, the posture of the substrate cassette is usually changed so that the substrate 1 is vertical as shown in FIG.

[0005]

However, in such a substrate cassette, it is difficult to prevent the substrate from contacting and sliding on the supporting portion of the side plate when the substrate 1 is manually inserted and removed. There is a problem that dust is generated by the movement (especially when the resist is applied to the substrate surface, the resist is easily peeled off). In addition, since the upper surface of the support portion of the side plate is an inclined plane, there is a problem that the attached dust easily falls on a lower substrate due to vibration or the like.

An object of the present invention is to solve such a problem and to provide a substrate cassette which suppresses dust generation and does not adhere to the accommodated substrates.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the object is to provide: [1] a pair of opposing side plates, and a plurality of pairs of support plates projecting from respective opposing surfaces of the side plates and supporting the substrate substantially horizontally. And a guide groove for individually storing the support plate on the side facing the side plate, wherein the support plate can be individually stored in the side plate. [2] having a pair of opposing side plates and a plurality of pairs of support plates projecting from the respective opposing surfaces of the side plates and supporting the substrate substantially horizontally;
This is achieved by providing a substrate cassette having a depression along the edge of the upper surface of the support plate.

[0008]

In the substrate cassette of the present invention, the support plate can be accommodated in the guide groove. Therefore, the support plates that do not support the substrate are sequentially accommodated in the guide groove, so that the uppermost substrate can be stored. The lower substrates can be sequentially taken out upward while keeping the horizontal posture. On the other hand, when the substrate is placed on the substrate cassette, the reverse may be performed. Therefore, when the substrate is taken in and out, the substrate and the support plate do not slide and generate dust.

Further, since the depression is provided along the edge of the upper surface of the support plate, dust adhering to the upper surface of the support plate collects in this depression before falling onto the lower substrate, and falls on the substrate. Is suppressed.

[0010]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a substrate cassette according to the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate accommodated in the substrate cassette. This is a glass substrate, a photomask or reticle having a mask pattern formed on the surface thereof, or a semi-finished product thereof.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a side plate, on one side of which a large number (for example, 16) of guide grooves 11a are provided horizontally at a constant pitch. The side plates 11 form a pair, and each of the guide grooves 11
a side is facing. Reference numeral 15 denotes a bottom plate that fixes two side plates 11 facing each other at regular intervals.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a support plate, and all the guide grooves 11
a are slidably inserted into a. Protrusions 12a are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction.
It protrudes from 11a. In the width direction, the thickness at one end is substantially equal to the width of the guide groove 11a, and the other end forms a slope whose upper surface is reduced toward the end. However, a depression 12b is provided along the edge.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a guide plate, which is fixed to one end surface of the side plate 11. It has guide holes 13a at the same pitch as the guide grooves 11a of the side plate 11, and the projections 12a of the support plate 12 are fitted into the guide holes 13a to limit the range of movement of the support plate 12. Reference numeral 14 denotes a back plate, which is fixed to an end surface of the two side plates 11 to which the guide plate 13 is not fixed. Two side plates 11 of this
A guide hole (not shown) having the same shape and size as the guide plate 13 is provided in a portion in contact with the guide plate 13 and performs the same function as the guide hole 13a.

In this substrate cassette, a large number (for example, 16) of substrates 1 are placed on a pair of support plates 12, respectively, and are held horizontally. The substrates are mounted on an elevator of an automatic processing apparatus and processed. The loading and unloading of the substrate 1 to the section are performed.

Next, a method for manually inserting and removing the substrate 1 from the substrate cassette will be described. When inserting the substrate 1, first, only the lowermost support plate 12 is made to protrude from the side plate 11, and all the others are accommodated in the guide grooves 11a.
The substrate 1 is placed on the upper side. Next one upper support plate
12 is newly protruded from the side plate 11, and the next substrate 1 is placed thereon from above. In this manner, the substrates 1 are sequentially placed from above.

When the substrate 1 is taken out, the uppermost substrate 1 is taken out first, and then the uppermost support plate 12 is placed in the guide groove.
Store in 11a. Next, after the lower substrate 1 is taken out upward, the supporting plate 12 supporting it is accommodated in the guide groove 11a. The substrate 1 is sequentially taken out in this manner. However, the lowermost support plate 12 need not be housed in the guide groove 11a.

As a result of using the substrate cassette of the above embodiment, no adhesion of dust on the substrate was observed. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be implemented in various modifications.

[0018]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a substrate cassette that suppresses dust generation due to sliding with a substrate when manually inserting and removing a substrate in a photomask or reticle manufacturing process, and prevents dust from adhering to a contained substrate. It contributes to the improvement of the production yield of equipment and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Board 11, 21 Side plate 11a Guide groove 12 Support plate 12a Projection 12b Depression 13 Guide plate 13a Guide hole 14 Back plate 15 Bottom plate 21a Support part 22, 23 Connection plate 24 Stopper

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A pair of side plates (11) facing each other, and a plurality of pairs of support plates (12) projecting from respective opposing surfaces of the side plates (11) and supporting the substrate (1) substantially horizontally, A guide groove (11a) for individually storing the support plate (12) is provided on the side facing the side plate (11), and the support plate (12) can be individually stored in the side plate (11). A substrate cassette characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. A semiconductor device comprising: a pair of side plates (11) facing each other; and a plurality of pairs of support plates (12) protruding from respective opposing surfaces of the side plates (11) and supporting the substrate (1) substantially horizontally. A substrate cassette having a depression (12b) along an edge of an upper surface of a support plate (12).