JP2595993B2 - Apparatus and method for producing original plate for exposure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically attaching a frame with a dust-proof film (pellicle) to a photomask or a reticle.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, circuit structures such as ICs have been increasingly miniaturized and densified, and the line width rules of the circuits have also become one.
μm or less. Semiconductor manufacturing has long been regarded as a battle against dust (fine dust and the like), and the cleanliness of the manufacturing line is required. Therefore, storage and management of a photomask or a reticle used in a photolithography process are extremely troublesome. In order to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the pattern area of the photomask or reticle, an optically stable transparent polymer thin film (pellicle) is placed at a certain distance (about 5 to 7 mm) from the surface of the mask or reticle. Has been adopted. The pellicle is uniformly stretched on one surface of a frame having a thickness of about 5 to 7 mm in a circular or rectangular shape corresponding to the shape of a mask or a reticle, and an adhesive layer is provided on the opposite surface of the frame. In order to attach the pellicle-equipped frame to the reticle, the pattern area of the reticle and the outer shape of the frame were manually adjusted, and then fixed to the reticle with an adhesive layer of the frame.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

As described above, in the related art, since the pellicle-attached frame is manually attached to the mask or reticle, minute foreign matter generated from the human body enters the inside of the pellicle-attached frame. Inconvenience such as settling in the pattern area occurs.

In such a case, the settled foreign substances are found after the use of the mask or the reticle (at the time of exposure transfer), which has been a great obstacle in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor element.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems,
An object of the present invention is to provide a sticking apparatus having a configuration for minimizing the entry and adhesion of foreign matter when sticking a frame with a pellicle to a reticle or mask.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In the present invention, a frame with a pellicle is provided in an apparatus for producing an original plate for exposure, in which a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention is attached to a mask such as a photomask or a reticle to produce an original plate for exposure. And a case holding portion that holds a dustproof case that can be partially opened and closed,
The dustproof case is opened, and a frame take-out mechanism for taking out the frame with a pellicle from the dustproof case, and a sticking mechanism for positioning and taking out the taken-out frame with a pellicle at a predetermined position of a mask are provided. Attach a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention to a mask such as a mask or a reticle, and in a device for producing an original plate for exposure for creating an original plate for exposure, while accommodating the frame with a pellicle in a substantially sealed state and partially opening and closing. A case holding unit that holds the dustproof case, a frame takeout mechanism that opens the dustproof case and removes the pellicle-equipped frame from the dustproof case, and a sticking mechanism that positions the taken-out pellicle-equipped frame at a predetermined position of a mask and sticks the frame. And a foreign matter inspection device that optically inspects for the presence of foreign matter on the mask. The foreign matter inspection apparatus is characterized in that the mask is inspected at least one of before and after the pellicle-equipped frame is attached.

Further, in the present invention, in a method for producing an original plate for exposure, in which a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention is attached to a mask such as a photomask or a reticle to create an original plate for exposure, the mask is attached before attaching the frame with a pellicle to the mask. It is characterized by having a step of optically inspecting the presence of the above foreign matter, and a step of attaching the pellicle-equipped frame to a mask which does not interfere with exposure as a result of the inspection.

[Operation] In the pasting work, the frame with the pellicle was directly touched by hand, so that adhesion of dust was not avoided. Therefore, in the present invention, a frame with a pellicle to which no foreign matter (dust) adheres is carried to a place of use while being stored in a dustproof case, and set in an automatic attaching device without manually opening the dustproof case. Inside the automatic sticking apparatus, the frame with the pellicle is automatically taken out of the dustproof case, and this frame is similarly positioned and attached to a mask or reticle set in a dustproof state. As described above, since the frame with the pellicle and the mask or the reticle are taken out of the case immediately before bonding, it is possible to minimize the adhesion of dust.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a top view of a schematic internal configuration of an automatic pellicle sticking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus of this embodiment includes a pellicle sticking apparatus main body 1 and a reticle,
Alternatively, the inspection apparatus main body 2 for inspecting foreign matter attached to the reticle with a pellicle is provided as a single unit. Both device bodies 1,
In both cases, the inside is substantially sealed and air-conditioned so that an appropriate degree of cleanness is maintained.

On the front side of the apparatus main body 1, a case stock unit 3 for setting a plurality of frame cases each containing a frame with a pellicle in a sealed state one by one, and a reticle 1 are provided.
A substrate stock unit 4 for setting a plurality of known reticle cases housed in a sealed state one by one is provided. The configurations of the substrate stock unit 4 and the reticle case are as follows.
For example, the one disclosed in JP-A-57-64928 can be employed as it is.

On the other hand, the frame case set in the case stock unit 3 has a structure as shown in FIG. 2 and includes a tray unit 14 on which a frame 16 with a pellicle is placed and a lid unit 15 which covers the tray unit 14 from above. Be composed. FIG. 2A shows the inside of the tray section 14 as viewed from above, and ribs 14a are provided corresponding to each of the four sides so that the frame 16 with a pellicle does not shift inside the case. . The rib 14a is provided with a predetermined positional accuracy with respect to the outer shape of the case (tray portion), and facilitates alignment with a transfer arm or the like when taking out the frame 16 with a pellicle. FIG. 2 (B) shows a cross section when the lid portion 15 is closed on the tray portion 14, and the rib 14a is set to be lower than the height (thickness) of the frame 16 with a pellicle.

Further, on the lower surface of the tray section 14, FIGS.
2, two parallel ribs 14b are provided.
In the present embodiment, the interval between the two ribs 14b is set to be larger than the outer width of the frame 16 with a pellicle. The rib 14b is provided for handling when the frame case is automatically conveyed into the bonding apparatus main body 1. As shown in FIGS. 2 (A) and 2 (B), a predetermined space is provided on the left and right sides of the frame 16 in the case, and this space is used when an arm or the like for transporting the case 16 enters. Nake.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a specific structure of the frame 16 with a pellicle suitable for automatic conveyance. FIG. 3 (A) is a front view, and FIG. 3 (B) is a side view. The frame 16 with a pellicle is constituted by a substantially rectangular frame portion 16a, and conical concave portions 16b are provided at two corners (four places) of the frame portion 16a parallel to each other as shown in FIG. 3 (A). Can be These four corner recesses 1
The reference numeral 6b is used to provide a function of positioning when holding by a transfer arm or the like and a function of preventing slipping. As shown in FIG. 3 (B), an adhesive adhesive layer 30 is formed on the surface of the frame 16 with a pellicle to be attached to the reticle, and the frame 16a is further protected by the adhesive layer 30.
A protective sheet material 17 having the same shape as that of the outer shape is adhered.
Immediately before attaching the frame 16 to the reticle, the protective sheet material 17 is peeled off by gripping a portion 17a of the sheet material 17 that protrudes beyond the outer shape of a part of the frame 16a as shown in FIG. You.

Now, the frame cases (14, 15) accommodating such a frame 16 with a pellicle are set on the case stock portion 3 in FIG. 1 in such a manner as to be stacked substantially horizontally as shown in FIG. Is done. FIG. 4 is a view of the case stock unit 3 as viewed from the front side of the apparatus main body 1.
Is provided with a step portion 3a for holding both sides of the lower surface of the tray portion 14 of the frame cases (14, 15). Each step is supported by each step 3a so that a predetermined space is formed between the frame cases so as to enter the transfer arm.

By the way, in FIG. 1, the frame case (14,
15) is taken out of the case stock unit 3 by the transfer arm 5b that moves in the y direction along the slider 5a, and is carried to the assembly table 9. The assembling table 9 has a two-stage structure of an upper table and a lower table, and is provided so as to be able to linearly move in the y direction between positions A to A 'in FIG. The frame cases (14, 15) carried by the transfer arm 5b are mounted on the lower table of the assembly table 9 at the position A. When the assembly table 9 moves to the position A ', the frame cases (14, 15) are located below the suction pad of the lid opening / closing means 10. The lid opening / closing means 10 vacuum-adsorbs the lid 15 of the frame case (14, 15) with a suction pad, and
Lift 15 up. This will open the frame case.

In the middle of the transport path between the position A of the transport arm 5b and the case stock unit 3, a mechanism 12 for holding the protruding portion 17a of the protective sheet material 17 of the frame 16 with a pellicle is provided.

On the other hand, a case containing a reticle is mounted on the substrate stock unit 4, and the reticle in the case is taken out by the transfer arm 6b moving in the y-direction along the slider 6a. Carried. Transfer arm 7b
Moves in the x direction along the slider 7a, and the transfer arm 6b
Is configured to be able to reciprocate between a position A and a reticle delivery position between the reticle and the position A.

Therefore, the transfer arm 7b can receive the reticle from the transfer arm 6b and can transfer it to the upper table of the assembly table 9.

When the assembling table 9 is at the position A, the frame 16 with a pellicle is attached to a reticle.
Moves from position A 'to position A ". At position A" above (or below) the reticle to which the pellicle frame 16 is attached.
Is provided with a pressing mechanism 11 for evenly pressing the pellicle frame 16 and the reticle. The pressing member of the pressing mechanism 11 is provided so as to contact only the upper end surface (or lower end surface) of the frame portion 16a of the frame 16 with a pellicle.

As described above, in FIG. 1, the three transfer arms 5b, 6b, and 7b are all provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z direction). The transfer arms 6b and 7b may be simple U-shaped arms that hold the periphery of the reticle, but the transfer arm 5b is special because it transfers the frame 16 with pellicle and the frame cases (14 and 15). It has a simple structure. Therefore, a detailed structure of the transfer arm 5b and a detailed structure of other main parts will be sequentially described below.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the structure of the transfer arm 5b. The entire arm portion is provided on an arm support 50a that moves in the y direction along the slider 5a. And the whole arm part,
The DC motor 22 fixed to the arm support 50a and the belt drive are configured to be rotatable over a central axis l extending in the y direction over 180 ° or more as shown by an arrow C. Two L
The arm-shaped arms 24 are provided so as to face each other, and can move straight along the slide guide 1 in the direction of arrow B (x direction) in the figure while maintaining symmetry with respect to the center axis l.
The opening and closing movement of the two parallel arm fingers 24 is performed by the DC motor 23 and the cam mechanism 18. Center axis l of both arm fingers 24
On the side facing the side, a conical convex portion 21 engaging with the concave portion 16b of the frame 16 with a pellicle is formed corresponding to each position of the concave portion 16b. Further, outside the both arm fingers 24, there are provided two members 20 protruding so that the ribs 14b on the lower surface of the frame case (14, 15) can be engaged. This member
20 ensures the handling of the frame case. As described above, the transfer arm portion 5b is used for both the transfer of the frame cases (14, 15) and the transfer of the frame 16, and since the arm fingers 24 are rotated by 180 ° or more, the held frame 16 with the pellicle is held. The adhesive layer 30 can be oriented downward or upward in any direction, and can be applied to either single-sided or double-sided attachment of the pellicle frame 16. The transfer arm 5b, including the arm support 50a, moves up and down as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the overall shape of the assembling table 9, and includes an upper table 9a on which a reticle is mounted, a lower table 9b on which frame cases (14, 15) are mounted, and a moving table for movement. A bottom portion 9c for mounting the entirety on the rail is vertically arranged with a predetermined space. However, the central portions of the upper table 9a and the lower table 9b are cut off as indicated by imaginary lines, and a space is secured so that the transfer arm 5b (arm finger 24) can freely move up and down.

FIG. 7 is a view of the vicinity of the mechanism 12 as seen from the front side of the apparatus.
Is held horizontally. At this time, the lower surface of the arm finger 24 is determined to be located above and below the lower surface of the frame 16 (the sheet material 17). When the transfer arm 5b comes to a predetermined position in the y direction, the toggle rotating part 12a of the gripping mechanism 12 stands upright, and the gripping part 12b provided at the tip of the rotating part 12a is used as a protective sheet material.
The protrusions 17a of the 17 are inserted vertically. Thereafter, the DC motor 22 shown in FIG. 5 is driven, and the entire arm finger 24 is moved to the seventh position.
The protective sheet material 17 is rotated as shown by arrow E in the figure, and
Is torn off. The peeled sheet material 17 is dropped into a waste box (not shown).

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of the structure of the pressurizing mechanism 11, in which two pressurizing plates 11a and 11b arranged vertically move in a direction approaching and away from each other, and
11c abuts reticle frame 16 with pellicle from above and below, and temporarily attaches to upper and lower surfaces of reticle
16 is brought into close contact with a predetermined pressure. Two pressure plates 11
The a and 11b are arranged so that the reticle with a pellicle mounted on the upper table 9a is carried into the space therebetween.

Incidentally, if the assembly table 9 is moved up and down at the position A "in FIG. 1, the upper pressing plate 11a may be kept fixed.

In FIG. 1, a foreign matter inspection device main body 2 for optically inspecting a defect such as a foreign material attached to a glass surface or a pattern surface of a reticle is connected to the left side of the attaching device main body 1. The reticle carried out in the y-direction by the transfer arm 6b from the substrate stock unit 4 or the reticle with a pellicle carried in the x-direction by the transfer arm 7b after the attachment of the frame 16 is delivered to the arm 8b of the apparatus body 2. It is. The arm 8b moves horizontally in the x direction along the slider 8a, and performs the sub-scanning at the time of inspection. The main scanning is performed by scanning the spot of the laser beam on the reticle surface in the y direction. In this embodiment, the reticle can be transferred between the arm 8b and the transfer arm 6b, but cannot be transferred between the arm 8b and the transfer arm 7b.
For this reason, the reticle with a pellicle carried by the transfer arm 7b is once transferred to the transfer arm 6b, and then operated to be transferred to the arm 7b. The arm 8b does not move up and down because it performs both the operation of loading the reticle into the apparatus main body 2 and the sub-scanning during inspection.

 Next, the overall operation of the present apparatus will be described.

First, from the manufacturer of the frame 16 with pellicle,
As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 16 is
Supplied in 4 and 15). The operator sets the frame case (14, 15) in that state in the case stock unit 3 of the apparatus main body 1 as shown in FIG. The reticle to which the pellicle is to be attached is mounted on the substrate stock unit 4 while being housed in a known reticle case.

Next, the transfer arm 5b (FIG. 5) adjusts the two arm fingers 24 to a predetermined interval, and enters the space below the frame cases (14, 15) in the case stock unit 3. When the transfer arm 5b is moved slightly upward, the frame case (14, 15) is transferred from the step 3a of the stock portion 3 onto the projecting member 20 of the arm finger 24. Two more arm fingers 24
Is slightly opened, and the projecting member 20 is attached to the frame case (14,
15) Grab the rib 14b on the lower surface of the tray section 14 from inside.

Next, the transfer arm 5b pulls out the frame case (14, 15) from the stock unit 3 and delivers the frame case to the lower table 9b of the assembly table 9 (FIG. 6) waiting at the position A. The lower table 9b vacuum-adsorbs the lower surface of the frame case and fixes it so as not to shift. Thereafter, the assembly table 9 moves to the position A ', and the suction pad of the opening / closing mechanism 10 enters the space above the frame case below the upper table 9a of the assembly table 9. The suction pad sucks the upper surface of the lid 15 of the frame case by vacuum and lifts it slightly upward. As a result, the lid 15 and the tray 14 are separated from each other, and the assembly table 9 returns from the position A 'to the position A while leaving the lid 15 on the suction pad.

Next, the arm 16 of the transfer arm 5b again clamps the pellicle-equipped frame 16 on the tray portion 14 at the position A as shown in FIG. Move horizontally until: And the seventh
As shown in the figure, the projecting portion 17a of the sheet material 17 is grasped by the grasping portion 12b, and the arm finger 24 is rotated by the DC motor 22. As a result, the protective sheet material 17 is peeled off, and the arm finger 24 is returned to the horizontal position.

On the other hand, the reticle is taken out of the reticle case set in the substrate stock unit 4 by the transfer arm 6b. The reticle vacuum-adsorbed on the arm 6b is transferred to the transfer arm 8b of the inspection apparatus main body 2, where the presence or absence of foreign matter, the position of the foreign matter, the size of the foreign matter, and the like are inspected, and the inspection result is stored. At this time, if a foreign substance that interferes with the exposure is found, the reticle is returned to the empty reticle case of the substrate stock unit 4 and the operator is informed that maintenance such as cleaning is necessary, and the reticle is returned from another reticle case. Remove another reticle.

If there is no problem as a result of inspection, transfer the reticle to the transfer arm.
After the delivery from 8b by the arm 6b, it is delivered to the transfer arm 7b. The arm 7b carries the reticle to the position A and delivers it to the upper table 9a of the assembly table 9. The upper table 9a fixes the reticle by vacuum suction, and the arm 5b holding the frame 16 moves to the space above the assembly table 9. Thereafter, the transfer arm 5b is lowered by a predetermined amount to bring the adhesive layer 30 of the frame 16 with a pellicle into contact with the upper surface of the reticle.

At this time, the upper table 9a holds the reticle via an elastic body (such as a leaf spring) so as not to apply unnecessary stress to the reticle. Therefore, the arm 5b descends and the frame 16
After contacting the reticle, the reticle can escape slightly downward.

Next, the assembly table 9 moves from the position A to the position A ', and the lid 15 held by the suction pad of the opening / closing mechanism 10 is moved.
On the empty tray section 14. Then, the assembly table 9 is returned to the position A again, and the transport arm 5b enters the space below the empty frame cases (14, 15), receives the empty frame case, and returns it to the case stock unit 3.

Next, the transfer arm 5b takes out the frame 16 with a pellicle for the lower surface of the reticle from another frame case (14, 15). In this sequence, the lid 15 is opened, the sheet material 17 is opened.
The peeling is performed in exactly the same way as the peeling, except that during this sequence, a reticle having a frame 16 with a pellicle mounted thereon is placed on the upper table 9a. When the second frame 16 is clamped by the transfer arm 5b in this manner, the arm fingers 24 are rotated by the motor 22, and the arm fingers 24 are inverted so that the adhesive layer 30 of the frame 16 faces upward. Thereafter, the frame 16 enters the space below the upper table 9a at the position A, and the transfer arm 5b raises the frame 16 slightly upward to bring the adhesive layer 30 into contact with the lower surface of the reticle. This means that the pellicle-equipped frame 16 has been attached to both the upper and lower surfaces of the reticle. Normally, the upper and lower frames are stuck so as to overlap one another with the same dimensions, and the outer shape of the frame is determined to be smaller than the outer periphery of the reticle.

Next, the assembling table 9 is moved from position A to position A "from position A ', and the pellicle-equipped frame 16 on the upper and lower surfaces is vertically held by the pressing mechanism 11 (FIG. 8) at a predetermined pressure. When the pressing is completed, the assembly table 9 is moved to the position A '.
And return to position A. At this time, at the position A ', the suction pad is lowered so that the lid 15 held by the suction pad of the opening / closing mechanism 10 is overlapped on the tray section 14 placed on the lower table 9b. Therefore, position A
The reticle on which both sides of the frame with the pellicle are completed is placed on the upper table 9a of the assembling table 2 and the empty frame case (14, 15) is placed on the lower table 9b.
Is placed. In this way, the lower empty frame cases (14, 15) are returned to the case stock unit 3 by the transfer arm 5b, and the reticle with a pellicle at the upper stage is transferred to the transfer arm 8b via the transfer arm 7b and the transfer arm 6b. Inspection is performed. In this case, the foreign substance inspection is performed through the pellicles on the upper and lower surfaces, so that the detection sensitivity (particularly, the size of the foreign substance) should be corrected in the case of the inspection of the naked reticle.

Further, if necessary, it is compared with the previously stored inspection result of the naked reticle to determine whether or not the frame with the pellicle is properly attached.

The reticle with pellicle that has been inspected in this way is returned to the empty reticle case by the transfer arm 6b,
The fault is displayed to the operator.

As described above, the pellicle is attached on both sides in the present embodiment, but it is needless to say that the same sequence can be executed on only one side.

In this embodiment, the transfer arm 5b is connected to the frame case (14, 1
5) Transfer, transfer of frame 16 with pellicle, frame 16
Since it is also used for the bonding operation to the reticle and the peeling operation of the protective sheet material 17, there is an advantage that the whole apparatus becomes very compact.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the pellicle (dust-proof film) is automatically attached to a reticle or a mask without manually handling the frame with the pellicle (dustproof film), and is automatically transported from case to case. The effect of being held down to a minimum can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of an automatic pellicle sticking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
(B) and (C) are views showing the configuration of a dustproof case for a frame with a pellicle, FIGS. 3 (A) and (B) are views showing the structure of a frame with a pellicle suitable for automatic conveyance, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the structure of the stock portion of the frame case, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the frame case and the transfer arm of the frame with a pellicle, FIG. 6 is a perspective view schematically showing the structure of an assembly table, and FIG. Is a diagram schematically showing a mechanism for peeling a protective sheet material of a frame with a pellicle, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a pressing mechanism. [Description of Signs of Main Parts] 1... Pellicle Pasting Apparatus Main Body 2... Foreign Material Inspection Apparatus Main Body 3... Frame Case Stock Section 4... Reticle Case Stock Section 5 b, 6 b, 7 b, 8 b. ... Transfer arm, 9 ... Assembly table, 10 ... Open / close mechanism, 11 ... Pressure mechanism, 12 ... Grasp mechanism, 14 ... Tray part of frame, 15 ... Lid part, 16 ... Frame with pellicle, 24 Arm finger of the transfer arm 5b.

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] 1. An apparatus for manufacturing an original plate for exposure, wherein a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention is attached to a mask such as a photomask or a reticle, and the frame with a pellicle is housed in a substantially sealed state. A case holding portion that holds a dustproof case that can be partially opened and closed; a frame takeout mechanism that opens the dustproof case and takes out the frame with a pellicle from the dustproof case; An exposure original plate producing apparatus, comprising: a pasting mechanism for positioning and pasting at a predetermined position. 2. The frame with a pellicle has an adhesive layer and a protective sheet for protecting the adhesive layer, and the frame take-out mechanism has a peeling mechanism for peeling off the protective sheet of the frame with a pellicle taken out. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The frame sticking mechanism has a transfer arm having an arm finger and a projection, and the transfer arm can individually transfer both the frame and the dustproof case. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sticking mechanism has a crimping mechanism for further crimping said frame with a pellicle stuck to said mask. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said attaching mechanism has a substrate take-out mechanism for taking out the mask from a substrate holding portion holding the mask. 6. An apparatus for producing an original plate for exposure, wherein a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention is attached to a mask such as a photomask or a reticle, and said frame with a pellicle is housed in a substantially sealed state. A case holding portion that holds a dustproof case that can be partially opened and closed: a frame takeout mechanism that opens the dustproof case and takes out the pellicle-equipped frame from the dustproof case; An attachment mechanism for positioning and attaching at a predetermined position; and a foreign matter inspection device for optically inspecting for the presence or absence of foreign matter on the mask, wherein the foreign matter inspection device is before and after the frame with a pellicle is attached. An exposure original plate producing apparatus, wherein the mask is inspected at least on one side. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said sticking mechanism has a crimping mechanism for further crimping said pellicle-equipped frame stuck to said mask. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said attaching mechanism has a substrate taking-out mechanism for taking out the mask from a substrate holding portion holding the mask. 9. A method for producing an original plate for exposure, wherein a frame with a pellicle for dust prevention is attached to a mask such as a photomask or a reticle, and an original plate for exposure is created. Optically inspecting the presence or absence of foreign matter on the mask; and attaching the pellicle-equipped frame to the mask having no foreign matter obstructing exposure as a result of the inspection in the inspecting step. A method for producing an original plate for exposure characterized by the following: