JP6320309B2 - Pellicle storage container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a container for a pellicle used as a dust guard when manufacturing a semiconductor device, a printed circuit board, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like.

  In the manufacture of semiconductors such as LSI and VLSI, or in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays or the like, patterns are produced by irradiating a semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal master plate with light, and a photomask or reticle (hereinafter simply referred to as “photograph”) used at this time. If the dust adheres to the mask), the dust will absorb the light and bend the light, so that the transferred pattern will be deformed, the edges will be sticky, and the ground will There was a problem that dimensions, quality, appearance, and the like were impaired, such as being stained black.

  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, the foreign matter does not adhere directly to the surface of the photomask but adheres to the pellicle. Therefore, if the focus is set on the pattern of the photomask during lithography, the foreign matter on the pellicle becomes irrelevant to the transfer.

  A pellicle generally has a transparent pellicle film made of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, or fluororesin that transmits light well, and is attached or adhered to the upper end surface of a pellicle frame made of aluminum, steel, stainless steel, engineering plastic, or the like. Configured. At the lower end of the pellicle frame, there is an adhesive layer made of polybutene resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin, etc. for mounting on a photomask and a release layer (separator) for the purpose of protecting the adhesive layer. Is provided.

  As this separator, a separator obtained by applying a release agent on a thin film of about 100 to 200 μm such as PET resin and cutting it into a desired shape is usually used. And since this separator is thin and has a frame shape that is almost the same as the outer shape of the frame, it becomes a string-like shape, which makes it difficult to clean the separator. In addition, there is a problem that handling is extremely inconvenient in operations such as attaching to the mask adhesive layer.

  However, since the function of the separator is only to protect the adhesive, and the pellicle is peeled off and discarded, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the separator, A pellicle that does not use such a separator and a container that stores the pellicle have been proposed (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  That is, the conventional pellicle storage containers described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a region where the mask adhesive layer is not applied to the outside of the pellicle frame, and the uncoated region of the mask adhesive layer is placed on the pellicle storage container body. The pellicle is fixed and stored by being supported by the provided pellicle frame support means and by inserting a pin into a non-through hole provided on the side surface of the pellicle frame. Therefore, since there is no need to peel the separator in these pellicle storage containers, there is no problem of contact with the film when the separator is peeled off, and a great advantage is that the pellicle can be easily taken out by an automatic machine. It is what has.

JP 2009-128635 A JP2011-34020

  However, according to the subsequent examinations by the present inventors, it has been clarified that even in such a pellicle storage container, there are some problems in operation such as transporting it. For example, in the pellicle storage container described in Patent Document 1, the pellicle to be stored is supported by the pellicle frame support means in the vertical direction, and the horizontal direction is regulated and fixed by a pin. The mask adhesive layer applied to the pellicle frame comes into contact with the pellicle frame support means and is damaged because the pellicle frame horizontally vibrates or moves on the pellicle frame support means due to impact during transportation It became clear that this problem would occur.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an improved pellicle storage container so that the mask adhesive layer is not damaged when a pellicle not using a separator is transported. Is to provide.

That is, the pellicle storage container of the present invention is a pellicle having a pellicle storage container body that stores a rectangular pellicle that does not use a separator that protects the mask adhesive layer, and a lid that fits and seals the pellicle storage container body. On the pellicle storage container body, a pellicle frame support means having a stepped shape with the outside raised is provided on the main body of the pellicle storage container , and the pellicle frame support means extends from the corner of the stored pellicle to the full length of each side. On the other hand, it is arranged only in the range of 30%, and the mask adhesive layer uncoated region of the pellicle frame is supported on the lower step of the stepped pellicle frame support means.

  Further, the pellicle frame support means is preferably arranged closer to the inner side of the pellicle as it is closer to the center of the side of the pellicle to be stored, and its surface is releasable with respect to the mask adhesive layer of the stored pellicle. It is preferable to have.

  According to the present invention, since the pellicle frame support means is formed in a step shape, the pellicle frame is more reliably fixed in the horizontal direction. Therefore, even if the position of the pellicle frame moves due to impact during transportation of the pellicle, the gap between the pellicle frame support means and the mask adhesive layer is maintained at a certain distance or more. Can be prevented.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an AA sectional view showing an embodiment of the pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a BB sectional view showing an embodiment of the pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of part C showing an embodiment of the pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the pellicle storage container of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a pellicle storage container of a comparative example. FIG. 8 is an FF sectional view showing a pellicle storage container of a comparative example.

  Hereinafter, although the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated, this invention is not limited to this. The present invention is particularly effective when applied to a large pellicle having a side length exceeding 500 mm, but is not limited by the size or application of the pellicle.

  1 to 6 show an embodiment of a pellicle storage container according to the present invention. In FIGS. 1 to 4, a pellicle storage container main body 11 and a lid 17 fitted and locked at the peripheral edge thereof are shown. The illustration is omitted.

  A pellicle frame support means 12, a pin 14, and a pin support means 15 are provided on the pellicle storage container main body 11. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a mask adhesive layer 22 is provided inside the lower surface of the pellicle frame 21, and a mask adhesive layer non-application region 23 is provided on the outer peripheral portion. A pellicle film 25 is stretched through the adhesive layer 24.

  In the case of the pellicle storage container 10 of the present invention, a mask adhesive layer uncoated region 23 is provided on the outer periphery of the surface of the pellicle frame 21 where the mask adhesive layer 22 is provided, and the mask adhesive layer uncoated region 23 of the pellicle frame 21 is It is only necessary to provide the stepped pellicle frame support means 12 to be supported, and other specifications are not limited.

  The pellicle frame support means 12 is formed in a step shape, and the mask adhesive layer non-application region 23 of the pellicle frame 21 is placed and supported on the lower step. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, it is preferable to provide a step 12a at a lower step and to support the mask adhesive layer uncoated region 23 of the pellicle frame 21 on the step 12a. Further, since this stepped shape has the vertical surface 12b having a height of 50% or more of the height of the pellicle frame, the vertical surface 12b can restrict the movement of the pellicle frame 21 in the horizontal direction.

  The pellicle frame support means 12 has a stepped shape with the outer side raised, and the upper part thereof is preferably a tapered surface 12c that opens outward at an angle of 5 to 45 °, and the height of the top part is automatic. In order to facilitate the removal operation of the pellicle 20 by a machine or a removal jig, it is preferably lower than the surface of the pellicle film 25.

  Further, the pellicle frame support means 12 is provided on each side of the pellicle 20, and is disposed only within a range of 30% (D or E shown in FIG. 1) from the corner of the pellicle 20 to be accommodated to the total length of each side. It is preferable that This is because the pellicle frame 21 is bent inward due to the film tension, and the degree of the bending increases toward the center of the side, so that the range (D) is 30% from the corner of the pellicle frame 21. If the pellicle frame support means 12 is disposed near the center of the side of the pellicle frame 21 beyond E), the mask adhesive layer non-application region 23 is properly placed on the stepped portion 12a of the pellicle frame support means 12. This is because the mask adhesive layer 22 may come into contact with the pellicle storage container body 11 without dropping.

  Further, the pellicle frame support means 12 is arranged in a range of 30% from the corner of the pellicle frame 21 (D or E), and is arranged closer to the inside of the pellicle closer to the center of the pellicle side. Preferably it is. This is because the situation in which the pellicle frame 21 moves in the horizontal direction due to an impact or the like generated during transportation is more strictly regulated, so that contact with the mask adhesive layer 22 can be reliably prevented.

  The gap between the vertical surface 12b of the pellicle frame support means 12 and the outer surface of the pellicle frame 21 is preferably in the range of 0.2 to 2 mm, although it depends on the width of the mask adhesive layer uncoated region 23. If it is less than 0.2 mm, insertion and removal are difficult, and if it exceeds 2 mm, the regulation is too loose to achieve its purpose.

  The surface of the pellicle frame support means 12 preferably has releasability from the mask adhesive layer 22 of the pellicle 20 to be stored. Even if the mask adhesive layer 22 contacts for some reason, it is preferable because serious damage can be avoided. The release property may be imparted by applying a material having a release property on the surface, or the pellicle frame support means 12 may be manufactured from such a material. This material may be selected according to the material of the mask adhesive layer 22, but for example, a fluorine-based resin such as PTFE for the mask adhesive layer 22 of a rubber adhesive or an acrylic adhesive. Alternatively, a silicone resin can be used.

  When the release agent is applied to the surface of the pellicle frame support means 12, it can be applied by a known method such as spraying, dipping, or brushing. When a general silicone release agent is used, it is easy to peel off when the film thickness is thick.

  The size of the pellicle frame support means 12 is the length along the pellicle frame 21 and is preferably about 10 to 50 mm, and can be attached to the pellicle storage container body 11 by a known method such as adhesion. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable to fasten and fix from the outside of the pellicle storage container body 11 with bolts 16. In addition, it is more preferable to insert-mold the plate-like nut 13 having a female thread inside because the fixing strength can be greatly increased.

  FIG. 5 is an example showing an embodiment of the pellicle frame support means 12. The step portion 12a is not provided over the entire pellicle frame support means 12, but is provided only in a part of the region, and the length w1 is preferably about 3 to 8 mm. In this embodiment, since the region of the stepped portion 12a on which the pellicle frame 21 is placed is small, the flexibility is increased and the cushioning property can be improved.

  Moreover, the width | variety w2 of a level | step-difference part can be adjusted by adding the process which cuts an inner side manually with a cutter etc. to the level | step-difference part 12a as needed. The width w2 of the stepped portion needs to be set according to the width of the mask adhesive layer non-application region 23 of the pellicle 20 to be stored. If the form of the pellicle frame support means 12 is the form shown in FIG. Since the molding die can deal with the pellicle 20 of various sizes, its practicality is enhanced.

  The lower surface of the pellicle 20 is supported by the stepped portion 12a of the pellicle frame support means 12 and its horizontal movement is also restricted by the vertical surface 12b. However, the pellicle 20 is subject to vibration generated during transportation of the pellicle storage container 10. It is necessary to fix the pellicle 20 on the pellicle storage container body 11 so that the pellicle 20 does not jump out of the frame support means 12.

  In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the pin 14 inserted in a non-through hole (not shown) provided on the side surface of the pellicle frame 21 and the pin 14 are held like the pellicle storage container described in Patent Document 1. The pellicle 20 is fixed by the pin holding means 15 that performs the above operation. The fixing means for the pellicle 20 may be another known method, and is not limited to the pin 14 and the pin holding means 15 for holding the pin 14.

  The pellicle storage container body 11 and the lid body 17 are preferably manufactured by vacuum molding or pressure molding using a resin plate of acrylic, ABS, PVC, PC or the like having a thickness of about 2 to 8 mm, but each side is 200 mm. In the case of the following small-sized ones, they may be manufactured by injection molding. Further, the pellicle storage container body 11 is preferably black for improving the visibility of adhered foreign matter, and the lid 17 is transparent or colored translucent so that the stored pellicle 20 can be easily visually recognized. Is preferred.

  Furthermore, the pellicle storage container body 11 and the lid body 17 are both suitable for imparting antistatic performance to the resin itself, or applying antistatic coating to the surface thereof from the viewpoint of preventing foreign matter adhesion, and flame retardancy. It is more preferable from the viewpoint of safety.

  Next, examples of the present invention will be described in detail.

  In the example, first, a pellicle storage container 10 as shown in FIGS. The pellicle storage container body 11 is made by using an antistatic black ABS plate material having a thickness of 5 mm, and the lid body 17 shown in FIG. 6 is manufactured by vacuum molding using an antistatic transparent ABS plate material having a thickness of 5 mm. The size was 1100 × 1280 × 120 mm.

  The pellicle frame support means 12 uses a styrene elastomer (trade name: Septon, manufactured by Kuraray Plastics Co., Ltd.) as a material, and inserts a plate-like nut 13 made of SUS304 as shown in FIG. , Produced by injection molding. The pellicle frame support means 12 was attached to the pellicle storage container main body 11 with two bolts 16 from the back side.

  The mounting position of the pellicle frame support means 12 is as shown in FIG. 1, and four positions a, b, c, and d arranged on the long side of the pellicle frame 21 are 30% of the long side length from the pellicle frame angle. It is attached within the range of D which is the region of On the other hand, the two e and f arranged on the short side are attached within the range of E which is 30% of the short side length from the pellicle frame angle. Of the four pellicle frame support means 12 arranged on the long side, two b and c are attached to the inside of 0.7 mm relative to the other two a and d.

  Next, pin holding means 15 manufactured by injection molding of ABS resin is bonded and fixed on the pellicle storage container main body 11. Prior to this bonding and fixing, the pins 14 inserted into the pin holding means 15 are adjusted in position so as to fit into non-through holes (not shown) provided on the outer surface of the pellicle frame.

  On the other hand, a pellicle 20 was prepared for use in evaluating the pellicle storage container 10. The pellicle 20 has a pellicle frame 21 with a long side outer dimension of 1120 mm, a short side outer dimension of 900 mm, a frame width of 12 mm, and a frame height of 5.8 mm. The pellicle frame 21 of the pellicle 20 is coated with a mask adhesive layer 22 having a height of 1.3 mm and a width of 4 mm with respect to a width of 12 mm. Therefore, as shown in FIG. Thus, the mask adhesive layer uncoated region 23 where the mask adhesive layer 22 is not applied is formed.

  The material of the pellicle frame 21 shown in FIG. 4 is an A6061 aluminum alloy. The surface of the pellicle frame 21 was sandblasted to about Ra0.6, and then the black alumite treatment was performed to manufacture the pellicle frame 21. The mask adhesive layer 22 is made of silicone adhesive (trade name KR-3700, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), and the pellicle film adhesive layer 24 is made of silicone adhesive (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.). Product name KR-3700). The pellicle film 25 is made of a fluororesin (made by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., trade name Cytop) with a thickness of 4 μm.

  The pellicle 20 is placed on the frame support means 12 on the pellicle storage container main body 11, and the pins 14 supported by the pin holding means 15 are inserted into holes (not shown) on the outer surface of the pellicle frame 21. Then, the pellicle 20 was covered with a lid 17 and sealed, and the periphery was sealed with an adhesive tape to complete the pellicle storage container 10.

  Finally, in order to evaluate the pellicle storage container 10, the pellicle storage container 10 in which the pellicle 20 is stored is stored in a packing box made of reinforced corrugated cardboard and foam cushion material, and a truck transportation test is performed over a distance of about 1000 km in both directions. Then, the pellicle storage container 10 was unpacked in a clean room, and the pellicle 20 was inspected for damage and foreign matter adhesion in a dark room.

  As a result of the inspection, no increase in foreign matter adhered to the pellicle 20 was observed. Further, when the portion of the pellicle frame 21 that was in contact with the frame support means 12 was also inspected in the same manner, there was no evidence of foreign matter adhesion or rubbing, and the mask adhesive layer 22 was completely free of defects such as contact marks. I couldn't see it.

Comparative example

  In the comparative example, the pellicle storage container 70 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 was manufactured. FIG. 7 is a plan view, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line FF in FIG. The material of the pellicle frame support part 72 was made of styrene elastomer (Kuraray Plastics Co., Ltd., trade name: Septon), and the pellicle frame support part 72 was produced by injection molding. The pellicle frame support portion 72 has no step and has a flat top surface.

  Further, the pellicle storage container 70 is the same as the pellicle storage container 10 of the above embodiment except that the pellicle frame support portion 72 is mounted at an equal position including the central portion of each long and short side. It is made to become.

  Next, in order to evaluate the pellicle storage container 70, the same pellicle 20 as in the above embodiment was stored in the pellicle storage container 70, and a transportation test was similarly performed over a distance of about 1000 km by truck transportation. Later, the pellicle storage container 70 was carried into a clean room for evaluation.

  As a result of the evaluation, when the pellicle 20 was tried to be taken out from the pellicle storage container 70, a portion where the mask adhesive layer 22 near the center of the long side was in contact with and adhered to the pellicle frame support means 72 was observed. Then, when the part which adhere | attached slowly was peeled and the part was visually confirmed, the damage by contact has arisen in the mask adhesion layer 22, and it was confirmed that it cannot be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pellicle storage container 11 Pellicle storage container main body 12 Pellicle frame support means 12a Step part 12b Vertical surface 12c Tapered surface 13 Plate-like nut 14 Pin 15 Pin holding means 16 Bolt 17 Lid 20 Pellicle 21 Pellicle frame 22 Mask adhesion layer 23 Mask adhesion Layer uncoated region 24 Pellicle film adhesive layer 25 Pellicle film 70 Pellicle storage container 71 of comparative example Pellicle storage container body 72 of comparative example Pellicle frame support means a, b, c, d, e, f Pellicle frame support means w1 Pellicle frame support means Step length w2 Pellicle frame support means Step width

Claims (4)

A pellicle storage container body having a pellicle storage container main body that stores a rectangular pellicle that does not use a separator that protects the mask adhesive layer, and a lid that fits and seals with the pellicle storage container main body, the pellicle storage container On the main body, a pellicle frame support means having a stepped shape with the outer side raised is provided, and the pellicle frame support means is arranged only within 30% of the total length of each side from the corner of the stored pellicle. together are, the stepped lower stages of the pellicle frame support means, the pellicle container, characterized in that the mask pressure-sensitive layer uncoated region of the pellicle frame is supported. 2. The pellicle storage container according to claim 1 , wherein the pellicle frame support means is arranged closer to the inner side of the pellicle as it is closer to the center of the side of the pellicle to be stored. A pellicle storage container body having a pellicle storage container main body that stores a rectangular pellicle that does not use a separator that protects the mask adhesive layer, and a lid that fits and seals with the pellicle storage container main body, the pellicle storage container On the main body, a pellicle frame support means having a stepped shape with the outer side raised is provided, and the pellicle frame support means is arranged closer to the inner side of the pellicle closer to the central part of the side of the pellicle to be stored. together with the lower stage of the stepped pellicle frame supporting means, the pellicle container, characterized in that the mask pressure-sensitive layer uncoated region of the pellicle frame is supported.   The pellicle storage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pellicle frame support means has releasability from the mask adhesive layer of the pellicle stored on the surface thereof.

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