JPH023546Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a support for an X-ray exposure mask.

Conventionally, for X-ray exposure masks, a pattern was formed on the mask and then a window for transmitting X-rays was molded, but since the thickness of the window film needed to be extremely thin, the window was molded. During this process, it was often the case that the window membrane was accidentally broken and the pattern that had already been formed was destroyed. Therefore, a method has been proposed in which a window for X-ray transmission is first provided in a mask, and then a pattern is formed by electron beam exposure or the like in a vacuum. However, when forming a pattern using an electron beam or the like in a vacuum, a support is required to support the mask in a vacuum, but with conventional supports, a plate-shaped holding plate and a mask window are used. A space closed from the outside is formed in between, and when a vacuum atmosphere is created or released, a large pressure difference is created between the closed space and the outside space due to residual air, which causes the window to close. The drawback was that the film was torn, making it impossible to form a pattern on the mask. The same thing can also be said when working in a vacuum, such as when supporting a mask with a pattern already formed in a vacuum and observing it with an electron microscope. Not only was it impossible to carry out such work, but there were also cases where large economic losses were incurred.

Therefore, the present invention has a structure in which a hole is formed in the holding plate at a position facing the window of the mask so that the space formed between the window and the holding plate can communicate with the external space. It is an object of the present invention to provide a support for an X-ray exposure mask that eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically explained based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the X-ray exposure mask support 1 has a lower stand 3 supported by a plurality of support legs 2, and an upper stand 6 is connected above the lower stand 3 via a plurality of pins 5. is permanently installed. An exposure hole 6a is bored in the center of the upper table 6, and a protrusion 6b for mask positioning is formed on the lower surface of the upper table 6. A holding plate 7 is provided between the upper stand 6 and the lower stand 3, and a leaf spring 9,
9' is contracted, and the leaf springs 9, 9' always urge the presser plate 7 upward in the figure. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holding plate 7 is provided with a large number of holes 7a, and the holes 7a are configured to face windows 10a of an X-ray exposure mask 10, which will be described later. ing. On the other hand, a large number of windows 10a are formed in the X-ray exposure mask 10, and the film 10b of the windows 10a is formed extremely thin, so that the exposure X-rays can easily pass therethrough. Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, when forming a pattern on the X-ray exposure mask 10 using an electron beam or the like, as shown in FIG. The mask 10 is inserted between the upper stand 6 and the holding plate 7 by pushing it downward in the figure until one end of the mask 10 comes into contact with the protrusion 6b. When the insertion of the mask 10 is completed, the presser plate 7
is moved upward by the elasticity of springs 9 and 9',
The mask 10 is retained and held between the presser plate 7 and the upper stand 6. Then, the window 10a of the mask 10 and the presser plate 7
However, since the window 10a and the hole 7a of the holding plate 7 face each other, the space 11 is formed between
1 communicates with the external space through the hole 7a and is not blocked. Next, when the atmosphere around the mask 10 is drawn down to a vacuum state for exposure, the space 11
Air inside the space 11 is also drawn through the hole 7a in the same way as the outside space, and no pressure difference is created between the inside and outside of the space 11.
When the exposure is finished and the vacuum state is released, the vacuum state is released in the space 11 as well as in the external space,
There is no pressure difference between the inside and outside of the space 11.

In addition, although the above-mentioned embodiment explained the case where a pattern is formed on the mask 10 for X-ray exposure, it is not limited to pattern formation, but can be applied to all operations in which the mask 10 is operated in a vacuum, such as during pattern observation using an electron microscope. Of course, it may also be used for.

As explained above, according to the present invention, the hole 7a of the holding plate 7 allows the window 1 of the X-ray exposure mask 10 to
The space 11 formed between 0a and the holding plate 7 communicates with the outside space, and no pressure difference is generated inside and outside the space 11 when a vacuum atmosphere is created or released. Not only can work in a vacuum such as pattern formation on the mask 10 using an electron beam or the like and pattern observation using an electron microscope be reliably performed without storing the window 10a, but also economic losses caused by breakage of the window 10a can be prevented. can do.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing an embodiment of an X-ray exposure mask support according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a presser plate. 1...Support, 7...Press plate, 7a...Hole, 1
0...Mask for X-ray exposure, 10a...Window, 11...
…space.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A lower stand, an upper stand which has an exposure hole fixed to the lower stand and has an X-ray exposure mask positioning part on the lower surface, and is provided between the lower stand and the upper stand and is always attached to the upper stand side by an elastic body. consisting of a presser plate that is pressed
A support capable of supporting an X-ray exposure mask having an X-ray transmission window between the upper stand and the holding plate, the holding plate having a hole bored at a position at least facing the window, X configured to communicate the space formed between the window and the holding plate with an external space.
Support for line exposure mask.