JPH036915Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to a container for storing a pellicle used for dustproofing photomasks and reticles.

<Prior art> A pellicle is an optically transparent thin film that prevents fine dust from adhering to a photomask or reticle during the exposure-baking lithography process for semiconductor manufacturing, and improves semiconductor product yield. used for the purpose of improving.
This pellicle is an extremely thin polymer film with a thickness of 0.5 to 10 μm, and is used with its periphery supported by a metal or plastic support frame. The pellicle itself is vulnerable to external shocks, and it is also undesirable for dust to adhere to the pellicle itself and bring it into the lithography process. It is being done.

3 and 4 are cross-sectional views showing a conventionally used pellicle container. The container shown in FIG. 3 includes a substrate 33 on which an annular support frame 32 with a pellicle 31 attached to one side is placed, and a protrusion 34a that presses the support frame 32 toward the substrate 33. It consists of a plastic cover body 34 that is fitted or crimped onto the body 33, and an exterior 35 that covers the entire body in the assembled state.
In the container shown in FIG. 4, the surface to which the pellicle 31 is pasted and the surface of the support frame 32 on the opposite side from the extraction are attached to a flat substrate 34 via an adhesive 36 having adhesive strength sufficient to be removable. is mounted and supported, and the substrate 34
The support frame 32 is housed in a cover body 37 to which the flange portion 37a is bonded with adhesive, and the entire support frame 32 is attached to the outer bag 3.
Covered by 5. This structure prevents dust from adhering to the pellicle 31 during storage and transportation.

<Problems to be solved by the invention> However, in the container shown in Figure 3,
Since the pellicle 31 is supported near the substrate 33,
When taking out the pellicle 31 together with the support frame 32, the pellicle may be damaged, and since it cannot be completely fixed in the container, there is a problem that the fixed position may shift during transportation. Furthermore, in the container shown in FIG. 3, the support frame 32 is stored with the side opposite to the surface to which the pellicle 31 is attached open without being sealed with a flexible sheet or the like, so that when the support frame 32 is taken out from the container, Another problem is that the inner surface of the pellicle 31 (the inner side surface of the support frame 32) is exposed to the outside air and becomes susceptible to dust, which is not desirable.

This is because dust adhering to the inner surface of the pellicle 31 directly adheres to the photomask or reticle during use and has a greater adverse effect than dust adhering to the outer surface.

Further, in the case of the container shown in FIG. 4, the possibility of damage to the pellicle 31 is low, but the support frame 3 is
Since the pellicle 2 is bonded to the pellicle 31, there is a problem in that the impact is large when it is peeled off, and dust tends to adhere to the inner surface of the pellicle 31 when it is peeled off.

Furthermore, although both containers can be kept in good storage conditions, the pellicle must be handled manually when removed from the container in order to be attached to a photomask, reticle, or exposure device. At that time, there is a problem that dust is generated and attached.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a dustproof container for a pellicle that prevents damage to the pellicle, can be securely fixed, and is easy to take out.

<Means for Solving the Problems> In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a support frame having a flexible sheet pasted on the side surface opposite to the side surface to which the pellicle is pasted, which is fitted into the circumferential groove of the support frame. It is supported by combined spacers, and this spacer is provided with a notch for taking out the support frame.

That is, the dustproof container according to the present invention includes an annular support frame having a pellicle attached to the upper surface and a circumferential groove formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a flexible sheet attached to the lower surface of the support frame with an adhesive. and a plurality of spacers each having an edge that fits into the circumferential groove of the support frame, and a plurality of spacers each having a notch for taking out the support frame whose one end is open at the edge, and a flange portion at the circumference. and a pair of tray-shaped cover bodies formed therein, and the spacer fitted in the circumferential groove is held between both sides by the flange portion of each cover body, and the support frame is housed in the space of the cover body. Additionally, an overlapping portion of the flange portion and the spacer in the holding portion is sealed with an adhesive tape.

<Function> In the present invention, when the spacer is fitted into the circumferential groove of the support frame and the spacer is clamped by the flange portion of the cover body, the support frame is supported in a non-contact state inside the cover body via the spacer, thereby preventing damage. . On the other hand, by sealing the overlapping portion of the spacer and the flange portion of the cover body with an adhesive tape, dust is prevented from entering the cover body. To remove the pellicle, peel off the adhesive tape and open the cover.
This is done by inserting a robot hand or the like into a notch in the spacer to grasp the support frame, and then releasing the spacer from the fitting.

<Examples> Examples illustrating the present invention will be specifically described below.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. A pellicle 1 is attached to the upper surface of an annular support frame 2, and a flexible sheet 4 is attached to the other side via an adhesive 3. The adhesive 3 used is one that has enough adhesive strength to be removable, and the flexible sheet 4 is attached to the support frame 2 by the adhesive 3.
The bottom surface of the holder is removably sealed. Therefore, when the pellicle 1 is used in an exposure device, the flexible sheet 4 is peeled off, and in other cases, for example, when the support frame is taken out from the container or when the support frame is stored, the flexible sheet 4 is attached to the support frame 2. This prevents dust from adhering to the inner surface of the pellicle 1 on the support frame 2 side. Here, the flexible sheet 4 is formed to have approximately the same diameter as the support frame 2. The material of the flexible sheet 4 is preferably a transparent plastic film such as polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyamide, etc., and a durable film having a thickness of 20 to 200 μm is preferable.

A circumferential groove 5 having a rectangular cross section is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the support frame 2, and spacers 6 and 7 are fitted into the circumferential groove 5. In this embodiment, the spacers 6 and 7 are divided into two parts, and each spacer 6 and 7 has edges 6a, 7a that are curved with the same curvature as the circumferential groove 5 and fitted into the circumferential groove 5. , cutouts 6b, 7 with one end open at the edges 6a, 7a
b is formed. The notches 6b, 7b are formed at positions facing each other, and the notches 6b, 7b are formed at positions facing each other.
When a robot hand or the like is inserted into 7b, the support frame 2 is gripped from both sides. The flange portions 8a, 9a of the cover bodies 8, 9 contact the outer portions of the spacers 6, 7 from both sides, thereby supporting the spacers 6, 7. The cover bodies 8 and 9 are formed into a tray shape with a central portion bulging outward, and a spacer 6,
Flange portions 8a and 9a are formed to sandwich 7. Therefore, when the spacers 6 and 7 are sandwiched from both sides by the flanges 8a and 9a, the spacers 6 and
The support frame 2 into which the pellicle 7 is fitted is stored in the space 10 formed by the covers 8 and 9, but this storage is performed in a non-contact manner, thereby preventing damage to the pellicle 1. The material of the cover bodies 8 and 9 is as follows:
polyvinyl chloride, polymethyl methacrylate,
Plastics such as polycarbonate, polystyrene, acrylonitrile/styrene copolymer, and cellulose acetate can be used, but transparent ones are preferable because the condition of the pellicle and the presence of dust can be checked from the outside.

The flange portions 8a of such cover bodies 8, 9,
Adhesive tape 11 is attached to the four circumferences of the overlapping portion between the spacers 9a and the spacers 6 and 7 to seal the overlapping portion, thereby sealing the space 10 of the cover bodies 8 and 9.
Intrusion of dust into the pellicle 1 is prevented, and dust adhesion to the pellicle 1 is effectively prevented.
Furthermore, the whole assembled in this way is an outer bag 1.
2 and seals the opening of the outer bag 12.
By doing so, the entire container is isolated from the outside. Note that a part of the flexible sheet 4 is attached to the support frame 2.
This extending piece 4a serves as a guide when the flexible sheet 4 is peeled off. Therefore, according to such a container, the pellicle 1 is housed in the cover bodies 8 and 9 in a non-contact manner, so that damage to the pellicle 1 can be prevented.
Furthermore, the edges of the spacers 6 and 7 fit into the circumferential groove 5 of the support frame 2, and the spacers 6 and 7 are sandwiched and supported by the cover bodies 8 and 9, so that the support frame 2 can be securely fixed. be exposed.

Next, in order to take out the pellicle 1 stuck to the support frame 2 in this state, first, the outer bag 12 is torn and the container is taken out. Next, peel off the adhesive tape 11,
Open the cover bodies 8 and 9 using the remaining adhesive tape on one side as a hinge. Then, while supporting the support frame 2 from both sides by inserting a robot hand or the like into the notches 6b and 7b of the spacers 6 and 7,
Pull the support frame 2 apart from side to side and take out the support frame 2. Thereafter, the flexible sheet 4 is peeled off using the extending piece 4a as a guide, thereby installing it into the exposure apparatus.
Therefore, the pellicle 1 can be easily removed without being damaged.

<Effects of the invention> As described above, according to the invention, the support frame, in which the pellicle is stretched on the upper surface and the flexible sheet is stretched on the lower surface, is supported by the spacer using the fitting structure, and the spacer is held between the support frames. Since the pellicle is stored in a non-contact manner inside the cover body, dust adhesion and damage to the pellicle can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, when removing the pellicle, the inner surface of the pellicle is protected by a flexible sheet, which prevents dust from adhering to the inner surface of the pellicle, and the spacer can be removed using a robot hand or the like using the spacer notch. You don't have to touch it directly because you can.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are sectional views of each conventional example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Pellicle, 2... Support frame, 3... Adhesive, 4... Flexible sheet, 5... Peripheral groove, 6, 7...
...Spacer, 6a, 7a...Edge, 6a, 7b...
...Notch, 8, 9...Cover body, 8a, 9a...
flange part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] An annular support frame with a pellicle attached to the upper surface and a circumferential groove formed on the outer peripheral surface; a flexible sheet attached to the lower surface of the support frame with an adhesive; a plurality of spacers each having an edge that fits into the circumferential groove of the support frame and a notch for taking out the support frame whose one end is open; and a flange portion formed at the circumference. a pair of tray-shaped cover bodies, the spacer fitted in the circumferential groove is held between both sides by the flange portion of each cover body, and the support frame is housed in the space of the cover body; A dustproof container for a pellicle, characterized in that an overlapping portion of the flange portion and the spacer in the holding portion is sealed with an adhesive tape.