JPH05216214A - Photomask and pellicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a pellicle by which the attachment/detachment of a photomask and the pellicle and the attachment/detachment of the pellicle to/ from a pellicle frame are attained. CONSTITUTION:The pellicle 1 is attached or detached by fitting a pin inserting hole 11 on the lower end of an upper pellicle 12 out an inserting pin 10 positioned on the corresponding upper end of a lower pellicle 13. Furthermore, the pellicle frame is divided into an upper frame 7 and a lower frame 7, so that the pellicle can be attached and detached.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photomask to be mounted on a photomask used in a photo process in manufacturing a semiconductor device and a photomask protecting pellicle (hereinafter referred to as pellicle) to be mounted on the photomask.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A reduction projection exposure apparatus is used as a method of forming a resist pattern on a semiconductor substrate in a photo process in manufacturing a semiconductor device. In recent years, a foreign matter adhered to a photomask and the foreign matter Transfer has become a major problem, and pellicles have come to be used as a method for preventing transfer of foreign matter.

A pellicle mounted on a conventional photomask is composed of a transparent thin film typified by nitrocellulose.
It is fixed so as to cover the pattern on the reticle with a certain distance from the reticle via a pellicle frame 2 made of an aluminum alloy or the like.

2A and 2B show a conventional photomask and pellicle.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the photomask 3
The pellicle 1 stretched over the upper end of the pellicle frame 2
Is attached.

Hereinafter, description will be given with reference to a sectional view (b) of FIG.

When the pellicle frame 2 is mounted on the surface of the photomask 3, the adhesive layer 5 is formed on the entire circumference of the lower end of the pellicle frame 2.
The pellicle 1 is mounted by providing a portion 1 and adhering the adhesive layer 5 to the surface of the photomask 3.

When the pellicle 1 is removed from the pellicle frame 2, the pellicle film is peeled off in advance, and the pellicle frame 2 is attached to the pellicle frame 2 to be immersed in an organic solvent to remove the adhesive between the pellicle frame 2 and the photomask 3. After melting, the pellicle frame 2 is removed by using a hand or a jig.

[0009]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

(1) However, the above-mentioned conventional technique has the following problems.

Since the pellicle attached to the conventional photomask is firmly attached to the photomask with an adhesive, when the pellicle film is torn and replaced, even if one side is torn, only one side is replaced. Even if it is desired to remove the adhesive, the pellicle frame is immersed in an organic solvent to remove the adhesive, so that the other pellicle that does not need to be reattached must also be removed. Therefore, it took about one day to remove the pellicle frame, wash it, and attach the pellicle to the photomask again.

Therefore, the present invention is to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to divide a pellicle frame into two parts, and to make an upper frame with a pellicle detachable from the lower frame. There is a place to do it.

(2) Further, in the pellicle mounted on the glass surface and the pattern surface of the photomask, the conventional pellicle cannot be removed because it is firmly mounted on the photomask with an adhesive.

Therefore, the present invention solves such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a pin insertion hole formed at the lower end of one pellicle frame and another pin insertion hole corresponding to the pin insertion hole. An object of the present invention is to provide a pellicle that can be fitted to a protruding insertion pin located at the upper end of the pellicle frame and can be mounted on the photomask.

(3) When removing the conventional pellicle frame from the photomask, the adhesive attached to the pellicle frame is immersed in an organic solvent to dissolve it, and the frame is removed using a hand or a jig. Depending on the tool, the glass of the photomask or the pattern surface may be scratched.

Therefore, the present invention solves such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide a pellicle capable of peeling the pellicle frame without using a jig when peeling the pellicle frame. It is in.

[0016]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

(1) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a pellicle mounted on a photomask used in a photo process in manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a pellicle frame is divided into an upper frame and a lower frame, and Since the lower frame and the photomask are not adhered by an adhesive or the like, they are characterized by being removable in the vertical direction. (2) In the pellicle mounted on the glass surface and the pattern surface of the photomask, the pin insertion hole formed at the lower end of one pellicle frame and the protrusion located at the upper end of the other pellicle frame corresponding to the pin insertion hole. The pellicle can be attached to the photomask by mating with the insertion pin. Thus, the pellicle frame is characterized by being removable.

(3) A pellicle attachment / detachment handle is provided at the upper four corners of the pellicle frame.

[0018]

Embodiments of the pellicle according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Similar to the conventional technique, the pellicle mounted on the photomask is made of a transparent thin film typified by nitrocellulose, and is placed at a certain distance from the reticle via a pellicle frame made of aluminum alloy or the like. It is fixed so as to cover the upper pattern.

As shown in the plan view of FIG. 1A, the photomask 3 is mounted on the lower frame 9, and the pellicle 1 stretched on the upper end of the upper frame 8 installed on the lower frame 9 is used to form the photomask. Coat 3.

Description will be given based on the sectional view (b) of FIG. The lower frame 8 is attached to the glass surface 6 and the pattern surface 4 of the photomask 3 and sandwiches the photomask 3. Then, on the upper end of the lower frame 8, the pellicle 1
The pellicle 1 is attached to the photomask 3 by attaching the upper frame 7 with a mark.

From the side view of FIG. 1 (c), the lower pellicle 12 is mounted on the upper pellicle 12 and the lower pellicle 13 to fix the photomask 3 between them. Attach the attached upper pellicle 12.

As shown in FIG. 1D, the mounting state is formed at a position corresponding to the pin insertion hole 11 formed at the lower end of the upper frame 7 with the pellicle 1 and the upper end of the lower frame 8. The insertion pin 10 is fitted and the upper frame 7 and the lower frame 8 are tightly attached and fixed. And
Similarly, the upper pellicle 12 and the lower pellicle 13 have insertion pins formed in the pin insertion holes 11 formed in the lower end of the lower frame 8 of the upper pellicle 12 at positions corresponding to the lower end of the lower frame 8 of the lower pellicle 13. When the upper pellicle 12 and the lower pellicle 13 are in close contact with each other, the pellicle 1 is mounted.

Further, when the upper frame 7 is removed, the pellicle attachment / detachment handle 9 is used to hold the pellicle attachment / detachment handle 9 and apply force vertically to the upper frame 7 in order to remove the pellicle attachment / detachment handle 9. Remove the matching insertion pin 10.

In addition to the pellicle in the embodiment of the present invention, a single-open type pellicle as shown in FIG. 3, a pellicle in which a pellicle frame is attached by a fixture as shown in FIG. 4, and others are shown in FIG. As described above, it can be applied to all the pellicles having the structure in which the photomask is inserted into the integrated pellicle frame.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, the pellicle, which has been a problem in the past, is firmly attached to the photomask with an adhesive, so that the pellicle film of the pellicle is broken. In this case, even if one side is torn,
Even if you wanted to replace only the pellicle on one side, you had to peel off the other pellicle that did not need to be replaced, but remove the upper frame of the pellicle frame on the torn side of the pellicle film from the lower frame, By reattaching the upper frame with the new pellicle membrane to the lower frame, the pellicle that does not need to be peeled off can be peeled off, so that the cost is half that of the conventional one.

Moreover, since only the upper frame with the broken pellicle film is replaced, the time required for remounting the pellicle can be greatly reduced.

Further, since the upper pellicle and the lower pellicle can be easily removed, there is an effect that even if foreign matter adheres when the pellicle is mounted, it can be removed and washed.

For the above reasons, there is also an effect that it is possible to prevent the photomask from being scratched by a jig used for removing the pellicle frame.

Further, the pellicle attachment / detachment handle at the upper end of the pellicle frame has an effect that the pellicle can be easily removed by hand.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is a plan view of a pellicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is sectional drawing of the top view AA of the pellicle in the Example of this invention. (C) shows the side view of the pellicle in the Example of this invention. (D) is
The figure which shows the mounting state of the pellicle in the Example of this invention.

FIG. 2A is a plan view of a conventional pellicle.
(B) shows sectional drawing of the top view BB of the conventional pellicle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing another pellicle of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another pellicle of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another pellicle of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Pellicle 2 ... Pellicle frame 3 ... Photomask 4 ... Pattern 5 ... Adhesive layer 6 ... Glass surface 7 ... Upper frame 8 ...・ ・ Lower frame 9 ・ ・ ・ ・ Pellicle removable handle 10 ・ ・ ・ ・ Insertion pin 11 ・ ・ ・ ・ Pin insertion hole 12 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Upper pellicle 13 ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ Lower pellicle

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A photomask used in a photo process and a pellicle for protecting a photomask mounted on the photomask (hereinafter referred to as a pellicle), wherein a pellicle frame is divided into an upper frame and a lower frame, and the pellicle is formed. The lower frame and the photomask are not adhered to each other by an adhesive or the like, so that the photomask and the pellicle can be detached vertically. 2. A pellicle mounted on a glass surface and a pattern surface of a photomask, the pin insertion hole formed at the lower end of one pellicle frame, and the upper end of the other pellicle frame corresponding to the pin insertion hole. A photomask and a pellicle, wherein the photomask and the pellicle can be attached and detached by fitting with a protruding insertion pin. 3. A photomask and a pellicle, wherein pellicle attachment / detachment handles are provided at four corners of an upper end of a pellicle frame.