JPS612316A - Drying method for housing cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform a drying process mechanically and quickly by a method wherein ionized nitrogen, dried air and the like are jetted on the housing cassette in a drying vessel through a static electricity removing device. CONSTITUTION:A nozzle 4 is provided in the drying vessel of a drying device, and a static electricity removing device 5 with which gas is ionized is provided in the middle of the piping P of said drying device. A clean mask housing cassette 1 is housed in a cassette housing box 2, and they are placed in a drying vessel 3. Dust is removed by supplying drying gas 9 to a filter 6 from a feeding hole 9, and the gas is ionized by passing through the static electricity removing device. This ionized gas is blown against the cassette 1 from a nozzle 4, and the cassette 1 is dried up while static electricity is being removed by the gas.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for drying and drying a cassette containing a mask or a reticle used in an exposure apparatus in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices after cleaning. .

[Prior art and its problems]

Conventionally, the common method for drying a mask storage cassette after washing it was to leave it in a clean room to dry naturally. This method has the disadvantage that floating dust adheres to the cassette during storage and recontaminates the cleaned cassette.

A large amount of static electricity is charged on the mask storage cassette due to friction with the air in the clean room, and when the mask is stored in the desiccant cassette, static electricity acts on the mask, and when the mask is used, the static electricity is charged. The influence on the pattern was excessive.

Furthermore, the time required for drying is longer than natural drying.
In order to improve drying efficiency, a large drying space was required in the clean room.

As mentioned above, there was an urgent need to improve the drying efficiency after washing and to remove dust and static electricity. Conventionally, measures to solve these problems have been limited to ensuring thorough work methods for workers and improving the cleanliness of drying areas, but these measures have their limits. It was difficult to keep the problems mentioned above completely free.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention provides a method for drying storage cassettes, which mechanically and quickly dries the storage cassettes while preventing the storage cassettes from being electrostatically charged.

[Structure of the invention]

The present invention is a cleaning device that sprays gas onto storage cassettes to dry them, and the storage cassettes in a drying tank are charged with static electricity by injecting gas such as ionized nitrogen or dry air through a static electricity removal device. This is a method of drying a storage cassette, which is characterized in that drying is performed while preventing the drying.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a drying apparatus according to the present invention, in which a nozzle 4 is installed in a drying tank 3, and a static eliminator 5 for ionizing gas is interposed in the middle of a pipe P of the nozzle 4. This is what I did. The mask storage cassette 1 that has been cleaned with a cleaning liquid in the previous process and from which the cleaning liquid has been washed off is stored in a cassette storage box 2, and this storage box 2 is placed in a drying tank 3.
will be brought inside. In the figure, 6 is a filter. Further, an inclined plate 7 is attached to the lower part of the drying tank 3, and the inclined plate 7 is connected to a drain port 8. drying gas,
The gas is passed through a filter 6 from a supply port 9 to remove dust, and further passed through a static electricity removal device 5 to ionize the gas. This ionized gas is sprayed from the nozzle 4 toward the cassette 1 in the drying tank 8, and the cassette 1 is dried while removing static electricity with the ionized gas. The cleaning liquid that falls during drying is received by the inclined plate 7, collected, and drained through the drain port 8. After drying, the storage box and cassette are carried out from the drying tank by a transport device not shown in the figure.
Prepare for drying the next cassette.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention forcibly dries the storage cassette by spraying ionized drying gas, thereby preventing dust and static electricity from adhering to the storage cassette and drying it efficiently in a short time. Even when the mask is stored, static electricity does not act on it and does not affect the pattern. In addition, since it is a forced drying method, drying efficiency can be improved, there is no need to increase the volume of the clean room, and equipment costs can be reduced.

It is obvious that the present invention is applicable not only to drying of mask storage cassettes but also to drying of reticle storage cassettes.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a drying apparatus according to the present invention. 2 ・Storage cassette, 3-drying tank, 4 Spray nozzle, 5
Static eliminator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a cleaning device that sprays gas onto storage cassettes to dry them, the storage cassettes in the drying tank are charged with static electricity by injecting gas such as ionized nitrogen or dry air through a static eliminator. A method for drying a storage cassette, characterized in that drying is performed while preventing.