TWI760062B - Reticle pod provided with holding pins and method for holding reticle - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses reticle pod having a lid and a plurality of pin assemblies. The pin assembly includes a movable member movable relatively to a ceiling of the lid and an elastic member configured to arrange the movable member in between the elastic member and the ceiling of the lid. In the case where the reticle pod is provided without receiving a reticle, the ceiling of the reticle pod determines the movable member stays at a first level. In the case where the reticle pod is provided with a reticle, the elastic member collaborates with the movable member such that the movable member holds the reticle at a second level that is higher than the first level.

Description

Reticle box provided with retaining pin assembly and method of retaining a reticle

The present invention relates to a reticle pod, and more particularly, to a reticle pod provided with retaining pin assemblies that can interact with a reticle housing.

In the current extreme ultraviolet (EUV) process, the photomask involved needs to be protected by a dedicated EUV photomask inner pod. When the lid of the inner box of the photomask is combined with the base, in order to maintain the position of the photomask, so that the photomask cannot be displaced in the inner box of the photomask, a known method uses an EUV outer pod to accommodate the inner box of the photomask. The reticle in the inner box is clamped and fixed by an applied force, and the excess clamping force is absorbed by an appropriate mechanism arrangement. Therefore, the retaining pin assembly of the photomask inner box plays an important role.

For example, Taiwan Patent Publication No. 201931007 discloses a holding pin assembly arranged in the box cover of the inner box of the photomask box, which can be pressed vertically by the pressing plane of the outer box cover, and then press the photomask with the pin. In the case of pressing down the flat surface, the retaining pin assembly slightly protrudes from the retaining pin assembly cover by a distance. In the case of pressing down the flat surface, the pressed portion of the retaining pin is parallel to the top surface of the retaining pin assembly cover. The retaining pin assembly here is an integrally formed component, and provides a pressing force in direct contact with the outer box cover.

However, it should be understood that the components of the pod will still be subject to tolerances due to unavoidable manufacturing factors such as surface deflection. Taking the reticle disclosed above as an example, tolerances may exist in the pod's lid thickness, base thickness, retention pin length, retention pin pressure surface flatness, reticle support post height, and retention pin assembly cover. height, etc. The accumulation of these tolerances can result in suboptimal reticle retention (eg, inability to hold the reticle with four retaining pins) and even affect the pod seal. The problem can be that when the reticle is housed in the reticle box, the retaining pins are jacked up, but due to the tolerance buildup of components such as the retaining pins and the retaining pin assembly cover, the lifted retaining pins collide with the cover structure above, thereby At the same time, lift the box cover to form a gap between the box cover and the base that affects the sealing.

In view of the precision of the reticle, it is necessary to develop a retaining pin design that can compensate for the tolerances of the components to meet the accommodating requirements of the reticle and the tightness of the reticle box.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photomask box having a box cover and one or more pin assemblies provided on the box cover. The pin assembly includes: a movable portion configured to be vertically movable relative to a top of the box cover; and an elastic portion configured to make the movable portion interposed between the elastic portion and the top of the box cover. When the reticle box does not accommodate a reticle, the top of the box cover determines that the movable part is at a first level, and when the reticle box accommodates the reticle, the elastic part cooperates with the movable part to make the movable part The movable part holds the photomask at a second level, and the second level is higher than the first level.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a photomask box having a box cover and one or more pin assemblies provided on the box cover. The pin assembly includes: a movable portion configured to move vertically relative to a top of the box cover, including a cap portion and a pin, the pin passing through a hole in the box cover and protruding out of the box a lower surface of the cover; and a cover portion disposed on an outer side of the box cover to limit the movement of the movable portion One of the highest levels the cap can reach. When the reticle box accommodates a reticle, the pin abuts on an upper surface of the reticle, and when the cap portion receives an external force directly or indirectly, the cap portion acts on the pin, urging the Pins hold the reticle.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for holding a photomask in a photomask box, the photomask box includes a box cover and a base, wherein the box cover is provided with one or more pin components, and the pin components include : One pin and one cap. The method includes: arranging the pin to be movable vertically relative to a hole of the box cover and protruding from a lower surface of the box cover; configuring a cover part on an outer side of the box cover to limit the reach of the cap part a highest level; a photomask is accommodated in the photomask box, and the pin is moved upward against an upper surface of the photomask; the cap portion directly or indirectly receives an external force, urging the cap The part acts on the pin so that the pin retains the reticle to secure the reticle in the reticle box.

100: Outer box

101: Box cover

102: Pedestal

110: Inner box

111: Box cover

112: Pedestal

113: Top

114: Support pin

115: Limit pin

120: Photomask

200: Cover

2001: Fixing holes

201: Elastic part

2011: Sleeve

2012: Fixed wing

2013: Groove

2014: Mounting Holes

202: Movable part

2021: Hat Department

2022: Pin

400: Press Department

500: Elastic part

501: Connector

600: Cover

6001: Fixing hole

6002: Hole

601: Elastic part

6011: Sleeve

6012: Fixed wing

6013: bump

6014: Mounting holes

6015: Support block

6013: bump

602: Movable part

6021: Hat

6022: pin

604: Press Department

800: Cover

801: The first elastic part

8011: Support block

802: Movable part

803: Second elastic part

M1: The first magnet

M2: Second magnet

L1: Horizontal

L2: Horizontal

R: photomask

The present invention may be further understood with reference to the following drawings and descriptions. Non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples are described with reference to the following figures. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to actual size; emphasis is placed on illustrating the structure and principles.

The first figure is an exploded view of the reticle box and the reticle box accommodated therein.

The second A and the second B are cross-sectional views according to the dashed plane in the first figure, respectively illustrating an embodiment of the pin assembly of the present invention and its state with or without a reticle.

Figures 3 A to 3 C show the components of the aforementioned pin assembly embodiment, respectively.

The fourth figure illustrates the interaction of the aforementioned pin assembly embodiment with a reticle cassette.

Figure 5 illustrates another embodiment of the pin assembly of the present invention.

Figure 6A and Figure 6B are cross-sectional views according to the dashed plane in Figure 1, respectively illustrating yet another embodiment of the pin assembly of the present invention and its state with or without a reticle.

Figures Seventh A through Seventh C show the components of the aforementioned pin assembly embodiment, respectively.

Figure 8 illustrates yet another embodiment of the pin assembly of the present invention.

The invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration specific example embodiments. However, the claimed subject matter may be embodied in many different forms, and thus the construction of the claimed subject matter covered or claimed is not limited to any example embodiments disclosed in this specification; the example embodiments are merely illustrative. Likewise, the present invention is intended to provide a reasonably broad scope for claimed subject matter as applied for or covered. Additionally, for example, the claimed subject matter may be embodied as a method, apparatus or system. Thus, embodiments may take the form of, for example, hardware, software, firmware, or any combination of these (known not to be software).

Use of the word "an embodiment" in this specification does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and use of "other (some/some) embodiments" in this specification does not necessarily refer to a different specific embodiment. It is intended, for example, that the claimed subject matter includes combinations of all or part of the exemplary embodiments.

The first figure shows an exploded view of a reticle. The mask box can be an EUV mask box, and includes an outer box (100) and an inner box (110). It should be understood that the terms "outer box" and "inner box" are used to describe the spatial relationship between the two, and generally the "mask box" may refer to an outer box or an inner box, which should be determined according to the context. The outer box (100) has a box cover (101) and a base (102) which can be combined to accommodate the inner box (110). The inner box (110) has a box cover (111) and a base (112), which is configured to accommodate a photomask (120). The lid (111) of the inner box (110) is provided with a plurality of pin assemblies configured to be able to pass through the outside of the lid (111) of the inner box (110) and the outer box The inner side of the box cover (101) of (100) interacts, thereby causing the pin assembly to exert force on the inner side of the box cover (111). More details and possibilities of the pin assembly will be described later.

In addition, the outer box (100) and the inner box (110) may have more details, but are omitted here, and only the relevant parts of the present invention are described. Although not shown and described, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that, in some configurations, a sensor may be provided on the inside of the lid (101) of the outer box (100) of the reticle, and the base (102) may be provided with a sensor. An air valve is provided, the lid (111) of the inner box (110) can be provided with a gas filter channel, and the base (112) of the inner box (110) can define a photomask accommodating area.

The second picture A and the second picture B are cross-sectional views formed according to the dashed plane shown in the first picture, wherein the second picture A illustrates the pin assembly when the mask box does not contain a mask, and the second picture B illustrates the pin assembly The reticle box houses the pin assembly of the reticle (R).

The second picture A shows the case where the lid (111) of the photomask box is combined with the base (112), but the photomask is not accommodated. The box cover (111) has a thin top (113) and a relatively thick covering portion surrounding the top (113). The box cover (111) is mainly combined with an upper surface of the base (112) with a cover part, so that an effectively closed or semi-closed photomask accommodating space is formed in the inner box (110). The base (112) is provided with a plurality of supporting components, as illustrated in Figure 2 A, each supporting component includes a supporting pin (114) and two limiting pins (115). These supporting components can define a mask accommodating area, and lift the mask slightly above the base (112).

The box cover (111) is provided with a plurality of pin assemblies, for example, the four corners near the box cover (111) can be provided with pin assemblies respectively. The cutaway view shows only a single pin assembly. The pin assembly is mainly located at the top (113) of the box cover (111). The pin assembly includes a cover part (200), an elastic part (201) and a movable part (202).

Also refer to the second A and the third A. The cover (200) has a thin top and relatively thick walls around the top. The top is basically a plane, and the wall has a pair of fixing holes (2001) that allow known fixing means to fix the cover (200) to the mounting position on the outside of the top (113) of the box cover (111) so that the cover The top of the part (200), the wall part and the top of the box cover (113) define an accommodating space for accommodating the elastic part (201) and the part of the movable part (202). An airtight means may be provided between the lid portion (200) and the lid top (113). The height of the cover part (200) can be appropriately selected so that there is a slight gap between the cover part (200) and the elastic part (201).

See also the second picture A and the third picture B. The elastic part (201) has a sleeve (2011) and a pair of fixed wings (2012) extending laterally from both sides thereof. The sleeve (2011) has a top and a wall, and the lower part of the sleeve (2011) is not closed. A groove (2013) is also formed on the top of the sleeve (2011) for placing a first magnet (M1). The fixing wings (2012) extend from the wall of the sleeve (2011) and also have mounting holes (2014) opposite the mounting holes (2001). As shown in the second figure A, a part of the fixed wing (2012) of the elastic part (201) is clamped between the cover part (200) and the top part (113) of the box cover. The dimensions of the sleeve (2011) may be selected such that a gap is formed between the sleeve (2011) and the cover (200) sufficient to allow some degree of deformation of the sleeve (2011), such as longitudinal and lateral deformation .

See also the second picture A and the third picture C. The movable part (202) has a cap part (2021) and a pin (2022). The cap (2021) has a wider radial dimension, and the pin (2022) extends from below the cap (2021) and protrudes from the inside of the top surface (113) through a pin hole in the top (113) of the box cover . As shown in the figure, when the mask box does not contain a mask, there is a gap between the elastic part (201) and the movable part (202) at the first level (L1). The cap part (2021) is accommodated between the elastic part (201) and the top part (113) of the box cover, and the volume of the cap part (2021) is slightly smaller than that of the sleeve The volume of (2011) enables the cap (2021) to move vertically and longitudinally in the sleeve (2011), which also determines the protruding degree of the pin (2022). The top (113) of the box lid may also be formed with a raised ring that engages the bottom of the cap (2021).

In this embodiment, the elastic part (201) can determine a maximum level that the movable part (202) can reach, and the top (113) of the box cover (111) can determine a minimum level (113) that the movable part (201) can reach. No reticle is accommodated). In other embodiments, the maximum level can also be determined by the cover portion (200). Although the sleeve ( 2011 ) of the elastic part ( 201 ) as shown in Figures 2 A and B is elastically deformable, the inner top of the sleeve ( 2011 ) limits the upper movable range of the movable part ( 202 ). As shown in the figure, the inner top of the sleeve (2011) is further formed with a protruding cap (2021) for abutting against the movable part (202). Alternatively, the top of the cover part (200) can also be used to limit the upper movable range of the movable part (202).

The second picture A shows that the movable part (202) is seated on the top part (113) with the cap part (2021) due to its own weight, and the end of the pin (2022) is located on the dotted line as shown in the figure when the photomask is not accommodated. The first level (L1). The second B figure shows, with the reticle contained, the reticle thickness causing the pin (2022) to be lifted to another higher second level (L2), causing the cap (2021) to leave the top (113) and Move towards the top of the elastic part (201) but not necessarily make contact. The movable part (202) may still be in a movable state, that is, there is still a small gap between the lifted movable part (202) and the top surface of the elastic part (201), and the mask has not been clamped. When possible, the lifted movable part (202) flexibly contacts the top of the elastic part (201), so that the sleeve (2011) is slightly deformed, but there is still a gap between the elastic part (201) and the cover part (200). With a small gap or both are in flexible contact. The gap between the elastic part ( 201 ) and the movable member ( 202 ) in the second A diagram may be substantially equal to the gap between the two levels ( L1 , L2 ) in the second B diagram.

The fourth figure illustrates a case where the box cover of a photomask outer box (eg, the box cover 101 in the first figure) is combined with the photomask box. The inner side of the box cover (101) is provided with a plurality of pressing parts (400) corresponding to each pin assembly, and the end of the pressing part (400) is provided with a second magnet (M2), so that when the end of the pressing part (400) approaches or contacts the corresponding pin assembly, the The two magnets (M2) and the first magnet (M1) in the pin assembly are relatively close together. The polarity of the first magnet (M1) is the same as the polarity of the second magnet (M2), so the two magnets that are close to each other have a mutual repulsion effect, forcing the elastic part (201) to deform downwards and pushing the movable part (202) to a lower level move. The pin (2022) exerts pressure on the upper surface of the photomask to form the effect of holding the photomask securely. In a possible configuration, pins (2022) can also apply pressure to the edges of the reticle.

The fifth figure illustrates another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the cover part (200) is similar to the movable part (202) and the previous embodiment, but the aforesaid elastic part (201) is removed and the cap part of the movable part (202) is placed with first magnet. This embodiment provides another elastic part (500), which is fixed between the movable part (202) and the top part (113) of the reticle box cover (111) to provide a longitudinal deformation. Under this arrangement, the top of the cover portion (200) determines a maximum level that the movable portion (202) can reach, and the elastic portion (500) determines a minimum level that the movable portion (202) can reach. Specifically, the elastic part (500) is an annular elastic part and is connected to a connecting part (501) inside the cover part (200).

With the pressing part (400) with the second magnet (M2) as in the fourth figure approaching the pin assembly in the fifth figure, the movable part (202) is forced to move towards a lower level and denature the elastic part (500). The deformation of the elastic part (500) can buffer the downward force of the movable part (202), so as to avoid excessive pressure on the upper surface of the photomask.

The above embodiments illustrate the non-contact (indirect) pressing of the pin assembly of the present invention provided by composite materials, ie, hard parts, magnets and elastic materials. The following embodiments of the pin assembly of the present invention illustrate contact (direct) pressing.

Figure 6A and Figure 6B are other embodiments of the pin assembly of the present invention, both of which are cross-sectional views formed according to the dashed plane shown in Figure 1, wherein Figure 6A illustrates that the mask box does not contain a mask When the pin assembly, Figure 6 B illustrates the pin assembly of the reticle housing the reticle.

The sixth figure A shows the case where the lid (111) of the photomask box is combined with the base (112), but the photomask is not accommodated. The box cover (111) has a thin top (113) and a relatively thick covering portion surrounding the top (113). The box cover (111) is mainly combined with an upper surface of the base (112) with a cover part, so that an effectively closed or semi-closed photomask accommodating space is formed in the inner box (110). The base (112) is provided with a plurality of supporting components, as illustrated in Figure 6A, each supporting component includes a supporting pin (114) and two limiting pins (115). These supporting components can define a mask accommodating area, and lift the mask slightly above the base (112).

The box cover (111) is provided with a plurality of pin assemblies, for example, the four corners near the box cover (111) can be provided with pin assemblies respectively. The cutaway view shows only a single pin assembly. The pin assembly is mainly located at the top (113) of the box cover (111). The pin assembly includes a cover part (600), an elastic part (601) and a movable part (602).

See also Figure 6A and Figure 7A. The cover (600) has a thin top and relatively thick walls around the top. The top is substantially flat, and the wall has a pair of fixing holes (6001) that allow known fixing means to fix the cover (600) to the mounting position on the outside of the top (113) of the box cover (111) so that the cover The top of the part (600), the wall part and the top part (113) of the box cover define an accommodating space for accommodating the elastic part (601) and the part of the movable part (602). the accommodation space The cover portion (600) is not closed due to a hole (6002) formed in the center of the top portion, which means that the accommodating space communicates with the outside of the cover portion (600). The height of the cover part (600) and the size of the hole (6002) can be appropriately selected so that there is a small gap between the cover part (600) and the elastic part (601).

See also Figure 6A and Figure 7B. The elastic part (601) has a sleeve (6011) and a pair of fixed wings (6012) extending laterally from both sides thereof. The sleeve (6011) has a top and a wall, and the lower part of the sleeve (6011) is not closed. A protrusion (6013) is also formed on the top of the sleeve (6011), the size of which is slightly smaller than the size of the hole (6002). The fixing wings (6012) extend from the wall of the sleeve (6011) and also have mounting holes (6014) opposite to the mounting holes (6001). As shown in Fig. 6A, a part of the fixed wing (6012) of the elastic part (601) is sandwiched between the cover part (600) and the lid top (113). The dimensions of the sleeve (6011) may be selected such that a gap is formed between the sleeve (6011) and the cover (600) sufficient to allow some degree of deformation of the sleeve (6011), such as longitudinal and lateral deformation . In addition, the bumps (6013) are exposed from the holes (6002) of the cover (600), especially the bumps (6013) protrude from the upward plane of the top of the cover (600) without applying any external force. The bump (6013) shown in the figure has an upward plane, but it can also be an inclined plane or a curved plane. A plurality of support blocks (6015) can also be formed around the protruding block (6013), which are used for abutting the inner side of the cover part (600) to stabilize the accommodation of the sleeve (6011). It should be noted that suitable air tight means should still be provided between the cover (600) and the fixed wing (6012) to prevent air from entering the reticle via the hole (6002).

See also Figure 6A and Figure 7C. The movable part (602) has a cap part (6021) and a pin (6022). The cap (6021) has a wider radial dimension, and the pin (6022) extends from below the cap (6021) and protrudes from the inside of the top surface (113) through a pin hole in the top (113) of the box cover . As shown in the figure, when the photomask box does not contain a photomask, there is a gap between the elastic part (601) and the movable part (602) at the first level (L1). In addition, when the reticle box does not contain a reticle (R) When the pin (6022) protrudes out of the lower surface of the top (113), a protrusion amount is at least greater than the distance between the upper surface of the photomask (R) contained in the photomask box and the lower surface of the top (113) of the box cover a distance. The cap (6021) is accommodated between the elastic part (201) and the top (113) of the box cover, and the volume of the cap (6021) is slightly smaller than the volume of the sleeve (6011), so that the cap (6021) can be The longitudinal vertical movement in the sleeve (6011) also determines the degree of protrusion of the pin (6022). The lid top (113) may also be formed with a raised ring that engages the bottom of the cap (6021). The movable part (602) may be made of a material with relatively high hardness compared to the elastic part (601).

In this embodiment, the elastic part (601) can determine a maximum level that the movable part (602) can reach, and the top (113) of the box cover (111) can determine a minimum level that the movable part (602) can reach. In other embodiments, the maximum level can also be determined by the cover (600). Although the sleeve (6011) of the elastic part (601) as shown in Figures 6A and 6B can be elastically deformed, the inner top of the sleeve (6011) still limits the upper movable range of the movable part (602). . As shown in the figure, the inner top of the sleeve (6011) is further formed with a protruding cap (6021) for abutting against the movable part (602).

Figure 6A shows that the movable part (602) is seated on the top part (113) with the cap part (6021) due to its own weight, and the end of the pin (2022) is located on the dotted line as shown in the figure when the photomask is not accommodated. The first level (L1). Figure 6B shows, with the reticle contained, the reticle thickness causing the pin (6022) to be pushed up to another higher level (L2), allowing the cap (6021) to move away from the top (113) and toward the spring The tops of the parts (601) move but do not necessarily touch. The movable part (602) may still be in a movable state, that is, there is still a small gap between the lifted movable part (602) and the top surface of the elastic part (601), and the mask has not been clamped. When possible, the lifted movable part (602) flexibly contacts the top of the elastic part (601), so that the sleeve (6011) is slightly deformed, and the protrusion (6013) is also slightly pushed up Lift. The gap between the elastic portion ( 601 ) and the movable member ( 602 ) in the sixth A diagram may be substantially equal to the gap between the two levels ( L1 , L2 ) in the sixth B diagram.

Also, Figure B also illustrates a case where the box cover of a photomask outer box (eg, the box cover 101 in the first figure) is combined with the photomask box. The inner side of the box cover (101) is provided with a plurality of pressing parts (604) corresponding to each pin assembly, and the end of the pressing part (604) has a downward flat surface, so that when the end of the pressing part (604) approaches or contacts the corresponding pin assembly, the flat surface will Touch and depress the exposed bumps in the pin assembly (6013). The elastic part (601) is deformed by the pressing part (604), forcing the elastic part (601) to push the movable part (602) downward to move to a lower level. The pin (6022) exerts pressure on the upper surface of the photomask to ensure the effect of clamping the photomask. In a possible configuration, pins (6022) can also apply pressure to the edges of the reticle.

In other possible embodiments, the end of the pressing portion (604) does not necessarily show a flat surface. The structure of the end of the pressing portion (604) may slightly protrude into the cover portion (600) according to the size of the hole (6002) of the cover portion (600). The bumps (6013) also have to protrude from the top surface of the cover (600), and the bumps (6013) can be lower than the level of the holes (6002). Alternatively, the height of the cover portion (600) may exceed above the bump (6013).

Figure 8 illustrates yet another embodiment of the pin assembly of the present invention, comprising a cover portion (800), a first elastic portion (801), a movable portion (802) and a second elastic portion (803). The cover portion (800) is similar to the cover portion (600) of Figure 7A. The first elastic part (801) is located between the top of the cover part (800) and the cap part of the movable part (802), and the first elastic part (801) contacts the top of the cover part (800) and the movable part (802) at the same time 's cap. The second elastic part (803) is located between the movable part (802) and the top of the box cover (113), and simultaneously contacts the movable part (802) and the top of the box cover (113).

A protrusion is formed on the top of the first elastic part (801), which can be exposed through the hole of the cover part (800) and protrudes from the surface of the top of the cover part (800). A support block (8011) or a support ring may be formed on the side of the first elastic part (801), which is similar to the support block (6015) in Figure 7B, for abutting the inner side of the cover part (800) to stabilize the movable part (802). The first elastic part (801) can be connected to the cap part of the movable part (802) first, and then the cover part (800) is attached to complete the contact. Specifically, the second elastic part (803) can be an O-ring, and a suitable structure can be formed under the cap of the movable part (802) to match the second elastic part (803). Thereby, the cover part (800) and the first elastic part (801) can determine a maximum level that the movable part (802) can reach when it is lifted by the mask, and the second elastic part (803) can determine the movable part (802) A minimum level that can be reached when pressed by the aforementioned pressing part. In other possible embodiments, the first elastic portion (801) may be provided with the aforementioned first magnet (M1), and the protrusion of the first elastic portion (801) may be lower than the overall height of the cover portion (800).

The aforementioned embodiments are provided with respective independent elastic parts (201, 601) and movable parts (202, 602), and also have mutually connected elastic parts (801) and movable parts (802). Nevertheless, in other possible embodiments and explanations, the elastic portion can be regarded as a part of the cap portion of the movable portion. In other words, the part or the whole of the elastic part can also be regarded as a part of the whole movable part. Therefore, the meaning of urging the cap portion of the movable portion is equivalent to urging the elastic portion.

The elastic portion described in the foregoing embodiments is formed of elastic or soft material, and is mainly used for absorbing excessive pressure from the pressing portion. The material of the elastic part can be made of materials with lower hardness, such as Shore hardness in the range of 20 to 80 degrees. Alternatively, structural features can be altered to achieve, such as the formation of pores or hollow structures.

According to the description of the above embodiments, the present invention provides at least a pin assembly made of composite material, which can bring more elasticity to the effect of accommodating a photomask or a substrate.

111: Box cover

112: Pedestal

113: Top

114: Support pin

115: Limit pin

200: Cover

201: Elastic part

202: Movable part

M1: The first magnet

L1: lowest level

Claims (23)

A reticle box having a box cover and one or more pin assemblies provided in the box cover, the pin components comprising: a movable portion configured to move vertically relative to a top of the lid; and an elastic portion configured such that the movable portion is interposed between the elastic portion and the top of the box cover, Wherein, when the reticle box does not accommodate a reticle, the top of the box cover determines that the movable part is at a first level, and when the reticle box accommodates the reticle, the elastic part cooperates with the movable part The movable part is positioned at a second level while holding the photomask, and the second level is higher than the first level. The reticle box as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the reticle box does not accommodate the reticle, there is a gap between the elastic portion and the movable portion at the first level. The reticle box of claim 2, wherein the gap is substantially the difference between the second level and the first level. The photomask box of claim 2, wherein when the photomask box accommodates the photomask, the elastic portion is directly or indirectly subjected to an external force, so that the elastic portion acts on the movable portion and urges the movable portion Hold the reticle. The photomask box of claim 1, wherein the movable portion has a cap portion and a pin, wherein the cap portion is confined between the elastic portion and the top of the box cover, and the pin extends from the cap portion to an inner side of the reticle. The photomask box of claim 1, wherein the box cover has one or more cover parts, and the cover parts are connected to the box cover to cover the elastic part connected to the box cover. The photomask box of claim 6, wherein the elastic portion has a sleeve and a pair of fixed wings, wherein the pair of fixed wings is used to connect the top of the box cover, and the sleeve and the top of the box cover define a The accommodating space is used for accommodating a part of the movable part. The photomask box of claim 7, wherein the sleeve has a top facing the cover, and a first magnet is placed on the top of the sleeve. The photomask box according to claim 8, further comprising a photomask outer box, the photomask outer box has a box cover, and the box cover of the photomask outer box has one or more pressing parts corresponding to the pin components, The pressing portion is provided with a second magnet, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are configured such that the pressing portion provides a non-contact pressing to the corresponding pin assembly to force the movable portion to move toward the inner side of the photomask box. The photomask box of claim 1, wherein the box cover has one or more cover portions connected to the box cover to partially expose the elastic portion connected to the box cover. The photomask box of claim 10, wherein the elastic portion has a sleeve and a pair of fixed wings, wherein the pair of fixed wings are used to connect the top of the box cover, and the sleeve and the top of the box cover define a The accommodating space is used for accommodating a part of the movable part, and a top of the sleeve is exposed to a hole of the cover part. The photomask box of claim 11, wherein the top of the sleeve protrudes from a top surface of the cover. The photomask box of claim 11, further comprising a photomask outer box, the photomask outer box has a box cover, and the box cover of the photomask outer box has one or more pressing parts corresponding to the pin components, The pressing portion is caused to provide a contact pressing against the exposed top of the sleeve of the corresponding pin assembly to force the movable portion to move toward the inside of the reticle box. A reticle box having a box cover and one or more pin assemblies provided in the box cover, the pin components comprising: a movable portion, configured to be movable vertically relative to a top of the box cover, comprising a cap portion and a pin, the pin passing through a hole in the box cover and protruding from a lower surface of the box cover; and a cover part, disposed on an outer side of the box cover, to limit a maximum level that the cap part of the movable part can reach, When the reticle box accommodates a reticle, the pin abuts on an upper surface of the reticle, and when the cap portion receives an external force directly or indirectly, the cap portion acts on the pin, urging the Pins hold the reticle. The photomask box of claim 14, wherein the pin assembly further comprises: an elastic portion disposed between the movable portion and the top of the box cover to seal the hole of the box cover. The reticle box of claim 14, wherein when the reticle box does not accommodate the reticle, a protrusion of the pin protruding from the lower surface is at least greater than the amount of the reticle accommodated in the reticle box A distance between the upper surface of the cover and the lower surface of the box cover. The reticle box of claim 14, wherein when the reticle box accommodates the reticle, the external force is a force exerted by a reticle outer box. The photomask box of claim 14, wherein a first magnet is placed on the cap, and when the photomask box accommodates the photomask, the external force is a repulsive magnetic force received by the first magnet. The reticle box of claim 14, wherein the reticle outer box has a lid, and the lid of the reticle outer box has one or more pressing portions corresponding to the pin components, the pressing portions are provided with a second A magnet, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are configured such that the pressing portion provides a non-contact pressing to the corresponding pin assembly to force the movable portion to move toward the inner side of the photomask inner box. The photomask box of claim 15, wherein the elastic portion is connected to an inner side of the cover portion, and the elastic portion is an annular elastic portion. A method of holding a reticle in a reticle box, the reticle box comprising a lid and a base, wherein the lid is provided with one or more pin assemblies, the pin assemblies comprising: a pin and a cap , the method contains: The pin is configured to move vertically relative to a hole in the box cover and protrude from a lower surface of the box cover; disposing a cover part on an outer side of the box cover to limit a maximum level that the cap part can reach; A photomask is accommodated in the photomask box, and the pin is moved upward against an upper surface of the photomask; The cap portion directly or indirectly receives an external force, so that the cap portion acts on the pin, so that the pin holds the photomask, so as to stabilize the photomask in the photomask box. The method of claim 21, wherein the indirectly receiving the external force comprises a first magnet and a second magnet that provide magnetic mutual repulsion, respectively located in the pin assembly and in a pressing portion that interacts with the pin assembly. The method of claim 21, wherein the directly receiving the external force comprises contacting a protrusion of an elastic portion of the pin assembly by a pressing portion interacting with the pin assembly.

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