TWI423907B - Pellicle container - Google Patents

Description

Dust-proof film assembly storage container

The present invention relates to a lithographic pellicle for use in dustproofing when manufacturing a semiconductor device, a printed circuit board, or a liquid crystal display.

In the manufacture of a semiconductor device such as a large-scale integrated circuit or a liquid crystal display, light is applied to a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal original plate to form a pattern. However, at this time, foreign matter such as impurities adheres to the used photomask. When the refracting reticle (hereinafter referred to as a reticle) is used, since the impurity shields the light or deflects the light, the transferred pattern is damaged, which is a problem.

Therefore, such operations are usually carried out in a clean room, but even so, it is difficult to keep the reticle clean. Therefore, a dustproof film assembly is attached to the surface of the photomask as a method of dustproofing.

In this case, since the foreign matter does not directly adhere to the surface of the reticle but is attached to the pellicle, the foreign matter on the pellicle is not aligned if the focus is first on the reticle during development. Will affect the transfer.

The pellicle is usually a good solvent for applying a pellicle film on the end surface of the pellicle frame, and the pellicle is air-dried and then adhered to the pellicle with an adhesive, and is disposed under the pellicle frame. There is an adhesive layer for attaching to the photomask, and a separation layer (separation portion) provided for the purpose of protecting the adhesive layer. The pellicle film is a transparent pellicle made of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate or a fluorinated resin having high transmittance for light for exposure. The pellicle frame is formed of aluminum, stainless steel, polyethylene, or the like. The adhesive is an adhesive such as an acrylic resin or an epoxy resin. The adhesive layer is composed of a polybutene resin, a polyvinyl acetate resin, an acrylic resin or the like.

Further, in a state in which the pellicle is attached to the reticle, an aperture for adjusting the air pressure is opened at a part of the pellicle frame frame for the purpose of eliminating the difference in air pressure between the space enclosed by the pellicle and the outside of the pellicle assembly. A filter for preventing foreign matter from intruding by air moving through the small hole may also be provided.

In recent years, as the size of the liquid crystal display has increased, the size of the mask has increased, and the dust-proof film module has become significantly larger. Of course, the storage container of the dust-proof film unit has also increased in size.

Conventionally, the pellicle film container has been manufactured by a resin formed by vacuum molding or adhesive bonding because of low cost, light weight, integral molding, and high degree of freedom of shape.

However, in the case of an increase in size, the amount of deformation caused by the external force increases in addition to the increase in the weight of the storage object, so that the storage object in the storage container or the storage container itself moves or scratches.

Therefore, in order to prevent the generation of dust in the container, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the container, and a method of improving the rigidity is a method of attaching a reinforcing body to the outside of the conventional resin-made pellicle container. Patent Document 1).

However, since the method requires a lot of man-hours for assembling the reinforcing body, it has also been proposed to press or form an aluminum alloy, a magnesium alloy, or a steel, or to use a cast metal pellicle assembly container or a reinforcing body.

In the dust-proof membrane module storage container made of such a metal, there is a problem that the weight becomes heavy. However, considering the rigidity required for securing the mandrel and the man-hour for installing the reinforcing body, the cost is the same as that of the resin manufacturer. It has been used for the case of a particularly large object having a side length of more than 1000 mm for the pellicle.

However, when the container body is housed by a metal pellicle assembly, as in the case of a resin, there is a problem that dust is generated during transportation. The cause of the dust was investigated, and it was found that the dust was mainly generated at the contact portion between the pellicle assembly container body and the lid.

The metal pellicle assembly container body is subjected to surface treatment such as oxide film, plating, and coating for reasons such as smoothing of the surface to improve cleanliness, corrosion prevention, and blackening of visual recognition of foreign matter. And use.

On the other hand, the lid body to be assembled with the pellicle container storage container body is a metal product obtained by press-forming a thin plate such as an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy, or a polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate or propylene. A vacuum molded product of a resin such as a nitrile-butadiene-styrene resin. Although the resin product can be used as it is because the surface is smooth, in the case of a metal product, the cover body is also applied to the same surface treatment as the pellicle container storage container body.

The case where dust is generated during transportation, whether made of resin or metal, will occur. Although the rigidity is increased in order to prevent the friction generated by the deflection and deformation of the pellicle container, the splint assembly container body and the cover must be slightly scratched, and the surfaces of the respective surfaces are treated. Smooth it and still not completely prevent dust from forming.

This problem may be solved by increasing the rigidity of the pellicle container storage container. However, in order to increase the rigidity, the weight may be increased. If the operable weight is taken into consideration, the rigidity cannot be increased indefinitely, so that it is impossible to completely prevent the deflection and deformation.

As described above, in the pellicle assembly container in which the metal pellicle is housed in the container body, the pellicle container storage container which generates less dust is not obtained.

[Practical Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-037269

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pellicle assembly container capable of accommodating a large pellicle assembly having a side length of at least 1000 mm and having a side length of more than 1000 mm, which is characterized in that dust generated during transportation Very few, and can keep the contained dust-proof membrane module clean.

The pellicle assembly container of the present invention is a large pellicle container storage container capable of accommodating a pellicle having a side length of at least 1000 mm, wherein the pellicle container container is made of metal and is A protective member is provided on the surface of the pellicle container storage container that is placed on the peripheral edge and fixed to the lid, and the pellicle assembly container main body and the lid system are placed and fixed via the protective member. The protective member is composed of at least two layers, and is characterized in that: the layer in contact with the cover body is a resin, and the layer in contact with the body of the pellicle assembly container is an anthrone adhesive; and the protective member has at least three layers. Preferably, it is characterized in that the layer in contact with the lid body is a resin, and the layer in contact with the body of the pellicle membrane container is an anthrone adhesive, and the intermediate layer is an elastomer. The elastomer in the protective member is preferably an anthrone resin.

Further, the layer in contact with the lid of the protective member is preferably polyethylene terephthalate.

According to the present invention, it is also possible to obtain a pellicle assembly container capable of accommodating a large pellicle assembly having a side length of more than 1000 mm, which is characterized in that the storage container body can be prevented from directly contacting the cover body and dust generated during transportation. Very few, and can keep the contained pellicle components clean.

The present invention as defined in the first aspect of the invention is a large-sized pellicle assembly container that houses a pellicle having a side length of at least 1000 mm, and is characterized in that the pellicle assembly container body is made of metal. Further, a protective member is provided on a surface of the lid which is placed and fixed on the periphery and which is in contact with the pellicle container storage container, and the pellicle assembly container main body and the lid system are placed and fixed via the protective member. The metal pellicle assembly container body and the lid are not in direct contact with each other, and the amount of dust generated can be greatly reduced.

Preferably, the protective member is composed of at least two layers, wherein the contact layer with the cover is made of resin, and is in contact with the pellicle assembly container body, that is, attached to the pellicle. The layer is an anthrone adhesive. Since the layer in contact with the lid body is made of a resin, the amount of dust generated by friction with the lid body can be reduced.

Further, when an anthrone adhesive is used in the layer in contact with the pellicle container body, not only the bonding strength is improved, but also the adhesion is deteriorated due to changes in time or environmental changes such as temperature, and the stability is stabilized. It is highly reliable for the adhesion strength and is very suitable. Further, there is an advantage that the dust-proof thin film module that contaminates the inside due to chemical decomposition is low. Further, when the protective member is replaced, it can be peeled off without leaving residue, and is easy to clean and reinstall.

In a further preferred embodiment, the protective member is composed of at least three layers, and is preferably characterized in that the layer in contact with the lid body is a resin, and the layer in contact with the body of the pellicle membrane container is an anthrone adhesive, and The middle layer is an elastomer. By the buffering effect of the elastomer, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of dust.

As the elastomer, it is particularly preferable to use an anthrone resin. The fluorenone resin referred to herein means an elastomer such as an anthrone rubber or an anthrone gel. Even in the case of a thinner thickness, the cushioning performance is higher, especially the effect is good.

Further, the resin that is in contact with the lid is preferably polyethylene terephthalate. Not only is it hard to produce dust due to its high surface hardness, but it is also suitable for a wide range of materials with low friction coefficient and chemical stability.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3 show the appearance of the pellicle assembly container 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view, FIG. 2 is a front view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a right side view thereof.

The whole of the pellicle container storage container is indicated by 10, and the pellicle assembly container body 11 is manufactured by casting a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy or a magnesium alloy, or aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, stainless steel or Sheet metal forming such as carbon steel. In this case, the material does not necessarily have to be formed of a single material, and two or more kinds of metals and alloys may be used in combination for the purpose of reinforcement or the like.

The pellicle film container case 11 and the lid body 12 for mounting and fixing are formed by press-molding a metal thin plate, vacuum-molding a resin plate, or compression-molding a compressed air. In a preferred embodiment, in order to ensure internal visibility, a resin such as transparent or translucent polymethyl methacrylate, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene resin or the like is preferably used by vacuum molding. A particularly preferred embodiment preferably has the property of preventing static electricity.

A flat protective member 17 is provided between the pellicle assembly container body 11 and the lid body 12. In addition, 13 is a leg, and 16 is a buckle that fastens the pellicle assembly container body and the cover.

Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the line A-A of Fig. 1;

The protective member 17 is attached to a surface on which the lid body 12 is placed, fixed, and in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the pellicle pack storage container body 11. Further, 18 is a pellicle member housed inside.

5 to 7 are views showing an example of a cross-sectional structure of the protective member 17 of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 5, the protective member 17 of the embodiment has a two-layer structure, and the upper layer 21 (protective layer), that is, the layer in contact with the lid, is preferably made of a resin.

Examples of the resin used for the upper layer 21 include a resin which can form a film such as polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyvinyl chloride or polytetrafluoroethylene. Among them, polyphenylene terephthalate is particularly preferred. Ethylene formate. Because it has the following advantages: surface hardness, friction coefficient is small, so it is not easy to generate dust, and the chemical stability is also stable. Further, since it is inexpensive, it has excellent adhesion to various types of adhesives and adhesives which can be used as the adhesive layer 22, which is also an advantage.

Lower layer (adhesive layer) 22. That is, the adhesive layer of the adhesive film assembly container body is adhered to an adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive or an anthrone adhesive, or a hot melt adhesive, an epoxy resin adhesive, or a rubber adhesive. It is composed of an adhesive such as a bonding agent. Among them, the best is an anthrone adhesive.

In the case of using an anthrone adhesive, there is an advantage that not only the adhesion is strong, but also the change in adhesion due to environmental changes such as temperature or humidity changes with time, so the adhesion is Increased reliability.

Further, due to the chemical stability, there is little concern that chemical substances generated by decomposition or the like are discharged into the inside of the pellicle container storage container. Further, although the protective member 17 needs to be replaced in the case where dirt or damage is generated on the surface, when the adhesive member 17 is removed, since the adhesive is not easily broken, the pellicle assembly container body 11 is less likely to remain residue, which is very Easy to clean, all of which are advantages. As a result, the protective member 17 can be easily replaced.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment of the protective member 17, and a three-layer structure is taken as an example. In this case, the upper layer (protective layer) 21 is preferably composed of a resin, particularly polyethylene terephthalate, as in the case of the above two-layer structure. The lower layer (adhesive layer) 22 is also preferably an adhesive such as an acrylic adhesive, an anthrone adhesive, or an adhesive such as a hot melt adhesive, an epoxy resin adhesive, or a rubber adhesive. In the composition, it is preferable to use an anthrone adhesive. As the intermediate layer (buffer layer) 23, an elastomer such as a resin foam or rubber is preferably used.

The intermediate layer 23 shown in Fig. 6 is used to obtain more cushioning properties than the above-described two-layer structure, and to reduce the effect of dust generation.

As the foam, various materials such as acrylic acid and urethane type can be used. However, in this case, it is preferable to use a foam of closed cells, which can prevent the washing water from being wetted during washing.

Further, as the rubber-based material, a nitrile rubber, an ethylene propylene rubber, an anthrone rubber, a fluorine rubber or the like can be used, but an anthrone resin such as an anthrone rubber or an anthrone gel is particularly suitable. Since it is a non-foamed body, the surface is clean, and in addition, even if the thickness is thin, the cushioning performance is high, the resilience is large, the diameter is not easily weakened, and the chemical stability is achieved.

The intermediate layer 23 (buffer layer) can be formed directly on the upper layer (protective layer) 21 by casting or the like. However, depending on the material, there are also upper layers (protective layers) 21 and intermediate layers (buffering) which are separately formed. The layer 23 is joined to form a lower layer (adhesive layer). In this case, it is necessary to apply a bonding agent or an adhesive to the upper layer 21 or the intermediate layer 23 in a thin manner.

The cross section after joining is as shown in FIG. 7, and is configured such that an intermediate adhesive layer 24 is interposed between the upper layer 21 and the intermediate layer 23. In this case, the thickness of the lower layer 22 is at least 30 μm, and is preferably 50 μm or more from the viewpoint of improving the adhesion to the pellicle assembly container main body. However, from the viewpoint of preventing the lateral displacement of the upper layer 21 when receiving the load in the lateral direction, the intermediate adhesive layer 24 is as thin as possible, preferably 30 μm or less, in order to maintain the adhesive force.

Further, in another method, a double-sided tape-like object can be stacked and attached (not shown). In this case, although the total number of layers is five or more, it is considered that the material thickness of the portion of the double-sided tape is made as thin as possible, thereby preventing lateral displacement when subjected to lateral load, and the like. It is available for practical use.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are plan views showing the arrangement of the protective members 17 on the pellicle assembly container main body 11, and Fig. 8 is arranged in an embodiment of the whole circumference, and Fig. 9 is arranged discontinuously on the entire circumference but at the angle. The embodiment in which the gap is reserved, and FIG. 10 is an embodiment in which the entire circumference is intermittently arranged.

As shown in Fig. 1, since the lid body 12 is placed on the entire peripheral portion and fixed to the pellicle pack container main body 11, the protective member is sandwiched in almost the entire range, and it can be prevented in any of the embodiments. The desired effect of dust generation. In the case where the gap is reserved, the outside air is likely to flow into the pellicle assembly container when the cover is opened. Therefore, it is expected that the inside of the pellicle container storage container can be reduced in the negative pressure and the foreign matter can be entangled.

Since it is necessary to take into consideration the stability of the adhesive force of the protective member 17 and the workability at the time of manufacture, it is preferable to select an appropriate arrangement in consideration of the size of the pellicle container storage container and the man-hours required for the operation. In the case where the gap is reserved, it is considered that a protective member is provided at least at a portion where the buckle 16 for fixing the lid body 12 to the pellicle pack container body 11 is fastened.

Embodiments of the invention are described below, but the invention is not limited thereto.

[Example 1]

The inventors produced the pellicle assembly container 10 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The pellicle assembly container has a size of 1950×1750×height 190 mm (excluding the leg portion 13) and a weight of about 80 kg.

In the pellicle assembly container body 11, after the aluminum alloy AC4C is molded by sand molding, the surface is finished with a polishing cloth, and the outer peripheral portion and the surface on which the pellicle assembly is mounted are machined by a milling machine. After the machining is completed, the casting defects such as the casting holes filled in the surface of the putty are finished, the putty is naturally dried and hardened, the conductive material is applied, and baking is performed in an oven.

The leg portion 13 is formed by bending a SUS304 cold-rolled sheet, and is attached to the bottom surface of the pellicle assembly container body 11 by a bolt (not shown). Further, in order to facilitate the operation, a handle 14 made of an aluminum alloy and a buckle 16 for fixing the cover 12 are attached to the outside by bolts (not shown).

The protective member 17 is attached to the outer edge portion of the pellicle assembly container body 11 thus produced. The manufacturing steps of the protective member 17 are as follows.

An anthrone adhesive (trade name: KR3700, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was coated with a coating bar on a polyethylene terephthalate film having a width of 500 mm and a thickness of 180 μm (trade name: Lumirror, TORAY) Co., Ltd.), so that it has a thickness of 50 μm after drying, and is heated to harden it.

This polyethylene terephthalate film was bonded to the release paper, and the bonded state was wound and wound around a core core made of polyethylene having a diameter of 75 mm, and then cut into a tape shape having a width of 20 mm. The cross-sectional structure of the produced protective member 17 is as shown in Fig. 5, the upper layer 21 is polyethylene terephthalate, and the lower layer 22 is an anthrone adhesive.

The outer peripheral portion of the dust-proof membrane module storage container main body 11 is cleaned, and the protective member 17 is rolled by a rubber roller while being invaded by air bubbles, and is placed in an arrangement as shown in FIG. In addition, a gap of about 20 mm is reserved for the joint between the respective protective members in the corner portion.

Next, an epoxy resin-based antistatic coating was applied to a polymethyl methacrylate plate having a thickness of 3 mm, and then vacuum-molded to obtain a lid body 12. The outer circumference is machined by NC grooving so as to have the same size as the outer circumference of the pellicle container storage container body. A handle 15 made of nylon is attached to a bolt (not shown) for easy operation.

The pellicle assembly container body 11 and the lid 12 thus produced are fed into a clean room of class 10, and are cleaned with the surfactant and pure water, and then completely dried.

In the dust-proof membrane module storage container 10 thus produced, the illumination of the clean room is turned off, and the foreign matter inspection of the inner surface side of the pellicle assembly container main body and the lid body is performed while irradiating the spotlight (light amount of 400,000 lux). Confirm that no foreign matter is attached.

Next, the lid body 12 is gently fitted and fitted to the pellicle pack container body 11, and the peripheral portion is sealed with an adhesive tape, and the lid body 12 and the pellicle assembly container are attached by the loops 16 disposed on the respective sides. The body 11 is fixed. Further, the polyethylene film (not shown) for preventing static electricity is entirely packaged, and the opening is sealed by heat sealing. Thereafter, it is transported again from the clean room, and is housed in a package (not shown) provided with a cushioning material at the bottom. Next, the package is transported by truck and moved to a distance of about 1000 km.

The dust-proof membrane module storage container 10 that has been transported is again fed into the clean room, and the outside is washed and wiped with pure water, and then the lid is opened to check the inside of the dust. In the state where the illumination of the clean room is turned off, the inner side surfaces of the lid body and the pellicle assembly container body are irradiated with a spotlight (light amount of 400,000 lux), and the adhesion state of the foreign matter is observed.

As a result, in the pellicle container housing main body 11, four foreign matter having a size of about 10 to 50 μm are found on the surface of the protective member 17 and in the vicinity thereof. On the other hand, in the lid body 12, three foreign matters having a size of about 10 to 50 μm were found at the contact portion with the protective member. These attachment positions are all limited to the vicinity of the protective member 17, and no foreign matter is found on the inner side on which the pellicle is mounted. Moreover, no damage was caused to the surface of the protective member and the adhesive layer.

[Embodiment 2]

A pellicle assembly container was produced in exactly the same manner as in the above Example 1. However, the structure of the protective member used herein is the same as that shown in Fig. 7, the upper layer 21 is polyethylene terephthalate (trade name: Lumirror, manufactured by TORAY Co., Ltd.), and the intermediate adhesive layer 24 is an anthrone adhesive. (thickness: 20 μm, trade name: KR-3700, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), intermediate layer 23 is an anthrone rubber (hardness tester hardness A31, trade name: KE-931-U, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) The lower layer 22 is an anthrone adhesive (thickness 50 μm, trade name: KR-3700, manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.).

In the pellicle container storage container, a transport test was carried out in the same manner as in Example 1, and the inside of the dust was confirmed. As a result, in the pellicle assembly container main body 11, three foreign substances of about 50 μm were found to adhere. Further, regarding the lid body 12, one foreign matter of about 10 μm was found. As in the first embodiment, these attachment positions are limited to the vicinity of the protective member 17, and no foreign matter is found on the inner side on which the pellicle is mounted, and the protective member 17 is not damaged.

[Comparative example]

The pellicle assembly container body 11 and the lid body 12 were produced in the same manner as in the above-described first and second embodiments. However, the protective member 17 is not attached to the pellicle assembly container body 11. In the pellicle container storage container in which the protective member 17 is not provided, a transport test was carried out in exactly the same manner as in the above-described first embodiment, and the state in which dust was generated inside was confirmed.

As a result, hundreds of foreign matters having a size of 10 to 100 μm were found on the main body of the pellicle membrane storage container, and there were also dozens of foreign matters on the lid. These attachment positions are not only the outer peripheral portion but also spread to the entire inner surface. Further, on the pellicle container storage container body 11, there are scratches caused by contact with the lid body 12 everywhere.

10. . . Dust-proof film unit storage container (overall)

11. . . Dust-proof film assembly storage container body

12. . . Cover

13. . . Foot

14. . . handle

15. . . handle

16. . . Buckle

17. . . Protective member

18. . . Dust-proof film assembly

twenty one. . . Upper layer (protective layer)

twenty two. . . Lower layer (adhesive layer)

twenty three. . . Intermediate layer (buffer layer)

twenty four. . . Intermediate adhesive layer

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a right side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of Fig. 1 showing an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a protective member used in the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the protective member used in the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the protective member used in the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of the arrangement of the protective member of the present invention, that is, an overall arrangement.

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing an embodiment in which the gap of the joint portion of the corner is reserved in another embodiment of the arrangement of the protective member of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing an embodiment in which the arrangement of the protective members of the present invention is an intermittent arrangement.

10. . . Dust-proof film unit storage container (overall)

11. . . Dust-proof film assembly storage container body

12. . . Cover

17. . . Protective member

18. . . Dust-proof film assembly

Claims (4)

A pellicle assembly container which is a large pellicle assembly container capable of accommodating at least one side of a pellicle having a side length of more than 1000 mm, wherein the pellicle container container is made of metal and is contained therein. a protective member is disposed on a surface of a peripheral portion of the pellicle container storage container that is in contact with the storage container body, and the pellicle assembly storage container body and the cover system are placed and fixed via the protective member; The protective member is composed of at least two layers, and the layer in contact with the lid body is a resin, and the layer in contact with the main body of the pellicle membrane container is an anthrone adhesive. The dust-proof membrane module storage container according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the protective member is composed of at least three layers, the contact layer with the cover body is a resin, and the layer of the dust-proof membrane module storage container body is an anthrone adhesive. And the middle layer is an elastomer. The pellicle container storage container according to claim 2, wherein the elastic member in the protective member is an fluorenone resin. The pellicle container storage container according to claim 2, wherein the layer in contact with the lid of the protective member is polyethylene terephthalate.