Reticle pod having transparent window and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A photomask box with a transparent window and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. The photomask box includes a first housing and a second housing that cooperate with each other, a transparent window, and a thermoplastic sealing material. The first housing and the second housing define an accommodating space for housing the photomask. The first housing has a window that penetrates it to expose the photomask. The transparent window is disposed at the window to allow light to pass through and reach the photomask. The thermoplastic sealing material is located between the first housing and the transparent window and surrounds the transparent window to hermetically bond the transparent window to the first housing.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a photomask box, and more particularly to a photomask box with a transparent window and a method for manufacturing the same.

[0002] This patent application claims international priority to US Provisional Application No. 63 / 705,072, filed on October 9, 2024, entitled “RETICLE POD HAVING TRANSPARENT WINDOW”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference and form part of the specification. [Previous Technology]

[0003] With the development of technology, modern electronic products are trending towards lighter weight, smaller size, higher operating frequency, and higher energy efficiency, requiring semiconductor components in electronic products to be manufactured in a more compact and complex manner. According to current semiconductor manufacturing technology, the circuit pattern of a semiconductor component is transferred to the wafer surface through a photomask with a defined pattern via a lithography process. Modern lithography technology uses deep ultraviolet light, or even extreme ultraviolet light with extremely short wavelengths, to achieve shorter spacing and linewidths.

[0004] However, during the manufacturing process, any particles, residues, or contaminants adhering to the photomask surface can severely affect the quality of the lithography process. Therefore, photomask cassettes are currently used to house and transport photomasks. A photomask cassette provides a clean and airtight internal space for housing the photomask. In semiconductor manufacturing processes, mechanisms and methods are known to maintain the cleanliness and airtightness of the photomask cassette's internal space; however, the cassette still needs to be opened when the photomask needs to be removed for lithography. After the pattern on the photomask is transferred to the desired wafer, the photomask is placed back into the cassette. This repeated opening and closing of the cassette significantly increases the chance of particles or other contaminants adhering to the photomask surface. Even with purges or other appropriate cleaning operations, the problem of contaminant adhesion cannot be avoided. As lithography technology becomes increasingly complex and expensive, the requirements for protecting the photomask and maintaining cleanliness during the process are becoming increasingly stringent, further highlighting the problem of particle or contaminant adhesion.

[0005] Currently, the industry proposes a photomask box with at least one transparent window. When optical inspection is performed on the surface of the photomask or when the circuit pattern is transferred to the wafer, the photomask is still contained in the photomask box. This eliminates the need to repeatedly open and close the photomask box, which can reduce the chance of particles or other contaminants adhering to the surface of the photomask.

[0006] However, this method of assembling the photomask box includes the steps of assembling it with the window component using a frame and adhesive strip. First, the adhesive strip is placed between the window component and the photomask box. Then, the frame is placed around the window component, and screws are used to secure the frame to the photomask box. This assembly method secures the components and allows the adhesive strip to act as a seal. However, because the adhesive strip is pre-formed, gaps easily form between it and the outer shell of the photomask box during assembly. These gaps cannot be effectively cleaned, and moisture or particles can easily enter and remain in them. Furthermore, since the window component is made of glass, its surface is prone to static electricity due to friction or other actions that cause charge accumulation. Through static electricity, particles easily adhere to the surface of the window component, affecting the lithography process. When particles adhere to the surface of the window component due to static electricity, they are usually difficult to clean effectively, affecting the light transmission through the window component and causing distortion or deformation of the circuit pattern, thus affecting the quality of the lithography process. This situation can also lead to errors when the testing equipment detects the photomask surface. Furthermore, the aforementioned assembly method using adhesive strips can cause the adhesive strip material to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), contaminating the internal space of the photomask box and affecting its cleanliness. [Summary of the Invention]

[0007] In view of this, the present invention provides a photomask box with a transparent window and a method for manufacturing the same. The transparent window is airtightly joined to the housing by a thermoplastic sealant, which can avoid the problem of moisture and particulate residue caused by poor cleaning of assembly gaps, and gives the photomask box the advantage of high sealing performance. At the same time, the thermoplastic sealant can avoid the problem of assembly gaps and the release of volatile organic compounds.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides a photomask box with a transparent window, comprising: a first housing and a second housing that cooperate with each other, defining a receiving space for accommodating a photomask, the first housing having a window that penetrates therethrough to expose the photomask; a transparent window element disposed on the window for allowing light to pass through and reach the photomask; and a thermoplastic sealing material located between the first housing and the transparent window element and surrounding the transparent window element for hermetically bonding the transparent window element to the first housing.

[0009] In one embodiment, the first housing has a continuously surrounding inner sidewall and a flange corresponding to the window, the flange protruding from the inner sidewall for the transparent window to be placed thereon.

[0010] In another embodiment, the thermoplastic sealant is located between the inner wall and the transparent window and between the flange and the transparent window.

[0011] In another embodiment, the transparent window has an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, and a thermoplastic sealant covers the periphery of the inner surface and the outer surface.

[0012] In another embodiment, the transparent window includes: a quartz substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, wherein an anti-reflective layer and / or an antistatic layer are formed on at least one of the two surfaces.

[0013] In one embodiment, the antireflective layer comprises titanium dioxide and the antistatic layer comprises indium tin oxide.

[0014] In another embodiment, the transparent window includes: a quartz substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite to each other, wherein at least one of the two surfaces is formed with an anti-reflective layer and an antistatic composite material layer.

[0015] In one embodiment, the composite material layer includes titanium dioxide and indium tin oxide.

[0016] In yet another embodiment, the surface resistance of one of the transparent window elements is 10⁴ ≦ Ω ≦ 10⁹.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a photomask box with a transparent window, comprising: providing a first housing having a window therethrough, the first housing being used to cooperate with a second housing to define an accommodating space for accommodating a photomask; providing a thermoplastic sealant at the window, wherein the thermoplastic sealant is provided such that it is disposed along an inner sidewall of the window; and disposing a transparent window member at the window, wherein the thermoplastic sealant is disposed such that it is located between the first housing and the transparent window member and surrounds the transparent window member, so as to hermetically bond the transparent window member to the first housing.

[0018] The photomask box with a transparent window and its manufacturing method according to embodiments of the present invention utilize a thermoplastic sealant surrounding a transparent window and positioning it between a housing of the photomask box and the transparent window to airtightly bond the transparent window to the housing. This avoids the problem of moisture and particulate residue caused by poor cleaning of assembly gaps in assembled photomask boxes, while also giving the photomask box of the present invention the advantage of high sealing performance. In addition, the use of a thermoplastic sealant avoids the problems of assembly gaps and volatile organic compound release caused by conventional use of pre-formed adhesive strips.

Implementation Method

[0020] The photomask box with a transparent window and its manufacturing method according to the embodiments of the present invention utilize a thermoplastic sealing material to surround the transparent window and place it between the first housing of the photomask box and the transparent window, so as to airtightly join the transparent window to the first housing. This can avoid the problem of moisture and particulate residue in the assembly gap, and at the same time avoid the problem of volatile organic compounds being released due to the use of adhesive strips, thus having the advantage of high sealing performance.

[0021] Please refer to Figures 1, 2 and 3 simultaneously. Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a photomask box according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the photomask box of Figure 1 after assembly. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the photomask box of Figure 2 along section line A-A'.

[0022] The photomask housing 100 with a transparent window in this embodiment includes a first housing 110, a second housing 120, a transparent window 150, and a thermoplastic sealing material 160. The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are mutually fitted, defining an accommodating space 100a for accommodating a photomask R. The first housing 110 has a window 110a that penetrates it to expose the photomask R. The transparent window 150 is disposed at the window 110a to allow light L to pass through and reach the photomask R. The thermoplastic sealing material 160 is disposed around the transparent window 150 and located between the first housing 110 and the transparent window 150 to hermetically bond the transparent window 150 to the first housing 110. The arrangement of thermoplastic sealant 160 around the transparent window 150 and between the first housing 110 and the transparent window 150 in the photomask housing 100 ensures that the transparent window 150 is airtightly bonded to the first housing 110. This eliminates the possibility of assembly gaps between the transparent window 150 and the first housing 110, preventing moisture and particle residue from remaining in these gaps. Furthermore, using thermoplastic sealant 160 for airtight bonding of the transparent window 150 avoids the release of volatile organic compounds that can occur with conventional adhesive strips.

[0023] Referring to Figure 3, in this embodiment, the first housing 110 has a continuously surrounding inner sidewall 113 and a flange 115 corresponding to the window 110a. The flange 115 protrudes from the inner sidewall 113 for the transparent window 150 to be placed thereon. The continuously surrounding inner sidewall 113 surrounds and forms the window 110a. The cross-sectional area of ​​the window 110a in the horizontal plane (the plane formed by the X and Y directions as shown in Figure 1) is slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the transparent window 150 in the horizontal plane. Therefore, the transparent window can be placed in the window 110a and airtightly fixed by the thermoplastic sealing material 160.

[0024] Next, the configuration of the thermoplastic sealant 160 in this embodiment will be described.

[0025] Please refer to Figures 4a to 4c. Figure 4a illustrates one embodiment of the thermoplastic sealant, Figure 4b illustrates another embodiment of the thermoplastic sealant, and Figure 4c illustrates yet another embodiment of the thermoplastic sealant. As shown in Figure 4a, the thermoplastic sealant 160 is located between the inner wall 113 and the transparent window 150 to seal and fix the transparent window 150 at the window 110a, thereby allowing the transparent window 150 to be disposed at the window 110a.

[0026] As shown in FIG4b, in different embodiments, the thermoplastic sealant 160' is located between the inner sidewall 113 and the transparent window 150, and between the flange 115 and the transparent window 150. The flange 115 extends a distance from the inner sidewall 113 toward the center of the window 110a, so that the first housing 110 forms an L-shaped support structure at the window 110a. The thermoplastic sealant 160' is correspondingly arranged in an L-shape here, and the transparent window 150 is then disposed on the thermoplastic sealant 160'. Thus, the thermoplastic sealant 160' can securely and hermetically bond the transparent window 150 to the first housing 110, so that the transparent window 150 is disposed at the window 110a.

[0027] As shown in FIG4c, in another embodiment, the transparent window 150 has an inner surface 151 and an outer surface 153 opposite to each other, and the thermoplastic sealant 160'' covers a periphery W of the inner surface 151 and the outer surface 153. In this way, the thermoplastic sealant 160'' covers and fixes the transparent window 150 from three aspects, namely below the transparent window 150 (between the transparent window 150 and the flange 115), the side (between the transparent window 150 and the inner sidewall 113), and above (on the outer surface 153 of the transparent window 150), which can have a better fixing and airtight bonding effect.

[0028] In this embodiment of the invention, the thermoplastic sealing material 160 can be formed at the window 110a of the first housing 110 by means of hot melt plastic melting, such as plastic embedding, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, etc., so as to reduce the moisture and particles remaining in the gaps of the assembled photomask structure due to the difficulty of cleaning, and at the same time avoid the problem of conventional adhesive strip materials releasing volatile organic compounds, so as to avoid affecting the cleanliness of the photomask 100.

[0029] Next, the transparent window 150 will be described.

[0030] Please refer to FIG5, which shows a side view of a transparent window according to an embodiment of the present invention. The transparent window 150(1) includes a quartz substrate 155 having an outer surface 153 and an inner surface 151, wherein the outer surface 153 is away from the second housing 120 (the second housing is shown in FIG1 to FIG3). In this embodiment, the outer surface 153 is an upward-facing surface (the upward-facing surface in the vertical Z direction as shown in FIG2 and FIG3). An anti-reflective layer and / or an antistatic layer is formed on the outer surface 153. In addition, an anti-reflective layer and / or an antistatic layer is also formed on the inner surface 151. As shown in FIG5, in this embodiment, the outer surface 153 has a material coating 156, which can be an anti-reflective layer or an antistatic layer. The inner surface 151 also has a material coating 157, which can be an anti-reflective layer or an antistatic layer. In practical applications, antireflective layers include, for example, titanium dioxide (TiO2), and antistatic layers include, for example, indium tin oxide (ITO).

[0031] In different embodiments, the material coating 156 formed on the outer surface 153 is a composite material layer that is both anti-reflective and antistatic, and this composite material layer contains both titanium dioxide and indium tin oxide. The material coating 157 formed on the inner surface 151 can also be, for example, a composite material layer that is both anti-reflective and antistatic, and this composite material layer also contains both titanium dioxide and indium tin oxide.

[0032] Please refer to FIG6, which shows a side view schematic diagram of a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention. The transparent window 150(2) includes a quartz substrate 155 having an outer surface 153 and an inner surface 151, wherein the outer surface 153 is a surface away from the second housing 120 and, for example, facing upward. The outer surface 153 has two material coatings 156, which are an anti-reflective layer and an antistatic layer, respectively. The inner surface 151 has a material coating 157, which is an anti-reflective layer or an antistatic layer. The anti-reflective layer includes, for example, titanium dioxide, and the antistatic layer includes, for example, indium tin oxide.

[0033] Please refer to FIG7, which illustrates a side view of a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention. The transparent window 150 (3) includes a quartz substrate 155 having an outer surface 153 and an inner surface 151, wherein the outer surface 153 is a surface away from the second housing 120 and, for example, an upward-facing surface. The outer surface 153 has a material coating 156, which is, for example, an anti-reflective layer or an antistatic layer. The inner surface 151 has two material coatings 157, which are an anti-reflective layer and an antistatic layer, respectively. The anti-reflective layer includes, for example, titanium dioxide, and the antistatic layer includes, for example, indium tin oxide.

[0034] Please refer to FIG8, which illustrates a side view of a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention. The transparent window 150 (4) includes a quartz substrate 155 having an outer surface 153 and an inner surface 151, wherein the outer surface 153 is a surface away from the second housing 120 and, for example, an upward-facing surface. The outer surface 153 has two layers of material coatings 156, which are an anti-reflective layer and an antistatic layer, respectively. The inner surface 151 also has two layers of material coatings 157, which are an anti-reflective layer and an antistatic layer, respectively. The anti-reflective layer includes, for example, titanium dioxide, and the antistatic layer includes, for example, indium tin oxide.

[0035] According to the various embodiments described above, in this embodiment, the transparent window 150 is disposed in the window 110a of the first housing 110, allowing light L to pass through and reach the photomask R disposed in the accommodating space 100a. Forming an anti-reflective layer on the transparent window 150 helps reduce surface reflection and enhance the penetration effect of light L. Forming an antistatic layer on the transparent window 150 helps prevent particles from adhering to the transparent window 150, maintaining cleanliness.

[0036] The following describes the experimental results of the effect of light source wavelength on transmittance. First, please refer to Figure 9, which shows the transmittance curve of a transparent window in an embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the transparent window 150(1) has a material coating 156 and 157 formed on its inner surface 151 and outer surface 153, respectively. When measuring experimental data, an anti-reflection layer is formed on the outer surface 153 of the transparent window 150(1), and an antistatic layer is formed on the inner surface 151. That is, the material layer 156 on the outer surface 153 is an anti-reflection layer, and the material layer 157 on the inner surface 151 is an antistatic layer. The transparent window 150(1) is irradiated with light L with wavelengths from 200 nm to 1100 nm, and the transmittance of light L at different wavelengths is measured. The data are compiled into Table 1 below. Wavelength (nm) 200.0 250.0 300.0 350.0 400.0 450.0 500.0 532.0 550.0 600.0 Penetration rate (%) 0.40 3.90 64.60 82.50 93.40 95.40 95.40 95.40 95.50 96.00 Wavelength (nm) 650.0 700.0 750.0 800.0 850.0 900.0 950.0 1000.0 1100.0 Penetration rate (%) 96.30 96.00 95.10 93.80 92.30 90.60 89.10 87.70 85.70 Table 1

[0037] According to Table 1 and Figure 9, the transmittance is better in the wavelength range of approximately 400nm to 900nm. In this range, the transmittance of light L exceeds 90%, and can reach up to 96.30% (when the wavelength of light L is 650.0nm).

[0038] Next, please refer to Figure 10, which shows a transmittance curve of a transparent window component according to another embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the material coatings 156 and 157 formed on the inner surface 151 and outer surface 153 of the transparent window component 150 (1) are composite material layers. The transparent window component 150 (1) is irradiated with light L with wavelengths from 400 nm to 900 nm, and the transmittance of light L at different wavelengths is measured. According to Figure 10, the light L has good transmittance when the wavelength is between 450 nm and 600 nm, and can have a transmittance of up to close to 95%. In a preferred embodiment, the light L has a transmittance of 95.4% when the wavelength is 532 nm.

[0039] Regarding the antistatic effect of the antistatic layer, according to the experiment, indium tin oxide is used as the antistatic layer. Due to its conductivity, the surface resistance of the transparent window 150(1), 150(2), 150(3) or 150(4) can be controlled at 104 ≦ Ω ≦ 109, thereby effectively preventing particles from adhering to the transparent window 150(1), 150(2), 150(3) or 150(4).

[0040] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a photomask housing with a transparent window utilizes a thermoplastic sealing material to surround the transparent window and position it between the first housing of the photomask housing and the transparent window. This allows for an airtight connection between the transparent window and the first housing, avoiding the problem of moisture and particle residue in assembly gaps. It also avoids the release of volatile organic compounds caused by the use of adhesive strips, thus providing a high degree of sealing. Furthermore, forming an antistatic layer and / or an antireflective layer on the surface of the transparent window effectively improves the transmittance of light at specific wavelengths and effectively suppresses surface static electricity, preventing particle adhesion and thereby improving the accuracy of photomask R readings.

[0041] Next, the manufacturing method of the photomask box with a transparent window will be described. Please refer to FIG11, which shows a flowchart of the manufacturing method of the photomask box with a transparent window according to an embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing method S10 of this embodiment is described using the manufacturing of the photomask box 100 with a transparent window as described in the previous embodiment as an example. Please also refer to FIG1 to FIG4c. In the description of this embodiment, the same elements will be described with the same reference numerals to more clearly illustrate the features of the present invention. The manufacturing method S10 of this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0042] First, in step S11, a first housing 110 is provided, the first housing 110 having a window 110a that penetrates it, the first housing 110 being used to cooperate with the second housing 120 so that the two define an accommodating space 100a for accommodating the photomask R.

[0043] Next, in step S12, a thermoplastic sealant 160 is provided at the window 110a in such a way that the thermoplastic sealant 160 is disposed along the inner sidewall 113 of the window 110a.

[0044] Next, in step S13, a transparent window 150 is provided in window 110a. The way it is provided is that the thermoplastic sealing material 160 is located between the first housing 110 and the transparent window 150 and surrounds the transparent window 150, so as to airtightly connect the transparent window 150 to the first housing 110.

[0045] According to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the thermoplastic sealant 160 is arranged around the transparent window 150 and is located between the first housing 110 and the transparent window 150 to airtightly bond the transparent window 150 to the first housing 110. This can avoid the problem of moisture and particulate residue in the assembly gap, and at the same time avoid the problem of volatile organic compound release caused by the use of conventional adhesive strips, thus having the advantage of high sealing performance.

[0046] Please refer to FIG12, which illustrates a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a photomask box with a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing method S20 of this embodiment will also be described using the manufacturing of a photomask box 100 with a transparent window as described in the previous embodiment as an example. Please also refer to FIGS. 1 to 4c. In the description of this embodiment, to more clearly illustrate the features of the present invention, the same elements will be described using the same symbols. The manufacturing method of this embodiment includes the following steps.

[0047] In step S21, a first housing 110 is provided, having a window 110a through which it penetrates. The first housing 110 cooperates with a second housing 120 to define an accommodating space 100a for accommodating the photomask R. Next, in step S22, a thermoplastic sealant 160 is provided at the window 110a, provided such that the thermoplastic sealant 160 is disposed along the inner sidewall 113 of the window 110a. Then, in step S23, a transparent window 150 is provided at the window 110a, provided such that the thermoplastic sealant 160 is located between the first housing 110 and the transparent window 150 and surrounds the transparent window 150, so as to hermetically bond the transparent window 150 to the first housing 110.

[0048] The manufacturing method S20 of this embodiment further includes step S24, providing a transparent window 150, which has an outer surface 153 and an inner surface 151, at least one of which is formed with an anti-reflective layer and / or an antistatic layer. The technical content regarding the formation of one or more layers of material coatings 156 and 157 on the outer surface 153 and the inner surface 151 is the same as that in the embodiments corresponding to Figures 5 to 10 above, and will not be repeated here.

[0049] In different embodiments, the transparent window provided in step S24 has at least one of the inner surface 151 and the outer surface 153 formed with a composite material layer that is both anti-reflective and anti-static.

[0050] In this embodiment, steps S21 and S24 are two independent steps, with no restriction on their order, and they can be performed simultaneously. Specifically, as shown in Figure 12, this embodiment executes steps S21, S22, S24, and S23 in that order. However, the manufacturing method S20 of this embodiment can also be executed in the same order. Furthermore, the manufacturing method S20 can also be executed in the same order as steps S24, S21, S22, and S23.

[0051] In summary, the manufacturing method of the photomask box with a transparent window according to the embodiments of the present invention uses a thermoplastic sealing material to surround the transparent window and position it between the shell of the photomask box and the transparent window, thereby hermetically bonding the transparent window to the shell. This avoids the problem of moisture and particulate residue caused by poor cleaning of assembly gaps in assembled photomask boxes. Furthermore, the photomask box manufactured using the method of the embodiments of the present invention has the advantage of high sealing performance. In addition, the use of a thermoplastic sealing material in the manufacturing method avoids the problems of assembly gaps and volatile organic compound release caused by conventional use of pre-formed adhesive strips.

[0052] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to various embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the claims defined in the appended patent claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0019] To make the above and other features, advantages and embodiments of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the accompanying drawings are described as follows: [Figure 1] An exploded view of a photomask box according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view of the photomask box of Figure 1 after assembly. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of the photomask box of Figure 2 along section line A-A'. [Figure 4a] An embodiment of a thermoplastic sealant. [Figure 4b] Another embodiment of a thermoplastic sealant. [Figure 4c] Yet another embodiment of a thermoplastic sealant. [Figure 5] A side view of a transparent window according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A side view of a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] A side view of a transparent window according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A side view of a transparent window according to yet another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] A transmittance curve of a transparent window according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] A transmittance curve of a transparent window component according to another embodiment. [Figure 11] A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a photomask box with a transparent window according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a photomask box with a transparent window according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. A light cover box with a transparent window, comprising: A first housing and a second housing cooperate with each other, defining a receiving space for accommodating a photomask, the first housing having a window therethrough to expose the photomask; a transparent window element disposed in the window to allow light to pass through and reach the photomask; and a thermoplastic sealing material located between the first housing and the transparent window element and surrounding the transparent window element to hermetically bond the transparent window element to the first housing.

2. The photomask box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first housing has a continuously surrounding inner sidewall and a flange corresponding to the window, the flange protruding from the inner sidewall for the transparent window element to be placed thereon.

3. The photomask box as claimed in claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic sealant is located between the inner sidewall and the transparent window and between the flange and the transparent window.

4. The photomask box as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transparent window has an inner surface and an outer surface opposite to each other, and the thermoplastic sealant covers a periphery of the inner surface and the outer surface.

5. The photomask box as described in claim 1, wherein the transparent window comprises: A quartz substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein an anti-reflective layer and / or an antistatic layer are formed on at least one of the two surfaces.

6. The photomask as claimed in claim 5, wherein the antireflective layer comprises titanium dioxide (TiO2) and the antistatic layer comprises indium tin oxide (ITO).

7. The photomask box as described in claim 1, wherein the transparent window comprises: A quartz substrate having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein at least one of the two surfaces is formed with a composite material layer that is both anti-reflective and antistatic.

8. The photomask as claimed in claim 7, wherein the composite material layer comprises titanium dioxide and indium tin oxide.

9. The photomask box as described in claim 5 or 7, wherein the surface resistivity of one of the transparent windows is 10⁴ ≦ Ω ≦ 10⁹.

10. A method for manufacturing a photomask box with a transparent window, comprising: A first housing is provided, having a window therethrough, the first housing cooperating with a second housing to define an accommodating space for accommodating a light mask; a thermoplastic sealant is provided at the window, the thermoplastic sealant being disposed along an inner sidewall of the window; and a transparent window is disposed at the window, the thermoplastic sealant being located between the first housing and the transparent window and surrounding the transparent window, so as to hermetically bond the transparent window to the first housing.

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