Protective film frame, protective film assembly, and application of protective film assembly

Abstract

The present invention provides a pellicle frame, a pellicle assembly, and its application, a method for inspecting the pellicle assembly, an exposure original plate with the pellicle assembly, an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor or liquid crystal display panel. The pellicle frame is a frame-shaped pellicle frame (1) having an upper end surface (13) on which a pellicle is provided and a lower end surface (14) facing a photomask, and the minimum reflectivity of at least the inner surface (11) of the pellicle frame (1) at a light source wavelength of 500 nm to 1000 nm is 20% or less. In the pellicle assembly and the inspection method using the pellicle frame, the pellicle frame can suppress scattered light from the frame as much as possible by reducing the reflectivity of the inner surface (11) of the pellicle frame for the inspection light, thereby improving the foreign matter inspection performance. Furthermore, by reducing the reflectivity only for the wavelength of the inspection light, there are fewer restrictions on the coloring of the pellicle frame.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pellicle frame used as a dust remover and mounted on a photomask for lithography, a pellicle assembly and its application, a method for inspecting the pellicle assembly, an exposure original plate with the pellicle assembly and an exposure method, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor or liquid crystal display panel. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, large-scale integrated circuit (LSI) design rules have been advancing toward sub-quarter micron miniaturization, and with this, the wavelength of exposure light sources has been shortened. Specifically, exposure light sources have shifted from mercury-vapor lamp-based g-rays (436nm) and i-rays (365nm) to KrF excimer lasers (248nm) and ArF excimer lasers (193nm). Furthermore, research is underway into EUV exposure using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light with a dominant wavelength of 13.5nm.

[0003] In the manufacture of semiconductors such as LSI and VLSI, or in the manufacture of liquid crystal display panels, light is irradiated onto semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal original plates to create patterns. If dust adheres to the photolithography mask and reticle (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "exposure original") used at this time, the dust will absorb or bend the light, causing the transferred pattern to be deformed or have rough edges. In addition, there is the problem of the base being stained black, and the size, quality, and appearance being damaged.

[0004] These operations are typically performed in a cleanroom, but even then, maintaining a clean exposure plate is difficult. Therefore, a method is often used in which a pellicle is attached to the surface of the exposure plate to act as a dust remover before exposure. In this case, foreign matter adheres to the pellicle rather than directly to the surface of the exposure plate. Therefore, if the focus is maintained on the pattern on the exposure plate during photolithography, foreign matter on the pellicle will not be involved in the transfer.

[0005] The basic structure of the protective film assembly is as follows: a protective film with high transmittance relative to the light used in exposure is stretched on the upper end surface of a protective film frame comprising aluminum or titanium, and an airtight gasket is formed on the lower end surface. An adhesive layer is usually used for the airtight gasket, and a protective sheet is attached for the purpose of protecting the adhesive layer. The protective film includes nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, fluorine-based polymers, etc. that allow the light used in exposure (g-rays (436nm), i-rays (365nm), KrF excimer lasers (248nm), ArF excimer lasers (193nm), etc.) to pass well, but in EUV exposure applications, extremely thin silicon films or carbon films are being studied as protective films.

[0006] The purpose of a pellicle is to protect the exposure plate from foreign matter, and therefore requires extremely high cleanliness. Therefore, during the pellicle manufacturing process, the pellicle, pellicle frame, adhesive, and protective sheet must be inspected before shipment to ensure that there is no foreign matter attached.

[0007] Typically, the inspection of foreign matter on the protective film frame is performed by irradiating the frame with concentrated light in a dark room and visually detecting the scattered light from the foreign matter. If there is foreign matter on the inner surface of the protective film frame, the foreign matter will easily fall onto the mask surface due to vibration or air movement. Therefore, in recent years, in addition to visual inspection, the use of foreign matter inspection equipment to inspect the inner surface of the protective film frame has been added. Typically, in the foreign matter inspection equipment, the protective film frame is irradiated with a laser such as a He-Ne laser or a semiconductor laser, and the scattered light from the foreign matter is detected using a semiconductor detector (charge coupled device (CCD)).

[0008] However, there is no means to distinguish scattered light from the inner surface of the pellicle frame from scattered light from foreign matter, and there is a problem that the detector detects scattered light caused by the pellicle frame, making it impossible to properly perform foreign matter inspection.

[0009] Patent Document 1 proposes improving inspection performance by reducing the reflectivity of the inner surface of the pellicle frame to 0.3% or less for inspection light in the range of 400 nm to 1100 nm. However, to achieve this, the frame must be infinitely colored black. This requires careful selection of the pellicle frame material and coloring method, and can be difficult depending on the material.

[0010] The wavelength range of He—Ne laser or semiconductor laser used for inspection light is limited to, for example, 640 nm to 660 nm, and it is not necessarily necessary to reduce reflectivity in the entire wavelength range of 400 nm to 1100 nm.

[0011] Prior art literature

[0012] Patent Literature

[0013] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-249442 Summary of the Invention

[0014] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0015] The present invention is made in view of the above situation, and its purpose is to provide a protective film frame and a protective film assembly using the protective film frame, as well as an inspection method for the protective film assembly. The protective film frame can suppress scattered light from the frame as much as possible by reducing the reflectivity of the inner surface of the protective film frame to the inspection light, thereby improving the foreign matter inspection performance, and by reducing the reflectivity only to the wavelength of the inspection light, there are fewer restrictions on the coloring of the protective film frame.

[0016] Technical means to solve the problem

[0017] The inventors discovered that, in a frame-shaped protective film frame having an upper end surface on which a protective film is provided and a lower end surface facing a photomask, the minimum reflectivity at the inner surface of the protective film frame at a light source wavelength of 500nm to 1000nm is adjusted to less than 20%. As a result, scattered light from the protective film frame is suppressed as much as possible, and by using a specific wavelength with a reflectivity of less than 20% as the wavelength of inspection light, the reflectivity only for the wavelength of the inspection light is reduced. By focusing on the above situation, it is possible to provide a protective film frame with good inspection properties without major restrictions on surface treatment such as the coloring method of the protective film frame, thereby forming the present invention.

[0018] Therefore, the present invention provides the following pellicle frame, pellicle assembly, inspection method of pellicle assembly, exposure original plate with pellicle assembly and exposure method, and manufacturing method of semiconductor or liquid crystal display panel.

[0019] 1. A pellicle frame, comprising a frame-shaped pellicle frame having an upper end face on which a pellicle is provided and a lower end face facing a photomask, wherein the minimum reflectivity of at least the inner side face of the pellicle frame at a light source wavelength of 500 nm to 1000 nm is less than 20%.

[0020] 2. The protective film frame according to item 1, wherein the minimum reflectivity is less than 10%.

[0021] 3. The pellicle frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the reflectivity at all wavelengths of the light source between 500 nm and 1000 nm is 20% or less.

[0022] 4. The pellicle frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the reflectivity at all wavelengths of the light source between 500 nm and 1000 nm is 10% or less.

[0023] 5. The pellicle frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the minimum reflectivity of the pellicle frame over the entire circumference of the pellicle frame at a light source wavelength of 500 nm to 1000 nm is 20% or less.

[0024] 6. The protective film frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the material of the protective film frame includes titanium or titanium alloy.

[0025] 7. The protective film frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the material of the protective film frame includes aluminum or aluminum alloy.

[0026] 8. The protective film frame according to 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of the protective film frame is less than 2.5 mm.

[0027] 9. The protective film frame according to 1 or 2 above, wherein the thickness of the protective film frame is less than 1.5 mm.

[0028] 10. The pellicle frame according to 1 or 2 above, wherein an oxide film is formed on the surface of the pellicle frame.

[0029] 11. The pellicle frame according to 1 or 2 above, wherein the surface of the pellicle frame is blackened.

[0030] 12. The protective film frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the protective film frame is subjected to a scratch removal treatment.

[0031] 13. The protective film frame according to item 1 or 2, wherein the surface of the protective film frame is subjected to manual grinding, sandblasting, chemical grinding or electrolytic grinding.

[0032] 14. The pellicle frame according to item 1 or 2, which is a pellicle frame for an EUV pellicle assembly.

[0033] 15. A pellicle assembly comprising: the pellicle frame according to 1 above; and a pellicle film provided on one end surface of the pellicle frame via an adhesive or a bonding agent.

[0034] 16. The protective film assembly according to 15, wherein the protective film is provided on the upper end surface of the protective film frame.

[0035] 17. The protective film assembly according to 15 or 16, wherein the protective film is a silicon film or a carbon film.

[0036] 18. The pellicle assembly according to item 15 or 16, wherein the height of the pellicle assembly is 2.5 mm or less.

[0037] 19. The pellicle according to 15 or 16 above, which is a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography.

[0038] 20. A method for inspecting a protective film assembly, wherein foreign matter present in the protective film assembly according to claim 15 is detected by a foreign matter inspection machine, wherein: a specific wavelength having a reflectivity of less than 20% at at least the inner surface of the protective film frame is used as the wavelength of the inspection light, thereby detecting foreign matter present in the protective film assembly.

[0039] 21. An exposure original plate with a protective film assembly, wherein the protective film assembly according to item 15 above is mounted on the exposure original plate.

[0040] 22. The exposure original plate with a protective film assembly according to 21, wherein the exposure original plate is an exposure original plate for extreme ultraviolet light.

[0041] 23. The exposure original plate with a pellicle according to 21 above, which is an exposure original plate with a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography.

[0042] 24. An exposure method, wherein exposure is performed using the exposure original plate with a protective film assembly according to 21 above.

[0043] 25. The exposure method according to 24, wherein the exposure light source is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

[0044] 26. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, comprising: exposing a semiconductor wafer using the exposure master with a pellicle according to 21 above.

[0045] 27. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to 26, wherein the exposure light source is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

[0046] 28. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, comprising: exposing a liquid crystal original plate using the exposure original plate with a pellicle assembly according to 21 above.

[0047] 29. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to 28, wherein the exposure light source is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

[0048] Effects of the Invention

[0049] The protective film frame, protective film assembly, and inspection method of the protective film assembly of the present invention suppress scattered light from the protective film frame as much as possible and use a specific wavelength with a reflectivity of less than 20% of the protective film frame as the wavelength of the inspection light. The protective film frame can be surface-treated so that the reflectivity is reduced only for the wavelength of the inspection light, and the degree of freedom of the surface treatment is increased, thereby providing a protective film frame with good inspection performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing an example of the pellicle frame of the present invention.

[0051] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing a mode in which the pellicle of the present invention is mounted on a photomask.

[0052] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 1: Protective film frame

[0054] 2: Protective film

[0055] 3: Photomask

[0056] 4: Protective film adhesive

[0057] 5: Photomask adhesive

[0058] 10: Protective film assembly

[0059] 11: Inner side of the protective film frame

[0060] 12: Outer surface of the protective film frame

[0061] 13: Upper end surface of the protective film frame

[0062] 14: Lower end surface of the protective film frame DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0064] The pellicle frame of the present invention is a frame-shaped pellicle frame having an upper end surface on which the pellicle is provided and a lower end surface facing the photomask.

[0065] If the pellicle frame is frame-shaped, its shape corresponds to the shape of the photomask to which the pellicle assembly is mounted. It is typically a quadrilateral (rectangular or square) frame. In addition to the quadrilateral frame, the photomask shape can be modified to a polygonal frame such as a triangle, pentagon, hexagon, or octagon, or a circular or elliptical frame. Polygonal frames such as quadrilateral frames also include those with corners chamfered with C-chamfering, R-chamfering, or line chamfering.

[0066] The pellicle frame has a surface for providing the pellicle (here, the upper end surface) and a surface facing the photomask when the photomask is mounted (here, the lower end surface).

[0067] Typically, a pellicle is provided on the upper end surface of the pellicle frame via an adhesive or the like, and an adhesive or the like for attaching the pellicle assembly to the photomask is provided on the lower end surface, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0068] The material of the pellicle frame is not limited, and existing materials can be used. Because pellicle frames for EUV applications are likely to be exposed to high temperatures, materials with a low coefficient of thermal expansion are preferred. Examples include Si, SiO2, SiN, quartz, invar, titanium, and titanium alloys. Among these, titanium and titanium alloys are preferred for ease of processing and light weight.

[0069] The dimensions of the pellicle frame are not particularly limited. However, since the height of the EUV pellicle assembly is limited to 2.5 mm or less, the thickness of the pellicle frame for EUV use is smaller than this, less than 2.5 mm. In particular, considering the thickness of the pellicle film and mask adhesive, the thickness of the pellicle frame for EUV use is preferably 1.5 mm or less.

[0070] In the protective film frame of the present invention, the surface treatment of the protective film frame is performed so that the minimum reflectivity at least on the inner side thereof in the range of wavelengths of 500nm to 1000nm is 20% or less. It is particularly suitable to perform the surface treatment of the protective film frame so that the minimum reflectivity in the range of the wavelength of the light source in the entire circumference of the protective film frame is 20% or less. There is no particular limitation on the method of the surface treatment. For example, it can be a method of forming a 100μm oxide film on the surface by anodizing and making it blue by interference color, or performing black nickel plating to blacken it. In addition, the oxide film can also be doped with carbon to make the surface of the frame black.

[0071] The pellicle frame of the present invention does not need to have a reflectivity of 20% or less across the entire wavelength range of 500 nm to 1000 nm; it only needs to have a reflectivity of 20% or less at a specific wavelength within that wavelength range. The specific wavelength referred to here is the wavelength of the inspection light used in the foreign matter inspection device, and the reflectivity at that wavelength is preferably 20% or less, particularly preferably 10% or less. Conversely, the inspection light used in the foreign matter inspection device can also be selected based on the reflectivity distribution that indicates the minimum reflectivity of the pellicle frame.

[0072] In addition, to improve inspection performance, the surface may be subjected to scratch removal treatments such as manual polishing, sandblasting, chemical polishing, and electrolytic polishing. These surface treatments can minimize scattered light from the pellicle frame by roughening the surface.

[0073] Typically, the side of the pellicle frame is provided with a jig hole for handling or peeling the pellicle assembly from the photomask. The jig hole is sized to have a length (or diameter if circular) of 0.5 mm to 1.0 mm in the thickness direction of the pellicle frame. The hole shape is not limited and can be circular or rectangular.

[0074] In addition, a ventilation portion is provided on the protective film frame, and a filter can be provided to prevent foreign matter from entering the ventilation portion.

[0075] The pellicle assembly of the present invention is constructed by attaching a pellicle to the upper end surface of a pellicle frame via an adhesive or bonding agent. The adhesive or bonding agent is not limited to any material and existing materials can be used. To securely hold the pellicle, an adhesive or bonding agent with strong adhesion is preferred.

[0076] There is no particular restriction on the material of the protective film, but it is preferably a material with high transmittance and high light resistance at the wavelength of the exposure light source. For example, an extremely thin silicon film or carbon film is used for EUV exposure. Examples of these carbon films include graphene, diamond-like carbon, carbon nanotubes and the like. The protective film is not limited to a thin film, but may also include a film including a support frame for supporting the protective film. For example, the following method can be used: a protective film is formed on a silicon wafer, and only the portion used as the protective film is back-etched to remove the silicon wafer, thereby producing a protective film. In this case, the protective film can be obtained in a state supported by a silicon frame.

[0077] Furthermore, a mask adhesive for attaching to a photomask is formed on the lower end surface of the pellicle frame. Generally, the mask adhesive is preferably provided over the entire circumference of the pellicle frame.

[0078] As the mask adhesive, any existing adhesive can be used, and an acrylic adhesive or a silicone adhesive can be preferably used. The adhesive can also be processed into any shape as needed.

[0079] A release layer (separator) for protecting the adhesive may also be attached to the lower end surface of the mask adhesive. The material of the release layer is not particularly limited, and for example, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), etc. may be used. In addition, as needed, a release agent such as a silicone release agent or a fluorine release agent may be applied to the surface of the release layer. Furthermore, regarding the installation of the protective film assembly to the photomask, in addition to the use of a mask adhesive, physical fixing means may also be used for fixing. As the fixing means, screws, bolts, nuts, rivets, keys, pins, etc. may be listed. The mask adhesive may also be used in combination with a physical fixing means.

[0080] Here, Figure 1 FIG1 shows an example of a pellicle frame 1 of the present invention, wherein reference numeral 11 denotes the inner side of the pellicle frame, reference numeral 12 denotes the outer side of the pellicle frame, reference numeral 13 denotes the upper end face of the pellicle frame, and reference numeral 14 denotes the lower end face of the pellicle frame. Furthermore, generally, a jig hole for peeling the pellicle assembly from the photomask is provided on the long side of the pellicle frame, but in Figure 1 Not specifically shown in the figure.

[0081] Figure 2 This figure shows a pellicle assembly 10. A pellicle 2 is bonded and stretched across the upper end surface of a pellicle frame 1 using adhesive 4. Furthermore, a photomask 3 is releasably bonded to the lower end surface of the pellicle frame 1 using adhesive 5 to protect the patterned surface of the photomask 3.

[0082] The pellicle of the present invention can be used not only as a protective member for preventing foreign matter from adhering to the exposure plate within the EUV exposure apparatus, but also as a protective member for protecting the exposure plate during storage or transportation. Methods for attaching the pellicle to an exposure plate such as a photomask to produce the exposure plate with the pellicle include methods such as attachment using the aforementioned mask adhesive, electrostatic adsorption, and mechanical fixing.

[0083] The manufacturing method of the semiconductor or liquid crystal display panel of the present embodiment includes a system for exposing a substrate (semiconductor wafer or liquid crystal original plate) using the exposure original plate with the protective film assembly. For example, in the photolithography step, which is one of the manufacturing steps of the semiconductor device or liquid crystal display panel, in order to form a photoresist pattern corresponding to an integrated circuit, etc. on the substrate, the exposure original plate with the protective film assembly is set on the stepper for exposure. Usually, in EUV exposure, a projection optical system is used in which EUV light is reflected by the exposure original plate and guided to the substrate, and these are performed under reduced pressure or vacuum. Therefore, even if foreign matter adheres to the protective film assembly during the photolithography step, these foreign matter will not be imaged on the wafer coated with the photoresist, thereby preventing short circuits or disconnections of the integrated circuit, etc. caused by the image of the foreign matter. Therefore, by using the exposure original plate with the protective film assembly, the yield in the photolithography step can be improved.

[0084] Example

[0085] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Examples and Comparative Examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following Examples.

[0086] [Example 1]

[0087] A titanium pellicle frame (external dimensions: 150 mm × 118 mm × 1.5 mm, frame width: 4.0 mm) was prepared. The titanium frame was immersed in a mixed electrolyte of phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen peroxide, and anodized at 25°C, 20 V, and 30 minutes to form an oxide film, resulting in a blue interference color. The pellicle frame was cleaned with a neutral detergent and pure water, and a material prepared by adding 1 part by mass of a silicone adhesive (X-40-3264 manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) to 100 parts by mass of a hardener (PT-56 manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) and stirring the mixture to a width of 1 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm was applied to the upper end surface of the frame. Separately, a mask adhesive was applied to the lower end of the frame, along its entire circumference, to a width of 1 mm and a thickness of 0.1 mm. A mixture of 100 parts by mass of an acrylic adhesive (SK-Dyne 1495, manufactured by Soken Chemical Co., Ltd.) and 0.1 parts by mass of a hardener (L-45, manufactured by Soken Chemical Co., Ltd.) was added and stirred. The pellicle frame was then heated at 90°C for 12 hours to cure the adhesive on the upper and lower ends. Next, an ultra-thin silicone film, serving as a pellicle, was press-bonded to the adhesive formed on the upper end of the frame, completing the pellicle assembly.

[0088] [Example 2]

[0089] After the titanium frame was manufactured, anodization, black dyeing, and sealing were performed in sequence to form a black oxide film on the surface of the frame.

[0090] [Example 3]

[0091] After the aluminum alloy frame is manufactured, anodizing, black dyeing, and sealing treatment are sequentially performed to form a black oxide film on the surface of the frame. Except for the material and surface treatment of the frame, the same as in Example 1 is used.

[0092] [Comparative Example 1]

[0093] The process is the same as in Example 1 except that no surface treatment is performed on the titanium pellicle frame.

[0094] The pellicles obtained in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1 were inspected using a foreign matter inspection device. Furthermore, reflectance measurements were performed on sample pieces made from the same frame material as in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1, which had been surface-treated.

[0095] [Reflectivity measurement]

[0096] Prepare a sample of 3 cm × 3 cm and 5 mm in thickness, and prepare a sample that has been subjected to the same surface treatment as in Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Example 1. Use a "spectrophotometer V-780" (manufactured by JASCO Corporation, model name) to measure the reflectivity at 500 nm to 1000 nm. The measured values ​​of the minimum reflectivity and the reflectivity under the inspection light (532 nm) are shown in Table 1. The minimum reflectivity is determined based on the graph obtained by the spectrophotometer. Furthermore, the reason for selecting a 532 nm laser as the inspection light is that this type of semiconductor laser is compact but has excellent stability, is easy to use for device assembly purposes, and has a track record of use in inspection devices for semiconductors.

[0097] [Foreign matter inspection]

[0098] The resulting pellicle was held in a dedicated jig using the jig holes, and 20μm standard particles were attached to a portion of the inner wall surface of the pellicle frame. The pellicle and jig were placed in an inner surface foreign matter inspection device (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Engineering Co., Ltd.) equipped with a 532nm semiconductor laser. The quality of the inner wall foreign matter inspection was evaluated according to the following criteria.

[0099] <Judgment Criteria>

[0100] ◯: No scattered light was observed in the region where the particles were not attached, and scattered light was observed only in the portion where the particles were attached.

[0101] ×: Scattered light was observed also in the portion where no particles were attached.

[0102] [Table 1]

[0103]

[0104] Based on the results of Table 1, the following points were examined.

[0105] When using the pellicle frames of Examples 1 to 3, by setting the reflectivity at the pellicle frame under inspection light (532 nm) to 20% or less, a pellicle assembly with good inspectability using a foreign matter inspection machine was provided. In contrast, when using the pellicle frame of Comparative Example 1, scattered light from the frame was observed even in areas where no foreign matter particles were attached, thus failing to demonstrate good inspectability.

Claims

1. A pellicle frame having a frame-like shape and having an upper end surface on which a pellicle is provided and a lower end surface facing a photomask, characterized in that: The minimum reflectivity of at least the inner surface of the pellicle frame at a light source wavelength of 500 nm to 1000 nm is 3.7% or more and 20% or less.

2. The protective film frame according to claim 1, wherein: The minimum reflectivity is less than 10%.

3. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The reflectivity at all wavelengths of the light source from 500 nm to 1000 nm is 20% or less.

4. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The reflectivity at all wavelengths of the light source from 500 nm to 1000 nm is 10% or less.

5. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The minimum reflectivity of the entire circumference of the pellicle frame at a light source wavelength of 500 nm to 1000 nm is 20% or less.

6. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The material of the protective film frame includes titanium or titanium alloy.

7. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The material of the protective film frame includes aluminum or aluminum alloy.

8. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The thickness of the protective film frame is less than 2.5 mm.

9. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The thickness of the protective film frame is less than 1.5 mm.

10. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: An oxide film is formed on the surface of the pellicle frame.

11. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The surface of the pellicle frame is blackened.

12. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The surface of the pellicle frame is treated with a scratch-removing treatment.

13. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The surface of the protective film frame is subjected to manual grinding, sandblasting, chemical grinding or electrolytic grinding.

14. The protective film frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: It is a pellicle frame used for EUV pellicle assemblies.

15. A protective film assembly, characterized in that include: The pellicle frame according to claim 1, and a pellicle film provided on one end surface of the pellicle frame via an adhesive or a bonding agent.

16. The pellicle assembly according to claim 15, wherein: The protective film is arranged on the upper end surface of the protective film frame.

17. The pellicle according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The protective film is a silicon film or a carbon film.

18. The pellicle according to claim 15 or 16, wherein: The height of the pellicle is 2.5 mm or less.

19. The protective film assembly according to claim 15 or 16, which is a protective film assembly for extreme ultraviolet lithography.

20. A method for inspecting a pellicle, comprising detecting foreign matter in the pellicle according to claim 15 using a foreign matter inspection machine, wherein: Foreign matter present in the pellicle is detected by using a specific wavelength having a reflectivity of 20% or less at least on the inner side surface of the pellicle frame as the wavelength of inspection light.

21. An exposure plate with a protective film assembly, characterized in that: The protective film assembly according to claim 15 is mounted on the exposure original plate.

22. The exposure original plate with a pellicle according to claim 21, wherein: The exposure plate is an exposure plate for extreme ultraviolet light.

23. The exposure original plate with a pellicle according to claim 21, which is an exposure original plate with a pellicle for extreme ultraviolet lithography.

24. An exposure method, characterized in that: Exposure is performed using the exposure original plate with a pellicle as claimed in claim 21.

25. The exposure method according to claim 24, wherein: The light source for exposure is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

26. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, characterized in that include: A process for exposing a semiconductor wafer using the exposure master with a pellicle according to claim 21.

27. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor according to claim 26, wherein: The light source for exposure is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

28. A method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel, characterized in that include: A process for exposing a liquid crystal original plate using the exposure original plate with a pellicle according to claim 21.

29. The method for manufacturing a liquid crystal display panel according to claim 28, wherein: The light source for exposure is an exposure light source that emits extreme ultraviolet light.

Images