Mask library and photolithography exposure equipment

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of lithography equipment, and specifically discloses a mask storage library and a lithography exposure equipment, including a plurality of mask boxes; the mask box is provided with a mask access opening, and the mask access opening is covered with a sealing cover plate hinged to the mask box on one side; it also includes a first driving component and a cover opening component, the cover opening component is provided with a toggle member, the sealing cover plate has an abutment surface on the side close to the mask access opening, the first driving component is used to drive the cover opening component to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box so that the toggle member contacts the abutment surface; the toggle member is driven to toggle the sealing cover plate to rotate around the hinge axis in a direction away from the mask access opening to open the mask access opening. The present application can automatically open the mask box, facilitate quick access to the mask, and improve the production efficiency of the exposure process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of lithography equipment, and in particular to a mask storage library and a lithography exposure equipment. Background Art

[0002] As a precision component, the mask is very sensitive to particles or contaminants. Therefore, the mask is placed in a special mask box during storage. It is only taken out of the mask box and placed on the mask table for exposure during the exposure process. The opening structure of the existing technology is inefficient, and the opening angle of the sealing cover is small or the opening angle varies. It is difficult to ensure that the sealing cover is fully opened, resulting in the inability of the gripping mechanism to quickly grip, thus resulting in low production efficiency of the exposure process. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present application is to provide a mask storage library and a photolithography exposure device, which can automatically open the mask box to facilitate the rapid placement and removal of the mask, thereby improving the production efficiency of the exposure process.

[0004] The embodiment of the present application is implemented as follows:

[0005] In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mask storage library, comprising a bracket and a plurality of mask boxes arranged on the bracket; a mask access opening is opened on the mask box, and the mask access opening is covered with a sealing cover plate whose one side is hinged to the mask box; it also includes a first driving component and a cover opening component, the cover opening component is provided with a toggle member, and the sealing cover plate has an abutment surface on the side close to the mask access opening, and the first driving component drives the cover opening component to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box so that the toggle member contacts the abutment surface; the toggle member is driven to toggle the sealing cover plate to rotate around the hinge axis in a direction away from the mask access opening to open the mask access opening.

[0006] As an optional embodiment, the cover opening assembly includes a driving part and a transmission swing arm, the extension direction of the transmission swing arm is perpendicular to the power output shaft of the driving part, and one end of the transmission swing arm is connected to the power output shaft, and the toggle member is connected to the other end of the transmission swing arm; the driving part drives the toggle member to move around the power output shaft through the transmission swing arm.

[0007] As an optional embodiment, the mask plate access opening is horizontally oriented, and the hinge axis of the sealing cover is located at the upper edge of the mask plate access opening and is horizontally arranged; the sealing cover is provided with a traction closing mechanism on the side close to the mask plate access opening, and the traction closing mechanism is used to generate a force that causes the sealing cover to cover the mask plate access opening.

[0008] As an optional embodiment, it also includes a second driving component and a scanning component; the second driving component is provided with a connecting structure, and the scanning component is installed on the connecting structure. The second driving component can drive the scanning component to move linearly along the arrangement direction of the mask box through the connecting structure, so that the scanning component can scan the mask box and / or the mask plate stored in the mask box.

[0009] As an optional embodiment, the scanning component includes an ID scanning module, and the mask box is provided with an identification code for storing mask plate ID information. The connecting structure is used to drive the ID scanning module to move to a position corresponding to the identification code, and the ID scanning module is used to scan the identification code to identify the mask plate ID information placed in the corresponding mask box.

[0010] As an optional embodiment, the scanning component includes an in-situ detection module, which is used to project detection light into the mask box. The detection light is reflected by the mask and incident on the in-situ detection module, so that the in-situ detection module detects the mask.

[0011] As an optional embodiment, a plurality of the mask boxes are arranged in sequence on the bracket along the vertical direction; an upper position sensor and a lower position sensor located on the movement path of the cover opening assembly are provided on the bracket; the position height of the upper position sensor corresponds to the position of the uppermost mask box, and the position height of the lower position sensor corresponds to the position of the lowermost mask box.

[0012] As an optional embodiment, the first drive assembly and the second drive assembly respectively include connecting screws arranged on both sides of the bracket in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the connecting screw is connected to a driving motor; the driving motor drives the connecting screw to rotate to move the slider arranged on the connecting screw up and down.

[0013] As an optional implementation, the bracket has a mask box supporting portion extending in a horizontal direction, and the mask box can slide or roll on the mask box supporting portion along an opening direction of the mask plate access opening.

[0014] As an optional implementation, the mask box support portion is provided with a guide pulley abutting against the mask box, and there are at least two guide pulleys arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the mask box.

[0015] As an optional implementation, a locking component is provided on the bracket, a slot opening toward the locking component is provided on the mask box, and the locking component is used to be inserted into the slot to lock the movement of the mask box.

[0016] As an optional embodiment, the locking assembly includes a vertically arranged accommodating groove, a spring element is installed in the accommodating groove, a limiting rod abutting against the spring element is inserted in the accommodating groove, and a limiting wheel is installed at one end of the limiting rod away from the spring element; a guide slope is provided on one side of the card slot, the mask box slides so that the limiting wheel abuts against the guide slope, and the limiting wheel is pushed by the guide slope to compress the spring element through the limiting rod until the limiting wheel is separated from the guide slope, and the spring element pushes the limiting wheel to be inserted into the card slot.

[0017] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a lithography exposure device, comprising the above-mentioned mask storage library and a gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping mechanism is used to take and place the mask after the mask box is opened by the cover opening assembly.

[0018] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present application include at least the following two aspects:

[0019] In the first aspect, the mask storage library provided by the embodiment of the present application includes a plurality of mask boxes arranged in sequence on a bracket; the mask box is provided with a mask access opening, and the mask access opening is covered with a blocking cover plate hinged to the mask box on one side; the embodiment of the present application also includes a first driving component and a cover opening component, the cover opening component is provided with a toggle member, and the blocking cover plate has an abutment surface on the side close to the mask access opening, and the first driving component of the embodiment of the present application drives the cover opening component to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box so that the toggle member contacts the abutment surface, and the toggle member is driven to toggle the blocking cover plate to rotate around the hinge axis in a direction away from the mask access opening to open the mask access opening. Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present application can realize automatic cover opening when taking and placing the mask, which is convenient for quick taking and placing of the mask, and can improve the production efficiency of the exposure process.

[0020] On the second aspect, the lithography exposure equipment provided by the embodiment of the present application includes the above-mentioned mask storage library and the gripping mechanism, and the gripping mechanism is used to take and place the mask after the cover opening component opens the mask box. The cover opening component implemented in the present application realizes automatic taking and placing of the mask by cooperating with the gripping mechanism. When the gripping mechanism wants to take out the mask in the mask box, the cover opening component cooperates to open the corresponding sealing cover plate, so that the gripping mechanism enters the mask box. When the gripping mechanism wants to put the mask into the mask box, the cover opening component also cooperates to open the sealing cover plate, so that the gripping mechanism can put the mask in. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mask storage library of this application.

[0023] Figure 2 Rear view of the mask bank for this application.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the mask storage library opening component and the sealing cover plate interfere with each other in this application.

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial enlarged view of area C in the middle.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a front view schematic diagram of the interference between the opening cover component and the closing cover plate in the mask storage library of the present application.

[0027] Figure 6a This is a structural schematic diagram when the toggle member on the cover opening assembly of the present application abuts against the contact surface of the blocking cover (at this time the blocking cover is in a closed state and has not yet been opened).

[0028] Figure 6b This is a structural schematic diagram of the toggle member on the cover opening assembly of this application opening the sealing cover by 90 degrees.

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the mask storage library of the present application from a top view angle.

[0030] Figure 8 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of area A in the middle.

[0031] Fig. 9 This is a side structural schematic diagram of the first driving component and the cover opening component of the present application.

[0032] Fig.10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the bracket according to the embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Fig.11 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the mask box support portion of an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Fig.12 This is the second structural schematic diagram of the mask box support part of the embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Fig.13 for Fig.12 A partial enlarged view of area D in the middle.

[0036] Icons: 100-mask box; 101-blocking cover plate; 102-first drive assembly; 1021-first linear module; 1022-first slider; 1023-first motor; 1024-first guide rail; 103-opening assembly; 104-moving member; 105-driving unit; 1051-power output shaft; 106-transmission swing arm; 1061-shaft hole; 1062-shaft pin; 107-second drive assembly; 1071-second linear module; 1072-second motor; 1073-second slider; 1074-second guide rail; 108-connecting structure; 1081-cross arm; 1082-front support arm; 1083-rear support arm; 109-ID scanning module; 110-in-situ detection module; 111-bracket; 112-mask box support; 113-guide pulley; 114-locking assembly; 115-card slot; 116-limit rod; 117-limit wheel; 118-guide ramp; 119-static removal device; 121-first protective plate; 122-second protective plate; 123-third protective plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0038] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present application for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0039] It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, so once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the description and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0040] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "set", "install", "connect", and "connect" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0041] As a precision component, the mask is very sensitive to particles or contaminants. Therefore, the mask is placed in a special mask box 100 during storage. Only during the exposure process is it taken out of the mask box 100 and placed on the mask stage for exposure. The mask box 100 has a dustproof effect on the one hand, and on the other hand, it has the function of protecting the mask to prevent accidents such as collision and wear during transportation. Therefore, before exposure, the mask needs to be taken out of the mask box 100 and transported to the mask stage for alignment exposure. How to quickly open the mask box 100 so that the grabbing mechanism can grab it quickly and smoothly has become one of the important factors affecting exposure efficiency.

[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides a mask storage library, including a bracket 111, a mask box support portion 112, a mask box 100, a cover opening assembly 103, a scanning assembly, an anti-static device 119, a protective baffle, etc., wherein a plurality of mask boxes 100 are installed on the bracket 111; a mask plate access opening is opened on the mask box 100, and the mask plate access opening is covered with a blocking cover 101 whose one side is hinged to the mask box 100; it also includes a first driving assembly 102 and a cover opening assembly 103, and the cover opening assembly 103 is provided with a toggle member 104, and the blocking cover 101 has an abutting surface on the side close to the mask plate access opening, and the first driving assembly 102 drives the cover opening assembly 103 to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box 100, that is, Figure 1 The vertical direction shown is used to move the toggle member 104 on the cover opening assembly 103 to a preset height position and contact the abutment surface on the mask box 100 at that position; the toggle member 104 is driven to toggle the blocking cover plate 101 to rotate around the hinge axis in a direction away from the mask plate access opening to open the mask plate access opening.

[0043] Reference Figure 1As shown, the first driving assembly 102 includes a first linear module 1021 and a first motor 1023 arranged vertically. The first linear module 1021 has a first screw rod (not shown in the figure due to structural occlusion), a first guide rail 1024 and a first slider 1022 sleeved on the first screw rod. The first slider 1022 is driven to move up and down along the first guide rail 1024. A first motor 1023 is arranged at the lower end of the first linear module 1021. The output shaft of the first motor 1023 is connected to the lower end of the screw rod of the first linear module 1021. When the first motor 1023 rotates forward or reversely, it drives the first screw rod to rotate forward or reversely, so as to drive the first slider 1022 sleeved on the screw rod to move upward or downward along the first guide rail 1024. The cover opening assembly 103 is fixed on the first slider 1022, thereby driving the cover opening assembly 103 to move up and down. By detecting the number of rotations of the first motor 1023 and the lead of the first screw rod, the lifting height and position of the first slider 1022 and the cover opening assembly 103 can be determined.

[0044] It should be noted that the mask boxes 100 of the mask storage library provided in the embodiment of the present application are arranged sequentially, and may be arranged sequentially along a straight line, or may be arranged sequentially along multiple straight lines.

[0045] There are multiple mask boxes 100, illustratively, there may be 6 or 10 mask boxes 100. Those skilled in the art may configure the mask boxes 100 according to the needs and the size of the installation space, and there is no special limitation on this.

[0046] It should be noted that the cover opening assembly 103 opens the blocking cover plate 101 through the toggle member 104. The opening degree of the mask access opening is based on whether the access mechanism can access the mask through the mask access opening.

[0047] To further illustrate the degree of opening of the mask access opening, the projection of the blocking cover 101 in the direction of the mask access opening is separated from the mask access opening, or the overlapping area is very small, or the overlapping area is close to zero, so that the mask access opening is opened to access the mask.

[0048] As required, the cover opening assembly 103 can also push the blocking cover plate 101 to cover the mask access opening through the toggle member 104 .

[0049] A traction and closing mechanism is provided on one side of the blocking cover plate 101 close to the mask access opening, and the traction and closing mechanism is used to generate a force that enables the blocking cover plate 101 to cover the mask access opening.

[0050] Exemplarily, a torsion spring or a tension spring is provided on the hinge shaft of the blocking cover plate 101. When the toggle member 104 toggles the blocking cover plate 101 to rotate in a direction away from the mask access opening, the torsion spring reserve is compressed to reserve elastic potential energy. When the mask is accessed and placed, the toggle member 104 continuously presses against the blocking cover plate 101 to prevent it from closing due to elastic force. After the mask is accessed and placed, the toggle member 104 is separated from the mask, and the mask is automatically closed by the elastic force of the torsion spring.

[0051] That is to say, the cover opening assembly 103 can realize the closing and opening of the mask access opening by driving the blocking cover plate 101 .

[0052] Compared with the prior art, the embodiment of the present application can realize automatic opening of the cover when taking and placing the mask, which is convenient for quickly taking and placing the mask and can improve the production efficiency of the exposure process.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 4 As shown, as an optional embodiment, the cover opening assembly 103 includes a driving unit 105 and a transmission swing arm 106. The transmission swing arm 106 extends in a direction perpendicular to the power output shaft 1051 of the driving unit 105, and one end is connected to the power output shaft 1051. The toggle member 104 is connected to the other end of the transmission swing arm 106. The driving unit 105 drives the toggle member 104 to move around the power output shaft 1051 through the transmission swing arm 106. During assembly, an outer cover is provided on the outside of the driving unit 105 to play a protective role. The driving unit 105 is preferably a swing arm cylinder, and the power output shaft 1051 of the swing arm cylinder is inserted into the shaft hole 1061 of the transmission swing arm 106 and fixed by the shaft pin 1062. Of course, in other embodiments, the driving unit 105 can also select other driving structures such as motors. A swing arm cylinder is used, and its swing angle is preset to 90 degrees. The working position of the swing cylinder has only two states: the initial position and the open position. After the cover opening component 103 is moved into place, the swing cylinder can quickly open the sealing cover 101 from a vertical state to a horizontal state through the toggle member 104. The cover is opened quickly and stably, and the opening angle can be kept stable, so that the sealing cover 101 can be opened at a more suitable angle to facilitate the robot to take and place the mask from the mask box 100.

[0054] See also Figure 5 , Figure 6a and Figure 6b ,in Figure 6a , Figure 6b The process of opening the cover by the toggle member 104 is shown. Figure 6aThe first driving assembly 102 drives the first slider 1022 and the cover opening assembly 103 to move to the preset level of the mask box 100. At this time, the blocking cover 101 is in a closed state, and the toggle member 104 contacts the inner contact surface of the blocking cover 101. Then the driving unit 105 is started, and the power output shaft 1051 of the driving unit 105 is moved along the Figure 6a The toggle member 104 drives the blocking cover plate 101 to open upwards. When the power output shaft 1051 of the driving unit 105 rotates 90 degrees, the blocking cover plate 101 is opened 90 degrees and is in a horizontal state. Figure 6b shown.

[0055] As an optional embodiment, the mask access opening is oriented horizontally, and the hinge axis of the sealing cover 101 is located at the upper edge of the mask access opening and is arranged horizontally; the sealing cover 101 covers the mask access opening under the action of gravity. At the same time, a tension spring or other elastic structural member can also be arranged on the inner side of the sealing cover 101 to form a traction closing mechanism. Exemplarily, one end of the tension spring is connected to the sealing cover 101, and elastic potential energy is stored when the sealing cover 101 is opened. When the mask access opening needs to be closed, the tension spring releases the elastic potential energy to drive the sealing cover 101 to close the mask access opening.

[0056] Furthermore, the mask access opening of the embodiment of the present application is arranged horizontally, and the hinge axis is arranged at the upper edge of the mask access opening. The toggle member 104 of the embodiment of the present application can toggle the blocking cover plate 101 to rotate upward to a horizontal position, or continue to rotate upward after passing the horizontal position, so that the mask access opening is opened.

[0057] It should be noted that the rotation angle of the blocking cover plate 101 when opening upward is 90 degrees, that is, the blocking cover plate 101 rotates from vertical to horizontal, in order not to affect the placement of the mask. In addition, the opening angle should not be too large. If it exceeds 90 degrees, on the one hand, it will increase the rotation / swing angle of the opening mechanism, wasting time, and on the other hand, it may cause the opening angle to be too large so that the blocking cover plate 101 may not be able to return to its position even under the traction of the tension spring; and if the opening angle is too small, such as flipping the blocking cover plate 101 upward by 70 degrees, the horizontal height of the side of the blocking cover plate 101 away from the mask box 100 will have a certain degree of obstruction on the opening of the mask box 100, thereby affecting the robot's action of taking and placing the mask; therefore, the 90-degree opening position is the best setting, and the angle should not be too large or too small.

[0058] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 7As shown, as an optional embodiment, it also includes a second driving component 107 and a scanning component; the second driving component 107 is provided with a connecting structure 108, and the scanning component is installed on the connecting structure 108. The second driving component 107 can drive the scanning component to move linearly along the arrangement direction of the mask box 100 through the connecting structure 108, so that the scanning component can scan the mask box 100 and / or the mask plate stored in the mask box 100.

[0059] It should be noted that the embodiment of the present application uses a scanning component to scan the mask box 100, which can not only obtain relevant information about the mask stored in the mask box 100, but also detect the storage status of the mask in each layer of the mask box 100. This allows the gripping mechanism to grip the corresponding mask as needed, effectively preventing the gripping mechanism from mis-grabbing and improving the safety and reliability of the operation.

[0060] Reference Figure 7 As shown, as an optional embodiment, the scanning component includes an ID scanning module 109, and an identification code for storing mask plate ID information is set on the mask box 100. The connecting structure 108 is used to drive the ID scanning module 109 to move to a position corresponding to the identification code. The ID scanning module 109 is used to scan the identification code to identify the ID information of the mask plate placed in the corresponding mask box 100.

[0061] The embodiment of the present application uses the ID scanning module 109 to scan and identify the identification code on the mask box 100, so as to accurately obtain the corresponding mask ID information. It should be noted that the ID scanning module 109 is driven by the second driving component 107 to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box 100, that is, Figure 1 Vertical orientation shown.

[0062] See also Figure 1 , Figure 7 As an optional embodiment, the scanning component includes an in-situ detection module 110, which is used to project detection light into the mask box 100. The detection light enters the in-situ detection module 110 after being reflected by the mask plate, so as to detect whether a mask plate is stored in the mask box 100.

[0063] The embodiment of the present application enables the scanning component to detect whether there is a mask plate in the mask box 100 to be grasped by setting the in-position detection module 110, thereby preventing the grasping mechanism from grasping in an empty stroke. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can further improve the reliability of operation.

[0064] See also Figure 1 , Figure 7The second driving assembly 107 of this embodiment includes a second linear module 1071 and a second motor 1072 arranged vertically. The second linear module 1071 is arranged on one side of the mask library ( Figure 1 The left side shown in the figure), is arranged vertically and fixed on the bracket 111, the second linear module 1071 includes a second screw rod (not shown in the figure due to structural obstruction), a second slider 1073, and a second guide rail 1074. The connecting structure 108 is fixed on the second slider 1073, and the two ends of the connecting structure 108 extend to the front side and the rear side of the mask library respectively (the front and rear are set only for the convenience of description, and are not a limitation of the present technical solution. In this embodiment, Figure 1 The front side is shown as the front side, and the back side is shown as the back side). An ID scanning module 109 is provided on the connecting structure 108 located at the back side of the mask storage library. A mask in-situ detection module 110 is provided on the connecting structure 108 located at the front side of the mask storage library. A reflection sensor is used on the in-situ detection module 110. If a mask is stored in the mask box 100 of the corresponding layer, the in-situ sensor confirms that a mask is stored in the layer according to the received reflection signal of appropriate light intensity. If no mask is placed in the layer, the in-situ sensor transmits a signal because the reflection signal is received or the received reflection signal is too weak. Then, the reflection signal received is weak or no reflection signal is received, so as to determine that no mask is placed in the layer. When the ID scanning module 109 moves to the back side directly behind the mask of the corresponding layer height, it scans the QR code or bar code on the back side of the mask box 100 to read the ID information of the mask in the mask box 100.

[0065] See also Figure 7 The connecting structure 108 includes a cross arm 1081 fixed on the second slider 1073, and a front support arm 1082 and a rear support arm 1083 which are respectively fixedly connected to the two ends of the cross arm 1081 and are roughly "Z"-shaped structures; the cross arm 1081 is horizontally arranged, and the interval between the ends of the front support arm 1082 and the rear support arm 1083 away from one end of the cross arm 1081 is larger than the dimension of the mask storage library in the front-to-back direction, the in-situ detection module 110 is installed at the free end of the front support arm 1082, and the ID scanning module 109 is installed at the free end of the rear support arm 1083, so as to prevent the support part from moving up and down with the slider and touching the mask box 100 or other components.

[0066] Two limit position sensors are arranged on the second linear module 1071, and the two limit position sensors correspond to the position of the bottom mask box 100 (preferably the cover opening position of the bottom mask box 100) and the position of the top mask box 100 (preferably the cover opening position of the top mask box 100), respectively. The limit position is set according to the specific assembly position during assembly, and the upper and lower limit positions are preset in the control system, and the limit positions are not shown in the figure. The distance between the upper and lower limit positions is the scanning stroke of the scanning module, and the lower limit position or the upper limit position can be used as the initial position of the scanning module.

[0067] In addition, a number of detection reference points are set along the sliding stroke of the second linear module 1071, and each reference point corresponds to a certain height in the thickness direction of the mask in a layer of the mask box 100. The position of the reference point is pre-set and can be determined by manual measurement or other measurement methods. When performing in-situ position detection, the scanning module can jump up / down step by step from the initial position to the reference point of the adjacent layer, and then use the reference point as the reference detection point to detect whether there is a mask at that position; of course, according to needs, it is also possible to jump directly from the initial position to the reference point of the corresponding layer to detect whether there is a reference point at that position.

[0068] The scanning component of this application has the following three advantages.

[0069] First, the mask scanning component of the present embodiment not only has the function of scanning the mask ID, but also has the function of scanning whether there is a mask in the mask box 100, that is, the mask in-situ detection function, which can effectively avoid the situation where the mask box 100 is missing due to procedural or other reasons, and can ensure the smooth and efficient progress of the lithography process.

[0070] Second, the front scanning module (in-situ detection module 110) and the rear scanning module (ID scanning module 109) of the mask scanning module are installed on the same connecting structure 108, and are synchronously moved up or down through the second linear module 1071, which not only realizes the synchronous detection of the in-situ status and ID information status of a certain layer of mask, but also optimizes the structure, reduces the number of drive parts 105, and improves the detection accuracy and matching degree.

[0071] Third, the front support arm 1082 and the rear support arm 1083 of the scanning module are both designed with a "Z" shaped structure, so that the distance between the two is relatively small near the linear module, and the distance between the two is relatively large at the mask box 100, to adapt to the different widths of the linear module and the mask storage library. While ensuring that the distance between the front support arm 1082 and the rear support arm 1083 meets the width requirements of different parts, it is ensured that interference with other components is avoided during up and down shifting, and at the same time, other space occupied by the mask storage library is minimized.

[0072] Reference Figure 1 , Fig.11 , Fig.12 as well as Fig.13 As shown in FIG. 1 , as an optional embodiment, a support 111 is further included, and a plurality of mask boxes 100 are mounted on the support 111 and arranged in sequence along the vertical direction. It should be noted that the support 111 is a hollow rectangular structure, which can be provided with one layer, two layers or more than three sides along the vertical direction, and a corresponding mask box 100 can be installed in each layer. However, in this embodiment, the mask box 100 is only installed in the upper rectangular frame, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown; a mask box supporting portion 112 for supporting the mask box 100 is provided on the inner side of the bracket 111. The bracket 111 has a simple structure, is easy to process, and has good scalability.

[0073] See also Fig.10 The bracket 111 of this embodiment is composed of two vertically arranged upright poles and three horizontally arranged cross bars. The two upright poles are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. The lower ends of the upright poles are fixed to the table surface by bolts. The three cross bars are respectively fixedly connected to the upper and lower ends and the middle position of the two upright poles to form two square frame structures. Fig. 9 , Fig.11 and Fig.12 On the left and right vertical poles of the upper frame, a plurality of pairs of evenly spaced mask box support parts 112 are fixed respectively. The mask box support parts 112 on the left and right vertical poles are arranged symmetrically. After the mask box 100 is horizontally inserted into the left and right support parts at a certain height, the left and right sides of the mask box 100 are just inserted into the support parts on the two side columns. The mask plate support part has the function of supporting and limiting the mask box 100.

[0074] In other embodiments, the bracket 111 may also adopt other structural forms, such as arranging four or five (or other numbers) cross bars in the height direction to separate the two vertical bars into three or more mask box 100 accommodating spaces, so as to store more mask boxes 100 in the vertical direction and ensure the support strength of the entire bracket 111. In addition, in order to ensure the overall strength of the bracket 111, the cross bars and the vertical bars may be made into an integrated structure, which may be connected into one by welding, or the shape of the bracket 111 may be cut out on a flat plate. The material of the bracket 111 may be made of aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or other materials with good strength and stability; the bracket 111 may also be arranged in two vertical parallel rows, and a plurality of mask boxes 100 may be arranged on each row.

[0075] It should be noted that the specific structure of the bracket 111 can be configured by those skilled in the art as required, and is not particularly limited thereto.

[0076] Furthermore, the bracket 111 is provided with an upper position sensor and a lower position sensor located on the movement path of the cover opening component 103; the position height of the upper position sensor corresponds to the position of the uppermost mask box 100, and the position height of the lower position sensor corresponds to the position of the lowermost mask box 100.

[0077] The embodiment of the present application uses an upper position sensor and a lower position sensor to limit the movement of the cover opening component 103 within the linear arrangement area of ​​the mask box 100, thereby preventing the cover opening component 103 from moving beyond the limited travel. The embodiment of the present application pre-sets the spacing between adjacent mask boxes 100, that is, the stop position of the cover opening component 103 at each mask box 100 is preset, thereby enabling the cover opening component 103 to be quickly and accurately displaced, and quickly reach any mask box 100 to realize the cover opening action, saving travel time, and improving the efficiency and accuracy of the box opening.

[0078] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 as well as Figure 7 As shown, as an optional implementation, the first driving assembly 102 and the second driving assembly 107 are respectively disposed on both sides of the bracket 111 along the vertical direction and are arranged symmetrically.

[0079] In the embodiment of the present application, the first driving component 102 and the second driving component 107 are respectively arranged on both sides of the bracket 111, so that the cover opening component 103 and the scanning component can move on both sides of the bracket 111 respectively, and the movement interference between the cover opening component 103 and the scanning component can be prevented.

[0080] It should be noted that the first drive assembly 102 and the second drive assembly 107 of the embodiment of the present application can both adopt linear drive modules. For example, roller screws, movable guide rails and other structures are used for driving or guiding, and those skilled in the art can select them according to their needs.

[0081] Reference Figure 4 As shown, as an optional embodiment, the bracket 111 has a mask box supporting portion 112 extending in the horizontal direction, and the mask box 100 is connected to the mask box supporting portion 112 and can slide along the opening direction of the mask plate access port.

[0082] Among them, refer to Fig.12 As shown, the mask box supporting portion 112 is provided with guide pulleys 113 abutting against the mask box 100 , and there are at least two guide pulleys 113 , which are arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the mask box 100 .

[0083] Reference Figure 8 , Figures 11 to 13As shown, a locking assembly 114 is disposed on the bracket 111 , and a slot 115 opening toward the locking assembly 114 is provided on the mask box 100 . The locking assembly 114 is used to be inserted into the slot 115 to lock the movement of the mask box 100 .

[0084] See also Fig.12 and Fig.13 The locking assembly 114 includes a vertically arranged accommodating groove, in which a spring element is installed, a limiting rod 116 abutting against the spring element is inserted into the accommodating groove, and a limiting wheel 117 is installed at one end of the limiting rod 116 away from the spring element; a guide slope 118 is provided on one side of the card slot 115, and the mask box 100 slides so that the limiting wheel 117 abuts against the guiding slope 118. The limiting wheel 117 is pushed by the guiding slope 118 to compress the spring element through the limiting rod 116 until the limiting wheel 117 is separated from the guiding slope 118, and the spring element pushes the limiting wheel 117 to insert into the card slot 115.

[0085] In a further embodiment of the present application, a static electricity removal device 119 is disposed above the support 111 to eliminate static electricity on the entire mask storage library.

[0086] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 7 In this embodiment, protective plates are further provided on the left side, right side and rear side of the bracket 111. The protective plates are arranged at intervals from the bracket 111. There are three protective plates, wherein the first protective plate 121 and the second protective plate 122 are rectangular, respectively provided on the left and right sides of the bracket 111 (arranged in parallel and symmetrically), and are used to shield the left and right sides of the bracket 111 to protect the left and right sides; the third protective plate 123 is provided on the rear side of the bracket 111 ( Figure 1 The third protective plate 123 is a U-shaped structure, and the left and right sides of the third protective plate 123 are fixedly connected to the rear sides of the first protective plate 121 and the second protective plate 122 respectively. The U-shaped opening of the third protective plate 123 corresponds to the storage position of the mask box 100 of the mask storage library, that is, there is a hollow structure directly behind the storage position of the mask box 100, so as to observe or store the mask box 100 in the mask storage library. The bottom of the third protective plate 123 completely blocks the bottom of the mask storage library from the rear to protect the mask storage library.

[0087] The lithography exposure device provided in the embodiment of the present application includes the above-mentioned mask storage library and the gripping mechanism, and the gripping mechanism is used to take and place the mask after the cover opening component 103 opens the mask box 100. The cover opening component 103 of the present application realizes automatic taking and placing of the mask by cooperating with the gripping mechanism. When the gripping mechanism wants to take out the mask in the mask box 100, the cover opening component 103 cooperates to open the corresponding blocking cover plate 101, so that the gripping mechanism enters the mask box 100. When the gripping mechanism wants to put the mask into the mask box 100, the cover opening component 103 also cooperates to open the blocking cover plate 101, so that the gripping mechanism can put the mask in.

[0088] The above description is only the preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A mask storage library, characterized in that: The invention comprises a support (111) and a plurality of mask boxes (100) arranged on the support (111); a mask plate access opening is provided on the mask box (100), and the mask plate access opening is covered with a blocking cover plate (101) whose one side is hinged to the mask box (100); the invention also comprises a first driving component (102) and a cover opening component (103); the cover opening component (103) is provided with a toggle member (104); a side of the blocking cover plate (101) close to the mask plate access opening has an abutment surface; the first driving component (102) drives the cover opening component (103) to move along the arrangement direction of the mask box (100) so that the toggle member (104) contacts the abutment surface; the toggle member (104) is driven to toggle the blocking cover plate (101) to rotate around the hinge axis in a direction away from the mask plate access opening, thereby opening the mask plate access opening; It also comprises a second driving component (107) and a scanning component, wherein the second driving component (107) can drive the scanning component to move linearly along the arrangement direction of the mask box (100), so that the scanning component can scan the mask box (100) and / or the mask stored in the mask box (100); The scanning component comprises an in-situ detection module (110), and the in-situ detection module (110) is used to project detection light into the mask box (100), and the detection light is reflected by the mask plate and incident on the in-situ detection module (110), so that the in-situ detection module (110) detects the mask plate.

2. The mask storage library according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover opening assembly (103) comprises a driving part (105) and a transmission swing arm (106); the transmission swing arm (106) extends in a direction perpendicular to a power output shaft (1051) of the driving part (105), and one end of the transmission swing arm (106) is connected to the power output shaft (1051); the toggle member (104) is connected to the other end of the transmission swing arm (106); the driving part (105) drives the toggle member (104) to move around the power output shaft (1051) via the transmission swing arm (106).

3. The mask storage library according to claim 2, characterized in that: The mask access opening is oriented horizontally, and the hinge axis of the blocking cover plate (101) is located at the upper edge of the mask access opening and is arranged horizontally; a traction closing mechanism is arranged on the side of the blocking cover plate (101) close to the mask access opening, and the traction closing mechanism is used to generate a force that causes the blocking cover plate (101) to cover the mask access opening.

4. The mask storage library according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The second driving component (107) is provided with a connecting structure (108), the scanning component is mounted on the connecting structure (108), and the second driving component (107) can drive the scanning component to move linearly along the arrangement direction of the mask box (100) through the connecting structure (108).

5. The mask storage library according to claim 4, characterized in that: The scanning component comprises an ID scanning module (109); an identification code for storing mask ID information is provided on the mask box (100); the connecting structure (108) is used to drive the ID scanning module (109) to move to a position corresponding to the identification code; the ID scanning module (109) is used to scan the identification code to identify the mask ID information placed in the corresponding mask box (100).

6. The mask storage library according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of the mask boxes (100) are arranged in sequence on the bracket (111) along the vertical direction; an upper position sensor and a lower position sensor located on the movement path of the cover opening component (103) are provided on the bracket (111); the position height of the upper position sensor corresponds to the position of the uppermost mask box (100), and the position height of the lower position sensor corresponds to the position of the lowermost mask box (100).

7. The mask storage library according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first drive assembly (102) and the second drive assembly (107) respectively comprise connecting screws arranged on both sides of the bracket (111) in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the connecting screw is connected to a driving motor; the driving motor drives the connecting screw to rotate so that a slider arranged on the connecting screw moves up and down.

8. The mask storage library according to claim 6, characterized in that: The support (111) is provided with a mask box support portion (112) extending in a horizontal direction, and the mask box (100) can slide or roll on the mask box support portion (112) along the opening direction of the mask plate access opening.

9. The mask storage library according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mask box support portion (112) is provided with a guide pulley (113) abutting against the mask box (100), and there are at least two guide pulleys (113) arranged at intervals along the sliding direction of the mask box (100).

10. The mask storage library according to claim 6, characterized in that: The bracket (111) is provided with a locking component (114), the mask box (100) is provided with a slot (115) opening toward the locking component (114), and the locking component (114) is used to be inserted into the slot (115) to lock the movement of the mask box (100).

11. The mask storage library according to claim 10, characterized in that: The locking assembly (114) comprises a vertically arranged accommodating groove, in which a spring element is installed, a limiting rod (116) is inserted in the accommodating groove and abuts against the spring element, and a limiting wheel (117) is installed at one end of the limiting rod (116) away from the spring element; a guiding inclined surface (118) is provided on one side of the clamping groove (115), and the mask box (100) slides so that the limiting wheel (117) abuts against the guiding inclined surface (118), and the limiting wheel (117) is pushed by the guiding inclined surface (118) to compress the spring element through the limiting rod (116), until the limiting wheel (117) is separated from the guiding inclined surface (118), and the spring element pushes the limiting wheel (117) to be inserted into the clamping groove (115).

12. A photolithography exposure device, characterized in that: It comprises the mask storage library as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 and a gripping mechanism, wherein the gripping mechanism is used to take and place the mask after the mask box (100) is opened by a cover opening component (103).

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