A cleaning apparatus for pellicle film coated photomasks

Abstract

The application discloses a cleaning equipment for a pellicle film light mask plate, which comprises a gripper module, an air needle module, a movable base module, a rotary gripper module, an air knife blowing module, a back washing module and a barcode area cleaning module, and each module is matched with each other, the mask gripper module accurately grips and releases the light mask plate, the movable base module realizes transfer between stations, the air needle module, the air knife blowing module, the back washing module, the barcode cleaning module and the rotary gripper module are respectively used for different parts (a pellicle side, a glass side, a barcode and the like), and according to the characteristics, nitrogen blowing, ultrapure water cleaning and dust-free cloth auxiliary and the like are adopted to guarantee the cleaning effect of each part of the light mask plate from different dimensions, solve many disadvantages of traditional manual cleaning, and realize efficient, accurate and comprehensive cleaning of the pellicle film light mask plate.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of semiconductor lithography technology, and particularly relates to a cleaning device for a photomask with a pellicle film. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a core tool of semiconductor manufacturing lithography process, the cleanliness of a photomask determines the precision and yield of lithography patterns, and contaminants can cause chip failure and reduce the yield of a Fab. A photomask is composed of a substrate (ultra-flat high-quality quartz glass, almost completely transparent to deep ultraviolet / ultraviolet light when lithography is performed, referred to as "Glass side") and a light shielding layer (a light shielding material such as chromium is deposited on the surface of the substrate to form a circuit pattern, referred to as "pattern circuit pattern"). Under the impetus of Moore's law, process requirements are increasing, and photomasks are sensitive to manufacturing. Before delivery, the "pattern circuit pattern" needs to be attached with a transparent protective film (Pellicle), which is widely used in the fields of IC manufacturing, packaging, and LED. In order to avoid the influence of particles on wafer yield and barcode reading, the particles on the glass side / pellicle side / barcode side of the photomask need to be removed.

[0003] At present, the traditional dust removal method in a Fab is to use a high-purity nitrogen air gun to simply blow, which has many problems:

[0004] It is difficult for manual operation to remove dust particles smaller than 50 um, and the removal rate of small particles is low;

[0005] It is difficult to remove electrostatic dust by using an air gun;

[0006] The pellicle film is thin, fragile and easily damaged by manual blowing, the blowing time is indefinite, and the removal rate is difficult to guarantee; the mask structure with the pellicle film is very complex, different materials at different positions cannot be cleaned in the same way, for example, the pellicle side film is very thin and cannot be washed, and can only be cleaned by an air knife; the barcode and the pellicle side are on the same side, and the positions of the two are very close, if the barcode side is cleaned by pure water, it is difficult to protect the pellicle side from being splashed by water; only the glass side can be cleaned by pure water to achieve deep cleaning. How to accurately control the blowing angle, distance, gas pressure, flow and other parameters of the pellicle side to prevent the film from being damaged, how to accurately control the water film formed on the water channel surface to clean the glass side, and how to accurately control the water film formed on the water channel surface to clean the glass side, are problems to be solved by the present application.

[0007] When the mask is returned to the mask manufacturing factory for deep cleaning and repair, the general process is to remove the protective film (pellicle), clean the mask (without pellicle), check by AOI, and then reapply the protective film (pellicle), which not only reduces the efficiency of the FAB, but also is a large expense, and the acid cleaning of the mask factory affects the pattern, thereby shortening the service life of the mask. SUMMARY

[0008] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides a cleaning equipment for a pellicle film coated photomask, each module cooperates with each other, the mask gripper module accurately grabs and releases the photomask, the moving base module realizes the transfer between stations, the air needle module, the air knife blowing module, the back washing module, the barcode cleaning module and the rotary gripper module are respectively used for different parts (pellicle side, glass side, barcode, etc.), and according to the characteristics, nitrogen blowing, ultrapure water cleaning and dust-free cloth auxiliary are adopted to ensure the cleaning effect of each part of the photomask from different dimensions, solve the many drawbacks of traditional manual cleaning, and realize efficient, accurate and comprehensive cleaning of the pellicle film coated photomask.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present application adopts the following technical scheme:

[0010] A cleaning device for a pellicle film attached photomask, comprising a Mask gripper module, an air needle module, a moving base module, a rotating gripper module, an air knife blowing module, a back washing module, a Barcode cleaning module; the photomask is placed on the rotating gripper module by manual or robot, the workpiece is grabbed by the Mask gripper module, the displacement control of the moving base module drives the photomask to pass through each functional module in turn or selectively, and the precise cleaning of three key areas of the photomask, i.e., the Glass side, the Pellicle side and the Barcode area, is completed, and the cleaning process of each area is as follows:

[0011] Glass side cleaning: the Mask gripper module grabs the photomask and makes the Glass side face downward, and the moving base module drives the photomask to pass through the back washing module (ultra-pure water cleaning) and the air knife blowing module (blowing dry water stains) in turn, so as to realize the cleaning and drying of the glass surface.

[0012] Pellicle side cleaning: the Mask gripper module grabs the photomask and makes the Pellicle side face upward, and the moving base module drives the photomask to be transferred to the rotating gripper module; the rotating gripper module drives the photomask to rotate, and cooperates with the directional blowing of high-purity nitrogen gas of the air needle module to complete the impurity removal of the protective film surface.

[0013] Barcode cleaning: the Mask gripper module grabs the photomask and makes the Pellicle side face downward, the moving base module drives the photomask to be transferred to the Barcode cleaning module (ultra-pure water wetting water washing of the Barcode area), and then to the air needle module (high-purity nitrogen gas blowing to the Barcode area, and no air to the non-Barcode area), so as to realize the collaborative cleaning of "water washing + air blowing" and avoid damaging the pellicle film.

[0014] Further preferably, the Mask gripper module is composed of a Mask, a Mask clamping plate, a Mask clamping seat, a clamping seat connecting plate, a coupling, a speed reducer mounting seat, a cover plate, a planetary reducer, a servo motor, a contact sensor, a finger flange plate, a gripper bottom plate, a ball guide sleeve, a compression spring, a guide shaft, a finger adapter block, a finger connecting pin, a finger connecting rod, a shaft seat and the like; the servo motor transmits power through the planetary reducer, the coupling and the connecting shaft, drives the finger flange plate and the connecting rod mechanism, and converts the rotary motion of the motor into the linear motion of the fingers; the Mask clamping plate is linked through the clamping seat and the guide shaft, and realizes self-centering grabbing around the connecting shaft circumferential array; the pin connection gap of the finger connecting rod is eliminated by the compression spring, and the Mask is fixed by the spring force when power off to prevent falling and damage.

[0015] Further, the wind needle module is composed of an air duct support, an air duct adjusting support, an air duct cover plate, a needle, an air duct, and a branch air pipe joint. The air duct cover plate and the air duct form a sealed structure to ensure stable transmission of high-purity nitrogen. The air duct adjusting support can flexibly adjust the direction of the wind needle to achieve precise blowing of specific areas such as the Pellicle side and the Barcode area, and preliminarily remove large particle impurities and neutralize static electricity.

[0016] Further, the mobile base module is composed of a base plate, a servo motor, a mobile vertical plate, a motor support, a coupling, a screw bearing seat, a guide rail slider, a ball screw, a mobile connecting plate, a drag chain, a drag chain support, a screw nut connecting seat, a linear guide rail, a mobile plate, and a limit sensor. The servo motor drives the ball screw through the coupling, and the guide rail slider is guided and limited in degrees of freedom to convert rotary motion into linear motion, achieving sub-millimeter precise displacement of the Mask gripper module between functional modules and ensuring process connection accuracy.

[0017] Further, the rotary gripper module is composed of a direct drive motor, a base plate, a motor, a stand, a screw, an upper plate, a limit foot block, an upper support plate, a PIN needle, a PIN support plate, a lower plate, a linear bearing, and a guide shaft. The direct drive motor drives the lower plate to rotate, and the motor-screw-guide shaft mechanism realizes lifting to adjust the attitude of the photomask (e.g., rotating the Pellicle side upward), and cooperates with the wind needle module to achieve full-area blowing of the protective film surface without dead angles.

[0018] Further, the air knife blowing module is composed of a three-way air pipe joint, an air pipe joint, an air knife fixing block, an air knife, and a knife cover. The air knife is connected with the fixing block, and the three-way air pipe joint realizes air path branching. The air knife cover fixes the airflow direction, quickly blows off water stains on the Glass side, avoids residue, and protects operators and equipment.

[0019] Further, the back washing module is composed of a water pipe joint, a contact sensor, a pressure plate claw, a cleaning nozzle, a dust-free cloth, a pressure plate, a pressure plate claw rotating shaft, a nozzle bottom plate, a nozzle support, an adjusting screw, and a liquid receiving box. The cleaning nozzle is fixed with the bottom plate, the pressure plate claw is linked through the rotating shaft, and the contact sensor ensures that the dust-free cloth is tightly attached to the nozzle. Ultra-pure water forms a uniform water film through the nozzle and the dust-free cloth, deeply cleaning the Glass side, and the liquid receiving box collects overflow to prevent pollution.

[0020] Further, the Barcode cleaning module is composed of a Barcode, a dust-free cloth, and an ultra-pure water channel. After the dust-free cloth is wetted with ultra-pure water, the water supply is stopped, the mobile base module drives the Mask to move back and forth to realize water washing of the Barcode area; then, through the targeted nitrogen blowing of the wind needle module (no wind in the non-Barcode area), the "water washing + air blowing" collaborative cleaning is completed, avoiding damage to the Pellicle film.

[0021] The present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] The Mask gripper module is responsible for accurate grabbing and fixing the photomask, and the moving base module serves as a displacement carrier to drive the photomask to pass through each functional module in turn. The air needle module and the air knife blowing module provide gas blowing with different pressures and flow rates to remove impurities and dry different areas. The back washing module and the Barcode cleaning module use liquid and dust-free cloth to realize deep cleaning of specific areas. The rotary gripper module adjusts the attitude of the photomask to ensure cleaning coverage of each surface and area, and together completes efficient and accurate cleaning of multiple parts of the photomask. During the cleaning process, the self-centering grabbing of the Mask gripper module and the anti-falling design of the compression spring ensure the stability of the photomask during transfer between modules. The precise displacement control of the moving base module, combined with the functional characteristics of each module, such as ultrapure water cleaning of the back washing module, water stain drying of the air knife blowing module, and targeted cleaning of the Barcode cleaning module, forms an orderly and coherent cleaning process, solves the problems of difficulty in removing small particles and static particles, easy damage to the Pellicle film, poor cleaning adaptability of different parts, etc. in traditional manual cleaning, and improves the cleaning quality and efficiency of the photomask, prolonging the service life of the photomask. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the cleaning equipment for the photomask with the Pellicle film.

[0024] Figure 2 Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air needle module.

[0025] Figure 3a Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the Mask gripper module.

[0026] Figure 3b Figure 3a Figure 5 is a partial enlarged view of the air knife blowing module.

[0027] Figure 4 Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the air knife blowing module.

[0028] Figure 5 Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the back washing module.

[0029] Figure 6 Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the Barcode cleaning module.

[0030] Figure 7 Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the moving base module.

[0031] Figure 8 Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the rotary gripper module.

[0032] Figure 9 The structure diagram of the whole Mask gripper of the present application.

[0033] Figure 10 The top view structure diagram of the cleaning equipment of the Pellicle film attached photo mask plate of the present application.

[0034] Figure 11 The back (explosion) diagram of the photo mask plate of the present application.

[0035] Figure 12 The front whole diagram of the photo mask plate of the present application.

[0036] Figure 13 The Glass side cleaning process diagram mentioned in the present application.

[0037] Figure 14 The Pellicle side cleaning process diagram mentioned in the present application.

[0038] Figure 15 The Barcode cleaning diagram mentioned in the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and relevant knowledge, and be clearly and completely described, obviously, the described application is only a part of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments.

[0040] The present application will be further described below in conjunction with the drawings and relevant knowledge, and be clearly and completely described, obviously, the described application is only a part of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments.

[0041] Referring to Figures 1-15 As shown in the figure, a cleaning equipment of a Pellicle film attached photo mask plate, comprising a gripper module, an air needle module, a moving base module, a rotating gripper module, a air knife blowing module, a back washing module, a Barcode code area cleaning module;

[0042] Specifically, the Mask gripper module 2 includes Mask 21, Mask clamping plate 22, Mask clamping seat 23, clamping seat connecting plate 24, coupling 25, reducer mounting seat 26, cover plate 27, planetary reducer 28, servo motor 29, contact sensor 210, finger flange plate 211, gripper bottom plate 212, ball guide sleeve 213, compression spring 214, roller guide sleeve 215, guide shaft 216, finger adapter block 217, finger connecting pin 218, finger connecting rod 220, shaft seat 221, etc. Specifically, the servo motor 29 is connected with the planetary reducer 28 through the floor, fixed on the reducer mounting seat 26, and transmits force on the bearing seat 221 through the coupling 25 and the connecting shaft; the finger flange plate 211 is fixed with the finger connecting rod 220 by pinning, and the other end of the finger connecting rod is connected with the guide shaft 216 through the finger adapter block 217, and the guide shaft slides in the ball guide sleeve 213; the upper motor rotates and transmits force through the connecting shaft, drives the finger flange plate to rotate, and changes the rotary motion into linear motion through the finger connecting rod. The Mask clamping plate 22 is fixed with the Mask clamping seat 23, the Mask clamping seat is fixed with the guide shaft 216, the clamping seat connecting plate 24 is connected with the Mask clamping seat and the compression spring 214 respectively, the guide shaft drives the Mask clamping plate to move by linear motion, and the Mask clamping plate clamps the Mask around the connecting shaft. The finger connecting rod has a motion gap connected by pin, the gap is eliminated by the compression spring, and the Mask does not fall when the motor is powered off due to the compression spring force.

[0043] The four connecting rods are driven by the servo motor + planetary reducer to realize Mask grabbing, with self-centering function; the compression spring at the end effectively tightens the Mask, and the equipment can be fixed even when powered off, protecting the Mask.

[0044] The air needle module 1 includes air duct support 11, air duct adjusting support 12, air duct cover plate 13, air needle 14, air duct 15, and air duct connector 16. The air duct cover plate 13 is fixed with the air duct 15 to form a sealed structure, the air needle 14 is installed at the air duct outlet, the air duct connector 16 is installed at the air duct inlet, the air duct is connected with the air duct support 11, and the air duct support is connected with the air duct adjusting support 12 for adjusting the direction of the air needle. A sealed air duct is formed, and the direction of the air needle can be flexibly adjusted through the adjusting support, providing precise nitrogen blowing for specific parts of the photomask (such as Pellicle side), and assisting in removing dust particles.

[0045] The moving base module 6 comprises a bottom plate, a servo motor 67, a moving vertical plate 66, a motor support 65, a shaft coupling 64, a ball screw bearing seat 63, a guide rail slider 62, 615, a ball screw 61, a moving connecting plate 620, a drag chain 619, a drag chain support 618, a screw nut connecting seat 617, a linear guide rail 616, a moving plate 69, a moving vertical plate 610, a limit sensor 611, 612, etc. The servo motor 67 drives the ball screw 61 through the shaft coupling 64, the guide rail slider 62, 615 limits the degree of freedom of transmission, changes the rotary motion of the screw into linear motion, the screw drives the moving vertical plate 66, 610, and further drives the moving plate 69 to move. The Mask gripper module can be precisely moved between different stations of the device (such as the air needle module, the back washing module, the air knife blowing module, the Barcode cleaning module, etc.), providing a displacement basis for the orderly development of each cleaning process and ensuring the coherence of the cleaning process.

[0046] The rotating gripper module 7 comprises a direct drive motor 71, a bottom plate 72, a motor 73, a vertical column 74, a screw 75, an upper plate 76, a limit foot block 77, an upper supporting plate 78, a PIN needle 79, a PIN supporting plate 710, a lower plate 711, a linear bearing 712, a guide shaft 713, etc. The direct drive motor 71 is fixed on the bottom plate 72 to drive the lower plate 711 to rotate; the motor 73 is fixed on the lower plate 711 to drive the screw 75, the guide shaft 713 moves up and down on the linear bearing 712 to drive the PIN supporting plate 710 and the upper supporting plate 78 to move up and down, and the limit foot block 77 is installed on the upper supporting plate for placing the Mask. The rotating gripper module can realize the rotating and lifting actions of the Mask, cooperate with the Pellicle side cleaning process, make the needle module blow the Pellicle side with high-purity nitrogen gas, and improve the cleaning effect.

[0047] The air knife blowing module 3 comprises a three-way air pipe joint 31, 39, an air pipe joint 32, 38, an air knife fixing block 33, 37, an air knife 34, 36, and a knife cover 35. The air knife 34, 36 is fixed with the air knife fixing block 33, 37, the three-way air pipe joint 31, 39 is connected with the air pipe joint 32, 38 to realize the air path division, the knife cover 35 covers the air knife to play a role in safety protection and fixing the airflow direction.

[0048] The air knife blowing module can provide stable and directional air source for water spot treatment after cleaning the Glass side, quickly dry the water spot, avoid the influence of water spot residue on the cleanliness of the photomask, and assist in blowing the Pellicle side cleaning, and the cover ensures safety and airflow direction, and improves the cleaning reliability.

[0049] The back washing module 4 comprises a water pipe joint 41, a contact sensor 42, a pressing plate claw 43, a cleaning nozzle 44, a dust-free cloth 45, a pressing plate 46, a pressing plate claw 47, a pressing plate claw rotating shaft 48, a nozzle bottom plate 49, a nozzle support 410, an adjusting screw 411, a liquid receiving box 412 and the like. The cleaning nozzle 44 is fixed on the nozzle bottom plate 49 and is fixed on the nozzle bottom plate by a screw, the nozzle bottom plate fixes the pressing plate claws 43 and 47, the pressing plate claws move around the pressing plate claw rotating shaft 48, the pressing plate 46 presses the dust-free cloth 45 on the cleaning nozzle, and the contact sensor 42 detects whether the pressing is tight; the water pipe joint 41 is fixed on the cleaning nozzle and is connected to ultrapure water, the liquid receiving box 412 collects the overflowed water; the adjusting screw 411 and the nozzle support 410 are mounted on the nozzle bottom plate and are fixed with the equipment. The ultrapure water cleaning of the Glass side surface is realized, the dust-free cloth is matched with the cleaning nozzle through the structure of the pressing plate and the claw, the contact sensor guarantees the tight state, the liquid receiving box avoids water overflow, a stable and controllable ultrapure water cleaning environment is provided for the deep cleaning of the Glass side surface, and the cleaning effect is improved.

[0050] The barcode cleaning module 5 comprises a barcode 53, a dust-free cloth 52 and an ultrapure water channel 51. After the ultrapure water channel is wetted, the dust-free cloth above is stopped from being wetted, the moving base module drives the Mask to move back and forth, and the barcode water washing is completed; then the moving base module is moved to the pin module, the pin module blows the barcode with high-purity nitrogen, and the air needle in the non-barcode area is not in air. The "water washing + dust-free cloth" indirect water washing is combined with the nitrogen blowing mode, the two sides of the barcode are accurately cleaned, the influence on the Pellicle side film is avoided, the problem that the barcode and the Pellicle side are close and difficult to clean is solved, and the reading accuracy of the barcode is guaranteed.

[0051] In the application, the Mask gripper module is rigidly connected with the moving plate 69 of the moving base module through the moving connecting plate 620, and forms a moving whole which can slide along the linear guide rail 616. The moving base module drives the ball screw 61 through the servo motor 67, converts the rotary motion into linear displacement, and drives the Mask gripper module to accurately switch between the cleaning stations. The gripper bottom plate 212 of the Mask gripper module is fixedly connected with the moving connecting plate 620 of the moving base module through a bolt.

[0052] The moving base module transports the mask gripper module to the rotating gripper module, and the positioning system of the PIN needle 79 and the PIN plate 710 ensures that the gripper module is accurately aligned with the mask.

[0053] The servo motor 29 of the mask gripper module drives the planetary reducer 28, which drives the finger flange plate 211 to rotate through the shaft coupling 25. The finger connecting rod 220 converts the rotary motion into linear motion of the guide shaft 216, so that the mask clamping plate 22 contracts towards the center and grabs the mask. The compression spring 214 eliminates the gap between the connecting rods to ensure the rigidity of the grabbing. When the power is off, the spring force keeps the clamping state to prevent the mask from falling. The servo motor 67 of the moving base module is started, and the mask gripper module is moved to the target station (such as the back washing module, the air knife module, etc.) through the ball screw transmission. The displacement accuracy is guaranteed by the lead of the screw and the resolution of the servo motor encoder, which can reach ±0.05mm.

[0054] During the cleaning operation, the back washing module: the moving base module accurately positions the mask above the cleaning nozzle, and the contact sensor 42 detects the pressing state to ensure that the dust-free cloth 45 is in full contact with the glass side. The air knife blowing module: the moving base module drives the mask to pass through the effective area of the air knife 34, 36 at a constant speed to achieve uniform drying. The barcode cleaning module: the moving base module controls the mask to move back and forth, and the dust-free cloth wetted by ultrapure water completes the cleaning of the barcode area, and then accurately transports it to the air needle module for nitrogen blowing. When the pellicle side needs to be cleaned, the moving base module moves the mask to the rotating gripper module, which drives the mask to rotate through the direct drive motor 71, and the air needle module synchronously blows at multiple angles.

[0055] In the present application, the limit sensors 611, 612 provide electrical soft limit, and the mechanical stopper provides physical hard limit, which double protects against overtravel. The compression spring 214 of the mask gripper module ensures that the mask does not fall off when the power is off; the moving base module is equipped with an electromagnetic brake to lock the screw when the power is off. Through the above precise cooperation, the gripper module and the moving base module together realize the efficient and stable transfer of the mask between multiple stations.

[0056] In the present application, through the cooperation of each module, the Mask gripper module accurately grabs and releases the photomask, the moving base module realizes the transfer between stations, the air needle module, the air knife blowing module, the back washing module, the Barcode cleaning module and the rotating gripper module are respectively aimed at different parts (Pellicle side, Glass side, Barcode, etc.), and according to their characteristics, nitrogen blowing, ultrapure water cleaning, dust-free cloth auxiliary and other methods are adopted to ensure the cleaning effect of each part of the photomask from different dimensions, solve the many drawbacks of traditional manual cleaning, and realize efficient, accurate and comprehensive cleaning of the photomask with Pellicle film.

[0057] In the present application, the Mask gripper module is driven by a servo motor matched with a planetary reducer, which transmits power through a shaft coupling and a connecting shaft to drive the finger flange plate and the connecting rod mechanism, and realizes self-centering grabbing of the photomask by means of the linear motion of the connecting rod circumferential array and the guide shaft, which is suitable for various specifications of photomask and ensures the accurate alignment of the grabbing center and the cleaning station center, laying a foundation for accurate operation of subsequent modules. The gap between the finger connecting rod pins is effectively eliminated by the compression spring to avoid transmission jam; when the equipment suddenly loses power, the clamping force of the compression spring can continue to act, firmly fixing the photomask to prevent damage and ensure the cleanliness of the photomask structure and surface during cleaning. After grabbing the photomask, cooperate with the displacement instruction of the moving base module to accurately transport the photomask to the air needle module, back washing module and other functional stations. When moving to the back washing module, the Glass side is stably kept in a downward posture to ensure the cleaning alignment of the back washing module; when grabbing the photomask from the rotating gripper module, it is adapted to the posture after rotation to smoothly transfer.

[0058] In the present application, the air needle module forms a sealed structure with the air duct cover plate and the air duct to ensure stable transmission of high-purity nitrogen without leakage loss; the air duct adjustment bracket can flexibly adjust the angle and height of the air needle to accurately and directionally blow off large particles and loose impurities for different parts such as the Pellicle side and the Barcode area, and avoid damage to the Pellicle film caused by turbulent nitrogen flow. By utilizing the airflow characteristics of high-purity nitrogen, large particles and dust on the surface of the photomask can be preliminarily removed, reducing the impurity treatment load of subsequent water washing and fine cleaning modules and improving the overall cleaning efficiency; at the same time, nitrogen blowing can neutralize part of the static electricity to assist in removing small particles with static electricity and improve the cleaning effect. Cooperate with the rotating action of the rotating gripper module to dynamically blow the Pellicle side in a rotating state, covering the entire circumferential area, making up for the defects of difficult control of manual blowing angle and distance, and ensuring uniform removal of impurities on the Pellicle side.

[0059] And after washing with water, the Barcode area is accurately blown dry to quickly remove residual moisture and prevent water stains from affecting Barcode identification. The Barcode cleaning module is connected to the pre-blowing module before water washing and the drying module after water washing to form a Barcode cleaning closed loop of "pre-blowing-water washing-drying".

[0060] At the beginning of the cleaning process, the mask is preliminarily blown to reduce the amount of impurities in the subsequent stations such as the back washing module and the Barcode cleaning module, so that each module focuses on deep cleaning and improves the cleaning efficiency and effect of the system.

[0061] In the present application, the moving base module is driven by a servo motor through a shaft coupling to drive a ball screw, and the guide and freedom of the guide rail block are combined to convert the rotary motion of the motor into linear motion, achieving sub-millimeter level displacement accuracy. The movement of the Mask gripper module between the air needle, back washing, air knife, Barcode cleaning and other modules can be accurately controlled to ensure that the mask is accurately connected to each station and to avoid cleaning omissions, repetitions or damage caused by displacement deviation. Through the transmission combination of linear guide rail and ball screw, the operation is stable, which can effectively suppress vibration and ensure the stability of the mask posture during transfer, so that the surface impurities and water droplets do not fall off or spread due to shaking, thus maintaining the cleaning results in the early stage and creating favorable conditions for subsequent module operations. According to the preset program, the Mask gripper module is sequentially driven to connect the air needle module (pre-blowing), the back washing module (Glass side water washing), the air knife blowing module (Glass side drying), the Barcode cleaning module (Barcode cleaning), and the rotary gripper module (Pellicle side blowing), so that the functions of each module are orderly connected to build a cleaning system with "multi-station cooperation and full-process coverage". The displacement speed and start-stop timing can be accurately controlled according to the operation time and rhythm of each module. For example, the back washing module needs to be continuously supplied with water for a certain period of time, and the moving base module is stable and stationary; after the air knife blowing module is dried, it is quickly transferred to the next station to ensure the overall cleaning efficiency and avoid conflicts between modules.

[0062] In the present application, the rotary gripper module directly drives the lower plate to rotate through a direct drive motor, which responds quickly and accurately controls the angle, and can flexibly adjust the posture of the mask to make the Pellicle side face upwards for comprehensive blowing by the air needle module. The lifting mechanism composed of the motor, screw and guide shaft can fine-tune the height of the mask to adapt to the grabbing height of the Mask gripper module and the blowing distance of the air needle module, and optimize the working conditions. Multi-dimensional operation support: rotation and lifting action cooperate to provide a "dynamic + accurate" operation environment for Pellicle side cleaning. Rotation achieves full coverage, and lifting ensures that the blowing distance is adapted, solving the problem of difficult control of the Pellicle film due to its thinness and manual blowing, and improving the impurity removal rate of the Pellicle side.

[0063] When receiving the mask grabbed by the mask gripper module, the posture is quickly adjusted to face the pellicle side upward and rotate to match the directional blowing of the air needle module; after cleaning, the posture is reset to facilitate the mask gripper module to grab and transfer again, and the mask gripper module and the air needle module form a "transfer-adjust-blowing-transfer" pellicle side cleaning sub-process, ensuring efficient and comprehensive cleaning of the surface.

[0064] Through the posture adjustment function, different surfaces and different areas of the mask are created for cleaning operations, and the displacement of the moving base module is coordinated to expand the adaptability of the equipment for multiple site cleaning of the mask, so that the equipment can flexibly respond to different cleaning needs of the Glass side, Pellicle side, Barcode, etc., and improve the system versatility.

[0065] The air knife blowing module ensures stable air supply for multiple air knives through air path design, and the airflow is uniform and controllable. The air knife cover shell fixes the airflow direction, so that the drying airflow accurately acts on the Glass side surface, quickly dries the water stains, avoids water residues forming water marks and breeding microorganisms, and ensures the cleanliness and optical performance of the Glass side surface. In the Glass side cleaning process, after the ultrapure water cleaning process of the back washing module, the water stains are quickly dried to consolidate the cleaning results of the back washing module, forming a "water washing-drying" Glass side deep cleaning closed loop to ensure the cleanliness and dryness of the Glass side surface and meet the stringent requirements of the photolithography process for substrate cleanliness. It can be realized in cooperation with the moving base module and the mask gripper module to accurately dock the Glass side cleaning station, receive the mask cleaned by the back washing module, and blow according to the preset trajectory to ensure the adaptability of the drying action to the mask posture and position, and improve the cleaning continuity of the system.

[0066] In the present application, the back washing module, through the cooperation of the pressure plate clamping jaw and the contact sensor, ensures that the lint-free cloth is tightly attached to the cleaning nozzle, and the ultrapure water uniformly penetrates the lint-free cloth through the nozzle to form a stable and uniform water film. The water film can deeply infiltrate the Glass side surface, dissolve and carry particulate impurities, realize chemical + physical double cleaning of the Glass side surface, effectively remove small particles, organic matter residues, etc., and improve the cleanliness of the substrate. The liquid receiving box collects the overflowed ultrapure water to prevent water flow from polluting the internal equipment and other modules, and ensures the cleanliness of the equipment operating environment; the adjusting screw and the nozzle support can fine-tune the position and angle of the module, adapt to the Glass side surface cleaning of mask plates of different specifications, and improve the versatility of the module. It can realize cooperation with the mobile base module and the mask gripper module, receive the mask plate, and use the cleaning method of ultrapure water + lint-free cloth to deeply process the Glass side surface impurities; provide a prerequisite for the drying operation of the subsequent air knife blowing module, build a "cleaning-drying" Glass side cleaning complete process, and ensure the cleaning quality of the surface. In addition, according to the water-washable characteristics of the Glass side surface, the functions of other modules (such as air needle blowing for the Pellicle side surface and water + gas cleaning for the Barcode) are complementary, and different parts of the mask plate are processed, which improves the cleaning coverage of the equipment on the whole surface of the mask plate.

[0067] In the present application, the Barcode cleaning module uses the indirect water washing method of "ultrapure water wetting lint-free cloth" to avoid damage to the Pellicle side film caused by direct spraying of ultrapure water, and effectively removes particles and stains in the Barcode area by using the physical wiping action of the lint-free cloth; the subsequent air needle module performs targeted nitrogen blowing to quickly dry the Barcode area, and the secondary cleaning prevents water stains from remaining, ensuring that the Barcode is clear and readable, and solving the technical problem of difficult cleaning of the Barcode and the Pellicle side. The layout of the ultrapure water channel and the lint-free cloth accurately covers the Barcode area, and there is no water intervention in the non-Barcode area to avoid affecting other parts; when the air needle module blows, the air needle in the non-Barcode area is not ventilated, focusing on drying and cleaning the Barcode area to realize precise operation on a specific area. Cooperating with the mobile base module and the mask gripper module, the mask plate is first received to complete water washing, and then moved to the air needle module to complete blowing, forming a "water washing-air blowing" Barcode cleaning sub-process; cooperating with the air needle module, the wet cleaning and dry cleaning of the Barcode area are processed, improving the cleaning effect of the area.

[0068] Although some embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present application, and all of them shall be included in the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus for a pellicon membrane photomask, characterized by, The application relates to a photomask cleaning device, which comprises a gripper module (2), an air needle module (1), a moving base module (6), a rotary gripper module (7), a wind knife blowing module (3), a back washing module (4), a Barcode cleaning module (5), and the photomask is placed on the rotary gripper module (7), the photomask is gripped by the gripper module (2), the moving base module (6) drives the gripper module (2) to move, and the photomask sequentially or selectively passes through the air needle module (1), the back washing module (4), the wind knife blowing module (3) and the Barcode cleaning module (5) to complete the cleaning of the glass surface, the protective film surface and the Barcode area, wherein: when the glass surface is cleaned, the gripper module (2) grips the photomask so that the glass surface faces downward, the moving base module (6) drives the photomask to move to the back washing module (4) to be cleaned by ultrapure water, and then the photomask is moved to the wind knife blowing module (3) to blow the water stains on the glass surface; when the protective film surface is cleaned, the gripper module (2) grips the photomask so that the protective film surface faces upward, the moving base module (6) drives the photomask to move to the rotary gripper module (7), the rotary gripper module (7) drives the photomask to rotate, and the air needle module (1) blows high-purity nitrogen gas to the protective film surface; when the Barcode area is cleaned, the gripper module (2) grips the photomask so that the protective film surface faces downward, the moving base module (6) drives the photomask to move to the Barcode cleaning module, the Barcode cleaning module first wets the dust-free cloth with ultrapure water to clean the Barcode area, and then the photomask is moved to the air needle module (1) to blow nitrogen gas to the Barcode area.

2. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The gripper module (2) comprises a clamping plate (22), a clamping seat (23), a clamping seat connecting plate (24), a coupling (25), a speed reducer mounting seat (26), a cover plate (27), a planetary speed reducer (28), a servo motor (29), a contact sensor (210), a finger flange plate (211), a gripper bottom plate (212), ball guide sleeves (213 and 215), compression springs (214), guide shafts (216), finger adapter blocks (217), finger connecting pins (218), finger connecting rods (220), bearing seats (221), the servo motor (29) is connected with the planetary speed reducer (28) and fixed on the speed reducer mounting seat (26), force transmission is realized between the coupling (25) and the connecting shaft on the bearing seat (221), the finger flange plate (211) and the finger connecting rod (220) are fixed by pins, the other end of the finger connecting rod is connected with the guide shaft (216) through the finger adapter block (217), the guide shaft slides in the ball guide sleeves (213 and 215), the rotary motion of the servo motor (29) is transmitted to the finger flange plate through the connecting shaft, the rotary motion is changed into linear motion through the finger connecting rod, the clamping plate (22) and the clamping seat (23) are fixed, the clamping seat is fixed with the guide shaft (216), and the clamping seat connecting plate (24) is connected with the clamping seat and the compression springs (214).

3. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The wind needle module (1) comprises an air duct support (11), an air duct adjusting support (12), an air duct cover plate (13), a wind needle (14), an air duct (15), and an air duct trachea joint (16); the air duct cover plate (13) is fixed with the air duct (15) to form a sealed structure, the wind needle (14) is installed on the air duct outlet, the air duct trachea joint (16) is installed on the air inlet of the air duct, the air duct is connected with the air duct support (11), and the air duct support is connected with the air duct adjusting support (12); the wind needle direction is adjusted, so that high-purity nitrogen can accurately blow specific areas of a photomask.

4. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The mobile base module (6) comprises a bottom plate, a servo motor (67), a mobile vertical plate (66, 610), a motor support (65), a shaft coupling (64), a screw bearing seat (63), a guide rail sliding block (62, 615), a ball screw (61), a mobile connecting plate (620), a drag chain (619), a drag chain support (618), a screw nut connecting seat (617), a linear guide rail (616), a mobile plate (69), and limit sensors (611, 612); the servo motor (67) drives the ball screw (61) through the shaft coupling (64), the guide rail sliding block (62, 615) limits the degree of freedom of transmission, the rotary motion of the screw is converted into linear motion, the screw drives the mobile vertical plate (66, 610), and thus the mobile plate (69) is driven to move.

5. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The rotating gripper module (7) comprises a direct drive motor (71), a bottom plate (72), a motor (73), a vertical column (74), a screw (75), an upper plate (76), a limit foot block (77), an upper supporting plate (78), a PIN needle (79), a PIN supporting plate (710), a lower plate (711), a linear bearing (712), and a guide shaft (713); the direct drive motor (71) is fixed on the bottom plate (72) and drives the lower plate (711) to rotate; the motor (73) is fixed on the lower plate (711) and drives the screw (75); the guide shaft (713) is limited on the linear bearing (712) to make lifting motion as a degree of freedom, thereby driving the PIN supporting plate (710) to move up and down; the guide shaft (713) drives the upper supporting plate (78), and the limit foot block (77) is installed on the upper supporting plate (78) and used for placing a photomask, so that the photomask can rotate when the protective film surface of the photomask is cleaned, and the rotating gripper module is combined with the wind needle module to realize comprehensive blowing.

6. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The air knife blowing module (3) comprises a three-way air pipe joint (31, 39), an air pipe joint (32, 38), an air knife fixing block (33, 37), an air knife (34, 36), and an air knife cover shell (35); the air knife (34, 36) is fixed with the air knife fixing block (33, 37), the three-way air pipe joint (31, 39) is respectively connected with the air pipe joint (32, 38), air paths are divided, the air knife cover shell (35) covers the air knife, plays a safety protection and air flow direction fixing role, and can quickly blow dry water stains after cleaning the glass surface, thereby avoiding residue.

7. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The back washing module (4) comprises a water pipe joint (41), a contact sensor (42), a pressing plate claw (43, 47), a cleaning nozzle (44), a dust-free cloth (45), a pressing plate (46), a pressing plate claw rotating shaft (48), a nozzle bottom plate (49), a nozzle support (410), an adjusting screw (411), and a liquid receiving box (412); the cleaning nozzle (44) is fixed on the nozzle bottom plate (49) by a screw, the nozzle bottom plate is fixed with the pressing plate claw (43, 47), the pressing plate claw moves around the pressing plate claw rotating shaft (48), so that the pressing plate (46) presses the dust-free cloth (45) on the cleaning nozzle, and the contact sensor (42) detects whether the pressing is tight; the water pipe joint (41) is fixed on the cleaning nozzle, and is connected with ultrapure water, the liquid receiving box (412) collects the water overflowed from the cleaning nozzle; the adjusting screw (411) and the nozzle support (410) are installed on the nozzle bottom plate, are fixed with the equipment, provide a stable ultrapure water cleaning environment for the glass surface, clean by using the dust-free cloth, and improve the cleanliness of the glass surface.

8. The pellicle-coated photomask cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The Barcode cleaning module (5) comprises a dust-free cloth (52) and an ultrapure water channel (51); the ultrapure water channel is water-connected, water supply is stopped after the dust-free cloth above is wetted by ultrapure water, the moving base module drives the gripper module to reciprocate, water washing of the Barcode area is completed, then the moving base module drives the gripper module to move to the air needle module, and the air needle module blows the Barcode area by high-purity nitrogen.

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