Air injection assembly for mask storage cabinet

Abstract

The utility model provides an air injection component for a mask storage cabinet, which comprises a nozzle and a clamp, the clamp comprises a clamping arm, a first arm and a second arm, the clamping arm is connected with the first arm, and the clamping arm clamps and fixes the nozzle; one end of the second arm is elastically connected with the first arm, so that elastic force towards the first arm is applied to the second arm, and the first arm and the second arm clamp a diaphragm plate of the mask storage cabinet. According to the mask storage box, the risk that the nozzle falls off can be eliminated, and it is guaranteed that gas can smoothly enter the mask storage box through the nozzle all the time, so that the storage environment of the mask meets the requirement of process testing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of mask storage, in particular to an air jet component used for a mask storage cabinet. Background Art

[0002] The mask is an important component used in the photolithography technology in the integrated circuit manufacturing process. Its function is to enable the photolithography machine to expose the circuit pattern on the silicon wafer. In the photolithography process, the mask transfers the circuit design graphics from the graphics database to the silicon wafer. The mask can be understood as a film containing chip layout information. After exposure, the layout in the mask is engraved on the wafer. Usually, the mask graphic data is designed and submitted by the user, and the subsequent processing is completed by the engineer before it can be used normally.

[0003] Since masks are extremely precise and expensive, how to use them correctly and appropriately is the focus of daily production in enterprises, and how to store masks after use is even more important. Masks are very sensitive to even the smallest particles or contaminants, so they must be kept very clean. Masks need to be stored in a constant temperature and humidity environment. At present, masks are usually stored in mask storage boxes, which are organized into mask storage cabinets for easy storage and identification. The mask storage cabinet has multiple horizontal partitions and multiple vertical partitions, which cross to form multiple grids as storage locations for the mask storage box. Pure gas is usually introduced into the mask storage box to ensure that the storage environment of the mask meets the requirements. It is usually necessary to conduct process tests to check whether the storage environment in the mask storage box meets the requirements. The process test generally requires that the relative humidity in the mask storage box be reduced to less than 10% within 30 minutes. There is a gas supply pipeline in the mask storage cabinet, which introduces gas to the air inlet at the bottom of the mask storage box through a nozzle. Although the nozzle is in contact with the bottom of the mask storage box, most of the nozzles are made of transparent polyurethane (Shore hardness 70D). Due to the hard material, the gas will overflow from between the nozzle and the mask storage box, resulting in the relative humidity in the mask storage box not meeting the standard.

[0004] Moreover, the nozzle is fixed only by the friction between the nozzle and the air supply pipe. Specifically, a through-spray hole is provided in the nozzle, and the air supply pipe extends into the spray hole but does not penetrate the nozzle. The outer diameter of the air supply pipe is equal to or slightly larger than the diameter of the spray hole, thereby fixing the nozzle. This method of fixing the nozzle has the risk of the nozzle falling off the air supply pipe after long-term use. Once the nozzle falls off and is not discovered in time, the storage environment in the mask storage box will not meet the standards for a long time, and even the mask will be scrapped, causing huge economic losses. Utility Model Content

[0005] The utility model aims to provide a jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet, which can eliminate the risk of nozzle falling off and ensure that the gas can always smoothly enter the mask storage box, so that the storage environment of the mask meets the requirements of process testing.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the utility model provides a jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet, which includes a nozzle and a clamp, the clamp including a clamping arm, a first arm and a second arm, the clamping arm is connected to the first arm, and the clamping arm clamps and fixes the nozzle; one end of the second arm is elastically connected to the first arm so that the second arm is applied with an elastic force toward the first arm, so that the first arm and the second arm clamp the partition of the mask storage cabinet.

[0007] Optionally, the clamping arm has a receiving opening, and the nozzle is installed in the receiving opening.

[0008] Optionally, the receiving port is coaxial with the nozzle.

[0009] Optionally, the accommodating opening is in a radial opening shape.

[0010] Optionally, both the first arm and the second arm are plate-shaped.

[0011] Optionally, the nozzle is an elastic member, and the Shore hardness of the nozzle is 20A.

[0012] Optionally, the other end of the second arm is used to abut against the first arm.

[0013] Optionally, a Teflon coating is provided on the outer surface of the nozzle.

[0014] Optionally, one end of the nozzle is provided with an axially protruding first annular boss.

[0015] Optionally, a radially protruding second annular boss is provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle.

[0016] As configured above, the nozzle is clamped and fixed by the clamping arm. At the same time, since one end of the second arm is elastically connected to the first arm, the transverse partition of the mask storage cabinet can be pressed between the second arm and the first arm to fix the nozzle. The utility model fixes the nozzle on the transverse partition of the mask storage cabinet by setting a clamp. Compared with the prior art in which the nozzle is fixed only by the friction between the nozzle and the air supply pipe, the utility model uses a clamp to fix the nozzle, which is more firm and reliable, eliminates the risk of the nozzle falling off, and ensures that the gas in the air supply pipe can always smoothly enter the mask storage box, so as to provide a suitable storage environment for the mask, and avoid the mask being scrapped due to substandard storage environment. In addition, a first annular boss is set at one end of the nozzle, so that the nozzle and the mask storage box are more closely attached, so that the airflow is more difficult to overflow, which is conducive to improving the storage environment of the mask to meet the relative humidity requirements. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Those skilled in the art should understand that the drawings are provided for a better understanding of the present invention and do not constitute any limitation on the scope of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a nozzle of a jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 An axonometric view of a nozzle of an air jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the jet assembly and the transverse partition plate for the mask storage cabinet according to one embodiment of the utility model;

[0021] Figure 4 It is an axonometric view of a fixture of a jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 The figure is a side view of a fixture of a jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0024] 1-nozzle; 11-first annular boss; 12-second annular boss; 13-spray hole; 2-clamp; 21-first arm; 22-second arm; 23-clamping arm; 231-accommodating port; 24-connecting part; 3-cross partition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In this document, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inside", "outside", "front", "back", "top", "bottom", etc. are used to indicate directions or positional relationships based on the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific direction and operation. Therefore, they cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0026] The following will describe the specific implementation of the utility model in more detail with reference to the schematic diagram. The advantages and features of the utility model will become clearer according to the following description. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not in exact proportions, and are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the utility model.

[0027] The preferred embodiments of the present utility model are given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and described in detail.

[0028] In this field, most factories store masks in mask storage boxes, and the mask storage boxes are organized into mask storage cabinets for easy storage and identification. The mask storage cabinet has multiple horizontal partitions and multiple vertical partitions, and the multiple horizontal partitions and multiple vertical partitions cross to form multiple grids as storage positions for the mask storage box. Pure gas is usually introduced into the mask storage box to ensure that the storage environment of the mask meets the requirements, such as introducing protective gases such as CDA (clean dry air), N2 (nitrogen) or XCDA (ultra-pure compressed air) into the mask storage box. Therefore, a gas supply pipeline is also provided in the mask storage cabinet, and the gas supply pipe passes through the horizontal partition 3 and is connected to the nozzle 1, and the nozzle 1 passes the gas into the mask storage box. Generally speaking, the nozzle 1 is located between the mask storage box and the horizontal partition 3, that is, the mask storage box is located above the nozzle 1. It can be understood that the air inlet at the bottom of the mask storage box is in contact with the upper end surface of the nozzle 1 to prevent airflow from overflowing. To determine whether the storage environment in the mask storage box meets the requirements, it is usually inspected through process testing. The process test generally requires that the relative humidity in the mask storage box be reduced to less than 10% within 30 minutes.

[0029] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a nozzle of a jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 2 This is an axonometric view of a nozzle of an air jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly of the jet assembly and the transverse partition for the mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3The embodiment of the utility model provides an injection assembly for a mask storage cabinet, which includes a nozzle 1 and a clamp 2. The nozzle 1 is mounted on a transverse partition 3 through the clamp 2. It can be understood that the nozzle 1 has a penetrating spray hole 13, and the spray hole 13 is used to connect with the air supply pipeline of the mask storage cabinet. Generally speaking, the air supply pipe extends into the spray hole 13 but does not penetrate the nozzle 1. It can be understood that the inlet of the spray hole 13 is located on the side of the nozzle 1 facing the transverse partition 3, and the outlet of the spray hole 13 is located on the side of the nozzle 1 facing the mask storage box. Preferably, one end of the nozzle 1 is provided with an axially protruding first annular boss 11. It can be understood that the first annular boss 11 is located at the end of the nozzle 1 facing the mask storage box, and the outlet of the spray hole 13 is located within the range of the first annular boss 11. The first annular boss 11 is used to abut against the bottom of the mask storage box, so that the nozzle 1 and the mask storage box are more closely attached, so that the airflow is more difficult to overflow, which is conducive to improving the storage environment of the mask.

[0030] Figure 4 This is an axonometric view of a fixture of an air jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the utility model. Figure 5 This is a side view of a fixture of a jet assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to an embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5, the clamp 2 includes a clamping arm 23, a first arm 21 and a second arm 22, the clamping arm 23 is connected to the first arm 21, and the clamping arm 23 clamps and fixes the nozzle 1. Usually, the clamping arm 23 is plate-shaped and perpendicular to the axis of the spray hole 13; further, the clamping arm 23 has a receiving port 231 to facilitate clamping the nozzle 1 to prevent it from falling off. Preferably, the receiving port 231 and the nozzle 1 are interference fit or transition fit. In other embodiments, the receiving port 231 and the nozzle 1 can also be transition fit. Further, the receiving port 231 is coaxial with the nozzle 1. It can be understood that when the receiving port 231 is circular, the receiving port 231 is coaxial with the nozzle 1. In this embodiment, the receiving opening 231 is in a radial opening shape, specifically, the receiving opening 231 is in a U-shaped opening shape, the bottom of the U-shaped opening is semicircular, and the semicircle is coaxial with the nozzle 1, and the radius of the semicircle is consistent with the outer diameter of the nozzle 1. Further, in order to facilitate the clamping of the nozzle 1 by the clamping arm 23, a radially protruding second annular boss 12 is provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second annular boss 12 is located at one end of the nozzle 1 facing the diaphragm 3, that is, an end face of the second annular boss 12 along the axial direction of the spray hole 13 is used to abut against one surface of the diaphragm 3. In the radial direction of the spray hole 13, the width of the receiving opening 231 is smaller than the width of the second annular boss 12, so that the clamping arm 23 can press the second annular boss 12 against one surface of the diaphragm 3, and the second arm 22 presses against the other surface of the diaphragm 3, thereby fixing the nozzle 1.

[0031] Further, one end of the second arm 22 is elastically connected to the first arm 21, so that the second arm 22 is applied with elastic force toward the first arm 21, so that the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 clamp the partition 3 of the mask storage cabinet. In this embodiment, the first arm 21 is elastically connected to the second arm 22 through the connecting portion 24. For example, the first arm 21, the second arm 22 and the connecting portion 24 are all plate-shaped. It can be understood that the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are to clamp the partition 3 in the middle. By setting them in a plate shape, the contact area between the first arm 21, the second arm 22 and the partition 3 can be increased, thereby enhancing the fastening effect. The clamp 2 can be made of stainless steel, for example, and the clamp 2 is prefabricated in a shape in which the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 are at an oblique angle, that is, the second arm 22 extends from the connecting portion 24 and gradually approaches the first arm 21. It can be understood that the length of the connecting portion 24 in the axial direction of the spray hole 13 is greater than the thickness of the diaphragm 3, and the shortest vertical distance between the other ends of the first arm 21 and the second arm 22 is less than the thickness of the diaphragm 3. Preferably, the other end of the second arm 22 is used to abut against the first arm 21, which specifically refers to the abutment of the other end of the second arm 22 with the first arm 21 when the diaphragm 3 is not clamped between the second arm 22 and the first arm 21, so that the elastic force of the second arm 22 toward the first arm 21 can be increased, and the clamping force of the two on the diaphragm 3 can be improved.

[0032] The inventors also found that an important reason for the overflow of airflow between the nozzle and the mask storage box is that the material of the nozzle 1 is too hard. In the prior art, most nozzles are made of transparent polyurethane with a Shore hardness of 70D. Due to the hard material and small deformation, the nozzle and the mask storage box are not tightly fitted, and the gas will overflow from the gap between the nozzle and the mask storage box. Therefore, in this embodiment, the material of the nozzle 1 is replaced with an elastic material, that is, the nozzle 1 is an elastic member. For example, the nozzle 1 of this embodiment uses liquid silicone with a Shore hardness of 20A. Further, the outer surface of the nozzle 1 is provided with a Teflon coating, such as a high-temperature Teflon coating, to achieve the effect of wear resistance and anti-sticking. The surface of the Teflon coating has a very low surface tension, so it shows a relatively strong non-stickiness. Few solid substances can stick to the coating. Even if colloidal substances may adhere to the surface of the coating, most materials are easy to clean on the surface, and the Teflon coating has good wear resistance under high load operation.

[0033] As configured above, the nozzle 1 is clamped and fixed by the clamping arm 23. At the same time, since one end of the second arm 22 is elastically connected to the first arm 21, the transverse partition 3 of the mask storage cabinet can be pressed between the second arm 22 and the first arm 21 to achieve the fixation of the nozzle 1. The utility model fixes the nozzle 1 on the transverse partition 3 of the mask storage cabinet by setting a clamp 2. Compared with the prior art in which the nozzle is fixed only by the friction between the nozzle and the air supply pipe, the utility model uses the clamp 2 to fix the nozzle 1 in a more secure and reliable manner, eliminating the risk of the nozzle 1 falling off, and ensuring that the gas in the air supply pipe can always smoothly enter the mask storage box, so as to provide a suitable storage environment for the mask, and avoid the mask from being scrapped due to the storage environment not meeting the standard. In addition, a first annular boss 11 is set at one end of the nozzle 1, so that the nozzle 1 and the mask storage box are more closely attached, so that the airflow is more difficult to overflow, which is conducive to improving the storage environment of the mask to meet the relative humidity requirements.

[0034] It should be noted that references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "a specific embodiment", "some embodiments", etc. in the specification only indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when a particular feature, structure or characteristic is described in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not explicitly described, it is within the knowledge of a person skilled in the relevant art to implement such feature, structure or characteristic in conjunction with other embodiments.

[0035] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the system disclosed in the embodiment, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the method part description.

[0036] It should also be noted that, although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, the above embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention. For any technician familiar with the art, without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention, the above disclosed technical content can be used to make many possible changes and modifications to the technical solution of the present invention, or modified into equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes. Therefore, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiment based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still falls within the scope of protection of the technical solution of the present invention.

[0037] It should also be understood that, unless otherwise specified or indicated, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. in the specification are merely used to distinguish between the various components, elements, steps, etc. in the specification, and are not used to indicate the logical relationship or sequential relationship between the various components, elements, steps, etc.

[0038] It should also be recognized that the terms described herein are only used to describe specific embodiments and are not used to limit the scope of the utility model. It must be noted that the singular forms "one" and "a kind" used herein and in the appended claims include plural references unless the context clearly indicates the opposite meaning. For example, a reference to "a step" or "a device" means a reference to one or more steps or devices, and may include secondary steps and secondary devices. All conjunctions used should be understood in the broadest sense. And, the word "or" should be understood to have a logical "or" definition, rather than a logical "exclusive or" definition, unless the context clearly indicates the opposite meaning. In addition, the implementation of the method and / or device in the embodiment of the utility model may include performing the selected task manually, automatically, or in combination.

Claims

1. A jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet, characterized in that: It includes a nozzle and a clamp, and the clamp includes a clamping arm, a first arm and a second arm. The clamping arm is connected to the first arm, and the clamping arm clamps and fixes the nozzle; one end of the second arm is elastically connected to the first arm so that an elastic force toward the first arm is applied to the second arm, so that the first arm and the second arm clamp the partition of the mask storage cabinet.

2. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clamping arm is provided with a receiving opening, and the nozzle is installed in the receiving opening.

3. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The receiving port is coaxial with the nozzle.

4. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: The accommodating opening is in a radial opening shape.

5. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first arm and the second arm are both plate-shaped.

6. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nozzle is an elastic member, and the Shore hardness of the nozzle is 20A.

7. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The other end of the second arm is used to abut against the first arm.

8. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the nozzle is provided with a Teflon coating.

9. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end of the nozzle is provided with a first annular boss which protrudes axially.

10. The jetting assembly for a mask storage cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: A radially protruding second annular boss is provided on the outer periphery of the nozzle.

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