Photomask box with photomask fixing structure

Abstract

The utility model relates to a photomask box with a photomask fixing structure. The photomask box comprises a bottom plate, an upper cover and a photomask fixing piece, wherein the bottom plate is covered with the upper cover, and the photomask fixing piece is fixedly connected to the upper cover. The photomask fixing piece comprises a fixing piece main body, a plurality of connecting structures which are respectively arranged at corners of the fixing piece main body, and a plurality of fixing claws which are respectively arranged on the fixing piece main body. Each fixing claw comprises a body and a limiting block arranged on one side of the free end of the body. One end of the body is fixedly arranged on the fixing piece main body and inclines towards one side of the bottom plate. The body and the limiting blocks are made of elastic materials. When the bottom plate and the upper cover are closed, the limiting blocks of the multiple fixing claws abut against the photomask, so that the photomask is fixed to the supporting frame of the bottom plate through the fixing claws from all directions, and the problems that the photomask bumps, shifts and the like in the transportation process are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of photomask boxes, in particular to a photomask box with a photomask fixing structure. Background Art

[0002] A reticle pod is a container used to store and transport photomasks, playing a vital role in the semiconductor manufacturing process. A photomask is the pattern master used in the photolithography process, which transfers the pattern to the wafer through exposure. The primary purpose of a reticle pod is to provide a clean and safe environment for the photomask, preventing contamination or damage during transportation and storage. This ensures the safety and cleanliness of the photomask during transportation and storage, thereby guaranteeing the quality of the photolithography process and the performance of the chip.

[0003] In the prior art, a corresponding support frame is usually provided on the bottom plate of the mask transport box for supporting the mask, and the position of the mask is limited by providing a limit plate on the support frame and a baffle on the bottom plate.

[0004] However, to facilitate insertion of the mask into the support frame from one side and facilitate placement and removal of the mask, the support frame and baffles typically only limit the position of the mask on three sides, causing the mask to shake up and down and slide left and right during transportation. If the mask is bumped, shaken, or rubbed during transportation, it will produce powder and dust that is difficult to see with the naked eye. This powder and dust can contaminate the mask plate, causing exposure pattern defects during exposure, which directly leads to poor wafer recording. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a mask box with a mask fixing structure to solve the above problem.

[0006] A photomask box with a photomask fixing structure comprises a base plate, an upper cover arranged on the base plate, and a photomask fixing part fixedly connected to the upper cover. The photomask fixing part comprises a fixing part body, a plurality of connection structures respectively arranged at the corners of the fixing part body, and a plurality of fixing claws respectively arranged on the fixing part body. The fixing claws each comprise a body, and a limit block arranged on one side of the free end of the body. One end of the body is fixedly arranged on the fixing part body and inclined toward one side of the base plate. The body and the limit block are both made of elastic material. When the base plate and the upper cover are closed, the limit blocks of the plurality of fixing claws respectively abut against the photomask to fix the photomask on the base plate.

[0007] Furthermore, the shape of the fixing member body is a square that matches the transported photomask, and the outer contour of the fixing member body is smaller than the outer contour of the photomask.

[0008] Furthermore, the fixing member connection structure includes a plurality of connection columns fixedly arranged on the upper cover, and a plurality of connection holes arranged corresponding to the connection columns.

[0009] Furthermore, the connecting column and the connecting hole have the same shape.

[0010] Furthermore, one side of the free end of the connecting column is rounded.

[0011] Furthermore, the outer contour of one side of the free end of the connecting column is smaller than the inner contour of the connecting hole, and the outer contour of the end connected to the upper cover is larger than the outer contour of its free end and larger than the inner contour of the connecting hole.

[0012] Furthermore, the limiting block is obliquely arranged on the main body along the extension direction of the main body, and the angle between the surface of the limiting block in contact with the light mask and the main body is between 30-40 degrees.

[0013] Furthermore, the base plate includes a base plate body and a supporting unit arranged on the base plate body.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the photomask box with a photomask fixing structure provided by the present invention is provided with the photomask fixing part on the upper cover. The photomask fixing part includes a fixing part main body, a plurality of fixing part connecting structures respectively provided at the corners of the fixing part main body, and a plurality of fixing claws respectively provided on the fixing part main body. The fixing part main body is fixedly connected to the upper cover through the fixing part connecting structure, and the fixing claws are fixedly provided on the fixing part main body and tilted toward one side of the base plate. The fixing claws each include a main body, and a limit block provided on one side of the free end of the main body. The main body and the limit block are made of a soft, highly elastic material. When the irradiation box transports the photomask, the transported photomask is first placed on the support frame, and then the upper cover is placed on the base plate. In the process of placing the upper cover on the base plate, since the main body is tilted, it first rests on the photomask. As the upper cover continues to press downward, the main body expands and slides down along the outer contour of the mask. Simultaneously, the main body accumulates a certain amount of resilience, which secures the mask between the support frame and the fixed claws, preventing the mask from moving up, down, left, or right. When the upper cover and the base plate are fully closed, the outer contour of the mask and the stop blocks abut against each other, further securing the mask between the support frame and the fixed claws. This prevents the mask from jolting and rubbing during transportation, which would generate invisible powder and dust that could contaminate the mask, causing exposure pattern defects and poor wafer recording. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 The utility model is provided with a cross-sectional structural diagram of a mask box with a mask fixing structure.

[0016] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a mask box with a mask fixing structure.

[0017] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of a fixing part of a mask box with a mask fixing structure.

[0018] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the partially enlarged structure of a mask box with a mask fixing structure at point A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The following is a further detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention. It should be understood that the description of the present invention herein is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0020] like Figures 1 to 4 , which is a schematic structural diagram of a reticle box with a reticle fixing structure provided by the present invention. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure includes a base plate 10, an upper cover 20 disposed on the base plate, and a reticle fixing member 30 fixedly connected to the upper cover 20. It is conceivable that the reticle box with a reticle fixing structure should also include some other functional components, such as connecting components and sealing components, which are all well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0021] The base plate 10 includes a base plate body 11 and a support unit 12 disposed on the base plate body 11 .

[0022] The base plate body 11 can be a square structure, and its size can be specifically set according to the size of the mask plate to be transported. The base plate body 11 is the main load-bearing component of the mask box, and is also the connection part between the mask box and the machine. During transportation, the base plate body 11 and the upper cover 20 are fixedly connected together to form a closed accommodation space for accommodating the mask. When using the mask, the base plate body 11 is fixedly connected to a table used for processing, such as a machine. Therefore, it can be imagined that a fixing component for fixing the base plate body 11 on the machine should also be provided at the bottom of the base plate body 11, and a connecting component for connecting the upper cover 20 is provided on the side of the base plate body 11 facing the upper cover 20, etc., which are all existing technologies well known to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated here.

[0023] The support unit 12 includes at least two support frames 121 symmetrically arranged on both sides of the base plate body 11 , and at least one limiting baffle 122 arranged on one side of the base plate body 11 .

[0024] The support frames 121 are used to mount the transported photomasks on the base plate 10. Their number and size can be specifically adjusted based on the size of the transported photomasks. In this embodiment, two support frames 121 are arranged side by side on one side of the base plate body 11, symmetrically arranged on both sides to ensure uniform force on the photomasks. Therefore, a total of four support frames 121 are provided on both sides. In actual use, two, three, or more support frames 121 can be arranged side by side on one side of the base plate body 11, depending on the size of the photomasks.

[0025] Each of the support frames 121 includes a frame body 1211, an outer support plate 1212 fixedly arranged on the frame body 1211 near the edge of the base plate body 11, an inner support plate 1213 corresponding to the outer support plate 1212 and arranged on the side of the frame body 1211 facing away from the edge of the base plate body 11, and a limit plate 1214 fixedly arranged on the side of the outer support plate 1212 facing the inner support plate 1213. The frame body 1211 is used to place the transported photomask above the base plate body 11 to avoid static electricity, friction and other factors that are not conducive to photomask production caused by direct contact between the photomask and the base plate 10. A U-shaped connection is formed between the frame body 1211 and the outer support plate 1212 and the inner support plate 1213 to facilitate the installation of the photomask. The lengths of the outer support plate 1212 and the inner support plate 1213 are both consistent with the length of the frame 1211, and the height of the outer support plate 1212 is higher than the height of the inner support plate 1213. When the support frame 121 sets up the light mask, the inner support plate 1213 plays a supporting role, and the outer support plate 212 surrounds the light mask plate inside it to form a protection. The limiting plate 1214 can be a square structure, which is used to limit the position of the light mask, thereby avoiding the vertical displacement of the light mask during transportation, and ensuring the stability of the light mask during transportation. The height difference between the limiting plate 1214 and the inner support plate 1213 should be greater than the thickness of the light mask, so as to facilitate the placement of the light mask on the support frame 121.

[0026] The limit baffle 122 is fixedly arranged on one side of the base plate body 11 perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the support frame 121. The limit baffle 122 is used to limit the lateral displacement of the light mask, that is, the displacement parallel to the arrangement direction of the frame 1211, so as to facilitate the placement of the light mask on the support frame 121 and avoid difficulty in positioning when placing the light mask.

[0027] The upper cover 20 can be fixedly connected to the base plate 10 by means of latches, screws, etc., thereby forming a closed accommodation space in which the photomask is accommodated for transportation. A sealing structure such as a sealing ring can also be provided at the connection between the upper cover 20 and the base plate 10 for sealing treatment to ensure the sealing of the photomask box. It is conceivable that the photomask box is usually transported by a crane system, so a connection component for connecting to a crane disc should also be provided on the top of the upper cover 20 to facilitate the installation of the crane disc on the top of the upper cover 20 for easy crane transportation. The upper cover 20 itself is a prior art and will not be described in detail here.

[0028] The light mask fixing member 30 includes a fixing member body 31 fixedly connected to the upper cover 20 , a plurality of fixing member connection structures 32 respectively arranged at the corners of the fixing member body 31 , and a plurality of fixing claws 33 respectively arranged on the fixing member body 31 .

[0029] The fixing body 31 is fixedly mounted on the upper cover 20 via the fixing connection structure 32 . The fixing body 31 is in a square shape that matches the transported light mask, and the outer contour of the fixing body 31 is smaller than the outer contour of the light mask.

[0030] The fixing member connection structure 32 is used to install the fixing member body 31 on the upper cover 20 , and includes a plurality of connection posts 321 fixedly disposed on the upper cover 20 , and a plurality of connection holes 322 corresponding to the connection posts 321 .

[0031] One end of the connecting post 321 is fixedly connected to the upper cover 20 and may be a C-shaped structure. One side of the free end of the connecting post 321 is rounded, and the outer contour of one side of the free end is smaller than the inner contour of the connecting hole 322, so as to facilitate the insertion of the connecting post 321 into the connecting hole 322. The outer contour of the end of the connecting post 321 connected to the upper cover 20 is larger than the outer contour of the free end and larger than the inner contour of the connecting hole 322, thereby forming an interference fit between the connecting post 321 and the connecting hole 322, thereby fixing the light shield fixing member 30 to the upper cover 20.

[0032] The connecting hole 322 is matched with the connecting post 321 and is also C-shaped. The connecting hole 322 passes through the fixing body 31, so that the connecting post 321 can be inserted into the connecting hole 322 to the maximum extent, ensuring a reliable connection between the connecting post 321 and the connecting hole 322.

[0033] Each of the fixing claws 33 includes a body 331 connected to the fixing body 31, and a stopper 332 disposed at one side of the free end of the body 331. The body 331 and the stopper 332 can be made of an elastic material, such as silicone or rubber, to prevent the stopper 331 from damaging the photomask when it contacts the photomask, or from directly extruding the photomask due to incorrect positioning.

[0034] One end of the body 331 is fixedly disposed on the fixing member main body 31 and is inclined toward one side of the bottom plate 10. The body 331 and the fixing member main body 31 can be integrally formed.

[0035] The stopper 332 is disposed at the free end of the body 331, on the side of the body 331 facing the base plate 10. The stopper 331 is tilted along the extension direction of the body 331. The angle between the side of the stopper 331 that contacts the photomask and the body 331 can be acute, such as between 30 and 40 degrees. When the irradiation box is transporting the photomask, the transported photomask is first placed on the support frame 121, and then the upper cover 20 is placed on the base plate 10. During the placement of the upper cover 20 on the base plate 10, the body 331, due to its tilted position, initially abuts against the photomask. As the upper cover 20 continues to press downward, the body 331 expands and slides down along the outer contour of the photomask. Simultaneously, the body 331 accumulates a certain amount of rebound force, which secures the photomask between the support frame 121 and the fixing claws 33, preventing the photomask from moving vertically or horizontally. When the upper cover 20 and the bottom plate 10 are completely closed, the outer contour of the light mask and the limiting block 332 abut against each other, thereby further fixing the light mask between the supporting frame 121 and the fixing claw 33 .

[0036] At least one fixing claw 33 is provided on one side of the light mask to ensure that the light mask holder 30 can secure the light mask from all sides and correct the position of the light mask for centering. In this embodiment, two fixing claws 33 are symmetrically provided on one side of the holder body 31, ensuring a more even force distribution on the light mask. Both fixing claws 33 are located near the corners of the holder body 31, forming an "eight" shape between the two fixing claws at the same corner, restricting the light mask from all sides, thereby achieving a better fixation effect and position adjustment.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the photomask box with a photomask fixing structure provided by the present invention is provided with the photomask fixing part 30 on the upper cover 20. The photomask fixing part 30 includes a fixing part body 31, a plurality of fixing part connecting structures 32 respectively provided at the corners of the fixing part body 31, and a plurality of fixing claws 33 respectively provided on the fixing part body 31. The fixing part body 31 is fixedly connected to the upper cover 20 through the fixing part connecting structures 32, and the fixing claws 33 are fixedly provided on the fixing part body 31 and tilted toward one side of the base plate 10. The fixing claws 33 each include a main body 331 and a limit block 332 provided on one side of the free end of the main body 331. The main body 331 and the limit block 332 are made of a soft and highly elastic material. When the irradiation box transports the photomask, the transported photomask is first placed on the support frame 121, and then the upper cover 20 is placed on the base plate 10. During the process of placing the upper cover 20 on the base plate 10, the body 331 is tilted so that it first presses against the photomask. As the upper cover 20 continues to be pressed down, the body 331 will expand and slide down along the outer contour of the photomask. At the same time, the body 331 will accumulate a certain amount of resilience, which will fix the photomask between the support frame 121 and the fixing claws 33, so that the photomask cannot move up, down, left, or right. When the upper cover 20 and the base plate 10 are completely closed, the outer contour of the photomask and the limit blocks 332 press against each other, further fixing the photomask between the support frame 121 and the fixing claws 33. This prevents the photomask from being bumped, shaken, and rubbed during transportation, which would produce powder and dust that is difficult to see with the naked eye. These powder and dust would contaminate the photomask, causing exposure pattern defects and poor wafer recording.

[0038] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent replacements or improvements within the spirit of the present invention are included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mask box with a mask fixing structure, characterized in that: The mask box with a mask fixing structure includes a base plate, an upper cover arranged on the base plate, and a mask fixing part fixedly connected to the upper cover. The mask fixing part includes a fixing part body, a plurality of connecting structures respectively arranged at the corners of the fixing part body, and a plurality of fixing claws respectively arranged on the fixing part body. The fixing claws each include a body and a limit block arranged on one side of the free end of the body. One end of the body is fixedly arranged on the fixing part body and inclined toward one side of the base plate. The body and the limit block are both made of elastic material. When the base plate and the upper cover are closed, the limit blocks of the plurality of fixing claws respectively abut against the mask to fix the mask on the base plate.

2. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein: The shape of the fixing member body is a square that matches the transported photomask, and the outer contour of the fixing member body is smaller than the outer contour of the photomask.

3. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein: The fixing member connection structure includes a plurality of connection columns fixedly arranged on the upper cover, and a plurality of connection holes corresponding to the connection columns.

4. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 3, wherein: The connecting pillars and the connecting holes have the same shape.

5. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 3, wherein: One side of the free end of the connecting column is rounded.

6. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 3, wherein: The outer contour of one side of the free end of the connecting column is smaller than the inner contour of the connecting hole, and the outer contour of the end connected to the upper cover is larger than the outer contour of its free end and larger than the inner contour of the connecting hole.

7. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein: The limiting block is obliquely arranged on the main body along the extension direction of the main body, and the angle between the surface of the limiting block in contact with the light mask and the main body is between 30-40 degrees.

8. The reticle box with a reticle fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein: The base plate includes a base plate body and a supporting unit arranged on the base plate body.

Images