Photomask bearing assembly and measuring machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a photomask bearing assembly and a measuring machine table. The photomask bearing assembly comprises a bearing table, a light source and a light source, the carrying table is provided with a taking and placing opening, the taking and placing opening is defined by the side wall of the carrying table and used for taking and placing the photomask, and the size of the taking and placing opening is larger than that of the photomask; the inner edge of the side wall is provided with a bearing piece extending towards the taking and placing opening. A fixing device is further arranged on the side wall and can move in the direction close to or away from the photomask; after the photomask is placed on the carrying table, the fixing device extends out in the direction close to the photomask so as to abut against the photomask. According to the configuration, the size of the pick-and-place opening is increased, so that the probability of scratching between the photomask and the pick-and-place opening is reduced in the process of pick-and-place of the photomask; meanwhile, the fixing device capable of moving in the direction close to or away from the photomask is arranged on the side wall of the carrying table, the fixing effect of the photomask is improved, the photomask does not move in the measuring process, the measuring precision is improved, and the yield of photomask products is guaranteed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing especially a kind of photomask bearing assembly and measurement machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] Measurement is an important step in the process of photomask manufacturing, used to ensure the quality of photomask products, and determine whether the photomask products meet the needs of customers.

[0003] During measurement, the photomask needs to be carried by a carrier, and many open carriers in the prior art have fixed opening size, which is close to the size of the photomask. Therefore, there are the following problems:

[0004] 1. Difficulty in taking and placing photomask, as the opening size of the carrier approaches the size of the photomask, scratching is likely to occur during taking and placing, affecting the subsequent use of the photomask;

[0005] 2. Poor fixing effect of photomask, which is likely to slide on the carrier, affecting the measurement accuracy;

[0006] 3. Inaccurate positioning during measurement, affecting the measurement accuracy.

[0007] Therefore, how to improve the difficulty in taking and placing photomask and the fixing effect has become a technical problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. SUMMARY

[0008] The utility model aims to provide a photomask bearing assembly and a measurement machine to solve the problem of difficulty in taking and placing photomask and inaccurate positioning caused by poor fixing effect in the prior art.

[0009] To achieve the above purpose, the utility model provides a photomask bearing assembly, comprising: a carrier for placing photomask;

[0010] The carrier has a taking and placing opening, which is formed by the side wall of the carrier and is used for taking and placing the photomask, and the size of the taking and placing opening is larger than that of the photomask;

[0011] The inner edge of the side wall is provided with a bearing part extending towards the taking and placing opening, which is used for carrying the photomask; and a fixing device is further provided on the side wall, which is movable in the direction approaching or moving away from the photomask;

[0012] After the photomask is placed on the carrier, the fixing device extends in the direction approaching the photomask to abut against the photomask.

[0013] Optionally, the bearing part and the fixing device are each provided with a plurality of parts;

[0014] The plurality of bearing members are evenly arranged along the inner edge of the sidewall;

[0015] The plurality of fixing devices are arranged in different directions and are capable of extending in different directions to abut against the photomask to fix the photomask when the photomask is placed on the support.

[0016] Optionally, the taking and placing opening is in a rectangular or square shape; the bearing members are four in number and are arranged at four corners of the taking and placing opening.

[0017] Optionally, the bearing members are arranged to extend from the inner edge of the sidewall towards the center of the taking and placing opening.

[0018] Optionally, the taking and placing opening is in a rectangular shape; the fixing devices are two in number and are arranged on two adjacent sidewalls.

[0019] Optionally, the fixing device comprises a driving member and an abutting member.

[0020] One end of the driving member is connected to the sidewall and the other end is connected to the abutting member.

[0021] The driving member is movably arranged between a retracted position and a fixed position along a direction approaching or moving away from the photomask.

[0022] When the driving member is in the retracted position, the abutting member is arranged close to the sidewall and leaves a gap with the photomask; when the driving member is in the fixed position, the abutting member abuts against the photomask.

[0023] Optionally, a force sensor is arranged on the abutting member; the force sensor is in contact with the photomask when the abutting member abuts against the photomask and is used to detect the pressure between the abutting member and the photomask.

[0024] Optionally, the force sensor is provided with a pressure threshold value; the force sensor is in communication connection with the driving member; the driving member keeps the real-time pressure equal to the pressure threshold value after the real-time pressure detected by the force sensor reaches the pressure threshold value to fix the photomask.

[0025] Optionally, an avoiding opening is further arranged on the sidewall; the avoiding opening extends from the inner edge to the outer edge of the sidewall; one side of the avoiding opening is in communication with the taking and placing opening and the other side leaves a distance with the outer edge of the sidewall; the avoiding opening forms an avoiding space when the photomask is taken and placed to facilitate the taking and placing of the photomask.

[0026] To achieve the above object, the utility model also provides a measure machine table, include: cavity, measure equipment and the photomask bearing assembly as described above;

[0027] The measure equipment and the photomash bearing assembly are arranged in the cavity;

[0028] The measure equipment is used to measure the photomask on the photomask bearing assembly;

[0029] The photomask bearing assembly is used to bear and fix the photomask.

[0030] Compared with the existing photomask stage, the photomask bearing assembly and the measure machine table have the following advantages:

[0031] The photomask bearing assembly increases the size of the taking and placing opening, so that the probability of scratching between the photomask and the taking and placing opening is reduced during the process of taking and placing the photomask. Meanwhile, the fixing device is arranged on the side wall of the stage and can move along the direction of approaching or moving away from the photomask. When the photomask is placed on the stage, the fixing device can extend and abut against the photomask, which improves the fixing effect of the photomask, prevents the photomask from moving during the measuring process, improves the measuring accuracy, and ensures the yield of the photomask product. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 The structure diagram of the photomask bearing assembly provided by the utility model embodiment is shown;

[0033] Figure 2 The structure diagram of the bearing provided by the utility model embodiment is shown;

[0034] Figure 3 The structure diagram of the fixing device provided by the utility model embodiment is shown;

[0035] Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the abutting piece in the retracted position provided by the utility model embodiment is shown;

[0036] Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the abutting piece in the fixed position provided by the utility model embodiment is shown;

[0037] Among them, the explanation of each figure mark is as follows:

[0038] 10-stage; 100-side wall; 101-avoidance opening;

[0039] 11-taking and placing opening; 12-photomask; 13-bearing;

[0040] 14-fixing device; 140-driving piece; 141-abutting piece; 142-force sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, advantages, and features of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that the drawings are all in a very simplified form and are not drawn to scale, and are only used to facilitate and clarify the explanation of the objectives of the embodiments of this utility model. Furthermore, the structures shown in the drawings are often part of the actual structure. In particular, different drawings may emphasize different aspects and sometimes use different scales.

[0042] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural objects; the term “or” is generally used to mean “and / or”; the term “a number” is generally used to mean “at least one”; and the term “at least two” is generally used to mean “two or more”. Furthermore, the terms “first,” “second,” and “third” are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as “first,” “second,” or “third” may explicitly or implicitly include one or at least two of that feature. “One end” and “the other end,” as well as “proximal end” and “distal end,” generally refer to two corresponding parts, including not only endpoints. The terms “installed,” “connected,” and “joined” should be interpreted broadly; for example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two elements or the interaction between two elements. Furthermore, as used in this specification, the phrase "one element is disposed on another element" generally only indicates that there is a connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission relationship between the two elements, and the connection, coupling, cooperation, or transmission between the two elements can be direct or indirect through an intermediate element. It should not be construed as indicating or implying a spatial positional relationship between the two elements, i.e., one element can be located arbitrarily inside, outside, above, below, or to the side of another element, unless otherwise explicitly stated. The terms "above," "below," "top," and "bottom" generally refer to relative positional relationships arranged according to the direction of gravity; the terms "vertical" or "vertical direction" generally refer to the direction of gravity, which is generally perpendicular to the ground; "horizontal" or "horizontal plane direction" generally refers to a direction parallel to the ground. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this specification according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] The purpose of this invention is to provide a photomask support component and a measurement machine to solve the problems of difficult photomask placement and removal and poor fixing effect, which lead to inaccurate positioning during measurement in the prior art.

[0044] The skilled in the art can understand that the design pattern is carried on the mask, which is located between the converging lens and the projection lens as an optical element, and the light path passes through the mask to project the design pattern on the photoresist on the wafer. The performance of the mask directly determines the quality of the photolithography process, therefore, after the mask is made, it needs to be placed on the measuring machine for a series of measurements to ensure its quality. The size of the existing mask carrier is matched with the size of the mask itself, which is easy to damage the edge of the mask during the taking process, at the same time, the existing mask carrier cannot fix the position of the mask, which is easy to cause inaccurate measurement and affect the performance of the mask.

[0045] Based on this, please refer to Figures 1 to 3 The utility model provides a photomask bearing assembly, include: the photomask 12 is placed and is placed the carrier 10, the carrier 10 has the taking and placing mouth 11, and the taking and placing mouth 11 is enclosed by the side wall 100 of carrier 10 and is formed, is used for taking and placing photomask 12, and the size of taking and placing mouth 11 is greater than the size of photomask 12, the inner edge of side wall 100 is provided with the bearing piece 13 that protrudes towards taking and placing mouth 11, and bearing piece 13 is used for bearing photomask 12, and still be provided with fixing device 14 on side wall 100, and fixing device 14 is movable along the direction close to or away from photomask 12, after photomask 12 is placed in carrier 10, fixing device 14 protrudes along the direction close to photomask 12 to abut with photomask 12. The photomask bearing assembly provided in the embodiment, by increasing the size of taking and placing mouth 11, so that the size of taking and placing mouth 11 is greater than the size of the mask, so that in the process of taking and placing photomask 12 through taking and placing mouth 11, there will be no scratch between photomask 12 and taking and placing mouth 11, at the same time, the movable fixing device 14 is arranged on the side wall 100 of carrier 10, after photomask 12 is placed in carrier 10, fixing device 14 can protrude along the direction close to photomask 12, and then abut with photomask 12, realize the fixation of photomask 12, guarantee the position of the mask not to change in the process of measurement, improve the measurement accuracy.

[0046] Optionally, please continue to refer to Figure 1 The bearing piece 13 and the fixing device 14 are all provided with a plurality of; a plurality of bearing pieces 13 are evenly arranged along the inner edge of side wall 100; the extension direction of a plurality of fixing devices 14 is all different, for protruding in different directions when photomask 12 is placed in carrier 10 to abut with photomask 12 respectively, realize the fixation of photomask 12. It needs to be explained that, Figure 1In the shown example, the taking and placing opening 11 is rectangular or square, and therefore the carrying member 13 can be arranged at the four corners of the rectangle to carry the photomask 12, and the fixing device 14 can be arranged on the two adjacent side walls 100 to abut against the side walls 100 of the photomask 12 respectively, so that the side walls 100 of the photomask 12 opposite to the fixing device 14 abut against each other, thereby realizing the fixing of the relative position. Of course, in other embodiments, the taking and placing opening 11 can also be circular, trapezoidal or other shapes, and correspondingly, the carrying member 13 and the fixing device 14 can also be arranged in other numbers, and those skilled in the art can reasonably configure the number of the carrying member 13 and the fixing device 14 according to the actual situation, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0047] Please refer to Figures 1 to 2 , the carrying member 13 is arranged to extend from the inner edge of the side wall 100 towards the center of the taking and placing opening 11. Further, the four carrying members 13 are located on the same plane. Figure 1 In the shown embodiment, the carrying member 13 is arranged in a right-angled triangle shape, and the two right-angled sides are connected with the two adjacent side walls 100 respectively, and the hypotenuse extends outward to form a carrying surface for the photomask 12. Please refer to Figure 2 , the carrying member 13 can be composed of a carrying plate and two mutually perpendicular mounting frames, wherein the carrying plate can be made of metal, synthetic plastic or other materials with certain rigidity, and the shape is a right-angled triangle, and the two right-angled sides are inserted into the mounting frames respectively, and the two mounting frames are detachably connected to the inner edge of the side wall 100 by means of threads or clamping grooves, so as to facilitate the operator to select different shapes and sizes of the carrying member 13 based on the size of the photomask 12. In some other embodiments, the carrying plate can also be rectangular, circular, elliptical or other irregular shapes, and those skilled in the art can configure the shape of the carrying plate according to the actual situation, as long as the photomask 12 can be stably placed on the carrying plate. Meanwhile, the four carrying members 13 are located on the same plane to ensure that the photomask 12 can be in contact with the four carrying members 13, thereby providing the required carrying force; in the present embodiment, the above-mentioned plane is arranged parallel to the horizontal plane, and in other embodiments, the above-mentioned plane can also be arranged at an angle to the horizontal plane, which is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0048] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figures 3 to 5The fixing device 14 includes a driving member 140 and abutment member 141. One end of the driving member 140 is connected to the side wall 100, and the other end is connected to the abutment member 141. The driving member 140 is movably disposed between a retracted position and a fixed position along a direction close to or away from the photomask 12. When the driving member 140 is in the retracted position, the abutment member 141 is disposed close to the side wall 100 and has a gap with the photomask 12. When the driving member 140 is in the fixed position, the abutment member 141 abuts against the photomask 12. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the driving member 140 can be a telescopic cylinder. One end of the driving member 140 extends from the side wall 100 of the platform 10 and is connected to an external air source (not shown in the figure) and a control terminal (not shown in the figure), and the other end is connected to the abutment member 141. The abutment member 141 can be made of plastic or other materials with a certain degree of flexibility. Figure 3 In the illustrated example, the side of the abutment 141 that contacts the photomask 12 is arc-shaped to prevent the abutment 141 from scratching the photomask 12 during contact, thus affecting the performance of the photomask 12. For the specific structure and operating principle of the retractable cylinder, please refer to the prior art; this embodiment will not elaborate further.

[0049] exist Figure 1 and Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the drive member 140 is in the retracted position, and the abutment member 141 is accommodated in the side wall 100. At this time, since the size of the pick-and-place opening 11 is larger than the size of the photomask 12, an operator or robotic arm can directly place the photomask 12 onto the carrier member 13 at the pick-and-place opening 11; while... Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the driving member 140 is in a fixed position, and the abutment member 141 moves towards the photomask 12 under the driving action of the driving member 140 until the abutment member 141 abuts against the photomask 12. Simultaneously, under the combined driving action of the abutment member 141 and the driving member 140, the photomask 12 abuts against the two sidewalls 100 without the fixing device 14, ultimately as shown... Figure 5 As shown, a relatively fixed state is formed.

[0050] Please refer to Figure 3 A force sensor 142 is provided on the abutment member 141. When the abutment member 141 abuts against the photomask 12, the force sensor 142 contacts the photomask 12 to detect the pressure between the abutment member 141 and the photomask 12. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the force sensor 142 can be a contact sensor, such as a piezoelectric sensor. Figure 3As shown, the force sensor 142 can be a bump made of piezoelectric material and arranged on the side of the abutting member 141 in contact with the photomask 12. When the abutting member 141 abuts against the photomask 12, the force sensor 142 deforms to generate an electric signal, which is finally converted into the pressure value between the abutting member 141 and the photomask 12. The specific structure and principle of the piezoelectric sensor can refer to the prior art, which will not be described herein.

[0051] Further, the force sensor 142 is provided with a pressure threshold value, and the force sensor 142 is in communication with the driving member 140. When the real-time pressure measured by the force sensor 142 reaches the pressure threshold value, the driving member 140 keeps the real-time pressure equal to the pressure threshold value to fix the photomask 12. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the force sensor 142 is in communication with the control end of the driving member 140 or the control end of the machine, and the pressure threshold value is also set in the control end. The control end can compare the real-time pressure measured by the force sensor 142 with the pressure threshold value. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, when the real-time pressure is less than the pressure threshold value, the pressure of the fixing device 14 on the photomask 12 is small, and the photomask 12 may

[0052] As a preferred embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 The side wall 100 is further provided with a clearance 101 extending from the inner edge to the outer edge of the side wall 100. One side of the clearance 101 is in communication with the taking and placing opening 11, and the other side is away from the outer edge of the side wall 100. The clearance 101 forms a clearance space when the photomask 12 is taken and placed, so as to facilitate the taking and placing of the photomask 12. It should be noted that the photomask 12 has a certain thickness, so the carrier 13 needs to be sunken by a certain distance compared to the taking and placing opening 11. In order to ensure that the photomask 12 is placed on the carrier 13, the operator usually needs to stretch into the taking and placing opening 11 during the process of taking and placing the photomask 12 manually or using a mechanical arm. The clearance 101 allows the hand or mechanical arm to be accommodated in the clearance space when it stretches into the taking and placing opening 11, avoiding the photomask from being damaged due to being squeezed.

[0053] Please refer to Figures 1 to 5Further illustrate the use principle of the photomask bearing assembly provided by the embodiment.

[0054] The operator places the photomask 12 on the bearing 13 of the bearing 10 through the taking and placing opening 11, at this time, the driving part 140 is located at the retracted position, and the abutting part 141 is located inside the side wall 100 (as shown in Figure 4 The driving part 140 moves in the direction close to the photomask 12 until it moves to the fixed position, at this time, the abutting part 141 abuts against the photomask 12, and the photomask 12 abuts against the side wall 100 which is not provided with the fixing device 14 under the action of the driving part 140 and the abutting part 141 (as shown in Figure 5 The driving part 140 increases or reduces the pressure on the photomask 12 based on the relationship between the real-time pressure measured by the force sensor 142 and the pressure threshold value until the real-time pressure is equal to the pressure threshold value, and then the above pressure value is kept until the measurement is completed.

[0055] In another embodiment, the utility model also provides a measurement machine, which comprises a cavity, a measurement device and the photomask bearing assembly described above; the measurement device and the photomask bearing assembly are both arranged in the cavity; the measurement device is used for measuring the photomask 12 placed on the photomask bearing assembly; and the photomask bearing assembly is used for bearing and fixing the photomask 12. Those skilled in the art can understand that the measurement of the mask is more important than the measurement of the wafer, because a single defect on the wafer may damage a device, while a single defect on the mask may damage a batch of devices, so the mask needs to be detected after being manufactured and used, for example, the mask is easy to adsorb dust particles during production, transportation and use, and larger dust particles may directly affect the transfer quality of the mask pattern, and if not treated in time, the yield may be further reduced. Therefore, in an optional embodiment, the measurement machine is usually used in cooperation with a mask protective film pasting device, a mask protective film removing device, a residual glue removing device and a particle removing device to ensure that the use performance of the photomask 12 is not affected.

[0056] In this way, by using the photomask bearing assembly, the size of the taking and placing opening 11 is increased, so that the probability of scratching between the photomask 12 and the taking and placing opening 11 during the taking and placing of the photomask 12 is reduced; meanwhile, the fixing device 14 which can move in the direction close to or away from the photomask 12 is arranged on the side wall 100 of the bearing 10, and when the photomask 12 is placed on the bearing 10, the fixing device 14 can extend and abut against the photomask 12, which improves the fixing effect of the photomask 12 and also prevents the photomask 12 from moving during the measurement, thereby improving the measurement accuracy and ensuring the yield of the photomask 12 product.

[0057] In summary, in the photomask bearing assembly and the measurement machine provided by the embodiment of the present application, the photomask bearing assembly comprises: a bearing table for placing a photomask; the bearing table has a taking and placing opening, the taking and placing opening is formed by a side wall of the bearing table, the taking and placing opening is used for taking and placing the photomask, and the size of the taking and placing opening is greater than the size of the photomask; an inner edge of the side wall is provided with a bearing piece extending towards the taking and placing opening, and the bearing piece is used for bearing the photomask; and a fixing device is further arranged on the side wall and is movable along a direction close to or away from the photomask; after the photomask is placed on the bearing table, the fixing device extends along the direction close to the photomask to abut against the photomask.

[0058] In this way, by increasing the size of the taking and placing opening, the probability of scratching between the photomask and the taking and placing opening during the process of taking and placing the photomask is reduced; meanwhile, the fixing device movable along the direction close to or away from the photomask is arranged on the side wall of the bearing table, when the photomask is placed on the bearing table, the fixing device can extend and abut against the photomask, the fixing effect of the photomask is improved, the photomask does not displace during the measurement process, the measurement precision is improved, and the yield of the photomask product is ensured.

[0059] The above description is only a description of the preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the scope of the present application in any way, and any change and modification of the present application by a person skilled in the art according to the above disclosure is within the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A photomask carrying assembly, characterized in that The application relates to a photomask loading device. The device comprises: a loading platform for loading the photomask; the loading platform has a loading port enclosed by a side wall of the loading platform, the loading port is used for loading and unloading the photomask, and the size of the loading port is larger than that of the photomask; an inner edge of the side wall is provided with a bearing part extending towards the loading port, the bearing part is used for bearing the photomask, and the side wall is further provided with a fixing device which is movable along a direction close to or away from the photomask; 2. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 1, wherein, after the photomask is placed on the loading platform, the fixing device extends along the direction close to the photomask to abut against the photomask. The bearing part and the fixing device are both provided with a plurality of bearing parts and fixing devices; the plurality of bearing parts are uniformly arranged along the inner edge of the side wall; 3. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 2, wherein, the plurality of fixing devices are different in the extension direction, and are used for extending along different directions to abut against the photomask respectively when the photomask is placed on the loading platform, so that the photomask is fixed.

4. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 3, wherein, The loading port is in a rectangular or square shape; the bearing part is provided with four bearing parts which are arranged at four corners of the loading port respectively.

5. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 2, wherein, The bearing part extends from the inner edge of the side wall towards the center of the loading port.

6. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 5, wherein, The loading port is in a rectangular shape; the fixing device is provided with two fixing devices which are arranged on two adjacent side walls respectively. The fixing device comprises a driving part and an abutting part; one end of the driving part is connected with the side wall, and the other end is connected with the abutting part; the driving part is movably arranged between a retracted position and a fixed position along a direction close to or away from the photomask; 7. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 6, wherein the photomask is a photomask having a plurality of features formed thereon. when the driving part is located at the retracted position, the abutting part is arranged close to the side wall and leaves a gap with the photomask; when the driving part is located at the fixed position, the abutting part abuts against the photomask.

8. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 7, wherein, The abutting part is provided with a force sensor which is in contact with the photomask when the abutting part abuts against the photomask, and is used for detecting the pressure between the abutting part and the photomask.

9. The photomask carrying assembly of claim 1, wherein, The force sensor is provided with a pressure threshold value, the force sensor is in communication connection with the driving part, and the driving part keeps the real-time pressure equal to the pressure threshold value after the real-time pressure detected by the force sensor reaches the pressure threshold value, so that the photomask is fixed.

10. A metrology station, characterized by, The side wall is further provided with a avoiding port which extends from the inner edge to the outer edge of the side wall, one side of the avoiding port is in communication with the loading port, and the other side leaves a distance from the outer edge of the side wall; the avoiding port forms an avoiding space when the photomask is loaded and unloaded, so as to facilitate the loading and unloading of the photomask. The application further relates to a photomask loading device. The device comprises: a cavity, a measuring device and a photomask bearing assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; the measuring device and the photomask bearing assembly are arranged in the cavity; the measuring device is used for measuring the photomask placed on the photomask bearing assembly; and the photomask bearing assembly is used for bearing and fixing the photomask.

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