Patterning device storage and lithographic apparatus

Abstract

A mask storage bin and a lithographic apparatus, the mask storage bin comprises: a bin body, a support frame for carrying a mask, the support frame is movably connected to the bin body and can move between a first set position and a second set position; wherein, when the support frame moves to the first set position, the mask carried by the support frame is located in the bin body; when the support frame moves to the second set position, the mask carried by the support frame is located outside the bin body, the mask can be taken in a relatively open position, the difficulty of manually taking the mask is reduced, the operability is strong, the work efficiency is high, and the risk of damage or contamination of the mask is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and more specifically to a photomask storage container and a photolithography device. Background Technology

[0002] To enable efficient exchange and transfer of photomasks during wafer exposure, lithography machines are equipped with an Internal Reticle Library (IRL) for storing photomasks. This internal photomask library can hold multiple stacked photomasks. However, due to the limited height space between adjacent photomasks in the internal photomask library, manually retrieving photomasks within this extremely limited space during machine downtime is extremely difficult and carries a high risk of damage or contamination. Utility Model Content

[0003] The utility model description section introduces a series of simplified concepts, which will be further explained in detail in the detailed description section. This utility model description section is not intended to limit the key features and essential technical features of the claimed technical solution, nor is it intended to determine the scope of protection of the claimed technical solution.

[0004] To address the existing problems, this utility model provides a photomask storage compartment, which includes:

[0005] Warehouse body;

[0006] A support frame for supporting the photomask is movably connected to the chamber and can move between a first set position and a second set position;

[0007] Specifically, when the support frame moves to the first set position, the photomask carried by the support frame is located inside the chamber; when the support frame moves to the second set position, the photomask carried by the support frame is located outside the chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments of this application, a shelf is provided in the warehouse body. The shelf includes two support plates. The two support plates extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are both horizontal and perpendicular to each other.

[0009] The support frame is slidably connected to the shelf via a slide rail assembly, wherein the slide rail assembly includes an outer rail and an inner rail that slide together in a first direction, the outer rail extends in the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the inner rail extends in the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support frame.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the support frame includes at least an elastic support bar disposed on the inner rail, and the photomask is placed on the elastic support bar.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the elastic support strip is made of rubber.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the photomask storage compartment further includes a locking structure for locking the inner rail to the outer rail to lock the support frame in a first predetermined position.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the outer rail includes a base plate fixedly connected to the support plate, and two side plates formed by bending two opposite edges of the base plate in a second direction to a third direction, and the inner rail is slidably assembled between the two side plates; wherein, a first limiting hole is provided through the side plates, and a second limiting hole is provided on the inner rail, and the third direction is the vertical direction;

[0014] The locking structure includes a fixing pin. When the support frame slides to the first set position, the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole are positioned opposite each other. The fixing pin passes through the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole to lock the inner rail and the outer rail together.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the photomask storage compartment further includes a limiting structure disposed between the inner rail and the outer rail, the limiting structure being used to prevent the inner rail from continuing to slide away from the first predetermined position after the support frame slides to the second predetermined position.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the limiting structure includes:

[0017] The first limiting block is set on the side of the outer rail facing the inner rail;

[0018] The second limiting block is installed on the side of the inner rail facing the outer rail;

[0019] When the support frame slides to the second set position, the first limit block abuts against the second limit block to prevent the inner rail from continuing to slide away from the first set position.

[0020] In some embodiments of this application, the shelf further includes two baffles that extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction to respectively limit two opposite edges of the photomask in the second direction.

[0021] A second aspect of this utility model provides a photolithography apparatus, which includes at least one of the above-mentioned photomask storage compartments.

[0022] According to the photomask storage compartment and lithography equipment provided by this utility model, by making the support frame movably connected to the compartment body and able to move between a first set position and a second set position, when it is necessary to manually retrieve the photomask, the support frame can be moved to the second set position so that the photomask carried by the support frame is located outside the compartment body, thereby enabling the photomask to be retrieved in a relatively open space, reducing the difficulty of manually retrieving the photomask, making it highly operable, highly efficient, and reducing the risk of photomask damage or contamination. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The following drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference as part of this invention, are provided for understanding the invention. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and their descriptions, serving to explain the principles of the invention.

[0024] In the attached image:

[0025] Figures 1A to 1F The diagrams show the structure of the photomask storage compartment and the photomask from various angles according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figures 2A to 2C The diagrams show the locking structure of a specific embodiment of the present invention from various angles.

[0027] Figures 3A to 3C The diagrams show the structural schematics of the limiting structure of a specific embodiment of the present invention at various angles.

[0028] Figures 4A to 4C The diagrams show the limiting structure of another specific embodiment of the present invention at various angles.

[0029] Figure label:

[0030] 10. Bin body; 11. Support groove; 12. Support plate; 13. Baffle;

[0031] 20. Support frame; 21. Elastic support bar; 31. Outer rail; 311. Base plate;

[0032] 312. Side plate; 313. First limiting hole; 314. First limiting block;

[0033] 315. First receiving groove; 32. Inner rail; 321. Second limiting hole;

[0034] 322. Second limiting block; 323. Second receiving groove; 33. Slide rail assembly;

[0035] 34. Fixing pin; 41. Photomask; 42. Protective film. Detailed Implementation

[0036] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without one or more of these details. In other instances, certain technical features well-known in the art have not been described in order to avoid confusion with the present invention.

[0037] It should be understood that this invention can be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, providing these embodiments will make the disclosure thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, for clarity, the dimensions of layers and regions, as well as their relative dimensions, may be exaggerated. The same reference numerals denote the same elements throughout.

[0038] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or portion from another element, component, area, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this utility model, the first element, component, area, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or portion.

[0039] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, then the element or feature described as “below” or “under” the other element or feature will be oriented “above” the other element or feature. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both upper and lower orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0040] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0041] To fully understand this utility model, detailed steps and structures will be presented in the following description to illustrate the technical solution proposed by this utility model. Preferred embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below; however, in addition to these detailed descriptions, this utility model may have other embodiments.

[0042] In lithography machines, multiple photomasks are stacked in an internal photomask storage unit. The height of each photomask is approximately 19mm, while the height of the photomask and protective film frame is approximately 16mm. This leaves less than 3mm of vertical clearance for manual photomask handling. When the lithography machine malfunctions, manually handling photomasks within this extremely limited space is extremely difficult and risky, easily causing damage or contamination. Furthermore, photomasks are expensive; if a unique photomask is damaged, sending it out for repair can be time-consuming, causing production line downtime and significant disruption. Almost every FAB (Fabrication Equipment) fab has experienced cases of photomask damage caused by manual handling within the machine, with handling photomasks in the IRL (Integrated Photolithography Layer) being an particularly high-risk operation. Therefore, it is urgent to address this pain point.

[0043] In view of the aforementioned technical problems, refer to Figure 1A , 1D and Figure 1E This utility model embodiment proposes a photomask storage compartment, which mainly includes:

[0044] 10 compartments;

[0045] The support frame 20 for supporting the photomask 41 is movably connected to the chamber 10 and can move between a first set position and a second set position.

[0046] Among them, reference Figure 1D When the support frame 20 moves to the first set position, the photomask 41 carried by the support frame 20 is located inside the chamber 10; Reference Figure 1E When the support frame 20 moves to the second set position, the photomask 41 carried by the support frame 20 is located outside the chamber 10.

[0047] The above embodiments have the following beneficial effects: by making the support frame 20 movably connected to the chamber 10 and movable between the first set position and the second set position, when it is necessary to manually retrieve the photomask 41, the support frame 20 can be moved to the second set position, so that the photomask 41 carried by the support frame 20 is located outside the chamber 10, thereby enabling the photomask 41 to be retrieved in a relatively open space, reducing the difficulty of manually retrieving the photomask 41, making it highly operable, highly efficient, and reducing the risk of damage or dirt to the photomask 41.

[0048] The specific principle is as follows: In related technologies, the support frame is a fixed support frame, meaning that the internal photomask storage compartment cannot be pulled out, thus requiring manual retrieval of the photomask within a very small vertical space. In this application, the support frame 20 is movably connected to the compartment 10 to form a movable support frame, replacing the fixed support frame. When it is necessary to manually retrieve the photomask 41, the support frame 20 in the photomask storage compartment can be moved to a second set position, so that the photomask 41 carried by the support frame 20 is located outside the compartment 10, providing ample space for manual retrieval of the photomask 41. This avoids or greatly reduces the risk of damage (e.g., membrane breakage) or contamination of the photomask 41 during manual retrieval.

[0049] Below, for reference Figures 1A to 4C The photomask storage compartment of this utility model embodiment is described in detail.

[0050] When configuring the housing 10, a structure capable of providing space for storing the optical mask 41 can be adopted, such as, but not limited to, a shell or enclosure. For example, see reference... Figure 1A , Figure 1C and Figure 1D The chamber 10 can be a hollow cavity to provide a three-dimensional space for accommodating the photomask. For ease of description, two mutually perpendicular directions in the horizontal direction can be defined as the first direction and the second direction, and the vertical direction can be defined as the third direction. It should be understood that the above definitions of directions are only for illustrating the relationship between different structures and are not intended to limit the embodiments of this application.

[0051] For example, multiple photomasks 41 stored in the storage unit 10 are stacked at intervals along the vertical direction (also known as the third direction) in the storage unit 10, thereby enabling the storage of a larger number of photomasks 41 in a smaller space. It should be noted that in this embodiment of the application, the photomasks 41 are placed directly inside the storage unit 10 without the need for structures such as photomask housings to place them inside the storage unit 10.

[0052] It should be noted that the photomask 41 in this embodiment may also have other names, such as, but not limited to, photomask, mask, etc. For example, see reference... Figure 1CA protective frame may also be provided on the photomask 41. The protective frame may include a protective film 42 covering the photomask 41 and a border wrapping around the edges of the photomask 41. For example, the protective film 42 is smaller in size than the photomask 41, thereby forming stepped edges at two opposite edges of the photomask 41 in a second direction, so as to facilitate placing the photomask 41 on the support frame 20. For example, the material of the photomask 41 may be such as, but not limited to, quartz glass.

[0053] Regarding the method of enabling the support frame 20 to be movably connected to the compartment 10, various methods such as, but not limited to, sliding can be adopted. Some methods are described below as examples.

[0054] For example, refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1F The storage unit 10 is equipped with shelves, each shelf including two support plates 12. The two support plates 12 extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction, both of which are horizontal and perpendicular to each other. A support frame 20 is slidably connected to the shelves via a slide rail assembly. The slide rail assembly includes an outer rail 31 and an inner rail 32 that slide together along the first direction. The outer rail 31 extends along the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support plates 12, while the inner rail 32 extends along the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support frame 20.

[0055] Since the two support plates 12 of the shelf are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart in the second direction, when the two stepped edges of the photomask 41 opposite to each other in the second direction are placed in the shelf, the protective film 42 can be positioned below the photomask 41 and the photomask 41 can be positioned above the protective film 42. Thus, the same height space is used to both set up the support plate 12 and to accommodate the protective film 42, thereby increasing the placement density of the photomask 41 stacked in the compartment 10, so that more photomasks 41 can be placed in the same volume space.

[0056] The number of shelves in the storage unit 10 can be one or more. For example, refer to... Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1F When the storage unit 10 is provided with multiple layers of shelves, the multiple layers of shelves are stacked along the third direction. At this time, each layer of shelves can be provided with a support frame 20, so that the photomasks 41 placed on the support frame 20 are stacked in the storage unit 10 at intervals along the third direction.

[0057] For example, refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1FThe housing 10 has two opposing sidewalls in the second direction. At least two support grooves 11, stacked along a third direction and extending horizontally, are provided on the sidewalls. These support grooves 11 are spaced apart and opposite to each other to form at least two stacked photomask 41 accommodating spaces. Specifically, each of the two sidewalls may have support plates 12 spaced apart along a third direction and extending in the first direction. Support grooves 11 are formed between two adjacent support plates 12 in the third direction. The support grooves 11 on the adjacent sidewalls are positioned opposite to each other and spaced apart in the second direction. The lower support plate 12 among the two adjacent support plates 12 in the third direction serves as a support plate for the support groove 11, supporting the photomask 41 placed in the support groove 11.

[0058] For example, refer to Figure 1A , Figure 1B and Figure 1F The support frame 20 can be slidably connected to the shelf via the slide rail assembly 33, thereby allowing at least a portion of the support frame 20 to slide out of the support groove 11. Various methods can be used to configure the slide rail assembly 33; some are exemplarily described below.

[0059] For example, refer to Figure 1F The outer rail 31 is fixedly connected to the support surface of the support plate 12 and extends along a first direction that is horizontal. The inner rail 32 is slidably assembled to the outer rail 31 and fixedly connected to the support frame 20 and can slide relative to the outer rail 31 in the first direction, thereby driving the support frame 20 to move between a first set position and a second set position.

[0060] By using an inner rail 32 and an outer rail 31 that are slidably assembled together as a slide rail assembly 33, and fixing the outer rail 31 to the support surface of the support plate 12, while the inner rail 32 is fixedly connected to the support frame 20, the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 that are slidably assembled together have good cantilever support performance. When the support frame 20 is slid to the second set position by means of the slide rail assembly 33, the support frame 20 still has good support performance, so that it can still reliably and stably support the photomask 41.

[0061] The number of support frames 20 installed inside the storage body 10 can be any number, such as one, two, three, four, etc. Multiple support frames 20 can be stacked in the third direction of the vertical direction, so that the photomasks 41 they carry are stacked and stored in the storage body 10 in a vertical direction with intervals.

[0062] For example, the length of the housing 10 in the first direction can be approximately 160 mm, the width of the housing 10 in the second direction can be approximately 160 mm, and the height of the housing 10 in the third direction can be approximately 135 mm. The housing 10 can include multiple stacked shelves along the third direction to provide multi-layer photomask accommodating space. For example, the housing 10 includes 6 layers of photomask accommodating space, and the height of each photomask accommodating space can be approximately 19 mm.

[0063] There are several ways to set up the support frame 20. Some of these methods are illustrated below.

[0064] For example, refer to Figure 1F The support frame 20 may include an elastic support bar 21 disposed on the inner rail 32, and the photomask 41 is placed on the elastic support bar 21. Exemplarily, the elastic support bar 21 may at least cover the upper surface of the inner rail 32; in some embodiments, the elastic support bar 21 may also cover part of the sidewall of the inner rail 32. Each support frame 20 corresponds to two slide rail assemblies 33 to achieve reliable and stable sliding assembly in the compartment 10. (See reference...) Figure 1A and Figure 1B Each support frame 20 may include two elastic support bars 21, which are respectively disposed on two parallel and spaced-apart inner rails 32. It should be noted that these two inner rails 32 are located in the same support groove 11 within the same photomask accommodating space. The two opposite edges of the photomask 41 in the second direction are placed on their respective elastic support bars 21, thereby achieving reliable and stable support for the photomask 41. Furthermore, the good elasticity of the elastic support bars 21 allows for damage-free support of the photomask 41 placed on the elastic support bars 21, preventing damage to the surface of the photomask 41 due to the hardness of the elastic support bars 21.

[0065] For example, a slide rail assembly 33 is designed at the bottom of the support frame 20 of each photomask 41. The support frame 20 is fixed in the normal position. If the photolithography equipment malfunctions and it is necessary to remove the photomask 41 from the chamber 10, the support frame 20 can be manually pulled out to an open position along the sliding direction of the slide rail assembly 33, so that the photomask 41 is outside the chamber 10, making it convenient to remove the photomask 41.

[0066] Various materials can be used for the elastic support strip 21. For example, the elastic support strip 21 can be made of rubber. In this case, when the photomask 41 is placed on the elastic support strip 21, the weight of the photomask 41 and the good friction of the rubber material increase the friction between the elastic support strip 21 and the photomask 41. During the sliding support frame 20 process, there will be no relative slippage between the photomask 41 and the elastic support strip 21. Therefore, the photomask 41 can be reliably and stably fixed on the support frame 20 without the need for a fixing structure, thus simplifying the structure of the support frame 20.

[0067] For example, the length of the elastic support bar 21 in the first direction can be about 165 mm, and the height of the elastic support bar 21 in the third direction can be about 10 mm. The elastic support bar 21 can be installed in an integrated manner with the inner rail 32.

[0068] In some embodiments, the support frame 20 may further include a connector (not shown) connecting the two elastic support bars 21, thereby making the support frame 20 an integral structure. Regarding the location of the connector, it can be located at the end of the elastic support bar 21 to minimize interference with the placement of the photomask 41.

[0069] For example, refer to Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C The photomask storage compartment may also include a locking structure for locking the inner rail 32 to the outer rail 31 to lock the support frame 20 in a first predetermined position. Specifically, when the locking structure locks the inner rail 32 to the outer rail 31, the inner rail 32 cannot slide relative to the outer rail 31, thereby fixing the support frame 20 in the compartment 10. (Reference) Figure 2A The locking structure can be adjusted so that when the support frame 20 is in the first preset position, the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 are locked together. Thus, when the photomask 41 is placed inside the chamber 10 and the lithography equipment is operating normally, the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 are locked together, and the support frame 20 is fixedly positioned inside the chamber 10. (Reference) Figure 2B and Figure 2C When it is necessary to remove the photomask 41, the locking structure can be unlocked to release the locking connection between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31, so that the inner rail 32 can slide on the outer rail 31, thereby sliding the support frame 20 from the first set position to the second set position, so that the photomask 41 carried by the support frame 20 is outside the chamber 10, so as to facilitate the removal of the photomask 41.

[0070] Various methods can be used to set the locking structure, some of which are exemplified below. It should be understood that the locking structure in this application embodiment is not limited to this setting method, and other methods that can lock the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 are all within the protection scope of this application embodiment.

[0071] For example, refer to Figure 1F and Figure 2A The outer rail 31 may include a base plate 311 fixedly connected to the support plate 12, and two side plates 312 formed by bending two opposite edges of the base plate 311 in a second direction to a third direction. The inner rail 32 is slidably assembled between the two side plates 312. (Refer to...) Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C A first limiting hole 313 is provided through the side plate 312, and a second limiting hole 321 is provided on the inner rail 32. The locking structure may include a fixing pin 34. When the support frame 20 slides to a first set position, the first limiting hole 313 and the second limiting hole 321 are positioned opposite each other, and the fixing pin 34 passes through the first limiting hole 313 and the second limiting hole 321 to lock the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 together. This not only simplifies the structure of the locking structure but also reliably and stably locks the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 together. Meanwhile, as... Figure 2B As shown, when it is necessary to release the locking connection between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31, simply pull the fixing pin 34 out of the first limiting hole 313 and the second limiting hole 321 to release the locking connection between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31.

[0072] For details, please refer to Figure 1F and Figure 2A The outer rail 31 has a cross-sectional shape resembling a U-shape, and includes a base plate 311 fixedly connected to the support surface of the support plate 12. The base plate 311 and the support plate 12 can be fixedly connected by means such as, but not limited to, screw fastening, snap-fitting, or bonding. The base plate 311 has two opposing edges in a second direction, the extension direction of which is parallel to the sliding direction of the inner rail 32. The base plate 311 has two side plates 312 that are bent upward from these two edges. The inner rail 32 is slidably fitted between the two side plates 312, so that the lubricating oil applied between the base plate 311 and the inner rail 32 of the outer rail 31 can be maintained between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 for a longer time due to the obstruction of the side plates 312, thereby improving the smoothness of sliding between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31.

[0073] A first limiting hole 313 is provided through the side plate 312 of the outer rail 31, and a second limiting hole 321 parallel to the depth direction of the first limiting hole 313 is provided on the inner rail 32. The second limiting hole 321 may or may not penetrate the two opposite side walls of the inner rail 32 in the second direction. When the support frame 20 slides to the first set position, the first limiting hole 313 and the second limiting hole 321 are in opposite positions. Therefore, by inserting a fixing pin 34 into the first limiting hole 313 and the second limiting hole 321, the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31 can be locked together by the fixing pin 34 and the hole walls of the two limiting holes, preventing relative sliding between them, thereby locking the support frame 20 in the first set position. When it is necessary to remove the photomask 41, first pull out the fixing pin 34, and then pull out the support frame 20.

[0074] For example, the outer rail 31 and inner rail 32 in the slide rail assembly 33 can be made of various types of materials. In some embodiments, the outer rail 31 and inner rail 32 can be made of stainless steel, which has good corrosion resistance and also improves the cleanliness of the compartment 10.

[0075] For example, the length of the outer rail 31 and the inner rail 32 along the sliding direction (first direction) of the slide rail assembly 33 can be about 160 mm, the distance between the two side plates 312 of the outer rail 31 can be about 12 mm, the thickness of the bottom plate 311 and the side plate 312 of the outer rail 31 can be about 1 mm, the distance between the two opposite side walls of the inner rail 32 in the second direction (also called the width of the inner rail 32) can be about 8 mm, and the thickness of the inner rail 32 in the third direction can be about 5 mm.

[0076] For example, refer to Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The photomask storage compartment may further include a limiting structure disposed between the inner rail 32 and the outer rail 31. The limiting structure is used to prevent the inner rail 32 from continuing to slide away from the first predetermined position after the support frame 20 has slid to the second predetermined position. Thus, when the photomask 41 needs to be manually removed, after the operator pulls the support frame 20 out and slides it to the second predetermined position, the presence of the limiting structure prevents the operator from continuing to pull the support frame 20 outward. This prevents the inner rail 32 from detaching from the outer rail, causing the support frame 20 to fall without support and potentially damaging the photomask 41 or other structures in the lithography equipment.

[0077] There are various ways to set the limiting structure, and some methods are exemplified below. It should be understood that only some limiting structures are exemplified below, and other types of limiting structures may also be included, all of which are within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0078] For example, refer to Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The limiting structure may include: a first limiting block 314 disposed on the side of the outer rail 31 facing the inner rail 32, and a second limiting block 322 disposed on the side of the inner rail 32 facing the outer rail 31; wherein, as Figure 3C As shown, when the support frame 20 slides to the second set position, the first limiting block 314 abuts against the second limiting block 322 to prevent the inner rail 32 from continuing to slide away from the first set position. Specifically, a first limiting block 314 protruding relative to the surface of the outer rail 31 is provided on the side of the outer rail 31 facing the inner rail 32, and a second limiting block 322 protruding relative to the inner rail 32 is provided on the side of the inner rail 32 facing the outer rail 31. When the inner rail 32 slides outward to the second set position, the second limiting block 322 abuts against the first limiting block 314. Due to the obstruction of the second limiting block 322 by the first limiting block 314, the inner rail 32 cannot continue to slide away from the first set position, thereby limiting the support frame 20 from continuing to slide outward from the compartment 10 after sliding to the second set position, and simplifying the structure of the limiting block for easier manufacturing.

[0079] The positions of the first limiting block 314 and the second limiting block 322 can be determined in various ways. In some embodiments, refer to... Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C The first limiting block 314 can be disposed on the bottom plate 311 of the outer rail 31 and facing the inner rail 32, and the second limiting block 322 can be disposed on the bottom of the inner rail 32 facing the bottom plate 311 of the outer rail 31. In some embodiments, the first limiting block 314 can be disposed on the side plate 312 of the outer rail 31 and facing the inner rail 32, and the second limiting block 322 can be disposed on the side wall of the inner rail 32 and facing the side plate 312 of the outer rail 31.

[0080] In some embodiments, the top view shape of the first limiting block 314 and the second limiting block 322 may be, for example, but not limited to, a rectangular block structure, an L-shaped block structure, etc.

[0081] In some embodiments, reference Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4CA first receiving groove 315 can be provided on the side of the outer rail 31 facing the inner rail 32. A first limiting block 314 is provided at the bottom of the first receiving groove 315, and the extending direction of the first receiving groove 315 is parallel to the sliding direction of the inner rail 32. When the inner rail 32 slides relative to the outer rail 31, a second limiting block 322 extends into the first receiving groove 315 and slides within it. A second receiving groove 323 can be provided on the side of the inner rail 32 facing the outer rail 31. A second limiting block 322 is provided at the bottom of the second receiving groove 323, and the extending direction of the second receiving groove 323 is parallel to the sliding direction of the inner rail 32. When the inner rail 32 slides relative to the outer rail 31, the first limiting block 314 extends into the second receiving groove 323 and slides within it. In this case, most of the surfaces between the outer rail 31 and the inner rail 32 can be in contact, thereby improving the stability of the sliding.

[0082] For example, refer to Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 4C When the first limiting block 314 is disposed on the bottom plate 311 of the outer rail 31 and the second limiting block 322 is disposed on the bottom of the inner rail 32, the first receiving groove 315 is disposed on the surface of the bottom plate 311 of the outer rail 31 facing the inner rail 32, and the second receiving groove 323 is disposed on the bottom of the inner rail 32. (Reference) Figure 4C The height of the first limiting block 314 is greater than the depth of the first receiving groove 315, but less than the sum of the depths of the first receiving groove 315 and the second receiving groove 323. This allows a portion of the first limiting block 314 to extend into the second receiving groove 323 without contacting its bottom. Similarly, the height of the second limiting block 322 is greater than the depth of the second receiving groove 323, but less than the sum of the depths of the first receiving groove 315 and the second receiving groove 323. This allows a portion of the second limiting block 322 to extend into the first receiving groove 315 without contacting its bottom. This achieves the limiting function of the first limiting block 314 and the second limiting block 322, while also ensuring that all surfaces between the bottom plate 311 of the outer rail 31 and the bottom surface of the inner rail 32, except for the aforementioned first and second receiving grooves 315 and 323, are in contact, thereby improving sliding stability.

[0083] For example, refer to Figure 1A and Figure 1F The shelf also includes two baffles 13, which extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction to respectively limit the two opposite edges of the photomask 41 in the second direction. In some embodiments, a portion of the two opposite wall panels of the compartment 10 in the second direction can serve as baffles 13, thereby limiting the two opposite edges of the photomask 41 in the second direction by means of the side wall of the compartment 10. In other embodiments, such as Figure 1A and Figure 1FAs shown, baffles 13 can be installed independently. In this case, baffles 13 are located between the outer rail 31 and the side wall of the housing 10. Two baffles 13 located in the same photomask 41 accommodating space are positioned opposite each other and spaced apart to limit the two opposite edges of the photomask 41 in the second direction. By setting baffles 13 to limit the edges of the photomask 41, the photomask 41 is positioned as close as possible to the middle of the support frame 20, preventing the areas of the photomask 41 overlapping the two elastic support bars 21 from being uneven and thus posing a risk of the photomask 41 falling off. For example, the distance between the two baffles 13 located in the same photomask 41 accommodating space can be slightly larger than the width of the photomask 41.

[0084] It should be noted that the above only exemplarily shows a partial structure of the photomask storage compartment. In addition, the photomask storage compartment may include other structures, all of which are within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

[0085] Example 2

[0086] In another embodiment of this utility model, a photolithography apparatus is also provided, which includes at least one of the above-described photomask storage compartments. For example, the photolithography apparatus may include two photomask storage compartments, which may be respectively disposed on the left and right sides of the photolithography apparatus.

[0087] This utility model has been described through the above embodiments. However, it should be understood that the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the utility model to the described embodiments. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments, and many more variations and modifications can be made based on the teachings of this utility model, all of which fall within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A reticle storage pod, comprising: include: Warehouse body; A support frame for supporting the photomask is movably connected to the chamber and can move between a first set position and a second set position; Specifically, when the support frame moves to the first set position, the photomask carried by the support frame is located inside the chamber; when the support frame moves to the second set position, the photomask carried by the support frame is located outside the chamber.

2. The photomask storage chamber as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The warehouse is equipped with a shelf, which includes two support plates. The two support plates extend along a first direction and are spaced apart along a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are both horizontal and perpendicular to each other. The support frame is slidably connected to the shelf via a slide rail assembly, wherein the slide rail assembly includes an outer rail and an inner rail that slide together along the first direction, the outer rail extends along the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the inner rail extends along the first direction and is fixedly connected to the support frame.

3. The photomask storage chamber as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The support frame includes at least an elastic support bar disposed on the inner rail, and the photomask is placed on the elastic support bar.

4. The reticle storage pod of claim 3, wherein, The elastic support strip is made of rubber.

5. The reticle storage pod of claim 2, wherein, It also includes a locking structure for locking the inner rail to the outer rail to lock the support frame in the first predetermined position.

6. The reticle storage pod of claim 5, wherein, The outer rail includes a base plate fixedly connected to the support plate, and two side plates formed by bending two opposite edges of the base plate in the second direction toward the third direction. The inner rail is slidably assembled between the two side plates. A first limiting hole is provided through the side plates, and a second limiting hole is provided on the inner rail. The third direction is the vertical direction. The locking structure includes a fixing pin. When the support frame slides to the first set position, the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole are positioned opposite each other. The fixing pin passes through the first limiting hole and the second limiting hole to lock the inner rail and the outer rail together.

7. The reticle storage pod of claim 2, wherein, Also includes: A limiting structure is provided between the inner rail and the outer rail. The limiting structure is used to prevent the inner rail from continuing to slide away from the first set position after the support frame slides to the second set position.

8. The reticle storage pod of claim 7, wherein, The limiting structure includes: A first limiting block is installed on the side of the outer rail facing the inner rail; A second limiting block is disposed on the side of the inner rail facing the outer rail; When the support frame slides to the second set position, the first limiting block abuts against the second limiting block to prevent the inner rail from continuing to slide away from the first set position.

9. The reticle storage pod of claim 2, wherein, The shelf also includes two baffles that extend along the first direction and are spaced apart along the second direction to limit the two opposite edges of the photomask in the second direction.

10. A lithographic apparatus, characterized in that, include: At least one photomask storage compartment as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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