Containers for storing and / or transporting circuit boards

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container (100) configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting substrates, the container (100) comprising a cylinder piston mechanism (200) having a piston (210) that is reciprocally movable within a cylinder (220), wherein the cylinder piston mechanism is configured and adapted to fix substrates within the container (100) by engaging the substrates with an engaging member (210b) attached to the piston (210).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a container configured and adapted for the storage and / or transportation of substrates, a system for the storage and / or inspection and / or processing of substrates, and a method for loading substrates from a container into a unit load port for the storage and / or inspection and / or processing of substrates.

Background Art

[0002] The term substrate as used in this application is meant to include various substrates used in relation to semiconductor manufacturing. Although this description mainly relates to reticles, the present invention is also applicable to, for example, semiconductor wafers.

[0003] In photolithography for the mass production of integrated circuits, lithography photomasks are used. Lithography photomasks are generally known as photomasks or simply reticles. A reticle is typically an optically transparent quartz substrate on which a pattern is formed by photolithography or a similar process. A reticle is essentially used as an illumination mask in relation to the illumination of wafers during semiconductor manufacturing.

[0004] In order to ensure the effective manufacture of integrated circuits with as few defective products as possible, reticles must be kept as clean as possible during manufacture, storage, transportation and processing, i.e., during use in, for example, scanners or stepper devices. In particular, the flux of airborne particles onto the surface of the reticle is important to minimize as it adversely affects the quality of the integrated circuits being manufactured.

[0005] For example, during reticle manufacturing, which is often a multi-stage process including illumination, etching, cleaning, and inspection steps, it is common to store the reticles in a large storage unit, usually called a stocker. When the reticles are used for photolithography, it is common to use containers configured and adapted for storing such reticles in order to transport them from the stocker to the manufacturing unit, inspection unit, or stepper. These containers are usually called pods.

[0006] In recent years, the implementation of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) technology, which uses an extreme ultraviolet wavelength of approximately 13.5 nm, has dramatically increased the cleanliness requirements for the storage and transport of reticles, as well as for the environment in which EUV lithography is performed. Therefore, it is desirable to store and transport reticles under vacuum conditions, for example, to minimize suspended particle flux.

[0007] Furthermore, it is extremely important to ensure the safe transport of the reticle within the transport container, i.e., the pod. Movement of the reticle within the container during transport, especially sliding, must be avoided, as this can lead to wear or other forms of damage that may contaminate the reticle. In conventional containers, the means for securing the reticle within the container are relatively cumbersome to use, thereby complicating the handling of the reticle and the container.

[0008] The container described in the preamble of claim 1 is known from U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 062852 and European Patent Application Publication No. 0522865. Further relevant prior art is disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. 2863423. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The present invention aims to simplify the handling of reticles (and other semiconductor substrates) and their respective containers during storage and / or transport and / or use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a container is provided configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting substrates such as reticles, comprising a cylinder-piston mechanism including a piston capable of reciprocating (i.e., moving backward and forward) within a cylinder, wherein the cylinder-piston mechanism is configured and adapted to secure a substrate within the container by engaging the substrate with an engaging member attached to the piston. Such a cylinder-piston mechanism significantly simplifies the securing of the reticle within the container.

[0011] Advantageously, the vessel is configured and adapted to be evacuated. Providing the cylinder piston mechanism within an evacuable vessel is particularly advantageous because fixing the substrate within such a vessel can be simplified compared to previous solutions. For example, if the pressurization of the cylinder piston mechanism is configured to take into account the various operating pressures that the internal volume of the vessel experiences, a gentle and particularly non-abrasive engagement of the reticle can be provided in an essentially automatic manner.

[0012] According to a preferred embodiment, a gas such as nitrogen is supplied within a variable cylinder volume defined by the cylinder and the position of the piston within the cylinder, so that in a first pressure state where the pressure in the container is at a first pressure value, the variable volume corresponds to a first volume, and in a second state where the pressure in the container is at a second pressure value lower than the first pressure value, the variable volume corresponds to a second value greater than the first volume.

[0013] For example, the first pressure value is atmospheric pressure, which can typically occur while loading the reticle into the container (i.e., while the container is open to receive the reticle), and the second pressure value corresponds to the pressure provided after the container is evacuated, i.e., a pressure substantially lower than atmospheric pressure. Maintaining the container under vacuum during the transport of the reticle is advantageous in relation to minimizing contamination, as outlined above. By setting the pressure in the variable cylinder volume to atmospheric pressure or slightly lower in the first relatively small volume, it can be ensured that no movement of the piston in the cylinder occurs as long as the pressure in the container remains atmospheric pressure (because the pressure value in the container is equal to the volume defined by the cylinder and the piston, or the pressure value in the cylinder volume is even slightly lower than that in the container). Then, when the container is evacuated, i.e., when the pressure in the container decreases, the pressure in the variable cylinder volume becomes greater than the pressure in the container, resulting in expansion of the variable volume, i.e., movement of the piston outward in the cylinder. This allows the engaging member, which is fixedly attached to the piston, to engage with the substrate fixed inside the container. In particular, by performing the exhaust in a controlled manner, it is possible to ensure that the actual engagement of the substrate, especially the reticle, is performed in a gentle manner, thereby minimizing the risk and occurrence of abrasion effects on the substrate or damage to the substrate.

[0014] Advantageously, the container is provided with a base member configured and adapted to receive a substrate thereon, and the cylinder piston mechanism is configured and adapted to fix the substrate on the base member. The container typically further comprises a shell member that can form an internal volume of the container that can be exhausted, by engaging airtightly, i.e., tightly with the base member. The cylinder of the cylinder piston mechanism is fixedly mounted, for example, to such a shell member.

[0015] As described above, the container is particularly advantageous for the storage and / or transport of the reticle. However, it should be noted again that the container according to the present invention is equally useful for other substrates such as semiconductor wafers, in particular other substrates used in EUV applications.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the present invention proposes a system for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing substrates, comprising: a unit for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing substrates, provided with a load port defining a load port volume into which substrates are received; and a container configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting substrates as described in the first embodiment, wherein the load port further comprises a docking mechanism for docking a container containing substrates to the load port, and the docking mechanism is configured and adapted to open the container and transport the reticle into the load port volume. The term "processing" as used herein should be understood to encompass manufacturing and actual use. Thus, in the case of a reticle, for example, it includes the manufacturing of the reticle and the actual use of the reticle in relation to the illumination of a wafer.

[0017] This system is particularly advantageous when the load port volume is a vacuum volume and the container is a vacuum container.

[0018] Advantageously, the vacuum vessel comprises a base member configured and adapted for receiving a substrate thereon, and a cylinder piston mechanism configured and adapted for fixing the substrate on the base member, wherein the docking mechanism is configured and adapted to transport the base member and the substrate received thereon into the vacuum load port volume, thereby completing the fixing of the substrate on the base member by the cylinder piston mechanism. By transporting the base member into the load port volume and thus away from the cylinder piston mechanism (advantageously provided on the shell in a manner fixedly attached to the shell member of the vessel), the reticle is automatically disengaged from the engaging member of the cylinder piston mechanism and can then be grasped in a simple manner, for example, by a gripping member provided on the load port, for further processing.

[0019] Conveniently, a gripping member is provided in the load port volume to remove the substrate from the base member, and the docking mechanism is further adapted to unload the base member of the container (here, typically the base member without the substrate, since the substrate has been removed from the base member by the gripping member) from the load port volume and close the vacuum container, thereby repositioning the base member on the vacuum container, in particular on the shell member of the container.

[0020] In a further aspect, the present invention also relates to a method for loading a substrate from a container configured and adapted for the storage and / or transport of a substrate as described in the first aspect into a load port of a unit for the storage and / or inspection and / or processing of a substrate, wherein the load port is provided with a load port volume into which the substrate is received, and the method is - Docking the container to the load port, and - Open the container and transport the substrate from the container to the load port volume. We propose a method that includes this.

[0021] According to an advantageous embodiment of the method, as outlined above, the load port volume is a vacuum volume and the container is a vacuum container.

[0022] Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a container according to the present invention in a first stage of operation. [Figure 2] It is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a second stage of operation. [Figure 3] It is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a system according to the present invention in various different stages of operation. [Figure 4] It is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a system according to the present invention in various different stages of operation. [Figure 5] It is a view showing a preferred embodiment of a system according to the present invention in various different stages of operation.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a preferred embodiment of a container according to the present invention is generally indicated at 100. This comprises a shell member 102 and a base member 104. A sealing mechanism 106 (shown schematically) can provide an airtight engagement between the shell 102 and the base member 104. A vacuum valve 110 is provided to enable evacuation of the internal volume 108 of the container 100. This vacuum valve 110 can be connected to evacuation means (not shown).

[0025] Inside the base member 104, a receiving component 112 adapted to receive a reticle 20 thereon is provided.

[0026] The container 100 is also provided with multiple cylinder piston mechanisms 200. Typically, four such cylinder piston mechanisms can be provided so that they can engage with a normally square reticle at their four corners. Other numbers are also possible, and two cylinder piston mechanisms are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the cylinder-piston mechanism 200 includes a piston 210 that is reciprocating within a cylinder 220 (indicated by arrow 201). In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the cylinder is fixedly mounted to the inner surface 102a of the shell 102. The cylinder 220 and piston 210 define a variable volume 230. This volume is airtightly sealed relative to the internal volume 108 of the container 100 by the piston 210, which is sealed to the inner wall of the cylinder 220.

[0028] Each piston is attached to a piston rod 210, and an engaging member 210b is provided at its end.

[0029] The variable volume 230 is filled with a working gas such as nitrogen. In Figure 1, the piston 210 is in a position that defines a relatively small volume 230. At this piston position, it is assumed that the pressure in volume 230 is equal to atmospheric pressure or slightly lower than atmospheric pressure (e.g., 50-100 mbar). It is also assumed that the pressure in the internal volume 108 of container 100 is atmospheric pressure.

[0030] Under these conditions, the force acting on piston 210 is either zero or pointing upward (as indicated by arrow 202), so piston 210 remains in the position shown in Figure 1.

[0031] For example, if the internal volume 108 is evacuated by connecting the vacuum evacuation means to the vacuum valve 110, the pressure in the internal volume 108 gradually decreases. As soon as it falls below the pressure in volume 230, a net force acts downward on the piston 210, as shown by arrow 203 in Figure 2. Thus, the piston 210, together with the piston rod 210a and the engaging member 210b, is displaced downward, as shown by arrow 203, until the engaging member engages with the reticle 20 on the receiving component 112. By controlling the rate of evacuation, the reticle 20 can be securely, safely, and gently fixed to the receiving component, particularly while the engaging member 210b engages with the reticle 20. This minimizes the risk of damage to the reticle. Furthermore, by conveniently selecting the initial pressurization of the variable cylinder volume 230, the final force at which the engaging member 210b engages with the reticle 20 can be set. For example, it is also possible to change the pressure in the cylinder volume 230, particularly the initial pressurization, using a pressure valve 290 (circularly shown for one side of the cylinder piston mechanism 200) connected to a gas reservoir (not shown). This also allows control of the piston's movement. Thus, particularly in relation to non-vacuum vessels, it is possible to control the piston in a desired manner. For example, after loading the reticle into the vessel, the vessel can be closed (without evacuating), and the pressurization of the variable volume 230 can control the piston 210 to engage the engaging member 210b with the reticle. After fixing the reticle in this way, the valve 290 can be closed to maintain the pressure in the volume 230, for example, during transport of the vessel.

[0032] Here, with reference to Figures 3 to 6, preferred embodiments of the system and method according to the present invention will be described.

[0033] The system, shown in various operating states in Figures 3 to 5, is shown overall at 400. It comprises a container 100 and a unit 300 for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing reticles. Unit 300, where only the load port 320 is shown in the figure, may be a stepper in which wafers are illuminated using reticles supplied through the load port 320 under EUV lithography conditions.

[0034] Figure 3 shows the vacuum vessel 100, in which the reticle 20 is fixed by a cylinder piston mechanism as described above, docked to the schematicly shown docking mechanism 330 of the load port 320.

[0035] The load port 320 comprises a fixed wall 320a and a displaceable wall member 320b that is reciprocally displaceable relative to the wall 320a in the direction indicated by the double arrow 333. The wall 320a and the wall member 320b are sealed and engaged with each other, thus providing a vacuum load port volume 340. The means by which the exhaust of the load port volume 340 is achieved are not shown in the figure.

[0036] The docking mechanism 330 is configured and adapted to engage with the container 100 to open it while simultaneously maintaining a vacuum state within the container (volume 108) and the load port (load port volume 340).

[0037] This is achieved by engaging the wall member 320b with the base member 104 and disengaging the base member 104 from the shell member 102. Here, the container 100 and the load port 320 are maintained in a sealed engagement state with respect to the environment, that is, in other words, a vacuum volume 108 and 340 are combined. In this state, the vacuum is ensured by the airtight sealed engagement between the wall 320 and the shell member 102, as is most clearly shown in Figure 4.

[0038] After disengaging the base member 104 from the shell member 102, the docking mechanism 330 transports the wall member 320b with the base member 104 engaged downwards, for example by a guide rail (not shown), as indicated by arrow 334 in Figure 4. As a result, the reticle 20 received by the receiving member 112 of the base member 104 is disengaged from the engaging member 210b. This means that the fixing of the reticle 20 by the cylinder piston mechanism 200 is completed by lowering the base member into the load port 320.

[0039] Here, the reticle can be easily gripped by the gripper mechanism 370, and as shown in Figure 5, the wall member 320b, which is still engaged with the base member 104, can be raised in the direction of arrow 335.

[0040] The wall member rises to a position where the base member 104 of the container 100 re-engages with the shell member 102. At this position, the base member can again be disengaged from the wall member 320b by the docking mechanism 330, and the shell member 102 and the base member 104 become airtightly engaged. This separates the two vacuum volumes 108 and 340 once again.

[0041] Here, the container can be removed from the load port 320 of unit 300, maintaining a vacuum state inside the container 100 and the load port 320.

Claims

1. A container (100) configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting substrates, comprising a cylinder piston mechanism (200) having a piston (210) capable of reciprocating within a cylinder (220), wherein the cylinder piston mechanism is configured and adapted to fix substrates within the container (100) by engaging the substrates with an engaging member (210b) attached to the piston (210).

2. The container according to claim 1, configured and adapted to be exhausted.

3. A container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein gas is supplied into a variable cylinder volume (230) defined by the position of the cylinder (220) and the piston (210) within the cylinder (220), and in a first pressure state where the pressure inside the container (100) is at a first pressure value, the variable volume corresponds to a first volume, and in a second state where the pressure inside the container (100) is at a second pressure value lower than the first pressure value, the variable volume corresponds to a second value greater than the first volume.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the first pressure value is atmospheric pressure and the second pressure value is the pressure provided during or after the exhaust of the container.

5. A base member (110) configured and adapted thereon to receive a substrate is provided thereon, and the cylinder piston mechanism (200) is configured and adapted to fix the substrate on the base member (110), the container according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4.

6. A container according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 5, configured and adapted for the storage and / or transport of a reticle.

7. A system for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing substrates, comprising: a unit for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing substrates, provided with a load port defining a load port volume (340) into which substrates can be received; and a container configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting substrates according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, wherein the load port further comprises a docking mechanism (330) for docking a container (100) containing substrates to the load port, and the docking mechanism (330) is configured and adapted to open the container (100) and transport the reticle into the load port volume (340).

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the load port volume (340) is a vacuum volume and the container (100) is a vacuum container.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the vacuum vessel comprises a base member (110) configured and adapted to receive a substrate thereon, and a cylinder piston mechanism (200) configured and adapted to fix the substrate on the base member (110), and the docking mechanism (330) is configured and adapted to transport the base member (104) and the substrate received on the base member (104) into the vacuum load port volume (340), thereby completing the fixing of the substrate on the base member by the cylinder piston mechanism.

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9, further comprising a gripping member (370) provided in the load port volume and configured and adapted to remove the substrate from the base member, wherein the docking mechanism is further adapted to unload the base member of the container from the load port volume, close the vacuum container, and thereby reposition the base member on or inside the vacuum container.

11. A method for loading a substrate from a container configured and adapted for storing and / or transporting a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 6 into a load port of a unit for storing and / or inspecting and / or processing a substrate, wherein the load port is provided with a load port volume for receiving a substrate, and the method is - Docking the container to the load port, and - Open the container and transport the substrate from the container to the load port volume, Methods that include...

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the load port volume is a vacuum volume and the container is a vacuum container.

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