Pellicle frame and pellicle

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide a pellicle frame that can prevent the pellicle membrane from creasing due to the inner edge of the adhesive layer on the pellicle frame being curved when viewed in cross section, and a pellicle that has an excellent appearance and is free from creasing of the pellicle membrane. [Solution] The present invention is a frame-shaped pellicle frame having a surface on which a pellicle membrane is to be installed that is provided with an inclined surface that slopes downward from the inner edge to the outer edge, and a flat surface that extends from the outer edge end of this inclined surface to the outer edge of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is to be installed. Also, the surface of the pellicle frame on which the pellicle membrane is to be installed has adhesive layers provided on the inclined surface and the flat surface, and the pellicle membrane is installed via this adhesive layer.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pellicle frame and a pellicle used as a dust cover when manufacturing semiconductor devices, liquid crystal displays, organic EL displays, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacture of semiconductors such as LSI and VLSI, and liquid crystal displays, patterns are formed by irradiating light onto semiconductor wafers or liquid crystal originals. However, if dirt adheres to the photomask or reticle (hereinafter simply referred to as photomask) used in this process, it can cause problems such as rough edges and black staining of the base, impairing the dimensions, quality, and appearance.

[0003] For this reason, these operations are usually performed in a clean room, but since it is still difficult to keep the photomask always clean, a pellicle is attached to the surface of the photomask to protect it from dust before exposure. In this case, foreign particles do not adhere directly to the surface of the photomask, but to the pellicle, so if the focus is set on the photomask pattern during lithography, the foreign particles on the pellicle will have no effect on the transfer.

[0004] Generally, a pellicle is constructed by providing a transparent pellicle membrane made of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, fluororesin, or the like, which allows good light transmission, on one end surface of a pellicle frame made of aluminum, steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, engineering plastic, or the like, and further providing an adhesive layer made of polybutene resin, polyvinyl acetate resin, acrylic resin, silicone resin, or the like for attachment to a photomask, and a separator for protecting the adhesive layer, on the opposite end surface of the pellicle frame (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-338722 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2008-176102 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Usually, the pellicle film is installed via an adhesive layer formed on the surface of the pellicle frame. The adhesive applied to the surface of the pellicle frame rises at a contact angle determined by its surface tension and the surface condition of the pellicle frame, forming a convex shape. If this convex shape is significant, only the apex of the convex shape comes into contact with the pellicle film, resulting in a small adhesive area and a weak adhesive force with the pellicle film.

[0007] In addition, since the inner edge of the adhesive layer is curved when viewed in cross section, when the pellicle membrane is adhered to this area, the membrane may be pulled and have tiny wrinkles, which may cause problems in appearance, as shown in Figures 11 and 12. This problem is particularly noticeable in large pellicles used in the manufacture of displays such as liquid crystal and organic electroluminescence (EL) displays, where the frame width is wide and the membrane adhesive layer is thick.

[0008] For this reason, the adhesive layer for installing the pellicle membrane needs to be applied so as to be as flat as possible, and Patent Document 1 proposes a method of controlling the shape of the adhesive layer by providing grooves on the surface of the pellicle frame. Patent Document 2 also proposes a method of using a relatively low-viscosity adhesive to apply it to a wide pellicle frame while utilizing capillary action to suppress the height of the adhesive layer.

[0009] The methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can lower the apex of the membrane adhesive layer, and can sufficiently solve the problem of securing the adhesive area with the pellicle membrane. However, they do not completely eliminate the curved surface of the inner edge of the adhesive layer formed by surface tension, and the twitching of the pellicle membrane that occurs near the inner edge of the membrane adhesive layer is not necessarily completely solved.

[0010] Furthermore, the method described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that if the amount of adhesive applied is small, the surface of the membrane adhesive layer becomes concave, creating air pockets between the pellicle membrane and the surface, making adhesion difficult.

[0011] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a pellicle frame that can prevent the pellicle membrane from being twisted, which occurs when the inner edge of the membrane adhesive layer is curved when viewed in cross section, and a pellicle that has an excellent appearance and is free of twisting of the pellicle membrane. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The pellicle frame and pellicle of the present invention are as follows. (1) A frame-shaped pellicle frame, characterized in that the surface on which the pellicle membrane is installed has an inclined surface that slopes downward from the inner edge side to the outer edge side, and a flat surface is provided from the outer edge end of this inclined surface to the outer edge of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is installed. (2) The pellicle frame according to claim 1, characterized in that the inclined surface is provided around the entire circumference of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is placed. (3) A pellicle frame as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the width of the inclined surface is 50% or less of the width of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is placed. (4) The pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the angle between the inclined surface and a surface perpendicular to the flat surface is 60 to 89°. (5) A pellicle frame as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the inner edge starting end of the inclined surface is located within 0.2 mm from the inner edge of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is installed. (6) A pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the inner edge side starting end of the inclined surface is the inner edge of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is installed. (7) The pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the width of the inclined surface is 0.3 to 3 mm. (8) The pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the height of the inclined surface is 0.03 to 0.3 mm. (9) A pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inclined surface is composed of a flat surface. (10) A pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the inclined surface is composed of a curved surface. (11) A pellicle comprising a pellicle frame according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that an adhesive layer is provided on the inclined surface and the flat surface of the pellicle frame on which the pellicle membrane is to be installed, and the pellicle membrane is installed via the adhesive layer. (12) A pellicle having a pellicle membrane attached to a frame-shaped pellicle frame via an adhesive layer, characterized in that the pellicle membrane adhesive surface of the adhesive layer has a slope that slopes downward from the inner edge side of the pellicle membrane adhesive surface toward the outer edge side, and the thickness of the adhesive layer at the starting end of the inner edge side of the slope is smaller than the thickness of the adhesive layer at the end of the outer edge side of the slope. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, no creasing occurs in the pellicle membrane near the membrane adhesive layer, and a pellicle with excellent appearance can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1 for explaining one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 2, illustrating an embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. [Diagram 5]1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle according to the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating one embodiment of a pellicle according to the present invention, showing an adhesive application process. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pellicle of a conventional example (comparative example). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the vicinity of the inner edge of a pellicle frame of a conventional example (comparative example). [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a pellicle of a conventional example (comparative example). [Figure 14] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a pellicle frame of a conventional example (comparative example). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0016] The present invention can be applied to pellicles of all sizes and applications, but is particularly effective when applied to large pellicles with side widths exceeding 5 mm that are primarily used in display manufacturing applications. This is because a large pellicle with a wide pellicle frame also has a thick film adhesive layer, and the deterioration of the appearance when the pellicle film is stretched is significant.

[0017] An embodiment of a pellicle frame according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4. Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in Figure 1, and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of part C in Figure 2.

[0018] An inclined surface 12a is provided on the surface (film bonding surface) 12 on which the pellicle film is to be installed of the frame-shaped pellicle frame 11, which slopes downward from the inner edge side toward the outer edge side, and a flat surface 12b is provided from the outer edge side end b of the inclined surface to the outer edge of the surface on which the pellicle film is to be installed. Here, the inclined surface 12a is provided over the entire circumference of the surface on which the pellicle film is to be installed.

[0019] Next, the height h, inclination angle α, and width w of the inclined surface 12a will be described in detail, but the values ​​listed below are determined appropriately depending on the width of the pellicle frame to be applied and the properties of the membrane adhesive used, such as the viscosity, application amount, and drying speed.

[0020] The width w of the inclined surface 12a is preferably 50% or less of the width W of the film bonding surface 12 of the pellicle frame 11. This makes it possible to secure a sufficient area of ​​the flat surface 12b to be used as a pressure application area when attaching the pellicle to a photomask. Therefore, the width w' of the flat surface 12b is preferably 50% or more of the width W of the film bonding surface 12 of the pellicle frame 11, so that a width of 1 mm or more can be used sufficiently as a pressure application area for small pellicles used in semiconductor manufacturing, and 2 mm or more can be used sufficiently as a pressure application area for large pellicles used in display manufacturing.

[0021] Since the inclined surface 12a protrudes from the flat surface 12b and is not parallel to the opposing mask adhesive surface 13, there is a concern that misalignment or poor attachment may occur if pressure is applied to the area of ​​the inclined surface 12a when attaching the pellicle to the photomask. For this reason, the flat surface 12b is preferably parallel to the surface of the pellicle frame that is attached to the photomask (mask adhesive surface) 13, since it is used as the pressure application area when attaching the pellicle to the photomask.

[0022] The angle (inclination angle) α between the inclined surface 12a and the surface 14 perpendicular to the flat surface 12b is preferably 60 to 89°, more preferably 80 to 87°. If the inclination angle α exceeds 89°, the effect of preventing the pellicle membrane from being pulled cannot be fully exhibited. The smaller the inclination angle α, the greater the effect of sharpening the inner edge of the membrane adhesive layer, and the appearance of the inner edge of the pellicle membrane is improved accordingly. However, if the inclination angle α is less than 60°, there is a concern that the sharp edge will damage the adhered pellicle membrane, and burrs and defects will easily occur during the manufacture and handling of the pellicle frame, and it will be difficult to adhere the pellicle membrane to the membrane adhesive layer without air entrainment during pellicle manufacture.

[0023] From the viewpoint of ease of design and processing, the inclined surface 12a is preferably composed of one plane as shown in Fig. 4, but may be composed of two or more planes 52, 53 as shown in Fig. 5(b). Also, it may be composed of a curved surface 51 as shown in Fig. 5(a). In these cases, it is preferable that the two or more planes and the curved surface form a concave surface, and the boundary between the inclined surface and the flat surface can be made inconspicuous. When the inclined surface is formed of a curved surface, the inclination angle α is the angle between a tangent 54 of the inclined surface (curved surface) 51 at the inner edge starting point a and a plane perpendicular to the flat surface. When the inclined surface is formed of two or more flat surfaces, the inclination angle α is the angle between a surface 52 including the inner edge starting point a and a plane perpendicular to the flat surface.

[0024] In addition, from the viewpoint of ease of design and processing, it is preferable that the inner edge start end a of the inclined surface coincide with the inner edge of the film bonding surface of the pellicle frame 11, but as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), a flat portion 61 or an inclined surface (reverse inclined surface) 62 that slopes down from the outer edge side to the inner edge side may be provided from the inner edge start end a to the inner edge of the film bonding surface. By providing such a flat portion 61 or reverse inclined surface 62, the angle of the corner with the inner edge start end a as the apex can be increased, thereby preventing the occurrence of burrs, chipping, and defects during processing of the pellicle frame. It is preferable that the inner edge starting point a of the inclined surface be located within 0.2 mm from the inner edge of the surface on which the pellicle membrane is to be placed.

[0025] When the inclined surface 12a is configured as a single plane as shown in Fig. 4, the inclination angle α is determined by the width w and height h of the inclined surface 12a. The smaller the width w is and the larger the height h is, the smaller the inclination angle α becomes, and a more reliable effect of preventing the pellicle membrane from being pulled can be expected.

[0026] On the other hand, since the overall height of the pellicle is determined by the specifications of the exposure device used, the greater the height h of the inclined surface 12a, the smaller the height H of the pellicle frame main body. As a result, the cross-sectional area of ​​the pellicle frame decreases, and the rigidity and strength decrease. Furthermore, the greater the height h, the more difficult it becomes to adhere the pellicle membrane to the membrane adhesive layer without entraining air. Therefore, the height h of the inclined surface 12a is preferably 0.5 to 5% of the overall height (h+H) of the pellicle frame. Furthermore, it is preferably in the range of 0.03 to 0.3 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.05 to 0.15 mm.

[0027] Furthermore, when the width w of the inclined surface 12a is increased, the height h of the inclined surface 12a must be increased in order to set the inclination angle α within a desired range, which may cause problems in appearance and use as described above. Therefore, the width w of the inclined surface 12a is preferably set in the range of 0.3 to 3 mm, and more preferably in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 mm.

[0028] In particular, large pellicles used for display applications often have pellicle frame widths that differ between the long and short sides, and in such cases, it is preferable that the inclined surfaces 12a on both the long and short sides have the same dimensions and shape. By making the inclined surfaces 12a the same, it is convenient to manufacture the inclined surfaces 12a by machining, and the appearance of the connection shape of the corners can be made smooth. Figure 7 shows a corner portion of the pellicle frame 11, and it is preferable that the inclined surfaces 12a are formed uniformly, including the sides and corners with different widths.

[0029] The material of the pellicle frame 11 used in the present invention can be a magnesium alloy, steel, carbon steel, stainless steel, ceramics such as Invar, SiN, and SiC, engineering plastics, and fiber-reinforced plastics such as CFRP, in addition to a typical aluminum alloy. In terms of manufacturing method, in the case of a metal-based material, mechanical cutting from a plate material or pipe material is the most preferable, but to reduce costs, it is also possible to assemble rod-shaped materials or manufacture from castings such as die casting and lost wax. Furthermore, when a plastic-based material is used, injection molding can be used in addition to mechanical cutting from a plate material.

[0030] Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing one embodiment in which a pellicle 80 is constructed using the above-mentioned pellicle frame 11, and Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the long side. The pellicle frame 11 can also be provided with ventilation holes 84 for ventilating the inside and outside of the pellicle, and tool holes 85 and grooves 86 used for handling during manufacture and attachment, as necessary. Furthermore, the mask adhesive surface 13 on which the mask adhesive layer 83 is provided can also be provided with steps, chamfers, and grooves (not shown) for the purpose of controlling the shape and width of the mask adhesive layer 83.

[0031] A film adhesive layer 82 is provided on the frame-shaped film adhesive surface 12 of the pellicle frame 11, and a pellicle film 81 is adhered to the film adhesive layer 82. A mask adhesive layer 83 is provided on the opposing mask adhesive surface 13, and a separator 88 made of a film of PET or the like having a thickness of 0.5 mm or less and coated with a silicone-based or fluorine-based release agent is provided on the surface of the mask adhesive layer 83 as necessary to protect the adhesive layer. Furthermore, a sheet-like filter 87 made of a porous film such as PTFE is attached to an air vent 84 provided on the side of the pellicle frame 11 via an adhesive layer (not shown) to prevent dust from entering the inside.

[0032] The membrane adhesive layer 82 may be made of known adhesives such as acrylic adhesives, fluorine adhesives, and silicone adhesives. The viscosity of these adhesives is adjusted by diluting them with an appropriate solvent, and the adhesive is applied to the membrane adhesive surface 12, which is one surface of the pellicle frame 11, in a liquid amount that results in a desired thickness. The application means may be a known means such as an air pressure dispenser. The thickness of the membrane adhesive layer 82 must be determined based on the adhesive strength, ease of adhesion, and appearance, but as an example, a range of 20 to 300 μm is preferable.

[0033] FIG. 10 shows the state when the film adhesive layer 82 is formed. Immediately after the adhesive is applied, the inclined surface 12a is buried in the adhesive as shown in FIG. 10(a). Then, as the solvent dries, the adhesive shrinks along the inclined surface 12a as shown in FIG. 10(b), and the inner edge side start end a of the inclined surface 12a is exposed. Finally, as shown in FIG. 10(c), the thickness of the film adhesive layer 82 at the inner edge side start end a of the inclined surface 12a is smaller (thinner) than the thickness of the adhesive layer at the outer edge side end b of the inclined surface 12a, and the film adhesive layer 82 is formed thin enough to ignore the effect of the curved surface caused by the surface tension of the film adhesive layer 82. At this time, the surface (film adhesive surface) 92 of the adhesive layer that contacts the pellicle film 81 has an inclined surface 92a that slopes down from the inner edge side toward the outer edge side.

[0034] Furthermore, when the thickness of the film adhesive layer 82 at the inner edge starting end a of the inclined surface 12a is thin, an adhesive surface in a direction along the pellicle film 119 such as the curved portion 112a as shown in Figure 13 is not formed in the film adhesive layer 82, and therefore there is no room in the film adhesive layer 82 for the pellicle film 81 to partially adhere, thereby preventing the situation in which the pellicle film 81 partially comes into contact and adheres, causing cramping, as shown in Figure 13(a) of the conventional example.

[0035] The inner edge side start end of the inclined surface 92a of the film bonding surface 92 does not necessarily have to coincide with the inner edge of the film bonding surface 12 of the pellicle frame 11, but it is preferable that it coincides with the inner edge side start end of the film bonding layer 82. This is because, if the film bonding layer 82 shown in Fig. 10(c) is formed on the inner edge side beyond the inner edge side start end of the inclined surface 92a of the film bonding surface 92, the pellicle film may become distorted, depending on the shape of the adhesive layer.

[0036] 4 and 5, it is almost unthinkable that the film adhesive layer 82 will be formed on the inner edge side of the inner edge side starting end of the inclined surface 92a of the film adhesive surface 92, but in particular, in the pellicle frame 11 shown in Fig. 6(b), it is assumed that the film adhesive layer 82 will be formed on the reverse inclined surface 62. In this case, if the film adhesive layer 82 is formed on the inner edge side of the inner edge side starting end a of the inclined surface 92a, the film adhesive layer 82 on the inner edge side will form a curved surface portion 112a as shown in Fig. 13(a) and (b), which may cause the pellicle film 81 to be pulled. Furthermore, even in the case of a pellicle frame 11 as shown in Figure 6(a), if the film adhesive layer 82 is formed up to the inner edge flat portion 61, there is a similar risk of the pellicle film 81 becoming creased. However, if the flat portion 61 is not too wide but is narrow, even if the film adhesive layer 82 is formed up to the inner edge side, there is no room for the pellicle film 81 to be partially adhered, so there is almost no crease of the pellicle film 81, and so there is no particular problem.

[0037] Therefore, in the case of a pellicle frame 11 having a shape as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), it is preferable not to provide an adhesive layer on the flat portion 61 or the reverse inclination portion 62; however, this is not the case when the width of the flat portion 61 or the reverse inclination portion 62 is sufficiently narrow and the gradient of the reverse inclination portion 62 is small.

[0038] The pellicle film 81 can be produced by applying a film material solution such as cellulose-based resin or fluororesin onto a smooth substrate using known methods such as spin coating or slit coating, and then drying and solidifying it, and can have a thickness of, for example, about 0.1 to 10 μm.

[0039] The mask adhesive layer 83 may be made of known materials such as acrylic resin, polybutene resin, SEBS, silicone resin, etc., and may be diluted with an appropriate solvent as necessary and applied to the mask adhesive surface 13 using an air pressure dispenser, etc., in the same manner as the film adhesive layer 82. The mask adhesive layer 83 may be formed in a plurality of rows or over the entire surface, in addition to being formed only in a partial region of the mask adhesive surface 13, as shown in Fig. 9. The cross-sectional shape may be convex, or may be flattened to adjust the height of the mask adhesive layer 83 and improve flatness.

[0040] 9, the pellicle constructed as described above hardly forms a convex curved surface due to surface tension on the inner edge side of the film adhesive layer 82, or even if a curved surface is formed, its effect is negligible, so that the pellicle film 81 is completely adhered to the inner edge of the film adhesive layer 82 without any gaps, and the pellicle film 81 is not pulled or creased by the film adhesive layer 82. As a result, the appearance of the pellicle film 81 near the inner edge of the pellicle frame 11 is significantly improved. EXAMPLES

[0041] Example 1 The present invention will now be described more specifically with reference to examples.

[0042] 8 and 9 show a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of a pellicle produced using the pellicle frame shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

[0043] The pellicle frame 11 was manufactured by machining using a 5000 series aluminum alloy and was subjected to black anodizing. In this case, the dimensions of the pellicle frame 11 were outer dimensions 756×937.5 mm, inner dimensions 740×925.5 mm, and height 5.8 mm. The surface (film bonding surface) 12 on which the pellicle film is to be installed was provided with an inclined surface 12a that sloped downward from the inner edge side to the outer edge side along the entire periphery, and a flat surface 12b was formed from the outer edge end b of the inclined surface 12a to the outer edge of the surface on which the pellicle film is to be installed.

[0044] The inclined surface 12a had a width w of 1 mm and a height h of 0.1 mm, an inclination angle α of approximately 84.3°, and the width of the flat surface was 7 mm on the long side and 5 mm on the short side. The inner edge side start end a of the inclined surface 12a coincided with the inner edge of the film adhesion surface. This pellicle frame 11 was carried into a class 10 clean room, washed with a surfactant and pure water, and completely dried.

[0045] For this pellicle frame 11, a silicone adhesive (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) diluted with toluene was applied to the mask adhesive surface 13 using an air pressure dispenser to form a mask adhesive layer 83. Furthermore, a silicone adhesive (manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) was applied to the film adhesive surface 12 using an air pressure dispenser to a thickness of about 80 μm as a pellicle film adhesive to form a film adhesive layer 82. Then, heating was performed to 120° C. or higher to completely remove the solvent and heat cure the silicone adhesive.

[0046] The film adhesive layer 82 has a cross-sectional shape as shown in Figures 9 and 10(c), and the thickness of the film adhesive layer 82 at the inner edge side start end a of the inclined surface 12a is smaller than the thickness of the film adhesive layer 82 at the outer edge side end b of the inclined surface. At this time, the surface (film adhesive surface) 92 of the film adhesive layer 82 that contacts the pellicle membrane has an inclined surface 92a that slopes downward from the inner edge side to the outer edge side. Also, the inner edge side start end of the inclined surface 92a of the film adhesive surface 92 coincides with the inner edge side start end of the film adhesive layer 82.

[0047] Thereafter, for surface protection, a separator 88 was attached to the surface of the mask adhesive layer 83, the separator 88 having a thickness of 0.125 mm and cut out to have substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the frame 11, with a release agent applied to the surface. Furthermore, a dustproof filter 87 made of a PTFE porous film was attached to the outside of the ventilation hole 84 provided on the side of the pellicle frame 11 via an acrylic adhesive layer (not shown).

[0048] Finally, a fluoropolymer (manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.) was deposited on a smoothly polished quartz glass substrate by the slit coating method, dried, and peeled off to obtain a pellicle film 81 having a thickness of approximately 2.2 μm. The pellicle film 81 was then attached via a film adhesive layer 82 to complete the pellicle 80.

[0049] When the completed pellicle 80 was observed, it was found that the film adhesive layer 82 was formed so as to completely cover the film adhesive surface 12, as shown in Figure 9, and that its thickness became thinner toward the inner edge starting end a of the inclined surface 12a of the pellicle frame 11, and that it was extremely thin near the inner edge starting end a, resulting in a cross-sectional shape with abrupt edges.

[0050] When the pellicle film 81 of this pellicle 80 was observed near the pellicle frame, almost no unbonded areas of the pellicle film 81 were observed on the film adhesive layer 82 around the entire inner edge of the pellicle frame 11. Furthermore, in anticipation of vibration during transportation, the pellicle film 81 was vibrated with an air blower, but no localized wrinkles or twitches were observed in the pellicle film 81, and a good appearance was maintained.

[0051] Comparative Example 1 As Comparative Example 1, a pellicle 110 shown in Fig. 11 was produced using a pellicle frame 111 having the same dimensions as in Example 1, but differing only in its cross-sectional shape. Except for the pellicle frame 111 used, the manufacturing process and conditions were all the same as in Example 1. The cross-sectional shape of the pellicle frame 111 used here is as shown in Fig. 14, and has a rectangular cross section without the protrusions near the inner edge of the pellicle frame 11 as in Example 1.

[0052] In the pellicle film 119 of the completed pellicle 110, tiny membrane twitches 120, as shown in an enlarged view in Fig. 12, occurred in places near the inner edge of the pellicle frame 111. In addition, the cross section of the pellicle 110 was as shown in Fig. 13(a) in the places where the membrane twitches 120 occurred, while the cross section of the pellicle 110 was as shown in Fig. 13(b) in the places where the twitches 120 did not occur.

[0053] In addition, the pellicle film adhesive layer 112 was formed to a nearly uniform thickness, but the surface tension of the adhesive layer caused a convex curved portion 112a to form near the inner edge. It is presumed that in areas where the pellicle film 119 was highly slack, or when the pellicle film 119 shook during transport between processes, the pellicle film 119 came into contact with and adhered to the curved portion 112a, causing the twitching 120. This was undesirable as it deteriorated the appearance. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 11 Pellicle frame 12 Membrane adhesive surface 12a Slope 12b flat surface 13 Mask adhesive surface 14 Surface perpendicular to a flat surface 51 Curved surface 52 Slope 53 Slope 61 Plane part 62 Reverse slope 80 Pellicle 81 Pellicle Membrane 82 Membrane adhesive layer 83 Mask adhesive layer 84 Ventilation holes 85 Jig hole 86 Groove 87 Filters 88 Separator 92 Film adhesive surface of film adhesive layer 92a Sloped surface of the membrane adhesive surface 92b Flat surface of membrane adhesive surface 110 Pellicle 111 Pellicle Frame 112 Membrane adhesive layer 112a Curved section 113 Mask adhesive layer 114 Ventilation hole 115 Jig hole 116 Groove 117 Filters 118 Separator 119 Pellicle Membrane 120 Cramps a Inner edge start of inclined surface b Outer edge end of inclined surface w Width of inclined surface w' Width of flat surface h Height of the inclined surface α Angle of inclined surface W Width of the membrane adhesive surface of the pellicle frame H Height of pellicle frame body

Claims

1. A pellicle having a pellicle membrane adhered to an adhesive layer provided on one end surface of a pellicle frame, A surface of the pellicle frame on which the pellicle film is installed is provided with an inclined surface that slopes downward from the inner edge side to the outer edge side, and a flat surface is provided from the outer edge side end of the inclined surface to the outer edge of the end surface on the side on which the pellicle film is installed; The adhesive layer has an inclined surface on the upper surface and the lower surface of the adhesive layer, the inclined surface being inclined from the inner edge side to the outer edge side, A pellicle in which the pellicle membrane and the adhesive layer are bonded together without any gaps at the inner edge of the adhesive layer, thereby suppressing tensioning of the pellicle membrane that occurs near the inner edge of the adhesive layer.

2. 2. The pellicle of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the adhesive layer at the inner edge starting end of the inclined surface is smaller than the thickness of the adhesive layer at the outer edge terminal end of the inclined surface.

3. 3. A pellicle as described in claim 1, wherein the pellicle membrane and the adhesive are bonded together without any gaps over the entire circumference of the pellicle frame.

4. A photomask with a pellicle, comprising the pellicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 attached to a photomask.

5. 5. An exposure method comprising exposing using the pellicle-attached photomask according to claim 4.

6. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor, comprising a step of exposing using the pellicle-attached photomask according to claim 4.

7. A method for manufacturing a display, comprising a step of exposing using the pellicle-attached photomask according to claim 4.

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