Non-rectangular reticle container

Abstract

To provide a container for a non-rectangular reticle.SOLUTION: The container for a non-rectangular reticle is suitable for storing an oval reticle, essentially including a lid and a base portion configured to define an oval space when coupled together. The lid and base portion each have a plurality of reticle holders and a plurality of reticle supports each configured to hold an oval reticle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1A

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to reticle containers, and more particularly to containers dedicated to non-rectangular reticles. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, the reticle types used in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) processes are square or rectangular with four even sides. Considering that the body, coating or reticle pellicle of a circular reticle is easier to fabricate than a square reticle and can effectively improve the yield of the reticle, elliptical (including circular) reticles are a possible design to be adopted in the future. Conventional EUV reticle cases are designed based on square reticles and are only for square reticles, and cannot be used to store elliptical reticles.

[0003] Therefore, it was necessary to develop a container specifically for elliptical reticles. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] The present invention provides a non-rectangular reticle container suitable for storing an elliptical reticle, the container comprising a lid and a base portion, the lid having an inner surface and a partition extending downwardly from the inner surface, the inner surface and the partition defining an elliptical space, and further including a plurality of reticle holders extending partially into the partition and the elliptical space for supporting an edge of the elliptical reticle, the base portion coupled with the lid to define an elliptical storage space for receiving the elliptical reticle, and having a plurality of reticle supports for supporting a bottom portion of the elliptical reticle.

[0005] In one specific embodiment, the base portion has an annular groove and the reticle support straddles the annular groove.

[0006] In one specific embodiment, the annular groove divides the base portion into an inner region and an outer region, the inner region being an elliptical region.

[0007] In one specific embodiment, the reticle support comprises a support block for supporting the bottom of the elliptical reticle and an edge regulation portion for regulating the elliptical reticle, the support block being located in an internal region of the base portion and the edge regulation portion being located in an external region of the base portion.

[0008] In one specific embodiment, the reticle holder of the lid has an axis of symmetry, the reticle support of the base has an axis of symmetry, the axis of symmetry of the multiple reticle holders is directed toward the center of the elliptical space of the lid, and the axis of symmetry of the multiple reticle supports is directed toward the center of the interior region of the base.

[0009] The present invention also provides a non-rectangular reticle container suitable for storing an elliptical reticle, the container including a lid and a base portion. The base portion includes a mounting surface and a plurality of reticle supports disposed along a periphery of the mounting surface for supporting the elliptical reticle. The lid is coupled to the base portion to define an elliptical storage space for receiving the elliptical reticle, and includes a plurality of reticle holders for restricting the elliptical reticle. The elliptical storage space is defined by a plurality of arcuate edges on the inside of the base portion and the inside of the lid.

[0010] In one specific embodiment, the mounting surface has a plurality of first arcuate edges, and the reticle support is disposed between adjacent first arcuate edges of the plurality of first arcuate edges.

[0011] In one specific embodiment, the underside of the lid has a plurality of second arcuate edges, and the reticle holder is disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of second arcuate edges.

[0012] In one specific embodiment, the inside of the lid has a stepped structure, the stepped structure being formed by the inner surface of the lid and a partition wall, and having the plurality of second arcuate edges.

[0013] In one specific embodiment, the base portion has an annular groove extending around a periphery of the mounting surface, the reticle support of the base portion straddling the annular groove, the step structure and the annular groove being concentric.

[0014] The present invention further provides a reticle storage case including a casing and a door, the casing and the door defining a storage space for storing the container.

[0015] The above and other aspects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting specific embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0016] For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following drawings and description, in which non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with reference to the following drawings, in which components are not necessarily drawn to scale, with the focus being on explaining the structures and principles. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the container and outer box for the non-rectangular reticle of the present invention. [Figure 1A] 13 is another exploded view of the non-rectangular reticle container of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a three-dimensional view of a lid for a non-rectangular reticle container of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the lid of the non-rectangular reticle container of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a reticle holder. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a reticle support. [Figure 8A] 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the base portion showing a state in which the reticle is placed on the base portion and supported by a reticle support; FIG. [Figure 8B] FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of the lid and base showing how the reticle is confined within the container by the reticle holder and reticle support. [Figure 9A] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing modified arrangements of the reticle holder or reticle support; [Figure 9B] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing modified arrangements of the reticle holder or reticle support; [Figure 9C] 13A to 13C are diagrams showing modified arrangements of the reticle holder or reticle support; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The present invention will be described more fully below with reference to the drawings, and specific embodiments will be illustrated. However, the claimed subject matter may be specifically embodied in a variety of different forms, and therefore the configuration of the claimed subject matter of the cover or application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein. The specific embodiments are merely exemplary. Similarly, the present invention is intended to provide a reasonable breadth of scope for the subject matter of the application or covered claims. Also, for example, the claimed subject matter may be specifically embodied as a method, device, or system.

[0019] As used herein, the term "in one embodiment" does not necessarily refer to the same specific embodiment, and the term "in some other / specific embodiments" as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different specific embodiment. The claimed subject matter is intended to include any combination of all or part of the specific embodiments. As used herein, "interior" refers to the inside of the container, and the inside of the lid and base are the hidden portions after the lid and base are joined together.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional exploded view of a non-rectangular reticle container 10 and an outer box 20 of the present invention, and Fig. 1A is another exploded view of the non-rectangular reticle container 10 of the present invention, clearly showing the inside of the non-rectangular reticle container 10 of the present invention. The non-rectangular reticle container 10 of the present invention includes a lid 11 and a base 12 that define a storage space, and is particularly used for storing a non-rectangular reticle or an elliptical reticle R. The outer box 20 includes a casing 21 and a door 22 that define a storage space, and is used for storing the non-rectangular reticle container 10 of the present invention.

[0021] The non-rectangle is an ellipse having a major axis and a minor axis. If the major axis and the minor axis are equal, the ellipse becomes a circle. The non-rectangle may be a polygon with an even or odd number of sides, such as a hexagon, octagon, or nonagon. The non-rectangle may be a closed shape made up of multiple curves.

[0022] The non-rectangular reticle container 10 of the present invention can be configured with other components, such as a pair of wings protruding outward at the edge of the lid 11, and a gas filtering element at the top of the lid 11. The lid 11 and the base 12 achieve a certain degree of airtightness after the lid 11 and the base 12 are joined together using a known airtight means, preventing contaminants from entering the storage space through the contact surface between the lid 11 and the base 12.

[0023] The outer box 20 is made of known components. For example, the casing 21 has a pair of wings extending outward on both sides, a pressing mechanism for abutting and supporting the lid 11 on the inside of the casing 21, the door 22 has an operable latch mechanism for coupling with the casing 21, and the door 22 may also be equipped with an air valve for filling or exhausting gas, thereby controlling the environment and pressure of the storage space. After the casing 21 and the door 22 are coupled using known airtight means, a certain degree of airtightness is achieved to maintain the cleanliness of the storage space.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of the lid 11, FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the lid 11, and FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view of the inside of the lid. The lid 11 has an outer surface 110 that is a substantially smooth surface. The opposite side of the outer surface 110 is the inner side of the lid 11, i.e., the inner side facing the base portion 12, and has a compartment wall 111 extending downward from the outer surface 110. The compartment wall 111 also defines the peripheral side wall of the lid 11 and has a lower surface 112 for contacting the base portion 12. The vertical thickness of the compartment wall 111 is thicker than the thickness of the other parts of the lid 11, i.e., the inner surface, to form a step structure, and the step structure defines a space, in particular an elliptical space 113. The minor axis or diameter of the elliptical space must be larger than the major axis of the elliptical reticle or the diameter of the circular reticle.

[0025] A plurality of reticle holders 114 are disposed between the partition 111 and the elliptical space 113, and a portion of each reticle holder 114 extends into the elliptical space 113. Specifically, there are a plurality of extension spaces 115 for installing the reticle holders 114, which extend toward the partition 111 around the periphery of the elliptical space 113. Note that these extension spaces 115 are also divided into a plurality of arc-shaped edges 116 inside the partition 111, and these reticle holders 114 are disposed between two adjacent arc-shaped edges 116. As shown in FIG. 3, a portion of the reticle holder 114 is exposed in the elliptical space 113 and abuts against the edge of the reticle.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of the reticle holder 114 including the fixed base 31 and the elastic legs 32. The reticle holder 114 is fixed to the inside of the lid 11 via the fixed base 31. The fixed base 31 may include known means such as a screw or a quick release mechanism to ensure the stability of the reticle holder 114. The elastic legs 32 extend laterally from the fixed base 31 and have a hollow portion 33 and a pressing portion 34, the design of which can be used to make the elastic legs 32 avoid elements of the base portion 12, and the pressing portion 34 is located at the end of the elastic legs 32 as shown in FIG. 8B and is used to abut against the upper surface of the reticle. The elastic legs 32 also include an inclined extension portion 35 having a guide surface to regulate and abut against the upper edge of the reticle.

[0027] When the reticle holder 114 is assembled, the fixed base 31 is basically located at the end of the expansion space 115 and is surrounded by the partition wall 111, and the elastic legs 32 are partially exposed within the elliptical space 113. Referring to Figures 4 and 8B together, a buffer space 117 is formed in the area corresponding to the elastic legs 32 and the pressing portion 34 on the inside of the lid 11 to prevent structural interference between the elastic legs 32 deformed by the force and the inner surface of the lid 11.

[0028] 6 is a top view of the base 12 having a mounting surface 121 facing the lid 11. The base 12 can be divided into an inner region and an outer region 123 by a groove 122 or a step structure, the inner region being the range of the mounting surface 121, and the outer region 123 being the range surrounding the mounting surface 121 and mainly contacting the lower surface 112 of the lid 11. The mounting surface 121 and the outer region 123 are basically flat surfaces having a vertical height difference, and in particular, the mounting surface 121 is higher than the upper surface of the outer region 123. The minor axis or diameter of the elliptical or circular mounting surface 121 is slightly smaller than the minor axis or diameter of the elliptical reticle.

[0029] A plurality of reticle supports 124 are disposed between the mounting surface 121 and the outer region 123. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8A, a plurality of grooves 120 for disposing the reticle supports 124 can be formed between the mounting surface 121 and the outer region 123. The groove 122 is basically an annular groove surrounding the mounting surface 121, and the annular path of the groove 122 passes through the positions of the reticle supports 124, or it can be said that the reticle supports 124 span the groove 122 between the mounting surface 121 and the outer region 123. The mounting surface 121 has a plurality of arc-shaped edges 125, and the reticle supports 124 are disposed between the adjacent arc-shaped edges 125. A portion of the reticle supports 124 is relatively close to the mounting surface 121, and another portion is relatively close to the outer region 123.

[0030] FIG. 7 is a three-dimensional view of the reticle support 124 including a pad 61, a support block 62, and an edge restriction portion 63. The pad 61 has a thickness and shape suitable for fitting and being positioned in the groove of the base portion 12. As shown in FIG. 8A, the support block 62 and the edge restriction portion 63 extend upward from the pad 61 and have different heights, the support block 62 is disposed relatively close to the mounting surface 121, the top of the support block 62 has a protrusion 621 slightly higher than the mounting surface 121, and the edge restriction portion 63 is disposed relatively close to the outer region 123 to block the elliptical reticle R from moving to the outer region 123. In addition, the top end of the edge restriction portion 63 has a cone-shaped structure mainly for preventing the reticle corner from being shaken by an external force and coming off the support block 62 and hitting the inside of the lid 11.

[0031] 3 and 6, each reticle holder 114 and each reticle support 124 has a symmetrical structure and therefore has an axis of symmetry 118, 126. Specifically, the reticle holder 114 determines its axis of symmetry 118 due to the symmetry of the fixed base 31 and the elastic legs 32, and the reticle support 124 determines its axis of symmetry 126 due to the symmetry of the support block 62 and the edge regulation portion 63. In this embodiment, the axis of symmetry 118 of the reticle holder 114 and the axis of symmetry 126 of the reticle support 124 are directed to the center of the elliptical space 113 of the lid 11 and the center of the mounting surface 121 of the base portion 12, respectively. The above-mentioned centers refer to the intersection of the major and minor axes of an ellipse or the center of a circle.

[0032] Fig. 8A is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the base portion showing a state in which an elliptical reticle R is placed on the base portion 12 and supported by a support block 62. Fig. 8B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the lid 11 and the base portion 12 showing a state in which the elliptical reticle R is confined within the container by the reticle holder 114 and the reticle support 124.

[0033] When the elliptical reticle R is placed on the base 12, the bottom of the elliptical reticle R is supported by the support block 62, forming a minute gap between the bottom of the elliptical reticle R and the placement surface 121. The edge restriction portion 63 restricts the periphery of the elliptical reticle R so that the peripheral portion of the elliptical reticle R does not move to the outer region 123. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the position of the reticle holder 114 of the lid 11 corresponds to the position of the reticle support 124 of the base 12, so that when the lid 11 and the base 12 are joined, the reticle holder 114 is basically located above the reticle support 124. 5, the elastic legs 32 of the reticle holder 114 have hollow portions 33, allowing the tops of the edge regulating portions 63 of the reticle support 124 to penetrate the hollow portions 33, thereby avoiding structural interference between the reticle holder 114 and the reticle support 124 and optimizing space utilization. In another embodiment, the reticle holder 114 does not have hollow portions 33, i.e., the spaces between the elastic legs 32 are filled, but the elastic legs 32 of the reticle holder 114 can be appropriately designed to avoid structural interference with the edge regulating portions 63.

[0034] 8B, the pressing portion 34 abuts against the upper surface of the elliptical reticle R, and the guide surface of the inclined extension portion 35 abuts against the upper edge of the elliptical reticle R, thereby restricting the vertical and lateral displacement of the elliptical reticle R. As described above, the inner surface of the lid 11 is formed with a buffer space 117, which is a shallow groove that extends inward from the inner surface of the lid 11 and sufficiently tolerates the deformation of the reticle holder 114. Since slight differences in the size of the elliptical reticle R may affect the deformation range of the elastic legs 32 of each reticle holder 114, the buffer space 117 provides a displacement tolerance of the pressing portion 34 when the reticle holder 114 is deformed, and prevents the pressing portion 34 and the lid 11 from colliding with each other to form contaminant particles.

[0035] 9A to 9C show modified arrangements of reticle holder 114 or reticle support 124 described above. The container for a non-rectangular reticle of the present invention has an arc-shaped edge, whether it is on the inside of lid 11 or the inside of base 12. As described above, the inside of partition 111 of lid 11 has a plurality of arc-shaped edges 116, and the periphery of mounting surface 121 of base 12 has a plurality of arc-shaped edges 125. The modified arrangements refer to various combinations of these arc-shaped edges 116, 125 with reticle holder 114 and reticle support 124.

[0036] FIG. 9A shows the relationship between four reticle holder or reticle support positions 81 and four arcuate edges 82, where each position 81 is interposed between two adjacent arcuate edges 82, and the four arcuate edges 82 divide the lid or base portion into an inner region and an outer region, where the inner region is a circular region.

[0037] FIG. 9B shows the relationship between three reticle holder or reticle support positions 81 and three arcuate edges 82, where each position 81 is interposed between two adjacent arcuate edges 82, and the three arcuate edges 82 divide the lid or base portion into an inner region and an outer region, where the inner region is a circular region.

[0038] FIG. 9C shows the relationship between four reticle holder or reticle support positions 81 and four arcuate edges 82, where each position 81 is interposed between two adjacent arcuate edges 82, and the four arcuate edges 82 divide the lid or base portion into an inner region and an outer region, where the inner region is an elliptical region.

[0039] The difference between Figure 9A and Figure 9C is that the arcuate edge 82 in Figure 9A is a circular partial edge, while the arcuate edge 82 in Figure 9C is an elliptical partial edge. Note that positions 81 in Figure 9A correspond to the four corners of the cover 11 or base 12, and positions 81 in Figure 9C correspond to the major and minor axes of the ellipse. Similarly, the symmetry axes of the reticle holder or reticle support at positions 81 in Figures 9A to 9C are both directed toward the center C of the elliptical storage space or mounting surface.

[0040] As can be seen from the above description, the inside of the lid 11 of the present invention has an arcuate edge 116 and the inside of the base portion 12 has an arcuate edge 125, thereby allowing the inside of the lid 11 to define an elliptical space, and when the lid 11 is combined with the base portion 12, the arcuate edge 116 on the inside of the lid 11 and the arcuate edge 125 on the inside of the base portion 12 can define an elliptical or other shaped storage space for accommodating a non-rectangular reticle.

[0041] It should be understood, however, that the specific embodiments of the present invention are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention, which is to be included in the scope of the claims. Accordingly, the specific embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the present invention, with the true scope and spirit of the present invention being set forth in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 10. Container for non-rectangular reticles 11 Lid 110 Exterior 111 Bulkhead 112 Bottom surface 113 Elliptical Space 114 Reticle Holder 115 Expanded Space 116 Arc-shaped edge 117 Buffer space 118 Axis of Symmetry 12 Base section 120 Groove 121 Placement surface 122 Groove 123 External Area 124 Reticle Support 125 Circular edge 126 Axis of Symmetry 20 Outer box 21 Casing 22 Doors 31 Fixed base 32 Elastic Legs 33 Hollow part 34 Pressing part 35 Inclined extension 61 Pad 62 Support Block 621 Protrusion 63 Edge regulation part 81 position 82 Arc-shaped edge R Oval Reticle C center

Claims

1. 1. A non-rectangular reticle container adapted to accommodate an elliptical reticle, comprising: an inner surface; and a compartment wall extending downwardly from the inner surface; an elliptical space defined by the inner surface and the partition; a lid including a plurality of reticle holders extending partially into the elliptical space for supporting an edge of the elliptical reticle; a base portion coupled to the lid to define an elliptical receiving space for receiving the elliptical reticle, the base portion having a plurality of reticle supports for supporting a bottom portion of the elliptical reticle; A container comprising:

2. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the base portion has an annular groove, the reticle support straddling the annular groove.

3. 3. The container of claim 2, wherein the annular groove divides the base portion into an inner region and an outer region, the inner region being an elliptical region.

4. The container described in claim 3, wherein the reticle support comprises a support block for supporting a bottom of the elliptical reticle and an edge regulation portion for regulating the elliptical reticle, the support block being located in an internal region of the base portion, and the edge regulation portion being located in an external region of the base portion.

5. 5. The container of claim 4, wherein the reticle holder of the lid has an axis of symmetry, the reticle support of the base has an axis of symmetry, the axis of symmetry of the multiple reticle holders is directed toward the center of an elliptical space of the lid, and the axis of symmetry of the multiple reticle supports is directed toward the center of an interior region of the base.

6. A reticle storage case comprising a casing and a door defining a storage space for storing the container according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A mounting surface; a base portion including a plurality of reticle supports disposed along a periphery of the mounting surface for supporting an elliptical reticle; a lid coupled to the base portion to define an elliptical receiving space for receiving the elliptical reticle, the lid including a plurality of reticle holders for restricting the elliptical reticle; A non-rectangular reticle container adapted to accommodate an elliptical reticle, comprising: A container in which the elliptical storage space is defined by a plurality of arcuate edges on the inside of the base and the inside of the lid.

8. 8. The container of claim 7, wherein the mounting surface has a plurality of first arcuate edges, and the reticle support is disposed between adjacent first arcuate edges of the plurality of first arcuate edges.

9. 8. The container of claim 7, wherein the underside of the lid has a plurality of second arcuate edges, and the reticle holder is disposed between adjacent ones of the plurality of second arcuate edges.

10. 10. The container according to claim 9, wherein the inside of the lid has a stepped structure, the stepped structure being formed by the inner surface of the lid and a partition wall, and the container has the plurality of second arcuate edges.

11. 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the base portion has an annular groove extending along a periphery of the mounting surface, a reticle support of the base portion straddling the annular groove, and the stepped structure and the annular groove being concentric.

12. 8. The container of claim 7, wherein the reticle holder and the reticle support each have an axis of symmetry, the axes of symmetry of the reticle holder and the reticle support being oriented toward a center of the lid and a center of the mounting surface, respectively.

13. 13. The container of claim 12, wherein the reticle holder comprises a fixed base and a resilient leg, an axis of symmetry of the reticle holder being defined by the fixed base and the resilient leg.

14. 13. The container of claim 12, wherein the reticle support comprises a support block and an edge restriction, an axis of symmetry of the reticle support being defined by the support block and the edge restriction.

15. A reticle storage case comprising a casing and a door defining a storage space for storing the container according to any one of claims 7 to 14.

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