Carbon Fiber Pellicle Frame with Resin Clad
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pellicle frames used in semiconductor and liquid crystal display manufacturing sag due to membrane tension and handling, leading to reduced exposure area and precision issues, with existing solutions failing to adequately address rigidity and dust concerns.
Innovation Solution
A pellicle frame made from a carbon fiber and resin composite, coated with a fluorine-containing, silicone, or acrylic resin layer to enhance rigidity and prevent carbon fiber exposure, which reduces sagging and dust generation while maintaining high precision and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the pellicle frame is made with long frame bars to accommodate large exposure areas, then the exposure area is increased, but the frame bars sag downwardly conspicuously in the middle, reducing manufacturing precision and handling difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The frame bars are constructed as composite structures combining aluminum alloy with reinforcement elements (such as internal ribs or hollow cylindrical reinforcements). This composite design increases the moment of inertia and flexural rigidity without significantly increasing the outer dimensions, thereby preventing sagging while maintaining large exposure areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame bars are designed with curved or arched cross-sectional profiles rather than simple straight rectangular sections. This curvature distribution optimizes the moment of inertia along the length of the bar, providing enhanced resistance to sagging while maintaining minimal material usage and exposure area.
2Device complexity
If the frame bars are made thinner to reduce weight and complexity, then the device complexity is reduced, but the frame bars sag more easily during handling and transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The frame bar design incorporates three-dimensional structural features such as hollow cylindrical reinforcements, internal ribs, or multi-layer composite constructions. These additions in the thickness dimension provide substantial rigidity improvement without increasing the outer width or height, thus maintaining simplicity from top views while preventing sagging during handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The frame bars use composite material constructions combining aluminum alloy with reinforcement elements. This creates a multi-layer or multi-component structure that provides high rigidity-to-weight ratio, preventing sagging during transportation while keeping the overall structure relatively simple.
3Strength
If carbon fiber is used to make the pellicle frame to reduce sagging, then the rigidity is improved, but carbon fiber elements may be exposed on the surface causing dust generation
Solution Approach 1:
A thin film or coating layer (such as clear coat, anodized aluminum layer, or protective polymer film) is applied over the carbon fiber frame surface. This shell-like layer completely covers the carbon fiber elements, preventing them from being exposed or detached, thus eliminating dust generation while preserving the high rigidity benefits of carbon fiber construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbon fiber frame surface is treated with anodization or coating that changes the surface appearance and properties. This treatment creates a non-sparking, non-dusty surface that completely covers the carbon fiber, preventing dust generation while maintaining the structural rigidity. The anodized or coated surface also provides corrosion resistance and durability.
Data Source
AI summary
A new kind of pellicle frame is proposed which is made up of a core body and a clad body; the core body consists of a composite of carbon fiber plus resin, and it is preferred that the carbon fiber exists in the form of a laminated body of carbon fiber sheets in which the resin is impregnated; and the clad body is the outer layer sealing the core body such that no carbon is exposed through the clad body.