Chamfered Pellicle Frame for Burr-Free Membrane Cutting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-sized pellicles for lithography present challenges in cutting the excessive membrane without generating burrs, leading to increased manufacturing time and product contamination due to manual cutting methods.
Innovation Solution
The pellicle frame edges are chamfered with dimensions between 0.01 mm to 0.12 mm to facilitate smooth cutting without burrs, using a knife blade in parallel or angled contact along the chamfered edges, and the cut-end faces are smoothened with a solvent-wetted resin wiper.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual cutting is used for large-sized pellicle membranes, then cutting can be performed, but burrs are generated and manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pellicle frame edges are chamfered in advance before membrane attachment and cutting. This preliminary action creates a beveled surface that guides the knife blade during subsequent cutting, preventing burr formation and enabling smoother, faster cuts without requiring post-cutting burr removal operations.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual cutting is used for large-sized pellicle membranes, then cutting can be performed, but contamination occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The chamfering of frame edges before cutting creates a controlled cutting path that reduces manual handling and manipulation of the membrane during cutting. This preliminary preparation minimizes the risk of contamination from fingers, tools, or environment contact with the membrane surface during the cutting process.
3Manufacturing precision
If solvent is applied to smooth cut-end faces, then surface quality improves, but additional process time is required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying solvent to all cut surfaces uniformly, the process selectively applies solvent only to cut-end faces that require smoothing. The chamfered edges already provide sufficient guidance for most cuts, so solvent application is used partially only where needed to achieve the required surface quality, minimizing additional process time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method allows for efficient cutting of large-sized pellicle membranes without burrs, reducing manufacturing time and product contamination, while maintaining high quality and stability.
Implementation Method 1
applying a solvent capable of dissolving the pellicle membrane to the cut-end faces to smooth the same
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a pellicle in which the frame is chamfered along all of its horizontal edges (as viewed when the pellicle frame is laid flat), and in particular those edges of the frame where the membrane-bonding frame face meets the external side walls of the frame are chamfered to the extent of C:0.01 mm-C:0.12 mm; in relation to this chamfer, a method is also provided wherein, after attaching a preformed pellicle membrane to the membrane-bonding frame face, the excessive part of the preformed membrane which extends beyond outer edges of the frame face is cut off in a manner wherein a blade of a knife is caused to scour the chamfer over the membrane in a manner such that the knife blade is kept in such an angle that the blade gets in a face-to-face contact with the chamfer face or that the blade touches only that edge of the frame where the chamfer face meets the first frame face while the knife blade is moved along the chamfered edge of the frame.