EUV Reticle Container Locking Structure for Compact Clean Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional EUV reticle storage systems are bulky, prone to mechanical damage, and generate chemical contamination due to outgassing, while requiring frequent replacement and suspension of photolithographic processes, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A container system with a locking mechanism that restricts movement of its components using a pin and engagement member, providing robust protection against mechanical damage and chemical contamination, allowing for reduced space requirements and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional dual pod systems are used for EUV reticle storage, then contamination protection is maintained, but space requirements increase and mechanical damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container is divided into an upper component and a lower component that can be reversibly attached, allowing the system to maintain protection functionality while reducing overall volume when components are separated for storage or transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism with pin and engagement member is nested within the container structure, allowing the locking functionality to be integrated without increasing external dimensions, thus maintaining compact form factor while providing secure containment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional dual pod systems are used for EUV reticle storage, then contamination protection is maintained, but mechanical damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container components feature curved surfaces and rounded edges rather than sharp corners, distributing mechanical stresses more evenly and reducing vulnerability to impact damage, thereby improving reliability while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is constructed using composite material structure combining different material properties in upper and lower components, providing both chemical contamination resistance and enhanced mechanical strength to prevent damage under challenging conditions.
3Ease of operation
If polymeric EOP materials are used, then container functionality is provided, but outgassing of volatile organic compounds occurs causing chemical contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The material composition parameters of the container are modified to use low-outgassing materials or coated surfaces that maintain operational functionality while significantly reducing the emission of volatile organic compounds, thereby eliminating chemical contamination source.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful outgassing function is extracted from the container system by using materials that do not outgas, separating the desired container functionality from the harmful chemical emission aspect.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If reticles are stored with limited movement possibilities in dual pods, then particle contamination is reduced, but handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container design provides dynamic characteristics allowing controlled movement of reticles during handling while maintaining immobilization during storage, adapting the degree of freedom based on operational requirements to balance contamination prevention with ease of handling.
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4D
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a container (100) for storing and/or transporting a semiconductor fabrication article (190), particularly one or more of a wafer, a chip, a substrate and a photolithography mask, particularly an EUV reticle, the container (100) comprising an upper component (110) and a lower component (120), wherein the upper component (110) is reversibly attachable to the lower component (120), the container (100) further comprising a locking mechanism (140, 160), integrally formed within the upper component (110) and the lower component (120) and configured to restrict movement of the upper component (110) and the lower component (120) relative to one another, wherein the locking mechanism (140, 160) comprises a pin (112), which in a state in which the upper component (110) is attached to the lower component (120), extends from a first one of the upper (110) and lower (120) components into a second one of the upper (110) and lower (120) components, wherein the locking mechanism (140, 160) further comprises an engagement member (122, 162) accommodated within the second one of the upper (110) and lower (120) components, the engagement member (122, 162) being configured to selectively restrict movement of the pin (112) relative to the second one of the upper (110) and lower (120) components, wherein the pin (112) comprises a recess (114) and the engagement member (122, 162) is configured to engage with the recess (114). The invention further provides a method (200) for storing and/or transporting a semiconductor fabrication article (190) using such a container (100) and a stocker configured to perform such a method (200) and to hold a number of such containers (100).