Support frame for pellicles

• US 9,841,670 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company Limited (Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Light Metal Company Limited (Nippon Light Metal Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kohmura, Kazuo, Ono, Yosuke, Taneichi, Daiki, Sato, Yasuyuki, Hirota, Toshiaki, Koga, Kiyokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Iacoletti, Michelle M
• Application Number:
  US15/313,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20170212418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/62 Pellicles, e.g. pellicle assemblies, e.g. having membrane on support frame; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/64 characterised by the frames, e.g. structure or material, including bonding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 1/66 Containers specially adapted for masks, mask blanks or pellicles; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70691 Handling of masks or workpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70866 of mask or workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70916 Pollution mitigation, i.e. mitigating effect of contamination or debris, e.g. foil traps
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70975 Assembly, maintenance, transport or storage of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70983 Optical system protection, e.g. pellicles or removable covers for protection of mask

Abstract

Provided is a support frame for pellicles which includes an aluminum alloy-made frame body with a pellicle film bonded to a front surface of the frame body, and with a glass substrate bonded to a back surface of the frame body. A front-side recessed groove extending in a circumferential direction of the frame body is formed on the front surface of the frame body, and a front-side suction hole extending from an outer peripheral surface of the frame body to an inner surface of the front-side recessed groove is formed on the frame body.

Claims

1. A support frame for pellicles comprising:

an aluminum alloy-made frame body, with a pellicle film bonded to a front surface of the frame body, and with a glass substrate bonded to a back surface of the frame body, wherein

a front-side recessed groove extending in a circumferential direction of the frame body is formed on the front surface of the frame body, and

a front-side suction hole extending from an outer peripheral surface of the frame body to an inner surface of the front-side recessed groove is formed on the frame body.

2. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the front-side recessed grooves are arranged side-by-side in the circumferential direction of the frame body, and

the front-side suction hole communicates with each front-side recessed groove.

3. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 2, wherein

in the back surface of the frame body, a plurality of back-side recessed grooves extending in the circumferential direction of the frame body are arranged side-by-side in the circumferential direction of the frame body, and

a back-side suction hole extending from the outer peripheral surface of the frame body to an inner surface of each back-side recessed groove is formed on the frame body,

the front-side suction holes are each formed between adjacent two of the back-side recessed grooves, and

the back-side suction holes are each formed between adjacent two of the front-side recessed grooves.

4. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 3, wherein

blind pit holes are formed on bottom surfaces of the recessed grooves, respectively, and

the suction holes are opened in inner peripheral surfaces of the pit holes, respectively.

5. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 4, wherein

the pit holes are opened in one of a front side and a back side of the frame body, and

bottom surfaces of the pit holes are formed closer to another of the front side and the back side of the frame body than are the suction holes.

6. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 2, wherein

the suction hole communicates with a middle portion of the at least one of the recessed grooves in an extension direction of the at least one recessed groove.

7. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 2, wherein

through-holes extending from the outer peripheral surface to an inner peripheral surface of the frame body are formed in the frame body, and

the through-holes are each formed between adjacent two of the recessed grooves in the circumferential direction of the frame body.

8. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

a back-side recessed groove extending in the circumferential direction of the frame body is formed on the back surface of the frame body, and

a back-side suction hole extending from the outer peripheral surface of the frame body to an inner surface of the back-side recessed groove is formed on the frame body.

9. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 8, wherein

a plurality of the back-side recessed grooves are arranged side-by-side in the circumferential direction of the frame body, and

the back-side suction hole communicates with each front-side recessed groove.

10. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 9, wherein

the suction hole communicates with a middle portion of the at least one of the recessed grooves in an extension direction of the at least one recessed groove.

11. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 9, wherein

through-holes extending from the outer peripheral surface to an inner peripheral surface of the frame body are formed in the frame body, and

the through-holes are each formed between adjacent two of the recessed grooves in the circumferential direction of the frame body.

12. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

the suction hole is formed at a center of the frame body in a height direction of the frame body.

13. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of the front-side suction holes are formed in each side of the frame body.

14. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

the frame body includes a pair of front and rear lateral frame portions and a pair of left and right vertical frame portions,

a plurality of jig holes are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the frame body, and

the jig holes are formed in two end portions of each of the two lateral frame portions.

15. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of jig holes are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the frame body, and

each jig hole is an elongated hole extending in the circumferential direction of the frame body.

16. The support frame for pellicles, according to claim 1, wherein

the frame body includes a pair of front and rear lateral frame portions and a pair of left and right vertical frame portions,

a plurality of jig holes are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the frame body,

the jig holes are formed in the two lateral frame portions, and in at least one of four corner portions of the frame body.