Transport apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorKen Matsumoto
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In transporting a reticle with a pellicle, gas purge is efficiently performed in a pellicle space or the environment in the pellicle space is efficiently maintained. Injectors (35) are provided in a pair of fork portions (31) of a reticle hand. Inert gas is injected and supplied from the injectors (35) into a pellicle space (29) through vent holes (27) of a reticle (30) with a pellicle. In this state, the reticle (30) with the pellicle is transported.
Claims22
A transport apparatus which has a transport hand and holds and transports a mask with a pellicle by said transport hand,
- wherein said transport hand comprises a gas injector arranged to inject a gas to at least a portion of a periphery of a pellicle support frame of the mask with the pellicle.
A transport apparatus which transports a mask with a pellicle having a vent hole which brings an external space and a pellicle space between the pellicle and the mask into communication with each other while holding the master with the pellicle by a transport hand, comprising
- a closing mechanism which closes the vent hole while holding a reticle with the pellicle by said transport hand.
A transport method of transporting a mask with a pellicle having a vent hole which brings an external space and a pellicle space between the pellicle and the mask into communication with each other, comprising
- a step of transporting the master with the pellicle while purging the pellicle space with an inert gas using the vent hole.
A transport method of transporting a mask with a pellicle having a first vent hole and a second vent hole which bring an external space and a pellicle space between the pellicle and the mask into communication with each other, comprising
- a step of supplying an inert gas into the pellicle space through the first vent hole, and transporting the mask with the pellicle while sucking the inert gas from the pellicle space through the second vent hole.
A transport method of transporting a master with a pellicle having a vent hole which brings an external space and a pellicle space between the pellicle and the mask into communication with each other, comprising:
- a step of closing the vent hole;
- and
- a step of transporting the mask with the pellicle while closing the vent hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.