Photomask with pellicle and method of treating and storing the same

Abstract

A photomask with pellicle which is treated so that even if the obverse and reverse surfaces of the photomask are stained with a trace amount of contaminative particles during cleaning, water content and a low-volatile component are prevented from adhering to such contaminative particles during storage, thereby preventing the photomask from becoming stained with passage of time. Also disclosed is a method of treating and storing the photomask. The photomask is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment by providing the obverse and reverse surfaces thereof with a trimethylsilyl film formed by a reaction of OH groups in these surfaces with 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazane. Even if contaminative particles are attached to the obverse and reverse surfaces of the photomask in a trace amount during cleaning, no water content or low-volatile component will adhere to such contaminative particles during storage and/or transport of the photomask with a pellicle attached thereto, so that the photomask is prevented from becoming stained with passage of time. Accordingly, the photomask with pellicle can be stably stored for a long period of time and also stably transported, and it can be used any number of times for a long period of time.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.