Euv reticle carrier with removable pellicle
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsArun Ramamoorthy, Hsing-Chien (Andy) Ma, Barry R. Lieberman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reticle carrier used in semiconductor manufacture. The carrier includes a bottom cover and a top cover having a transparent window. A protective lid may also be included. The box includes ports to allow nitrogen gas to enter and purge the inside. The transparent window is used for inspection and photochemical clean. However, since no material is available which can suitably handle smaller wavelength radiation, the reticle is removed from the carrier when exposure at these wavelengths is required.
Claims19
A carrier for a reticle used in semiconductor manufacture, comprising:
- a bottom cover;
- a top cover;
- the bottom cover and the top cover forming a carrier for receiving the recticle;
- a transparent window in at least one of the bottom cover and the top cover to allow visual inspection of an overall reticle mask area, where the transparent window allows deep ultra-violet (DUV) radiation inspection of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and allows a vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) radiation photochemical cleaning of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and where the transparent window is DUV and VUV degradation resistant;
- and,
- at least one of the bottom cover and the top cover enabling removal of the reticle from the carrier during extreme ultra-violet (EUV) or shorter wavelength radiation mask exposure.
A system for handling a reticle during semiconductor manufacture comprising:
- a reticle;
- a reticle carrier for receiving the reticle, the carrier including a transparent window on at least one surface to allow visual inspection of an overall reticle mask area, where the transparent window allows deep ultra-violet (DUV) radiation inspection of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and allows a vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) radiation photochemical cleaning of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and where the transparent window is DUV and VUV degradation resistant;
- and
- a reticle removing apparatus for removing the reticle from the carrier for extreme ultra-violet (EUV) or shorter wavelength radiation mask exposure.
A method of handling a reticle in a semiconductor manufacturing process, comprising:
- providing a carrier for the reticle;
- providing a transparent window in at least one surface of the carrier to allow visual inspection of an overall reticle mask area, where the transparent window allows deep ultra-violet (DUV) radiation inspection of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and allows a vacuum ultra-violet (VUV) radiation photochemical cleaning of the reticle mask area of the reticle installed within the carrier, and where the transparent window is DUV and VUV degradation resistant;
- storing the carrier in an environmentally controlled atmosphere during the semiconductor manufacturing process;
- and
- removing the reticle from the carrier during extreme ultra-violet (EUV) or shorter wavelength radiation mask exposure and returning it to the carrier, all within the environmentally protected atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.