Apparatus and methods for reticle handling in an EUV reticle inspection tool

A reticle inspection system comprising:

• an EUV inner pod disposed in the reticle inspection system, the EUV inner pod storing a reticle;
• a reticle carrier stored in a clean, dry environment in the reticle inspection system, the reticle carrier comprising:
• a plurality of reticle clamping elements;
• a plurality of actuators configured to move the plurality of reticle clamping elements relative to the reticle carrier from a disengaged position to an engaged position that grasps the reticle and clamps the reticle to the reticle carrier outside of a clean vacuum environment of the reticle inspection system when the reticle carrier is located over the reticle;
• and
• a set of kinematic mounting elements configured to kinematically couple the reticle carrier to a reticle stage of the reticle inspection system in any of four different orientations separated by ninety degrees in a clean vacuum environment, leaving a patterned surface of the reticle directly exposed for inspection.

A method of handling a reticle in a reticle inspection system comprising:

• coupling a reticle carrier base to a reticle carrier that is kinematically mounted to a reticle stage in a clean vacuum environment of the reticle inspection system, wherein the reticle carrier base covers and is spaced apart from a patterned surface of the reticle that is clamped to the reticle carrier, and wherein the reticle carrier includes a set of features configured to kinematically couple to the reticle stage in any of four different orientations separated by ninety degrees;
• moving the reticle carrier and the reticle carrier base from the clean vacuum environment to a clean, dry air environment of the reticle inspection system;
• decoupling the reticle carrier base from the reticle carrier in the clean, dry air environment;
• and
• unclamping the reticle from the reticle carrier in the clean, dry air environment, wherein the unclamping involves a movement of a plurality of reticle clamping elements relative to the reticle carrier from an engaged position to a disengaged position that unclamps the reticle from the reticle carrier.